Once again, the discussion on Areivim has veered into the subject of Gedolim and their authority. I’m not going to re-hash old arguments. But I do want to mention a few things I brought up there that need to be said. And no matter how many times or how many places I have said them, it won’t be enough until things change.
A poster there stated that “people feel qualified to debate with Gedolie Yisroel the propriety oftheir actions is more telling on the status of such people then of the Gedolie Yisroel.”
I have heard this argument made many times here n various different contexts.
I once had an e-mail discussion with a prominent spokesman from Agudath Israel. It revolved around the subject of Agudah's well known position with respect to Gedolim. He expaliend to me the idea that Agudah never makes a move without the Moetzes. Those Gedolim are at the epitome of Torah knowledge and to differ with them would be both foolish and wrong. The reason they feel this way is because "the Gedolim" by definition are more knowledgeable in Torah and their superior knowledge makes them more expert in all areas of life, including Hashkafos.
I pointed out that in matters of Hashkafa one has more latitude as that is more of a philosophical approach than a Halachic one. He disagreed and said "The Gedolim base everything on the Torah including their Hashkafos. We are therefore bound to them on all issues.
I pointed out that the Novominsker Rebbe, Rabbi Yaakov Perlow had unequivocally stated that his Rebbe was Rabbi Aaron Soloveichik. I had heard him declare it at Rabbi Soloveichik’s Hespid Shloshim (traditional eulogy given 30 days after the death) for which he flew to be one of the Maspidim.
But, Rabbi Perlow does not follow the teachings of his Rebbe in Hashkafos. Rabbi Soloveichik said. Hallel on Yom Ha'atzmaut. Rabbi Perlow does not. He says Tachanun. If it is important to listen to those with greater knowledge of Torah, i.e. your rebbe, even in matters of Hashkafa, then he should be saying Hallel too. I was sent back an e-mail containing a smiley. That was the entirety of it.
We should to take note of how Rabbi Perlow, the Yoshev Rosh of the Agudah Moetzes acts with respect to his Rebbe and follow his example: It is not necessary to blindly follow the Hashkafos of others, even those whose Torah knowledge is greater than our own.
But there are those who refuse to hear that and insist on constantly de-legitimizing Centrists and their Hashkafos. And I am often asked who I just don’t forget about what others say and stand on my own two feet? As another Arevimite more succinctly put it:
“The problem then IMO is as to why the Centrists bother to debate and why they don't have enough "stoltz" to ignore attempts to declare them inauthentic and convert them to what is said to be the only true path.”
This has been one of my biggest causes. It isn't about whether we have the courage of our convictions to stand alone without the imprimatur of the Agudah Gedolim or the Israeli Gedolim of R. Elyashiv et al. It is that many of their Rabbanim and others of their leaders try and de-legitimize us. They belittle us and say that we are Krum. They do not have an Elu VeElu approach to us the way we do to them.
We accpet their Gedolim as true Gedolim. Is there any Centrist that does not recognize the Gadlus of R. Moshe Feinstein? They, OTOH, do not recognize our Gedolim at any level. For example Rabbi Hershel Shachter is persona non grata at Agudah events. I have been told by a leading Lakewood Rosh Kollel that if they were to have Rabbi Shachter as a scholar in residence at one of their events Agudah members would boycott the event. And he would never get the approval from the Roshei Yeshiva in Lakewood in any event. The best Agudah will do is put him in a back row somewhere at the Siyum HaShas buried at a dais of dozens and dozens of Rabbanim. They would never allow him to speak. He would be boycotted if they did. Many Agudah members would stand up and walk out!
Who can ever forget how Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik was treated by an Agudah organ at the time of his passing. And who can forget Rav Elia Svei's characterization of Yeshiva University President (at the time) Dr. Norman Lamm as a Sonei HaShem, an enemy of God!
And this de-legitimization is getting much worse as time goes on. Last year at about the time of Chanukah, during the height of the Metzitza B'Peh controversy, one prominent Agudah Rav said to his Shul that Modern Orthodox rabbis are comparable to Yevanim, the antagonist idolaters of the Chanukah story who were defeated by the Chashmonaim. He said that they are more dangerous than Conservative or Reform rabbis. And he wasn't the first to say so.
I don't think it's right to just ignore that and stand alone even though we are secure in our beliefs.
For the many reasons which I have written about in the past, I believe that Charedi Hashkafos are the wave of the future. But Centrists are a part of the Torah world no less than they are. And though Charedim may very well be the wave of the future I think they can be influenced to moderate some of their views by our arguments. But only if we are given some degree of legitimacy by their leaders. The more legitimacy we can maintain, the more influence we will have.
It is an insult to be thrown into the same category with heretical movements like the Conservative or Reform. And I feel that we have an obligation to not stand idly by smug in our convictions when we hear our brothers calling us such names. We have to instead fight that mentality. And I will not stop speaking out whenever I can.
