Once again I am saddened by the verbal attack against someone who I both admire and respect... someone who I know to be God fearing, and a Talmid Chacham… someone who has done nothing but make one Kiddush HaShem after another.
I have never personally met Rabbi Gil Student. But I know him. We have been involved for many years in an e-mail list and have exchanged views on just about every subject known to Judaism. He is of course the publisher of Yashar Books and writes what is probably the most informative and popular Orthodox blog on the internet. And he was severely attacked in a letter to the editor in the Jewish Press by one Dr. Yaakov Stern, a self styled crusader for the right. Here is what he had to say:
“The reader should not be deluded. While the Slifkins and Students of the world claim the backing of respected rabbis, their true loyalties lie with the pedagogues in our so-called institutions of higher learning”
Dr. Stern is a frequent letter writer in the Jewish Press and I sometimes agree with his comments and other times disagree. None of his comments have been all that memorable however. Until now.
To imply that Rabbi Student is trying to delude people... to imply that he is lying about his Poskim... to say that Rabbi Student is loyal to heretics... is so way beyond the pale that I’m not even sure a simple request for Mechila is enough! This fellow is in serious need of Teshuva.
One can have legitimate differences of opinion on the issues tackled in the books written by Rabbi Slifkin. And as outrageous and unfair as some of the attacks have been against him, no one has ever attacked Rabbi Student himself. Even those who side with the right realize that R. Gil has only been standing up for justice and righteousness in this controversy… and the right to consider the views of Rabbi Slifkin within the boundaries of Torah Judaism… views that until banned, were unchallenged and vetted by respected Roshei Yeshiva and Poskim who put their imprimatur in writing in his books… views that have the backing of some of the greatest religious minds in Jewish history... and views similar to many other works written by contemporary religious figures. Whether Rabbi Student himself holds these views is not germane. In any case, R. Gil’s open mind on these issues does not mean that his views are a simple cloning of Rabbi Slifkin’s views. But that doesn’t matter to Dr. Stern at all. The mere fact that he defnends Rabbi Slifkin's right to believe as he does is enough to tar and feather him. He just considers them heretical birds of a feather!
Rabbi Student has stood up for Rabbi Slifkin and has courageously published and distributed his books on the advice of his Poskim. …Poskim who, knowing the character of Rabbi Student have impeccable credentials. The slanderous way in which he was attacked by Dr. Stern show exactly what his character is like. The only word I can think of is a Yiddish one: It is Mius. It is disgusting. It is uncalled for. And it is evil!
If Dr. Stern is the best example of the community that he strongly defends then they truly do have serious problems. Much greater than I thought. They need to do a real Cheshbon HaNefseh. All of them!
Dr. Stern: Shame on you! You are an embarrassment to our people. It behooves you to ask for Mechila from Rabbi Student before the Yom HaDin approaches. And then do some serious Teshuva for the harm words like yours have done to the Torah world.
