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| R' Y.H. Eichenstein and R' Asher Lopatin (in his pre YCT days) |
But the Achdus I am seeking has been an elusive goal for me. One
that sometimes seems to be going in the wrong direction. While there is a
growing sociological centrist community that consists of moderate Charedim and ideological
Centrists. There is still a lack of brotherhood and unity among us by virtue of
the lack of respect from the right towards fellow observant Jews that have a
Centrist Hashkafa.
In that sense the Charedi world and the Modern Orthodox
world seems to be growing further apart – even as we both are moving to the
right.
It is not for the lack of trying to unite. At least on the part
of those of us that comprise the majority of modern Orthodoxy – Centrists. We
want Achdus. But the right keeps rejecting us or at best tolerating us but not
by much. I can’t say that this rejection is universally true. But much of the
rhetoric of the right is geared towards exhorting its members to reject much of
what MO participates in. In their zeal to insulate itself from the general culture
they constantly harp about avoiding it as much as possible.
So that if you are someone embraces any part of that culture
– even it is not forbidden by Halacha -
you are looked upon as ‘Nisht fun Unzera’ – a common expression meaning you are
not one of us. What that ends up doing is creating a a prejudice that says if
you participate in things we reject, then we reject you too. Adding to that
rejection is a view of Modern Orthodoxy that violates those Halachos they focus
on for themselves. Yesterday someone gave the following list of complaints
about Modern Orthodox Jew from the right which emphasizes these points:
"You're not serious about observance. You look only for "kulos" all the time"
"You don't care about harchokos, shomer negia, and some of you don't even know what they are"
"You have no gedolim, and what's worse is you don't listen to them"
"Your following sports is childish. Grow up like us"
"You don't spend nearly as much as we do for arba minim"
"You don't accept everything the gedolim say, so you have no emunas chachomim"
As if they are all careful about every Halalcha. The truth
is that there are plenty of members of the right that are guilty of the same
thing they accuse Modern Orthodox Jews of. Only they hide it. I know plenty of
Charedim like that. And they are more
than just a few exceptions. Back in the 80s – there were tons of black hatted Charedim
at the mixed pool at the hotel in Miami Beach where I used to spend my winter
vacations.
And yet Modern Orthodox Jews are not accepted. Some of those complaints
against us may be valid. But they do not make the same complaints about those
among their own that do the same thing.
Additionally, some of their complaints are just differences
in Hashkafa. Or a misunderstanding about what our Hashkafa actually is. The
primary identifiers of observance have always been what I call the big three:
Shabbos, Kashrus, and Tahara Mishpacha (Mikva). Those three Mitzvos are what makes us
unique. And it is what we share completely with them.
And yet even while they rail against with those complaints -
they do accept us in a tacit way. This is evidenced in the trust they give Kashrus Agencies that are run by Centrist
organizations like the OU. The vast majority of Charedim in America trust the
OU symbol. I know of no rabbinic leader that has ever said you can’t trust them.
And yet they refuse to respect us beyond that tacit way. I have never
understood for example why a Rosh Yeshiva from YU has not been invited to
address an Agudah convention.
My quest for Achdus has been interpreted as seeking the
approval of the right. That is not correct. I don’t need the right to validate
everything I do – or my Hashkafa. I just need them to respect my Hashkafa even
if they don’t agree with it. And to not constantly harp on differences that do
not define us as observant Jews. And using them to form a wedge between us.
In truth, there are many prominent Charedim that agree with me
on this. And even with some of the criticisms I’ve made of the right in the past.
They have told me so privately. But they refuse to go public. That perpetuates the
lack of respect too many of their members have for us.
There are some who say that we ought to ignore the right
and just be ourselves – proud of who we are and in what we believe. I reject
that. Yes, we should be proud of who we are. But it isn’t that we ‘pine for acceptance and validation’ from the Charedi
right – as someone suggested yesterday. It’s that we don’t like rejection. As someone else said yesterday:
Rejection by others is unpleasant to some degree in all human beings.
This is especially true when those that are rejected actually
respect those that are rejecting you. Instead of rejection we seek unity with
our fellow observant Jews. Being proud of who we are does not preclude wanting
unity with those that disagree with us. Unity means having a common (not identical
– but common…) set of values and respecting each other’s Hashkafos. Not necessarily
agreeing with them.
What about unity with the left? I am constantly accused of
only wanting unity with the right. That is incorrect. I have always thought we
need a vibrant left that can appeal to those of us that see that as the only
viable way to continue being observant. Liberal Orthodox Jews that in my view are
unduly influenced by the winds of cultural change – still need a place to call
home if they wish to remain observant. Even
if I personally disagree with some of those influences.
This is why I have in the past supported people like Rabbi
Avi Weiss. He managed to appeal to these groups without crossing any serious
lines. But when that happened, I had to part company with him. He has crossed several
lines that have traditionally never been crossed and should not have been. Which
make it difficult to have Achdus with his new version of Orthodoxy – Open Orthodoxy.
It is one thing to reside in the left wing of Orthodoxy. It’s another to cross
lines that virtually all other segments of Orthodoxy said should never have
been crossed. No matter how well intentioned they are in crossing them.
I hope this clarifies things.
