<html>
<body>
The following is from the second part of RSRH's essay Tishri VI, II
: "Belief: and "Knowledge" (page 143). I have posted
this part of this essay in its entirety at
<a href="http://www.stevens.edu/golem/llevine/rsrh/tishri_vi_belief.pdf" eudora="autourl">
http://www.stevens.edu/golem/llevine/rsrh/tishri_vi_belief.pdf</a>
YL<br><br>
<font size=4>It </font><font face="Times New Roman, Times" size=4>is on
this clear historic basis, on realities confirmed by the<br>
concrete experience of an entire nation, that Judaism stands, in
both<br>
theory and practice. In Judaism emotion must not be allowed to run<br>
away with the mind. Rather, the emotions must be guided by realities<br>
which were clearly apprehended by the senses, grasped by the lucid<br>
intellect and considered by logical thought so that they serve as
guides<br>
for every aspect of our lives. Our reflections on these realities
must<br>
produce a firm, solemn resolve on our part to fashion our lives on<br>
earth in accordance with the words of God which were addressed to<br>
the thinking mind. Clear reasoning and vigorous willpower: these are<br>
the forces on which Judaism counts; in Judaism, the heart and the<br>
emotions only serve to mediate between intellect and action.<br><br>
Not "belief" but "knowledge," not
"sentiment" but "determination<br>
and accomplishment;" these are the energies through which the<br>
"Jewish religion" becomes manifest. And for that very reason
Judaism<br>
is not a "religion." </font>It
<font face="Times New Roman, Times" size=4>has no part with any of the
facets that other<br>
"religions" emphasize as the "essence of religion."
He who would drag<br>
Judaism down to the level of "belief' divorced from knowledge,
who<br>
would place also at the head of the "Jewish faith" all the
nebulous<br>
subjectivism which indulges in "devout impulses" and have
these<br>
notions constitute the basic requirements of the Jewish
"religion,"<br>
cannot be one of the "priests of the Lord." He is in reality
one of the<br>
priestlings of paganism who exploit vague sentiment and
sensibilities<br>
for the worship of their own delusions, whose harvest, therefore,
has<br>
mostly been grief and mourning, misery and distress.</font>
</body>
</html>