The Torah Im Derech Eretz Society

Wednesday, March 14, 2018

Every aspect of a full life

"God's Law does not deal with things that are supernatural or not of this world; instead, it includes every aspect of a full life which can be lived here below. Therefore these laws are עדות, the testimony of God's truths for all our earthy relationships, and hence they are עדות, because they crown all our earthy affairs with the ornament of human nobility which find favor in the eyes of God." Rav Hirsch on Tehillim 119:99

Monday, March 12, 2018

Simi Rivka Lerner

Weekly portion, Rav Hirsch - symbolism of sacrifices

Tuesday, March 6, 2018

A tour of the main Belzer Synagogue in Jerusalem

A tour of the main Belzer Synagogue in Jerusalem

You could say this is not German Orthodox or TIDE but then again it is as the synagogue is run with a kind of German order.

Wednesday, February 28, 2018

R. Meir Simha haKohen

"R. Meir Simha haKohen of Dvinsk suggests that murder of gentiles cannot be atoned for by capital punishment because the murderer must achieve kappara for both murder and hillul hashem."

Meshekh Hokhma, Shemot 21:4.

Yitzchak Blau
Tradition 34:4

Monday, February 26, 2018

Music of Louis Lewandowski Performed in Switzerland

SIM SHALOM / שים שלום

Syangogenchor Basel

Credit: anonymous blog reader

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R' Joseph Breuer, zt'l, 1882-1980

"Anyone who has but a fleeting insight into the life and work of Rav Hirsch will realize that his Torah im Derech Eretz formula was never intended by him as a Horo'as Sho'oh....As for us let us do our best to promote and fulfill the Torah im Derech Eretz ideal in its true spirit and let us protect it from regrettable misuse and interpretation. A personal footnote: on the day before he passed away, my father told me: 'I am firmly convinced that the way shown by Rav Hirsch will be mekarev ha'geulah.' A sacred testament." ("The Relevance of the Torah Im Derech Eretz Ideal")

"The definition of a gadol be'Yisrael is one who is great in Torah and great in piety, one whose personal views and conduct are based exclusively on those twin pillars. Such a person is acknowledged as a peer by the other great men of his era. Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch was revered by the Chassidic leaders of Galicia and by the rabbis of Lithuania. That his views did not accord with theirs was immaterial; his philosophy grew out of his G-d-fearing understanding of Torah, and therefore it was legitimate for him. So it was with Rabbi Salomon Breuer and so it was with Rabbi Joseph Breuer. Their greatness transcended community. They belonged to Klal Yisrael, so they were honored by Klal Yisrael, all of it."

R' Shlomo Wolbe

Full article

The brave German Jewish communities

"...in Germany where there was so much assimilation, a number of German Jews decided they are going to fight for the preservation of the Torah. And they built up an Orthodox kehilla that was excellent in every detail. They were machmir in everything. In some respects, they were more frum than the Jews in Russia and Poland were. And they had organized kashrus. Strict hashgacha. Not rabbanim who gave heksherim and were paid for it. No. The kehillias gave hashgacha and were very strict in every detail. And so the minority that withstood the test were a glorious fulfillment of the prophecy that the Am Yisroel will continue forever despite any circumstances."

Rav Avigdor Miller, Recording #855 - "The Kiss of Esav," 11:48

R' Miller on Great Kehillas

"Satmar they are devoted to avodas Hashem. They go all out to serve Hashem. Lubavitch, all out to serve Hashem. No question about that. They are not the only kehillas. I have plenty to say about the German kehillah. I love the German kehillah. As a boy I davened every Shabbos in a German shul. I can sit four hours in the afternoon, Shabbos afternoon, in a German shul. These kehillas we have to appreciate. And all the things that are said against them we have to learn how to refute. Vehitzidku es ha tzadick." R' Avigdor Miller, Loving His People 2, #528 1:06.