Rabbi Avi Shafran has weighed in on the subject of J-blogs. In an article published in at least two different blogs, Yeshiva World and cross-currents, Rabbi Shafran has shown why he is such a valuable asset to the Agudah. At the same time he shows why the Agudah has such a long way to go before it lives up to its claim to being the umbrella organization of Torah Jewry. I’m sure the latter point was not his intent, but that does not make it any less so.
Unlike the Zvi Frankel article on Frum J-blogs in the official magazine of Agudah, the Jewish Observer, Rabbi Avi Shafran has written a thoughtful and well reasoned evaluation of the world of Orthodox Jewish blogging. In fact there is hardly anything there I disagree with. I’m not sure how he would evaluate my own blog. I hope at least somewhat favorably. But it doesn’t matter. The point is that he states his case well and in fact there is really very little to disagree with.
Rabbi Shafran does something unusual for someone who represents the Charedi world (although not unusual for Rabbi Shafran, himslef). He makes distinctions. On this subject he distinguishes between responsible bloggers and irresponsible ones. Zvi Frankel does not. That is the key difference. Rather than doing the typical Charedi thing of just condemning an entire enterprise because of some of the negative content to be found there as Zvi Frankel does.
Zvi Frankel paints with a broad brush and condemns everyone. Not so Rabbi Shafran. He rightly condemns that which deserves to be condemned. He does not think in black and white – yes and no terms. That is one reason I have such a high degree of respect for him. We may not always agree, but he is a man of integrity who is not afraid to think for himself - and then say what he thinks.
If one takes Rabbi Shafran’s article and combines it with what was posted on Hirhurim by Rav Asher Meir on this subject, it truly blows Zvi Frankel’s article on the subject out of the water.
The unfortunate thing is that Zvi Frankel’s view is the all too common way in which most people at the Agudah think. And even sadder is the fact that the Jewish Observer never retracts its views. If they ever change their policy on that - I can think of a few more retractions I’d like to see.
