The Revelation of an Embrace a Vision Of
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Conservative Judaism's core identity emerges through a dynamic embrace between tradition and innovation, operating as sacred acts of covenantal love rather than mere institutional accommodation. Drawing on Rabbi Neil Gillman's call for clearer theological foundations, this analysis proposes "The Revelation of an Embrace" as a defining metaphor for Conservative Judaism's approach to religious law and practice. Through close reading of Talmudic passages—particularly the imagery of cherubs embracing above the Ark—alongside contemporary Conservative Jewish theological writings, the study reveals how halakhah functions as the product of ongoing collective negotiations across generations. The methodology synthesizes textual analysis of rabbinic sources with examination of Conservative movement discourse, building on David Fine's metaphor of halakhah as a flowing river. Like the Temple cherubs who simultaneously protect tradition while reaching toward each other and the world beyond, Conservative Judaism maintains identifiable connection to its halakhic origins while embracing necessary transformative change. This theological framework illuminates Conservative Judaism's relationship to both tradition and innovation as fundamentally covenantal and relational, enabling authentic communal self-definition through the recognition of distinctiveness within unity.

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Published 2008-2009
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Menachem Creditor