Borowitz on Halakhah, Aggadah, and Ethics

This article first examines separately Eugene Borowitz's understanding of halakhah and aggadah and then his view of interactions between them, including his proposal that they be seen not as part of an organic whole but rather as part of network, before addressing the ramifications of Borowitz's understandings of halakhah and aggadah for his views of ethics and how moral decisions should be made. Finally, the article offers a respectful critique of his approach to making Jewish moral decisions and suggests using a more communitarian and legal approach.