Last Wednesday, almost 90 students attended "The Tradition of Innovation in Orthodox Judaism" to hear Rabbi Asher Lopatin speak about the integration of openness into Modern Orthodoxy.

The president of Yeshivat Chovevei Torah Rabbinical School, a Modern and Open Orthodox rabbinical school in New York, Lopatin is a prominent figure in the Jewish Orthodox community who advocates in favor of a forward-thinking form of Modern Orthodoxy called Open Orthodoxy.

In explaining the foundation for such beliefs, Lopatin first described the struggle that Modern Orthodox Jews (and Jews of many other sects) face as they grapple with the question of how to understand the Torah, the words of which can be taken literally or understood figuratively.

Lopatin said that "everything is open to interpretation."

"The core of Modern Open Orthodoxy is that you're always open to people asking questions and changing the status quo," said Lopatin. The balance Lopatin described is between having "a sense of reverence for the Torah and the sense of humility that we are only human beings and we're ... never going to get it right, but we're trying to get as close as we can."
To illustrate the foundation on which Modern Open Orthodoxy is built, Lopatin organizes the core ideas into the "Five Pillars of Orthodox Judaism or Open Charedism." These five pillars are as follows: "Torah Mi'Sinai," "Chidush Mi'Sinai," "Halakhic Rigor and Discipline," "Klal Yisrael" and "Menchlichkeit and Kiddush Hashem: Always Asking Yourself, Am I acting Like a Mensch?"

"Torah Mi'Sinai" (Torah from Sinai) is the "awe of the Torah and Talmud coming from God, being infinite and deserving infinite reverence," Lopatin said. In essence, this is a sense of humbleness that venerates the Torah as something divine and worthy of worship.

"Chidush Mi'Sinai" (innovation from Sinai) are the varying interpretations that can arise once the first pillar of reverence is adopted. According to Lopatin, "New understandings and innovative interpretations come if you really believe Torah is divine and infinite and, thus, can be interpreted in an infinite amount of ways."

"Halakhic Rigor and Discipline" is the will to first preserve the Torah and its practices, before anything else. Lopatin said that this secure commitment to the Torah's practices ensures a "safe space for God's infinite word."

"Klal Yisrael," or inclusivity, is respect for Israel, the Torah and God. It is the connection to every other Jewish person.
"Menchlichkeit and Kiddush Hashem" is the basic belief that one should have respect, not only for the Jewish people, but for all of God's creatures. This belief functions on the concept that we are all created in God's image, and therefore we must respect others since we too contain God within us. Furthermore, Lopatin said that all humans are extensions of God, and therefore, must be treated kindly.

Lopatin made a few final points about the meaning of the word "open" in "Open Modern Orthodoxy," saying that, "if we want to understand Torah, we have to open up." In congruence with this view, new people and new ideas are always welcome, and encouraged, said Lopatin. He continued to say that it is imperative for members of the Modern Orthodox community to go out into the world with the values in the Torah and make a difference, especially in places where people are in need of help.

President of Brandeis Orthodox Organization Ethan Stein '15 said in an interview with the Justice that he chose Lopatin as this year's speaker because of the partnering views of Lopatin and the ideals at Brandeis.

"All of the points [Lopatin] made are not specific to Orthodoxy. In order to create a strong, thriving community, we all have to be dignified and role models," said Stein. "We should not turn away others whose views do not always align with our ideals ... turning people away because of their differences defeats the whole purpose of Judaism ... of being welcoming."
Abbie Denemark '16, who attended the event, said in an interview with the Justice that she enjoyed hearing Lopatin speak and that a lot of what he said were things that she had formerly thought but struggled to articulate. She said she thought Lopatin represented Orthodoxy well, especially for those who might not have a background in it.