Older Archival Material The links below refer to older archival material from prior versions of toriah.org, toriah.com and the wiki (no longer accesible). Items are persented in no particular order. Rav A. Feldman on the Slifkin affair Rav S. Miller on Slifkin Rav S. Miller on Slifkin (Heb) The Scientific Pretensions of Atheism (Berlinski R. Slifkin’s Blind Watchmaker RSC Defending the Mesorah RSC Defending the Messorah RSC debate with R.
Hashkafa (Hebrew: השקפה; lit. “overview”) means to survey. But to take a survey of what? The grand design underlying reality, as described in the Torah. Some of the questions that hashkafa might answer: What is existence? (Ontology) What does it mean to exist? What are the prime entities that exists and what is the relationship (plan) that links these entities? What is the greatest Being, the source of all other being?
As Jews we are committed to the absolute truth of the Torah. The mature universe is the result of meta-natural creation solely by Divine fiat, imbued with plan and purpose, so as to bring us to an awareness of the Creator, His Omnipotence, His wisdom and His kindliness. The basis for our beliefs is the firm evidence of the authentic testimony of our whole nation at Mount Sinai. Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch (The Hirsch Chumash, translated by Daniel Haberman, Feldheim 2005, p316-317) writes as follows.