There was a two part article in the Canadian Jewish News dealing with an issue that has been haunting the Torah world for the last couple of years. In truth the issue suggested by the title of the article: “Is Orthodoxy becoming too religiously right-wing?” is really more about a battle between two streams of thought in the Torah world, the Charedi one and the Modern Orthodox one. And the level of discord currently in play between Modern Orthodoxy and the Right Wing is just beginning to show its ugly head.
It is true that the “move to the right” is in part the source for the current state of affairs. This has been building up for many years. But the issue here is about the dichotomy between two distinct groups, with two distinct Hashkafos, both of which are legitmate. And what is happening is an onslaught by a key figure in Ultra Orthodoxy to completely de-legitimize Modern Orthodoxy. And the “Slikin Affair” as it has come to be called, is the gauntlet. It is the issue that has become the epicenter of the controversy.
Those who have banned Rabbi Slifkin’s works and Hashkafos have drawn a line not to be crossed. The “Right” as represented by Toronto's Rabbi Shlomo Miller, Rosh Kollel of Kollel Avreichim seems determined to lop off legitimate segments of Orthodoxy... despite it’s protestations to the contrary. They pretend to be accepting of all segments of Orthodoxy, warmly welcoming everyone into the Kollel Programs. They do, in fact accept everyone… but not their views, if they are anything like Rabbi Slifkin’s. I suppose they try and avoid the subject when dealing with Modern Orthodox Jews who have joined their programs. In essence they treat all MO Jews as though they are all Kiruv projects… too stupid to know the Emes. (Or should I say… “their Emes”). But now it is now out in the open.
No where are the poles of Orthodoxy more apart than in the city of Toronto. Based on the descriptions in both parts of the CJN article, the Right is more on the extreme right and the Left is more extreme left. And that makes things a lot clearer for those of us somewhere in between the two ends of that spectrum.
Although I am sure that wasn’t his intention, Rabbi Shlomo Miller has gone just about further than anyone else in North America to segregate the two communities. His stridency is clear. He has explicitly stated that Rabbi Slifkin’s views as expressed in his banned books are heresy. What is somewhat bewildering is the claim that the letter he wrote declaring it heresy was meant for only is own consitituency.
The implication is that he doesn’t want the Modern Orthodox community to know the Emes. Only his own Ultra Orthodox community need know that. For us “ignoramuses”, it is suffiecent that we remain in ignorant bliss. “Emes” for us be damned! I guess he thinks he will win us over first and then show us the error of our ways. Pretty sickening, if you ask me.
What makes Rabbi Miller’s views significant is the fact that he is on the rise in Agudah circles. He is on a “fast track” to “Gadlus”. Or so I have been told. This means that his views carry weight.
It may not seem like it to the casual observer but what seems to be happening is a virtual war against Modern Orhtodox thinking. Or perhaps it should be considered a war against… thinking! It is a battle for the hearts and minds of Orthodox Jewry. And Rabbi Miller’s attitude is a “take no prisoners” one. Victory has now been defined. One can no longer believe anything but the most fundamentalist views about science and Torah. There is no wiggle room. It is literalist fundamentalism or heresy. Those are the choices.
Of course you will hear denials of this from the Right… denials heard from the very start of thie ontroversy: Only the “views” are heresy, Those who happen to believe them are not heretics, however. I guess we’re just too stupid to realize the Emes.
Well, that isn’t going to fly. There are far too many people who are sincere believers. They believe in the Mesorah. They have been educated in the finest of Yeshivos. Many are quite knowledgeable, both in Limudei Kodesh and Limudei Chol. Some are even card carrying members of the RW and Agudah.
As a thinking member of Klal Yisroel, I have a message for the “Right”: You are not going to be able to “write us off". You cannot just say our views are heresy, but we are not heretics… because we are not stupid or ignorant! You are going to have to declare vast amounts of serious religious, Orthodox Jews to be Heretics.
I have often said that Charedim are the wave of the future, and I still believe that. But that does not mean that all Charedim are of Rabbi Miller’s mindset. Those who do not march in lockstep with his views are not going to disappear or be forced into denying strongly held beliefs. And by the strident, unforgiving insistence by the Right on literalist, fundementlist views, they are the ones who are responsible for the current decline of Kavod HaTorah.
One more thing. Toronto’s Dr. Immanuel Schochet, a prominent figure in Lubavitch has weighed in on the controversy in the CJN article. In typical Lubavitch doublespeak he tries to feign a sort of Elu v’Elu approach. But don’t be fooled. He hints at his real position in the article when he says: “Not that I necessarily disagree with their (Rabbi Miller et al) views”.
Guess what? He entirely agrees with them. The Lubavitcher Rebbe was as much of a fundamentalist as Rabbi Miller… perhaps even more. And there is no such thing as a Lubavitcher disagreeing with the Rebbe. He sounds conciliatory, but in reality he is only condemning tactics. That should be made clear to those who think he is tolerant of an "ancient universe" view. He most definitely is not.
