Understanding Jewish Ethics (review)

VoLume 9, No.4 Summer 1991 129 terial world is eternal, without a beginning, then again, there is no creator. In short, as soon as one denies the creation, one denies the creator and is deep in the midst of paganism and in contradiction with the Revelation." Revelation limits the pretenses of reason; it denies to man the unlimited belief in causal relationships and makes him aware of his freedom, of his undetermined power to change direction, to explore the unpredictable and the unexpected. Human freedom is neither knowable nor predictable. Man is not caught in the web of necessity; he is not an animal. Revelation gives man universal laws that guide and give meaning to his life; it makes it possible for him to know that whatever he does or brings forth is always incomplete and unfinished. God is truth, the measure for all human truths, a Revelation that forces man to see the difference that lies between the divine and the human, a sacred difference that prevents the idolatry of self-consciousness and reason. We have the first volume of Steinheim in English. We have a book that stands firmly and truthfully against the Kantianism and idealism that has so powerfully dominated European and American thought. Steinheim's thought demands patience and perseverance; it needs the serious reader. For those of us who have been easily captured by Pragmatism, Idealism, or Marxism, this volume is an antidote. Men of faith like S. L. Steinheim, S. R. Hirsch, and Isaac Breuer give different perspectives. We need them if we are to avoid the pains of self-deification. William Kluback Resident Professor of Philosophy City University of New York Understanding Jewish Ethics, by Richard A. Freund. Lewiston, NY: The Edwin Mellen Press, 1990. 325 pp. $49.95 (c); $25.95 (p). One of the contributions that Richard Freund makes to our understanding Jewish ethics is a description of "the method of Jewish ethics." Many people are willing to describe the outcome of ethical investigation, but have little or nothing to say about the process of ethical deliberation. Jewish ethics has neither a single text nor a single paradigm figure to utilize in answering ethical questions. Therefore, the process of Jewish ethics is to compare various Jewish texts and commentaries to see what they offer by way of advice on any particular ethical issue. Since the interpretations of texts differ and the commentaries provide different perspectives, the process of Jewish ethics is one of collecting the varieties of advice, each offering some insight into the issue to be considered. The method of Jewish ethics enriches our understanding of ethical issues by providing not one account but many accounts 130 SHOFAR of an issue. From these accounts, one is to recognize what is appropriate to the context and situation at hand. But it is even more complex. Not only must we examine multiple texts and multiple interpretations of texts, but we must also examine non-Jewish influences on those texts and interpretations; That is, the texts and interpretations are a part of a larger historical picture which we must take into 'account in order to better understand the texts and interpretations. All of these factors must be taken into account and compared and then related to the particular case or issue at hand. Our decisions about right and wrong will emerge from this accounting and comparison. Does the method of Jewish ethics yield relativism? Only ifwe think that there can only be one correct answer to our moral questions or if nothing emerges from our consideration of texts, interpretations, and their history. But answers do emerge, answers that fall within a range of morally acceptable answers, although these answers may change at a later date as new insights come into play. The method of Jewish ethics is akin to, if not exactly like, the casuistry of ancient scholars. Indeed, Jewish scholars contributed greatly to ancient casuistry. Having discussed the method of Jewish ethics, Freund then applies this method to a number of serious contemporary moral problems. These include lying and deception, self-sacrifice and martyrdom, political participation, a just war, economic activity, problems of caring for others, human sexuality, abortion, and problems...