What Is The Essence Of Judaism?

Rabbi Stewart Weiss writes:

Over the last generation, a philosophical battle has been raging over the soul and spirit of Judaism: Is it a religion of love, tolerance and inclusivity or is it rather a religion of strict adherence to the letter of the law, unyielding in its demand upon the faithful to follow only the highest of standards?

In the first camp are those who would open the doors wide to potential converts, seek halachic ways and means to broaden Jewish horizons and emphasize joy and celebration as the operative mood and mode of normative Jewish life. In this world view "it is a great mitzva to be happy," and the Talmudic dictum to "draw others close with the right hand while pushing away only with the left" is the correct approach vis a vis fellow Jews. The modern world, despite all its potential pitfalls, is neither to be feared nor shunned but is meant to be integrated into the scheme of righteous observance. Outreach, travel, laughter, exercise, entertainment, music, knowledge of the world and honest work in virtually every profession are to be proudly practiced and experienced through the prism of Torah values.

Proof-texts for this approach are abundant: From the dictums of Pirkei Avot to "greet all people cheerfully" and "combine Torah with gainful employment" to the Hassidic world’s emphasis on song in prayer (a la Carlebach) to the late German Jewish leader Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch’s famous announcement to his students that he was "off to the Alps for a few days to experience God’s beauty on Earth," to Rav Kook’s strong belief that the secular Zionists who pioneered the Jewish state were as much God’s messengers as the greatest tzadikim because "they built this country with their blood, sweat and tears."

On the other side of the divide are those who reckon that Judaism is a serious business and ought to be taken seriously. They perceive that the threat to the Jewish people is more from within than from without and that, in the face of an ever-more violent and immoral world, we need to redouble our devotion to mitzvot and Jewish values.