Lexington Books Halacha and the Challenge of Sovereignty

Halakha and the Challenge of Israeli Sovereignty examines the issues surrounding national, political, and religious sovereignty from the vantage point of halakha and its evolution. The work analyzes the efforts of the interpretative communities who adhered to halakha-the rabbinical authorities-as well as other groups who endeavored to help or to change it: the Jewish jurists in Eretz Israel who sought to integrate sections of halakha into the Jewish collective; and the religious academics who wanted more meaningful recognition of halakha in non-halakhic values. The assessment extends from the beginning of the Jewish national movement in the last two decades of the 19th century to the first two decades of the State of Israel, when weighty problems arose that required a halakhic response to the challenge of sovereignty. In this, the volume sheds light on the pliable nature of the concept of halakha, particularly in conjunction with its application to the notion of sovereignty. Review This fascinating book sheds light on one of the challenging issues of modern Jewish life-the meeting between Zionism and Halakha. This includes the dilemmas and conflicts within the State of Israel concerning the place of Halakha in its life, and the place of Israel in the Halakhic world. It is well-written, sources-rich and highly informative, putting subjects and personalities into their historic context.--Justice Professor Elyakim Rubinstein, Deputy President (Ret.), The Supreme Court Of Israel With the emergence of Zionism and the quest for a Jewish state, a series of issues involving a confrontation between modern Jewish sovereignty and traditional Jewish law, Halakha, developed. Asaf Yedidya's focuses on a number of the major issues and has written a book containing his fine analyses that is a significant contribution to the historical and social scientific study of Halakha--Chaim I. Waxman, Hadassah Academic College; Rutgers University (Emeritus) About the Author Asaf Yedidya is head of the Department of History at Efrata College and a senior lecturer at Ariel University.