An Aggadah of Integrity Points of Orient
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The Conservative Jewish movement embodies a fascinating paradox: while deeply invested in halakhah (Jewish law), it fundamentally operates as an aggadic movement centered on narrative and wisdom. This tension between legal prescription and ethical aspiration reveals itself through careful examination of biblical texts and rabbinic commentary, yielding what emerges as an "Aggadah of Integrity" built upon three core biblical verses emphasizing wholeheartedness (tamim), endurance, and recognition of divine creation. Combining Western moral philosophy—particularly Aristotelian and Kantian frameworks—with traditional Jewish hermeneutics and contemporary institutional observation, the research illuminates how Conservative movement schools and synagogues consistently prioritize ethics, covenant, and inclusion over technical halakhic minutiae. This pattern suggests a distinctive approach that pursues "the good" as informed by "the right," rather than strict legal adherence. Ultimately, integrity—understood as wholeness and completeness—emerges as a bridging principle between halakhic obligations and aggadic aspirations, offering a sustainable framework for contemporary Conservative Jewish practice that affirms both legal tradition and ethical values.

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Published 2006
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Judd Levingston