[Avodah] RYBS and Natural Law

[dfinch847 at aol.com]

RYGB comments as follows on a book review of Michael Berger's "Joseph 
B. Soloveitchik The Emergence of Ethical Man" (2005):

"'Natural law' [as the book review ascribes to Berger's description of 
RYBS's thinking] sounds to me like Rousseau. Is RYBS suggesting that  
human beings are "naturally" ethical? It seems that he is saying more 
than that: That to be ethical is also not connected to being 
transcendent - 'unethical.' Is this Ba'al Mussar's (!!!) deriding 
Chassidim/Mekubalim?"

RYBS's thoughts reflect more of the Hegel and Kierkegaard than they do 
of Rousseau. RYBS mirrors Rambam in believing that G-d's creations, 
including man, are inherently moral, although man can descend from 
morality into sin through the exercise of action through free will. 
Much of Chassidus is devoted to stripping away the temporality of 
action and rationalism in order to connect transcendentally with this 
original morality. RYBS rejected this approach, believing that man can 
approach original morality *only* through the discipline of halachic 
action and thought. Rousseau and Chassidus are romantic: You are what 
you feel, and refined feeling brings you closer to your natural state 
(or to G-d). RYBS was existentialist: You are what you do, and by 
perfecting your action and thought, you will approach (and begin 
spirtually to comprehend) natural morality. For RYBS, this natural 
morality was a state of enlightenment more powerful than mere devekus.

"[RYBS writes: 'Man's sin consisted in betraying nature.... Naturalness 
is moral, unnaturalness is sin.'] Olam hafuch ra'isi. Shouldn't that 
be: 'Morality is natural, sin is unnatural?' What is the different 
connotation of RYBS's formulation?"

Again, look at Rambam, to whom RYBS owes so much. Sin isn't unnatural. 
It just isn't original. Sin is as natural as free will. The dichotomy 
with which RYBS was concerned wasn't natural vs. unnatural. It was 
action blessed by G-d (halacha) vs. action uninformed by G-d.

David Finch
dfinch847 at aol.com









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