The Phoenix Jewish news., 1962-06-22
Nv RABBI ALBERT PLOTKIN

Theology is a WOfd OF GIeeh
origin meaning the study OF the
doctrine of God. 1t is scientific for
self-inquiry into the meaning OF
faiths and religion. 1t is concerned
with the definition of God and
wants to know His way with man
and the world. 1t begins about ori-
gins and meanings, relating to the
value and meaning of the existence
of life. 1t struggles for the knoWi-
edge of good and evil, and strives
TO know what is mans destiny.
Jewish theology has suddenly
had a wonderful renaissance IN
which gifted thinkers like David
Polish Jacob Agus, VIII Herberg,
and Abraham J. Heschel have been
very productive of writings which
have stimulated the Jewish mlnd
and thought.
THERE HAS arisen on the Amer
lean Jewish scene a young a n
Gifted writer, DIR. Jacob J. Petucho-
wski. associate professor of Rabbi
MICS at the Hebrew Union College
in Cincinnati. In new book en-
titled: "Ever Since Sinai" Dr.
Petuchowski has provided a most
stimulating book which is as lyrl-
cal as a poem, as beautiful as
love story and as meanlngtul as
timely editorial.
The author starts with a hypo-
+betical visit to a Jewish Museum.
There he finds a beautifully illumi-
,o+od marriage contract of the 17th
and 18th centuries. Now the mar
rage contract tells something OF
the artistic taste of the times, ana
also tells of the legal TACT that q
certain man took certain woman
for his wife at certain GATE.
But suppose one wants to know
what transpired between tnat
man and that woman before the
marriage contract was written!
How did they meet? What did
the lady see in the gentleman
ov the gentleman in the lady 10
foil in love with one another!
Was the romance between Uhe
two long or short! were t"oi0
anv love letters? =,
None of these things VIII pe
found in the marriage contracl,
II is a legal document and all tha'
ono finds is merely the legal state
ments of fact. ....
DR.. Petuchowski has chosen TINS
beautiful and inspiring sympoI una,
the relationship between Goa ana
He neople, Israel, is KIND Oh
marriage = a marriage that oloo
sonoed out of deep love LOT one
another. The evidence or that love
between God and His people IS tne
Torah. Torah, our author explains,
becornes that marriage contrac.
between God and His people, Dut
unlike the marriage CONTRACT tnat
ba describes in the museum, tflls
ne ,o,ri ogo contract abounds in "love
letters" ~ &c IN
the Torah, in the prophets. IN 'ile
writings. and in the teachings VI
the rabbis for many generatioilsS;
zach of us must search and Ilno
tho meaning of these love lettefs.
We must understand what tney
s;onifv and how they affect US.
The author then takes US on an
,,nione Journey to make us under-
stand that the love letters nave
ever found fulfillment both in study
and in prayer. .;s +b +
the late Jewish philosopher, fraliI
Rosenzweig, spoke that there are
three basic structures to rellglon'
60 man and the world. The ma
ture of Judaism is that wnlcn NM
all three together. God Is illlheo me-
to 70 the world by the act of creatlon:
God is joined to man by the acI ~
revelation, And mans relationship y
To the world is always seen III
terms of a continuous progress Oh
redemption. :, o,,r
There is something unique IN our our
heritage, that we as a people "eie