Meta-Halakha: Logic, Intuition, and the Unfolding of Jewish Law by Moshe Koppel

In Meta-Halakha: Logic, Intuition, and the Unfolding of Jewish Law, Moshe Koppel tackles many important theological questions that can come up when talking about Halakha. Unlike other books such as the Oral Law, Koppel uses unconventional methods to decipher the relevant Talmudic texts. He uses ideas from mathematics, logic and computer science to systematically create an explanation for the Halakhik system we know today. While I specifically loved this as a math major, this book was not only meant for me. Koppel always explains the ideas he is going to use before he uses them in terms of Halakha, making sure to never leave the reader in the dark. 
            The biggest issue Koppel deals with is the question of to what extent is the Torah, as we know it, from Mount Sinai. We are supposed to believe that the entire Torah was given to Moses, but at the same time we want to also allow some leeway to be applied in changing times.  This creates an inherent contradiction. Another question Koppel deals with is of the existence of disputes in Halakha. While he certainly relates this to the overall argument between Rabbi Elazar and Rabbi Yehoshua on the validity of multiple opinions in law, Koppel asks if there is one platonic version of Halakha, or is dispute an integral part of the Halakhik system. Specifically because the book is a formulation of an entire theory, I would not really be able to capture Koppel’s Meta-Halakhik theory in a couple sentences, so please do not replace reading the book for this short review.

The main idea Koppel brings out is that Halakha and the Jewish people create an autonomous system, in which intuition about what the Halakha is in continuously being formalized. When Moses got the Torah at Sinai he did indeed get the entire Torah. However, Moses knew the Torah in a very different way than we do, he knew it intuitively. Because intuition is a very hard thing to pass on, eventually we started to formalize the Halakha and it was here when debates began. Only when you put an actual amount on the amount of Matzo one must eat on Passover, does your opinion rule out other amounts. This can be unhealthy if one opinion rules over without the ability for intuitive thought. It is for this reason the Beit Hillel was chosen over Beit Shammai (they always said the other opinion) and Rabbi Meir was rejected (his opinions were so creative that others could not argue with him).  

There were a couple reasons why I thought Meta-Halakha was a profoundly good read. Koppel tackles head on important issues I feel that Jews think about a lot. He does this in a creative fashion and creates a real model that fits the entirety of the Halakhik system. It was a clearly better answer than those that I heard before, and after talking to a couple people since reading this book, it seems that it is a topic that is primarily forgotten about in Yeshivas. Meta-Halakha gives deep answers to deep questions, changing the way I thinking about Halakha and has given me a greater appreciation for the system that it is.

                                    Next Week: Start-Up Nation

Emotional Intellegence 2.0 by Travis Bradberry and Jean Greaves

The idea of "emotional intelligence" is something that has intrigued me for a while. Some people clearly seem to have it. They can tell when something is slightly wrong with someone and can always ask the right question. The importance of emotional intelligence could be far greater than that of IQ because of its ability to be fostered. At least in theory one could learn how to be aware of emotions, and practice what to do when you see them. So i looked online and found the highest rated book on the subject to read. I wasn't impressed. After an introduction about the topic, the book breaks down EQ into four parts (self awareness, self management, social awareness and relationship management) and then gives strategies for each of the parts. Also at the end of the book you get access to the supposed best EQ test, the Emotional Intelligence Appraisal. A lot of the strategies that are given are definitely good ideas, but seem either obvious or can be put into other rules. Basically, most of the entire idea can be boiled down to paying attention and thinking about how you and others are feeling. The test questions seemed vague and weren't entirely clear. At the same time, by reading this book it has gotten me thinking about its basic concepts of actively thinking about my own and others feelings. I hope that the field will soon come out with real quantifiable ways determining EQ so that we can all become more thoughtful people

Book #52 Horeb by Samson Rephael Hirsch

When I first started this project, the idea of actually reaching this point was by no means a goal. Firstly, I was not expecting to get here. I figured that eventually something would get in the way, whether it be school or something else entirely. Also, fifty-two books was more of a shorthand to say one book a week every week for a year, but that's merely semantics. So only after I realized that I was approaching the number fifty-two did it have significance for me. After asking a couple people I decided that it was worthwhile to spend one week (actually two) on one expansive work. One book that in its own way encapsulated an entire subject, it was in this way that I would try gain the general knowledge I was trying to get all year in one week. After briefly considering reading through Tanach, I decided to read through Horeb by Samson Rephael Hirsch. R Hirsch goes through tenets that he believes goes through all the mitzvot as they are applicable today, ending with 111, and gives both their practical application and the philosophy he believes is behind them. Horeb is usually read based on the time period it was in. Hirsch, in responding to the new Reform movement made it his mission to show the relevancy of the mitzvot. In this way, Horeb had a profound impact in the history of Judaism in Germany and beyond. Because of this, Horeb was not only an exhaustive work, but it was also a  deeply important one. There are a couple things I should note. This was not a good read at all. It is very dense, spending only a couple pages on each mitzvah and hard to get through. Even though I did read it straight though, I would not tell anyone to do the same. Horeb is useful for reference on specific topics. Each chapter is not too long and gives lots of information on various issues in law and morality (if there's a difference). Since it was such a hard read, trying to read this book straight through gave me a glimpse to how I have been able to do this for over a year, and how I believe I can continue in the future.
I think it's very much like my father's weekly poker game. My father, and many of his closest friends from around Teaneck get together every Monday night for some light gambling and a BBQ where proceeds from every pot go towards charity. When I say every Monday night, I mean EVERY Monday night. There is rarely something that is important enough to override the sacred time he has around that table. Recently, one of the kids of one of the players got married on a Monday night. My father's initial response was: Really? On a Monday night? What about the card game? He, and others, thought about this enough, even joking about bringing a deck to the wedding. While certainly there are things more important than cards, what my father was always saying is that there will always be an excuse to miss the game, once I start allowing some of them to get in the way, who knows when it will end. This is a lesson I have taken to heart. Except for during my time in Camp Stone (where there really was no time for casual reading, although I did get through three in the summer), nothing got in the way of this project. In College, but especially at YU/Stern, there is always going to be an excuse for not doing what you want to do. Whether it be night seder, extra curricular activities, speakers, or just hanging out, there will always be something that needs to get done. What I have come to realize is that the only way to make sure that those things happen is to give up on some other things to make sure you achieve the things that you desire. (This is only to an extent obviously,as there were times where I didn't read one but read two the next week) I hope that we can all continue growing in this way, no matter what comes through our path.