Aryeh Kaplan (אריה קפלן) (1983 - 1934) was a noted American Orthodox rabbi and author, who had a background in both physics and Judaism. He is widely viewed as a prolific and original teacher; his work ranged from studies of the Torah, Talmud and works of mysticism to outreach and philosophy.
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Biography
Rabbi Kaplan was born in the Bronx, New York City, to the Sephardic Recanati family of Salonika, Greece and studied in the Torah Voda'as and Mir Yeshivas in Brooklyn. His major influence, during his early years, was Rabbi Zvi Aryeh Rosenfeld (1922-1978), who was singlehandedly responsible for the revival of Breslov Chasidus among students at Brooklyn yeshivos, especially Torah Voda'as. Working together, Aryeh Kaplan and Rabbi Rosenfeld translated Rebbe Nachman's Tikkun Ha-klali. Rabbi Kaplan then studied at Mir in Jerusalem, and was ordained by some of Israel's foremost rabbinic authorities including Rabbi Eliezer Yehudah Finkel. After his ordination he earned a masters degree in physics. As a graduate student, Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan was described in a scientific "Who's Who" as a promising young American physicist. Rabbi Kaplan's writings were first published when he was commissioned by NCSY to write several pamphlets. These short writings were a huge success, and established him as an original thinker. Later "he decided to devote his overflowing heart and massive intellect to the writing and teaching of traditional Torah values" [1]. His works are often regarded as a significant factor in the baal teshuva movement [2]. From 1976 onward, his major activity was the translation into English of the recently translated (Ladino into Hebrew, 1967) anthology Me'am Lo'ez. He died suddenly of a heart attack on January 28, 1983, at the age of 48 [3]. Rabbi Kaplan was described by Rabbi Pinchas Stolper, his original sponsor, as never fearing to speak his mind. "He saw harmony between science and Judaism, where many others saw otherwise. He put forward creative and original ideas and hypotheses, all the time anchoring them in classical works of rabbinic literature". Rabbi Kaplan's works continue to attract a wide readership, and are read and studied by both novices and the newly religious, as well as by scholars where the extensive footnotes provide a unique resource. His works have been translated into Czech, French, Hungarian, Modern Hebrew, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish.
Works
Rabbi Kaplan produced works on topics as varied as prayer, marriage and meditation. In researching his books, Rabbi Kaplan once remarked: “I use my physics background to analyze and systematize data, very much as a physicist would deal with physical reality” [4]. This ability enabled him to undertake monumental projects, producing close to 50 books, "celebrated for their erudition, completeness and clarity" [5]. His introductory and background material contain much scholarly and original research.
- Rabbi Kaplan's best known work is probably The Living Torah, a widely used, scholarly - and user friendly - translation into English of the Torah. This work is noteworthy for its detailed index, thorough cross-references, extensive footnotes with maps and diagrams, and research on realia, flora, fauna and geography. The footnotes also indicate differences in interpretation between the classic commentators. It was one of the first translations structured around the parshiyot, the traditional division of the text. (Moznaim, 1981. ISBN 0-940118-35-1)
- Early in his career, Rabbi Kaplan produced the Handbook of Jewish Thought, an encyclopedic and systematic treatment of Judaism's fundamental beliefs. Because of the work's structure and detail, the references, with the index, can serve as a research resource across almost all of Rabbinic literature. (Moznaim, Vol. 1 1979 ISBN 0-940118-49-1; Vol. 2 1992 ISBN 0-940118-79-3)
- He authored several highly popular and influential booklets on aspects of Jewish philosophy - spanning the entire spectrum of Jewish thought - as well as on various religious practices. These include: Tefillin - God*, Man and Tefillin; Love Means Reaching Out; Maimonides’ Principles - The Fundamentals of Jewish Faith; The Waters of Eden - The Mystery of the Mikveh; Jerusalem - The Eye of the Universe. (published by the Orthodox Union /NCSY [6] or as an anthology: Artscroll, 1991. ISBN 1-57819-468-7)
- His writing career began with the five booklets of the Young Israel Intercollegiate Hashkafa Series: Belief in God*; Free Will and the Purpose of Creation; The Jew; Love and the Commandments; and The Structure of Jewish Law. He was also a frequent contributor to The Jewish Observer. (These articles have been published as a collection: Artscroll, 1986. ISBN 0-89906-173-7)
- Rabbi Kaplan translated and annotated classic works on Jewish mysticism - Sefer Yetzirah, Bahir and Derekh Hashem - as well as producing much original work on the subject in English. His Moreh Ohr, a Hebrew language work, discusses The purpose of Creation, Tzimtzum and free will from a Kabbalistic point of view.
- He was the primary translator of the 45-volume Me'am Lo'ez from Ladino (Judæo-Spanish) into English; this translation is published in English as the Torah Anthology [7].
- He wrote three well known books on Jewish meditation.
- He wrote and translated works related to Hasidic Judaism and the teachings of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov.
- He wrote The Real Messiah? A Jewish Response to Missionaries.(PDF).
- *Rabbi Kaplan's writings used the (Orthodox) form "G-d" rather than using an 'o'
External links
References
- A Tribute To Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan (z'l)
- A brief biography
- His life and works
- Translator of the Sefardic classic Me'am Lo'ez
Bibliography
Resources
Resources in Hebrew
- Introduction to Moreh Or (1992); Biography and Introduction to his thought by Dov Eisenstein.
- An article on his meditation method
- An article on his views of the creation of the world
