I write the with a heavy heart after reading a comment by a poster with the pseudonym, Bari .
I am truly not qualified. My esteem for Rabbi Dr. Joseph B. Soloveitchik, affectionately known simply as the Rav by his Talmidim, is near boundless.
I say “not qualified” because I have not studied directly under him nor have I studied all of his works. In fact I only met him once, at the wedding of his niece in Chicago. But my esteem for him is still great because of what I did read and because of the few amazing lectures I heard on tape… and the general information I have about him. And it gives me no peace to see the continuous criticism of him by members of the right, even the self described moderate right like Bari. His criticism was generated by my previous post on Mesorah Publication’s refusal to publish anything under its Artscroll banner written by the Rav.
Let me begin with why I think the Rav was one of the most important figures of the twentieth century, both in the Torah world and in general although I am certain that I will not do him justice.
Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik’s knowledge of Torah had few if any peers. In that sense alone, he qualifies for the title Gadol. His dedication to Torah was complete and unflinching. He was a highly principled individual who never compromised his views and who freely expressed them. He spent the vast majority of his life learning and teaching Torah to thousands of disparate individuals.
When it came to the world of Orthodox Jewish philosophic thought, he had absolutely no peers in his lifetime. (And I include Dr. Eliezer Berkovits, a professor of Jewish philosophy whom I had the privilege of studying under for four years.) His masterpiece, “Halakhic Man” I believe truly expresses the essence of Torah Judaism.
How great was his Torah knowledge? Rav Baruch Ber Leibovitz, whom many consider to be the Talmid Muvhak of the the Rav’s grandfather, R. Chaim, once said about the Rav that his knowledge of Meshches Gittin was greater than his, even though Rav Baruch Ber was perhaps… the…acknowledged expert in Mesches Gittin. But those who learned by and from the Rav didn’t need Rav Baruch Ber to tell them that. They knew all by themselves how great his Torah knowledge was. I’m sure that his Talmidim, Rav Hershel Shachter and Rav Aaron Lichtenstein, great geniuses and great Talmidei Chachamin in their own right could easily testify to that. As could the many others, not the least of which was his younger brother, Rav Aaron. In fact, much of his Torah is being allowed in “through the back door” of many of the finest right wing Yeshivos.
His positive attitude to secular studies is self evident. And not only did he produce Gedolim in Torah, he produced Gedolim in philosophy like Rav Shalom Carmy. And his impact on the world of general philosophic thought has been acknowledged in Academia as well and his works are studied world-wide.
He was a mentor to many and an example to all. His broad scope reached and still reaches many diverse elements of Orthodoxy. And he knew to whom he was speaking when he Paskined for them. So that Rav Hershel Shachter and Rabbi Saul Berman could each speak with confidence that they were representing the Rav’s views, even though at times views expressed in his name were perceived as contradictory. And this is where Bari’s criticism comes in.
In his referenced post written in May of this year Bari tries to explain why the right wing has trouble with the Rav. His criticism revolves around the many who claim the mantle of the Rav’s Hashkafa. He says that the Rav’s views were either distorted by his Talmidim on the left, or worse he says, those were actually is views. But this is not the only problem the right has with the Rav. More about that later.
How can one explain the dichotomies spoken in his name? How can one have respect for one whose views seem so unclear and contradictory? If one gives it any thought at all one will realize the answer. It is really not that difficult to understand. Any Posek will Paskin differently for different people. A lot depends on where one is coming from, where one is holding, and where one is going. What may be permissible in one circumstance may be forbidden in others. Psak can also be subject to interpretation, especially when it is a complex one. And often one can express a disapproving attitude while never-the-less allowing something in certain circumstances that is Me-Ikkar HaDin permissible. There is also the possibility that he was just plain misunderstood in some cases.
There are so many ways to understand the disparities spoken in the Rav’s name without disparaging him for it. Only a person with an agenda or an apologist for the right wing would use this against him. The claim that other Poskim were not disparately and contradictorily quoted is not a valid claim. First of all it isn’t true. Second of all most Poskim Paskin Shailos for a much more homogenous group. It would be very unlikely for a Modern Orthodox Jew to ask a Charedi Posek about Women’s Tefilah Groups or whether a woman can wear a Talis for Davening, for example. And in any case the Rav was not primarily a Posek. Though he did Paskin for his Talmidim, this was not his focus.
He was not a Posek like Rav Moshe Feinstein who was primarily that, and wrote Teshuvos in his own magnum opus, the Igros Moshe. If one wishes to cite Rav Moshe as one whose Teshuvos are consistent and not contradictory in contra-distinction to the Rav, again… it is an unfair comparison. The Rav did not write Teshuvos per se. He had no Shailos and Teshuvos Sefer. He Paskined for individuals when he was asked. That is a big difference. Had the Rav written a Halacha Sefer, one can be assured that there would have been no contradictions in it.
So much for Bari’s reason for the right wing lack of Kavod.
So, why does the right so reject the Rav? It is a combination of all of the reasons I have praised him for like his studying philosophy as a young man and the accusation that he spent too much time dwelling on it. …And his positive attitude about secular studies. And some of his left wing Talmidim who do in fact speak in his name, correctly or not, in ways that are anathema to the right. So they judge him and so they attack him for it.
If one really wants to know exactly why the right so rejects him let them read the Jewish Observer obituary. It is all there. But I believe it is mostly his association with Yeshiva University. He was identified with it. And even though there were other great Gedolim who taught there, like Rav Dovid Lipshitz, they were always given a pass because they did not take on the mantle of leadership of the institution the way the Rav did. Nor did they have any of the other “P’gamim” I mentioned.
I end this post with the same heavy heart that I started. A man who I consider to be one of the greatest people of the twentieth century continues to be considered in the Charedi world… Treif by some or at least Krum (twisted Hashkafically) by others. And this is one of the primary reasons in our day which prevents any hope of Achdus.
