Hashkafa

Orthodox Jewish worldview and philosophy Hashkafa (Hebrew: השקפה, lit. 'outlook'; plural hashkafot, hashkafos, or hashkafas) is the Hebrew term for worldview and guiding philosophy, used almost exclusively within Orthodox Judaism. A hashkafa is the perspective an Orthodox Jew adopts, which shapes many aspects of their life. Hashkafa thus plays a crucial role in how these interact with the world around them, and influences individual beliefs about secularity, gender roles, and modernity. In that it guides many practical decisions—where to send children to school, what synagogue to attend, and what community to live in—hashkafa works in conjunction with halakha or Jewish law. Hashkafot Although there are numerous hashkafot within Orthodox Judaism—allegorically there are "seventy faces to Torah" (shivim panim la-Torah) according to Numbers Rabbah 13:15, they may be grouped broadly as Haredi, Hasidic and Modern Orthodox / Religious Zionist, with different approaches and emphases concerning specific topics. Other hashkafot include Torah im Derech Eretz, Talmidei haRambam, the Carlebach movement, and Open Orthodoxy. Modern Orthodox Both Modern Orthodoxy and Religious Zionism a