[Avodah] Sephardi-ism: some food for thought

[Michael Makovi]

http://tinyurl.com/RabbiUziel

which is an alias for

http://www.edah.org/backend/coldfusion/search/document.cfm?title=Loving%20Truth%20and%20Peace:%20The%20Grand%20Religious%20Worldview%20of%20Rabbi%20Benzion%20Uziel%20by%20Rabbi%20Marc%20D.%20Angel&hyperlink=1_2_zohar.html&type=JournalArticle&category=Halachah,%20Minhag,%20and%20Ideology&authortitle=&firstname=Zvi&lastname=Zohar&pubsource=The%20Edah%20Journal%20Volume%201:2&authorid=519&pdfattachment=1_2_zohar.pdf

in turn linking to

http://www.edah.org/backend/JournalArticle/1_2_zohar.pdf

This is a (short four page) review by Professor Zvi Zohar, of a book
about Rabbi Benzion Uziel, in turn written by Rabbi Marc D. Angel.

Professor Zohar makes a paradigm of Sephardi halakhah and hashkafa as
opposed to Ashkenazi. Ashkenazi pesak relies on "kol ha-mahmir tavo
alav berakhah" and "hadash asur min haTorah", whereas Sephardi pesak
has no such concept of "hadash" and holds by "koha de-hetera adif".
Also, Sephardi aharonim regularly cited Ashkenazim, but the converse
is not true.

As for hashkafah, Professor Zohar quotes words of Rabbi Uziel's
regarding universalism of knowledge and learning and universalism of
Jewish mission, that to me sound remarkably Hirschian (IMHO), and
Professor Zohar notes that such sentiments are common amongst
Sephardim but not amongst Ashkenazim.

Some food for thought.

Mikha'el Makovi

P. S. The online store for Rabbi Angel, selling numerous books about
Sephardism (including books about Rabbis Uziel and Hayim David Halevy,
as well  as Sephardism in general), along with some other books (one
about Rabbi Soloveitchik, a few books of miscellaneous halakhic and
societal issues).  --- http://www.jewishideas.org/store