Rabbi Haim David Halevy Gentle Scholar and Courageous Thinker

Rabbi Haim David Halevy (1924-1998) was one of the great rabbinic luminaries of his era. A prolific author and teacher, he was a gifted scholar of Jewish law, a devotee of kabbala, and a creative thinker who applied Torah wisdom to the dilemmas of modern times. From 1972 until his death, he served as the Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Tel Aviv. Influenced by the profound and compassionate teachings of his mentor Rabbi Benzion Uziel, Rabbi Halevy represented the best in the Sephardic tradition of the Judeo-Spanish Sephardim. His monumental knowledge and keen insight were widely recognized, and his books in Hebrew on Jewish law and thought are quoted authoritatively. He won many prizes for his intellectual achievements, and in 1997 was awarded the Israel Prize by the State of Israel in appreciation of his significant contributions to Torah scholarship. In this book, Rabbis Marc and Hayyim Angel provide an analysis of the teachings of Rabbi Halevy on a wide range of topics confronting modernity, rabbinic responsibility and authority, metaphysical issues, questions of faith, the role of customs, Jewish education, governing the Jewish State, and more. Rabbi Halevy was a gentle, thoughtful scholar. He was also a courageous thinker who was not afraid to consider old questions in a new light, and to break new ground in the field of Torah studies.

Hayyim Angel teaches Tanakh at Yashiva University.