A Living Covenant: The Innovative Spirit in Traditional Judaism

Rating:
Summary: A great work of Jewish thought
Review: This is Rabbi Hartman's most important book. In it he presents his own Covenant theology. He has learned much and provides critiques of two of his great teachers in this work, Rabbi Joseph Dov Ber Soloveitchik and Yehoshua Leibowitz. Rabbi Hartman places the Covenant at Sinai at the center of Jewish experience. He tends to see this Covenant more in terms of the marital relation, than in the relation of parents and children. And this with the stress he places on responsibility and freedom for humanity. For Rabbi Hartman Torah and Torah learning are the true legacy of Sinai and the message and life- work of the people of Israel. This is a profound work and an inspiring one. And all those interested in thinking deeply about the people of Israel 's relation to G-d would do well to study this work.