Loving Truth and Peace: The Grand Religious Worldview of Rabbi Benzion Uziel

As reflected in the title of Rabbi Angel's book, Rabbi Uziel's approach to Judaism was inclusive, not sectarian. He was a Zionist and a lover of Jews, all Jews. He sought to embrace the entire community at the very time when there were powerful forces in the Orthodox world condemning Zionism and pushing for a separation from the less religious. He also parted company with many of his rabbinic colleagues by advocating a universalistic view of Judaism, a subject which is treated by Rabbi Angel in one of the chapters of his book.Rabbi Angel's book is full of other examples which show how Rabbi Uziel's insights differed from those of his colleagues. Regarding some of these, the world has come to agree with him. For example, while most of the rabbinic establishment of Palestine was opposed to women's voting, Rabbi Uziel strongly supported female suffrage.In a particularly fascinating discussion, Rabbi Angel deals with Rabbi Uziel's view of conversion. Most people assume that halakhah demands that converts be turned away when they first approach the rabbi, that conversion for the sake of marriage is improper, and that no one can be converted without a strong commitment to Torah observance. Rabbi Uziel had a very different view. He was more welcoming to converts, and believed that there was much to be lost to the Jewish people by not converting non-Jewish marriage partners. He also noted that violation of Torah laws by a convert does not invalidate a conversion, as long as the person recognizes a general commitment to Torah. Whether rabbis today should adopt this approach can be debated; but certainly it should never be asserted that there is only one halakhic approach to the issue of halakhic conversion to Judaism.We are living at a time when the Sephardic community is experiencing a revival of learning, especially in the State of Israel, as well as a rise of extremism far removed from the traditional Sephardic way. At the same time, the issues discussed by Rabbi Uziel, and masterfully analyzed by Rabbi Angel---issues such as the status of women, halakhah in a modern state, Jewish honor and the role of the rabbi--- are just as pressing now as they were years ago. As such, Rabbi Uziel's distinctive religious outlook, as transmitted by Rabbi Angel, is as vital as ever.