The Responsa in English controversy of 1966.

Here's an interesting bit of letters in the October 1966 issue of the Jewish Observer.

Future-British Chief Rabbi Rabbi Immanuel Jakobovits had written a book called called "Jewish Law Faces Modern Problems." Evidently the Jewish Observer had harsh words for the book in its review, and we can see what they are by Rabbi Jakobovits' reply.

He notes three points.

1. He is not responsible for the Forward by Dr. Leon Stitskin, which had obviously been criticized. His views and Dr. Stitskin's are obviously different.

2. The Jewish Observer had said that Jakobovits wrote that "there is no rabbinic authority opposing the [Manhattan] Eruv." I'm not too concerned about this reply.

3. This is the most interesting angle: the review had criticized the very fact of printing rabbinic responsa in English, because it presents a "grave danger" to the "ordinary reader." Rabbi Jakobovits makes several points, and also notes that in Israel where Hebrew is the vernacular, should the rabbis write their responsa in English or Latin?

Read his complete response, several other letters also criticizing this particular point, as well as defending Stitskin, and the editor, Rabbi Joseph Elias' response.

The format I'm posting it may be a little unwieldy, but it's very interesting and well worth reading.



Actually, just one more thing to point out: the following little box appears under Tziviah Donin's letter on the subject (yes, you read that name correctly):

A sign of the times.