Aryeh Kaplan (Hebrew: הרב אריה
קפלן (23 October 1934-28
January 1983) was a noted American Orthodox rabbi
and author known for his "intimate knowledge
of both physics and kabbalah".[2] He was lauded
as an original thinker and prolific writer, from studies
of the Torah, Talmud and mysticism to introductory
pamphlets on Jewish beliefs and philosophy aimed at
non-religious and newly-religious Jews. His works
are often regarded as a significant factor in the
growth of the baal teshuva movement.
Biography
Rabbi Kaplan was born in the
Bronx, New York City, to the Sefardi Recanati family
of Salonika, Greece. He studied at Yeshiva Torah Vodaas
and the Mir yeshiva in Brooklyn. Kaplan received semicha
from some of Israel's foremost rabbinic authorities,
including Rabbi Eliezer Yehudah Finkel. After his
rabbinic ordination, he earned a master's degree in
physics. As a graduate student, Kaplan was described
in a scientific "Who's Who" as a promising
young American physicist.
His major influence was Rabbi Zvi Aryeh Rosenfeld
(1922–1978), who single-handedly introduced the teachings
of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov to American shores beginning
in the 1950s, inspiring many students at Brooklyn
yeshivas, especially Torah Vodaas. Working together,
Kaplan and Rosenfeld translated and annotated Rabbi
Nachman's Tikkun (based on the Tikkun HaKlali). At
Rosenfeld's suggestion, Kaplan also produced the first-ever
English translation of Sichot HaRan ("Rabbi Nachman's
Wisdom"), which Rosenfeld edited. He also translated
and annotated Until the Mashiach: The Life of Rabbi
Nachman, a day-to-day account of Rebbe Nachman's life,
for the newly-established Breslov Research Institute
founded by Rosenfeld's son-in-law, Chaim Kramer. Kaplan's
later writings further explored Hasidut, kabbalah
and Jewish meditation. (Kaplan himself utilized the
meditative form of Kabbalah on a daily basis. )
From 1976 onward, Kaplan's major activity was the
translation into English of the recently-translated
(Ladino into Hebrew, 1967) anthology, Me'am Lo'ez.
He also completed The Living Torah, a new translation
of the Five Books of Moses and the Haftarot, shortly
before his death. 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." His works continue to attract
a wide readership, and are studied by both novices
and the newly religious, as well as by scholars where
the extensive footnotes provide a unique resource.
He died suddenly of a heart attack on January 28,
1983, at the age of 48. He was buried on the Mount
of Olives, off Aweiss street, in the part known as
"Agudas Achim Anshei America" "Chelek
Alef" (Portion 1).
Works
Kaplan produced works on topics as varied as prayer,
Jewish marriage and meditation; his writing was also
remarkable in that it seamlessly incorporated ideas
from across the spectrum of Rabbinic literature, including
Kabbalah and Hasidut. His introductory and background
material contain much scholarly and original research.
In researching his books, Kaplan once remarked: "I
use my physics background to analyze and systematize
data, very much as a physicist would deal with physical
reality."[6] This ability enabled him to undertake
monumental projects, producing close to 50 books.[3]
His works have been translated into Czech, French,
Hungarian, Modern Hebrew, Portuguese, Russian, and
Spanish.
* "The Living Torah", Rabbi Kaplan's best-known
work, is a widely used, scholarly (and user friendly)
translation into English of the Torah. It 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 Torah text. (Moznaim,
1981, ISBN 0-940118-35-1)
* "Handbook of Jewish Thought," produced
early in his career, is an encyclopedic and systematic
treatment of Judaism's fundamental beliefs.[7] 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)
* "Torah Anthology," a 45-volume translation
of Me'am Lo'ez from Ladino (Judæo-Spanish) into English.
Rabbi Kaplan was the primary translator.
* "Tefillin: God, Man and Tefillin"; "Love
Means Reaching Out"; "Maimonides' Principles";
"The Fundamentals of Jewish Faith"; "The
Waters of Eden: The Mystery of the Mikvah"; "Jerusalem:
Eye of the Universe" — a series of highly popular
and influential booklets on aspects of Jewish philosophy
which span the entire spectrum of Jewish thought,
as well as various religious practices. Published
by the Orthodox Union/NCSY.[8] or as an anthology
by Artscroll, 1991, ISBN 1-57819-468-7.
* 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" launched
his writing career. 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)
* "The Real Messiah? A Jewish Response to Missionaries"(PDF).
* Kaplan translated and annotated classic works on
Jewish mysticism — "Sefer Yetzirah,", "Bahir,"
and "Derekh Hashem" — as well as produced
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 wrote three well-known books on Jewish meditation.
These works revive and reconstruct ancient Jewish
practices and vocabulary relating to meditation.
* He wrote and translated several works related to
Hasidic Judaism in general and to the teachings of
Rabbi Nachman of Breslov in particular.
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