I received the following e-mail which illustrates the dichotomy between Modern Orthodox views and Charedi ones. Therein an individual wanted to know how one can define Modern Orthodoxy. In the course of answering it he referenced a speech by a Chasidic Rav, Rabbi Mayer Schiller, who while wearing the Chasidic Garb seems to identify more with Modern Orthodoxy than Charedism. In the course of a speech given in a program called Torah In Motion he asked the following question:
“How does modern man deal with the Halacha that you are not allowed to save the life of a non Jew that you encounter drowning on Shabbos ? (Ignore the fact that halachically today we say you can save the gentile for public policy reasons. Let's assume there is no such issue so the halacha is that it is assur to save that person.)”
“This evening I went to the wedding of the son of a clerk of mine. She has worked for me for 18 years. I have another clerk who has worked for me for 27 years. Both of these individuals are the epitome of honesty, morally caring always anxious to help out what we in our circles would call Mentchen of the highest caliber.”
“If either one of them was dying on Shabbos and I could save them what would I do. It certainly poses an ethical dilemma.”
“If this does not pose any problem for you, then you are clearly Charedi. Maybe the following will sharpen the moral issue. How about a gentile doctor who saves your child's life and as result thereof you become best friends would you save his life on Shabbos.”
“If that still does not pose any religious qualms let's try this, your father is saved from the gas chambers by a righteous gentile or your child in Israel is saved from an Arab mob by an Arab would you save their lives? Do you simply say there just Goyim that's the halacha good riddance or is this an issue that your religious soul is tormented by. If you feel no need to grapple with this then you are clearly in the Charedi camp.”
This ends the quote of Rabbi Schiller. Now many people would say this is an unfair characterization of Charedi versus Modern Orthodox attitudes, But consider the following anecdote by the e-mailer:
“There is a Rosh Yeshiva in town that would not have any pangs of conscience.
About seven, eight years ago my daughter brought home a few of her Bais Yakkov friends for a Shabbos meal. One of them said: we had a guest speaker at school Rav (a local Rosh Yeshiva) and you won't believe what he said. She then related how he gave a derogatory Shmuess about Goyim and said that if you called an animal a goy you had to apologize to the animal because a goy is a lower being than an animal. Although not totally shocked that this Rosh Yeshiva held this view I was not sure that he in fact said it.
I had two nephews in the two local Charedi yeshivas at that time so I decided to gingerly ferret out of them if they had ever heard such talk at their yeshiva.”
“So I said to them, “I heard that a certain Rosh Yeshiva claimed that goyim are lower beings than animals but the person wouldn't tell me the Rosh Yeshiva's name.” One of them gets a smirk on his face before I finish the Spiel. I said to him, “What's so amusing?” He said, “I've heard that Shmuess a dozen times.”
“I then asked the English principal of that yeshiva if this story can be true. He said, “Impossible”. He then spoke to the Rosh Yeshiva and comes back to me and said, “Not only is it true he believes it B’Emunah Sheleimah. As there are Gemaros where non Jews are compared to animals... to him their need be no soul searching.”
In light of my article on Tzelem Elokim is it not fair to ask who has the more ethical approach to treatment of non-Jews? Is it Rabbi Aaron Soloveichik who uses the Gemara in Bava Metzia (Yerushalmi) to show how Shimon Ben Shetach acted... or is it the Gemarah that this Rosh Yeshiva used to show how lowly non-Jews are thought of? After all both are Gemaros. Which ones should we be emphasizing to our children. Form the speech by Rabbi Schiller and the anecdote provided by the e-mailer the answer seems clear. If you are an MO you act in accordance with Shimon Ben Shetach. If you are Charedi you follow the approach of the Rosh Yeshiva who thinks that non-Jews are lower than animals. The question remains which one is the way you want your children to taught? To me the answer is clear.
