When it comes to the value of blogging in the Torah world it was recently stated that Charedim have a dearth of representation and that those who do post are not generally representative of the whole. I think that’s probably right. But, as Mike Miller pointed out, there is one place one can find tremendous Charedi input. It is in a forum called Avodah. And in its sister list called Areivim. Both are part of the AishDas Society. Avodah is a forum for debate and discussion of Halacha and Hashkafa and is archived. Areivim is for a discussion of current events and the like and is not archived. It is a closed list and one must subscribe to participate in it.
This venue does provide intelligent discussion and includes the entire spectrum of Hashkafos, from very right wing Charedi to very left wing modern Orthodox. So if one wants to see what Charedim think one can subscribe to Avodah/Areivim and get quite an education.
As popular as Avodah and Areivim are, its reach is limited to a very select group of people. Most of the people who post on Areivim are way above average in Torah knowledge and intelligence and are quite accomplished in their fields, secular and religious. Many of them, both male and female alike are Mechabrei Seforim, authors, columnists, and even various kinds of Klei Kodesh (e.g. pulpit rabbis, Mashgichim, Roshei Yeshiva Mechnchim, Moros, Avreichim). It is a group I am honored to be a part of… and am I am humbled by most of the posters there.
The list owner there is Rabbi Micha Berger. It was founded by Rabbi Yosef Bechoffer as an offshoot of Mail-Jewish. They had gone on an extended hiatus back in the nineties and Rabbi Bechhoffer took the cream of the cream of those posting there and created a mailing list of his own which he called Beis Tefilah. It was named after his Shul in Chicago at the time. I was included in that initial grouping as was Rabbi Berger.
Eventually it got to be too wieldy for Rabbi Bechoffer who as a Rav and a Rebbe in HTC and was therefore not directly involved with the internet on a daily basis. He asked Rabbi Berger who is a computer and internet expert to take over that list. Rabbi Berger already had a smaller list of his own. He agreed and combined Bais Tefilah with his own Aishdas list… and Avodah was born. It was later divided into the two segments of Avodah and Areivim.
In my view Avodah/Areivim is one of the most superb forums for discussion of Torah on the internet, I defy anyone to find another that comes even close to it. No where will one find so many knowledgeable people from both sides of the Orthodox religious spectrum
R. Micha's position with respect to blogs is that except for Rabbi Gil Student’s Hirhurim (he is also a Avodah/Areivim subscriber) …and one or two others, the vast majority of them are all Moshvei Leitzim, (dens of scoffers). Including mine. This is his public stand. I obviously disagree with him, but I honor him none the less. (I have stated my reasons in the past and will not do so here again.)
Rabbi Berger would be embarrassed by my saying so but he is a rare individual whose Midos and acts of Chesed have few peers. And he is one of the most knowledgeable and intelligent people on that list. I consider it a privilege to have hosted him in my home once and an honor to know him. God bless him and his beautiful family.
