In my last post someone mentioned a story “from the recently published "B'Mechitzosom Shel Gedolei HaDoros", by Rav Shlomo Lorincz:”
“When there was talk of merging Poalei Agudas Yisrael back into the Agudah, Rav Aharon Kotler gave a blazing, impassioned speech in favor of the idea.In the middle of the speech, Rav Aharon got a note from Rav Shlomo Lorincz that the Brisker Rav opposed the idea vehemently. Rav Aharon stopped the speech in mid-stride, called Rabbi Lorincz to accompany him to the Brisker Rav, he got confirmation, and he went back to the meeting and gave an impassioned speech against any idea of merging with them.”
This story is supposed to show us how important it is to listen the words of our Gedolim. Rav Aharon Kotler who eventually went on to be come the Gadol HaDor to virtually the entire Yeshiva world, had changed his views “on a dime” after checking out the the story personally. Well, the logic goes, if Rav Ahron Kotler had that kind of deference, certainly we who are mere peons by comparison must.
And indeed this is the mentality. I see it espoused all the time by the more extreme element amongst Charedim: “The Gadol HaDor has spoken! How dare we disagree!” The underlying premise of course is that they represent Daas Torah, the ultimate expression of God’s wisdom to man, the Bible itself. And... the argument continues...who better to represent it than the Gedolim, who after all know more Torah than anyone else? Following this logic one can then easily conclude that the bigger the Gadol, the more authority he has in espousing Daas Torah. And that’s why Rav Aharon Kotler changed his mind so quickly and so forcefully. He was Mevatel his own Daas to that of the greater Daas of the Brisker Rav, the acknowledged Gadol of that time.
But as I have said many time Daas Torah is not the province of one single individual, no matter how great. Daas Torah can be elusive even to the greatest of minds. As human beings with various perspectives, there can be major disagreements leading to opposite conclusions... all based on each individual’s understanding of what the true Daas Torah is on any given subject. That Rav Aharon Kotler agreed to the Birsker Rav does not prove for a single instant that one must “check his intelligence at the door” on a Hashkafic subject and just accede to an individual who has greater Torah knowledge. Nowhere is this better demonstrated than the approach of my own Rebbe, Rabbi Aaron Soloveichik, the Brisker Rav’s nephew.
It is quite common knowledge that the Brisker Rav was an strong ideological opponent of the State of Israel. So much so that his views are carried to this day to the extreme by his children and grandchildren. Rav Avrohom Yehoshua Soloveichik, the Brisker Rav’s grandson, publicly disparaged Rav Elyashiv because he dared to Paskin leniently in a mater pertaining to ancient burial site. That Psak favored the government position. That led some of his Talmidim to pelt Rav Elyshiv with tomatoes in public.. But even though the Gadol HaDor of the Yeshiva world was so opposed to the State of Israel , my Rebbi, his nephew, held that one must say Hallel on Yom HaAtzmaut.
Is it possible to say that Rav Ahron Soloveichik was Mevazeh his uncle? Of course not. My Rebbe’s Hashkafa was different and even though he knew that his unlce was more knowledgeable in Torah than he was, he still disagreed and lived his life accordoingly. He did not “turn on a dime”: the way Rav Ahron Kotler did.
Rabbi Soloveichik understood that Hashkafic perspective color one’s Psak no matter how great they are. And if one is knowledgeable and sincerely grounded in Halacha one can disagree even with a Gadol and a Zaken who is much older.
This should be a lesson to all Bnei Torah. Just because a Gadol Paskins in a matter of Hashkafa, it is not necessarily the sum and substance of Daas Torah on the subject. One may disagree if one has sufficient Torah knowledgre, especially if there are others of great stature who disagree as well.
And so my Rebbe is the role model for me, not Rav Ahron Kotler. One is entitled to do as one wishes but must never say that there is a Halachic requirement to abide by the decision of the Gadol HaDor in matters of Hashkafa. My Rebbe has shown that indeed Gedolim are NOT infallible and need not be treated that way.
