Polonsky, Pinchas

In Soviet times

Born in Moscow in 1958 in a non-religious assimilated Jewish family ^[1] .

In school years he was interested in mathematics , he studied at the Moscow Physics and Mathematics School No. 7. In 1973, he received a first degree diploma at the VII All-Union Mathematics Schoolchildren Olympiad ^[2] .

From the time of graduation ( 1975 ), he decided to leave for Israel, began to study (underground) Hebrew , and then Torah and Judaism. Gradually came to the observance of the commandments of Judaism ^[1] .

In 1975–1980, he studied at the Faculty of Mathematics of Moscow State Pedagogical Institute , receiving a master's degree (MA) in mathematics and pedagogy ^[1] .

Since 1979 - one of the founders of the underground Torah study network in Moscow. He published a handbook on Judaism in a “ samizdat ” in a photographic way - a series of books on Jewish holidays and comments on the Torah were published ^[1] .

After filing an application to leave for Israel for 7 years, he was in “ refusal ” ^[1] .

In Israel

In 1987, in connection with the beginning of the “Perestroika”, he received permission to leave the USSR and repatriated to Israel ^[1] .

In Israel, in 1988, together with the Mahanaim group, he settled in Maale Adumim , then from 1991 to the present (2017) lives in Beit El .

Learning and teaching

Immediately upon his arrival in 1987, he was one of the initiators of the creation of “ Makhanaim ” in Israel, and until 2012 he worked there as a senior teacher and editor-in-chief.

In 1989–1990, he studied at the Harry Fischel Institute for Talmudic Research in Jerusalem, becoming a certified teacher of Judaism.

In 1994-1997 he studied at the Beit Morasha yeshiva (Beit Morasha) in Jerusalem (direction - Jewish Philosophy ).

In 1995-1999 he studied at the Faculty of Judaism at the Bar-Ilan University in Ramat Gan , receiving a second academic degree (MA) in the study of Talmud and Jewish tradition.

From 1998 to 2002, he completed postgraduate studies at the Faculty of Philosophy and Sociology at the Belarusian State University . In 2002, Polonsky was awarded the degree of Candidate of Sociological Sciences , the thesis topic “The Sociological Concept of Rabbi A.-I. Cook ”, specialty“ 22.00.01 - Theory, Methodology and History of Sociology ”. The official opponent in the defense of the thesis was Doctor of Historical Sciences Emmanuel Ioffe ^[3] . Subsequently, the dissertation was recognized in Israel (PhD in Sociology of Religion), translated and published in English and Hebrew.

In the period from 1991 to 2012 he taught the topic “Jewish Heritage” in Russian at Bar Ilan University.

From 2012 to 2013 - Senior Researcher at the University of Ariel in Samaria ^[4] .

A series of commented prayer books "Gates of Prayer"

The publication of commented liturgical texts by Polonsky began with the underground publication of the Easter Agada with commentary in 1980 in Moscow. The Haggadah was published in a photographic way and dispersed in many hundreds of copies in Moscow and other cities of the Soviet Union. This edition of the Passover Haggadah allowed even an insufficiently trained Jewish activist to hold an interesting Easter Seder ^[5] .

In Israel, Polonsky, in collaboration with Meir Levinov, Miriam Kitrosskaya, and other employees of the Mahanaim, prepared and published a prayer book ( siddur ) with a Russian translation and commentary “The Gates of Prayer” ^[6] (today, the most popular prayer book with a translation into Russian, published for nusakhov ashkenaz and sfarad, there is also a nusaha ashkenaz edition with transliteration), the Gate of Repentance on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur , Easter Haggadah with a commentary, the book “The Debt of the Living” on the laws of mourning, and a series of books on Jewish holidays and other ^[7] .

Study of the teachings of Rabbi Cook

From the moment of his arrival in Israel he began an active study of the philosophy of Rabbi Cook . In 1991, he began cooperation with the House-Museum of Rabbi Kuk in Jerusalem, which included an individual program to study the heritage of Rabbi Kuk with recognized experts on this heritage (equal to Yaakov Filber , equal Menachem Burshtein , equal Yokhay Rodik, equal Shlomo Aviner , Rav. Yair Dreifus, Rav. Reuven Fayerman, Rav. Uri Sherki , Prof. Shalom Rosenberg, Dr. Tamar Ross, Dr. Hagi Ben-Artsi, Dr. Reuven Mamo,). In the process of learning, he translated into Russian the classic book on the philosophy of Rabbi Cook, “The Song of Life” ^{[8] by} Professor Yosef Ben-Shlomo , and prepared for publication a collection “Tolerance in the teachings of Rabbi Cook” ^[9] .

During the study, he formed his own concept of the philosophy of Rabbi Kuk, which formed the basis of his dissertation, which was later published in 2006 in a book in Russian “Rabbi Avraham-Itzhak Kuk. Personality and teaching ” ^[10] , in 2009 the main chapters were translated and published in English ^[11] , and in 2013 in Hebrew ^[12] . This was the first time that a book on Jewish philosophy was translated from Russian into Hebrew ^[4] . The book received the support of several prominent rabbis and experts on Rabbi Kuk, who recommended that it be included in the curriculum of religious-Zionist educational institutions ^[13] , and not less sharp criticism from other rabbis.

Commentary on the Torah "Bible Dynamics"

A series of books that are new to the Torah commentary, based on the Kabbalistic concept of Rabbi I. L. Ashkenazi ("Manitou") and the developments of Rabbi Uri Sherki, with the addition of their own concepts.

By 2017, 10 volumes were published - comments on the books of Genesis , Exodus , Numbers and Deuteronomy . It is planned to publish a full commentary on the Torah. The translation of this comment into English has begun. ^[14]

Other Activities

Polonsky is the creator of the project “ Blackberry - Jewish Academy in Russian ”. The aim of the project is to publish high-quality, academically-reliable and qualified information about Jewry, Judaism and Israel.

Polonsky is the initiator and leader of the “Memory Preservation” project, the goal of which is to preserve the memory of the Jewish and Zionist underground movement in the USSR , as well as the “Struggle against“ intellectual anti-Semitism ”project” ^[15] .

Deals with science and religion. He regularly writes articles in Russian-language Israeli newspapers. Participates in works on rational theology and the theory of paradigms , initiated by Boris Shapiro .

Pinchas Polonsky considers himself to be the radical modernist wing of religious Zionism, the essence of which is the “orthodox modernization” of Judaism, that is, the active modernization of religion while maintaining the orthodox approach ^[16] . In this he is a follower of the approach p. Cook and r. Soloveichik , and collaborates with r. Uri Sherki.

Adheres to the position of integration into the religion of universalist values, for which it has been criticized both by the ultra-orthodox community and by the haredim part of religious Zionism. He spoke in favor of integrating into the Judaism the celebration of the civic new year as a universal holiday of the “Day of Adam” ^[17] , for which he was criticized from all sides.

Promotes the concept of Rabbi I. L. Ashkenazi (Manitou) ^[18] about the perception of the Tanakh personalities as dynamic personalities, for which he has been criticized by the ultra-orthodox community.

Polonsky adheres to rather radical views on many contemporary problems of religion:

• considers the modernization of religion as a religious necessity ^[19] ;
• considers science, art, democracy and other secular values ​​to be religiously valuable, a supporter of introducing the "day of science" in religious schools for the integration of scientific and religious positions;
• supports the challenge of women to read the Torah and their commentary in the synagogue;
• positive attitude to dialogue and understanding with Christianity ;
• actively participates in the promotion of the concept of Bnei Noah ;
• is a supporter of the rise and prayers of the Jews on the Temple Mount ;
• the author of the concept of “Three stages of the arrival of the Messiah ” instead of the concept “Two stages of the arrival of the Messiah” recognized today in religious Zionism;
• adheres to the concept of "evolutionary creationism " - that is, considers Darwin's evolutionary concept to be the most important positive milestone in the development of the spiritual level of humanity, while he believes that the adoption of the concepts of evolution does not contradict the Divine Creation of the World , but evolution is "a process launched by God at Creation and further directed Over".
• put forward the concept of religious anti-fundamentalism — that is, opposition to fundamentalism based on the concept of “continuing natural revelation ” ^[20] ;
• He considers the main criterion of monotheism not only (and not so much) “faith in one God”, but, above all, the personal nature of the Upper Force and the perception of life as a dialogue with God - which opens up new opportunities for mutual understanding of various types of monotheism, primarily Judaism and Christianity ^[21] .

In the book Judaism and Christianity: the incompatibility of the two approaches to the world (1995), Polonsky outlined a basic understanding of the relationship between Judaism and Christianity .

Further, in the book “Two thousand years together” (2008), which has the subtitle “Impossibility of combining and the need for complementarity”, the task of spiritual mutual understanding and cooperation between Christianity and Judaism (without renouncing the understanding that Christianity is unacceptable for Jews) .

Then, in the book “The Temple of Moses and the Temple of Aaron” (2014, later included in the “Bible Dynamics, Commentary on the Torah”; volume 2, on the book of Exodus, M. 2018) P. Polonsky examines the relationship between Judaism and Christianity within humanity as an analogue of the relationship of Moses and Aaron within the Jewish people.

Thus, without abandoning the principle of the unacceptability of Christianity for Jews, the concept of P. Polonsky paves the way for cooperation and mutual understanding of Judaism and Christianity on the basis of the concept of a common joint biblical heritage.

Positive Feedback

• “ I was delighted with your excellent work on the development of Judaism in accordance with the philosophy of Rabbi Cook. Your brochure reveals to readers the dimension of novelty in the school of Rabbi Cook’s thought, not in the form of an apology for religion, but as an integral, thoughtful plan of radical changes in the human vision of different cultures. You did all this without prejudice, but on the basis of a genuine search for truth and out of love for the Jewish people and all of humanity. This love elevates you to the level of those idealists who know how to build a new world by changing the transient world order. Your words are worthy of reflection from anyone who wants good and honest . " Rabbi Uri Sherki , Chairman of the World Center Brit Olam Noahide , Senior Lecturer at the Center for Jewish Studies Mahon Meir , author of numerous works on Jewish philosophy ^[22] .
• “ I would like to express my admiration for your writing style. You succeeded where many failed, namely, you managed to translate the deep philosophy of Rabbi Abraham Itzhak Cook into a clear and simple (in the best sense of the word) language . ” Rabbi Yitzchak Shilat , senior lecturer in the Birkat Moshe Yeshiva in Maale Adumim ^[22] .
• “ Among the vast literature on the teachings of Rabbi Cook, works of the greatest importance are those that make his philosophy accessible to the general reader. The work of Pinchas Polonsky "Religious Zionism of Rav Cook" is one of a kind, because it not only brings the ideas of Rabbi Cook to the general public, but also explains how his philosophy can help solve some of the problems of modern Israeli society . " Rabbi Jacob Halevy Philber, Senior Lecturer at the Merkaz HaRav Yeshiva ^[22] .
• “ I think that the book by religious Pavel Kuk’s“ Pinchas Polonsky ”is of great interest, and I believe that it should be available for bachelor’s and undergraduate students in the course of studying Jewish philosophy .” Dr. Yair Barkai, Director of the Lifshits Religious Academic College in Jerusalem ^[22] .
• “The work of Pinchas Polonsky“ Religious Zionism of Rawa Cook ”is small in volume but not in quality. I was lucky to study the philosophy of Rabbi Kuk with Pinchas and other friends . ” Rabbi Yair Dreyfus, a leading scholar in the field of the philosophy of Rabbi Abraham Yitzchak Cook, author of books and articles, founder and head of the yeshiva Siach Yitzhak ^[23] in Gush Etzion ^[22] .
• " The most avant-garde of the teachers of Judaism in Russian, prefers to live in the epicenter of the earthquake " ^[24] .

Criticism

Polonsky’s lectures on the connection between religion and science, which were held as part of the MASA diaspora’s Jewish training program, were criticized by science promoter Asay Kazantseva for reporting false information about modern evolutionary theory and its degree of recognition among biologists and for promoting “intelligent design” ideas ^{[25] [ 26]} . Polonsky, for his part, stated that Kazantsev, who received Russian academic education, “was simply not ready to accept something new” ^[25] , and that during the lecture she insisted that Darwin’s concept “is not a theory, but a proven scientific a fact, and any doubt about it is pseudoscience. " Nevertheless, he gave Kazantsev the opportunity to express her point of view during the lecture, and then she “got the opportunity to give a detailed lecture for interested students about Darwin's theory” ^[27] . The incident caused a lively discussion in the blogosphere, during which some supported the criticism of Kazantseva, others, including the participants of the Mas program, the position of Polonsky.

( A more complete list of the main publications of P. Polonsky is here )

in Russian

• P. Polonsky. Rabbi Abraham-Itzhak Cook. Personality and teaching . - Makhanaim - Beit aRav, 2006. - 570 p.
• Rabbi Abraham-Itzhak ha-Cohen Cook. Translations and comments on the website Blackberry-books
• P. Polonsky. Two thousand years together. Jewish attitude to Christianity . - Jerusalem: Mahanaim , 2008. - T. 1. - 191 p.
• P. Polonsky. Two thousand years together. Jewish attitude to Christianity . - Russia, reissue: Phoenix, Neoglory; Makhanaim , 2009. - V. 1. - 234 p. - ISBN 978-5-222-14491-6 .
• P. Polonsky. Two stories of the creation of the World. Modern Jewish commentary on the book of Genesis . - Jerusalem: Mahanaim , 2009. - 229 p.
• P. Polonsky. Forefathers in dynamics. Modern Jewish commentary on the book of Genesis. Part 2. Abraham . - Jerusalem: Mahanaim , 2011. - 254 p.
• P. Polonsky. Forefathers in dynamics. Modern Jewish commentary on the book of Genesis. Part 3. Itzhak and Jacob . - Jerusalem: Mahanaim , 2012. - 251 p.
• P. Polonsky. Forefathers in dynamics. Modern Jewish commentary on the book of Genesis. Part 4. Joseph, Yehuda and their brothers . - Jerusalem: Mahanaim , 2012. - 175 p.
• P. Polonsky (on materials of Rabbi Uri Sherki). Israel and Humanity. New stage of development . - Jerusalem: Mahanaim , 2010. - T. 1. - 254 p.
• Series "Jewish holidays" 8 books ;
• Creative holding the Easter seder . “ Easter Haggad ” with commentary and primer for beginners, with the app “video” and “audio” of the seder on CD and DVD;
• Prayer book “Gates of Prayer” - the most popular of the Jewish prayer books with Russian translation - a new translation, commentary, a guide for beginners;
• Video and audio courses on various contemporary issues of Judaism;
• " Philosophy p. Cook: Religious Zionism and Modernization in Orthodox Judaism
• Articles of 1995–2008 - mostly in the Israeli Russian-language press, mainly in the newspaper Vesti;
• Articles 2013—2015 on the news site cursorinfo.co.il.

in English

• Pinchas Polonsky. Religious Zionism Rabbi Cook = English Religious Zionism of Rav Kook . - Machanaim , 2009. - V. 1. - 93 p. - ISBN 978-965-91446-0-0 .
• "Rabbi Kook and the Modernization of Judaism" . Conversations: A Journal of Ideas and Ideals, issue 4, Spring 2009, NY.
• "Relationship Between Ideals and Commandments in Judaism" (with Galina Zolotusky, Gregory Yashgur, and Raphael BenLevil). Conversations: Issue 31, Spring 2018, NY, a journal of the Institute for Jewish Ideas and Ideals. Pages 54-79

Hebrew

• "התפתחות היהדות בימינו על י תורת הראייה קוק"

• Mahanaim

• Dr. P. Polonsky on the Mahanaim website
• Dr. P. Polonsky on the Cursorinfo site
• Review on “Rabbi AYKook. His Personality and Teaching " This book is of great importance to Russian-speaking Jewry's search for spirituality" ( Sharansky, Nathan )
• Dr. Israel Drazin. Review on book "Religious Zionism of Rav Kook"
• A. Bulstein Divine Spark Method
• Project "Blackberry"
• E. Kravchik. Jubilee tale of the physicists- "obscurantists"