ABSTRACT
The aim here is to answer the twofold question: What is the meaning and possible societal impact of Jonathan Sacks’ understanding of hope? The chapter opens, however, by demonstrating that Sacks meets the requirements for entering into transversal reasoning (TR) with economists in succeeding chapters. Then the first question is answered by developing a systematic overview of Sacks’ approach of Torah veḥokmah, a term that refers to an ongoing conversation between Torah (theology and philosophy) and ḥokmah (secular wisdom, including natural and social sciences). Particular attention is given to Sacks’ interpretation of the narrative of the Exodus, because his understanding of hope is derived from this narrative. To answer the second question, the chapter shows that the Exodus as a narrative of hope provides a particular perspective on reality, accessible for all. This perspective has not only been the subject of an ongoing conversation within Judaism. The chapter highlights examples of earlier societal impacts of retelling the Exodus story. Contemporary debates argue directly or indirectly for such a retelling in times of climate change. The chapter concludes that the key ingredients of Sacks’ understanding of hope lend themselves to address radical uncertainty: emunah (a form of trust), chessed (a form of love, including the institution of the covenant) and change of identity (including the institution of a public Sabbath).
