Rabbi Perlow's Lament

Rabbi Yaakov Perlow delivering an address at the recent Agudah Convention

Rabbi Yaakov Perlow was my 12^th  grade Rebbe in Skokie (HTC). I have always seen him as a straight shooter desiring to do the right thing. He has once again stood up and spoken the truth about an issue dividing the Charedi world and called out the people  he believes to be responsible for it. He has all but condemned them for creating this Pirud (divide).

Last Motzoei Shabbos, the leader of the Agudah Moetzes  publicly and strongly disagreed with his one of colleagues. (Video available at YWN.) In this case it is the Rosh HaYeshiva of BMG (Lakewood), Rabbi Malkiel Kotler.

I believe this is unprecedented. One of the goals of Agudah is that their rabbinic leaders speak on issues vital to the Jewish community with one voice. In this way they can say that their views are the collective views of Daas Torah. That is what Agudah stands for.

Not this time. The issue is the current divide in Israel is in the world of Lithuanian Yeshivos regarding drafting Yeshiva students into the IDF.  

My own view is that only the most elite should be fully exempt, The rest should be subject to the same draft laws as any other Israeli. I have always felt that Charedi blood is not redder then secular blood.  If there is going to be a draft, the law should apply equally to each Israeli resident with exemptions being given in special cases in all segments of Israeli society.  

As long as Charedi sensibilities are accommodated, they should serve in some capacity.

That said I would prefer if there were no draft at all and that military service were voluntary. Same as the nation with the mightiest army in the world, the United States. That would solve a lot of problems. I believe that there are more than enough Israelis who would volunteer to fill Israel’s military and security needs.

But this isn’t about what I believe. It is about how the Charedi world is reacting to the current draft law in light of their view that all Yeshiva students be automatically exempt.

While the ideal situation for them would be blanket exemptions for all Yeshiva students, the current Israeli law requires those students to register for the draft. They can then ask for a deferment and get one for as long as they continue learning in a Yeshiva or Kollel. So although it is not exactly automatic, it pretty much has the same result.

One may recall that R’ Aharon Leib Steinman preferred the peaceful approach and urged Yeshiva students to register. Most of them have and their Torah studies continue unabated – just as they always have.

One may also recall that R’ Shmuel Auerbach strenuously objected to even registering for the draft. He urged Yeshiva students to resist registering for it – even if it meant sending time in prison. Which some of them actually did after disobeying the law on that point.

R’ Auerbach had enough loyal Yeshiva students to cause major protests some of which ended in assorted incidences of violence. Making matters even worse, Rav Steinman was disparaged and even once physically attacked by one of R’ Auerbach’s overzealous followers.  Rav Chaim Kanievsky who is of the same mindset as R’ Steinman has been treated the same way.

I did not hear R’ Kotler’s speech at the Agudah Convention. But it is rather well known that he supports R’ Auerbach’s faction and he apparently urged everyone in attendance to respect that view even if they disagreed with it. Calling it Chalukei Deios (honest differences of opinion).

It was obvious that he was greatly pained by what he felt he had to do. But Rabbi Perlow got up at the dais on Motzoei Shabbos and completely rejected that. This was not a case of Chalukei Deios. It was a case of rejecting the more rational approach of R’ Steinman. who was widely considered to be the Gadol HaDor in the Charedi world.

He could not accept the terrible divisiveness and opposition to the peaceful approach to the draft issue. And condemned all who opposed it. He took strong issue with Rabbi Kotler. He said that he was only speaking for himself and not on behalf of Agudah. Although it is hard to separate his views as an individual and his views as the leader of the Agudah Moetzes. He blamed the problems facing the Israeli community directly on that faction and rejected any kind of support for them.

In his view it is unacceptable for anyone to support the Auerbach faction and certainly not their rhetoric and violent actions they are responsible for.

Although he did not speak about anyone other than R’ Kotler himself, one cannot overlook the Chutzpah of fellow Moetzes member Rabbi Aharon Schechter, the current Rosh Yeshiva of Chaim Berlin.  Both R’ Steinman and R’ Auerbach died at about the same  time. R’ Shechter –all but ignored R’ Steinman’s death. He was not eulogized at all in his Yeshiva. On the other hand when R’ Auerbach died, there was a lengthy eulogy for him there! That he ignored Rav Steniman is worthy of condemnation too, in my view.

I do not recall this ever happening on an Agudah dais, Not by anyone. There has never been any publicly expressed disagreement between Agudah Moetzes members. This is huge. I frankly do not see R’ Kotler or R’ Shacter retreating form their views.

Is this the end of Agudah as an entity that speaks for Daas Torah? I don’t know. It is clear to me that this is not the only time members of the Moetzes disagreed. But they have always had a policy of taking a vote among themselves and the majority would rule. That meant that majority view would be presented as the unanimous opinion of the Moetzes.

I don’t see how they can make that claim anymore – even though R’ Perlow said he was only speaking for himself and Rav Shmuel Kaminetsky.

There are some people that might react to this by saying ‘Who cares what’s going on in Agudah?!’ ‘They do not represent my views in any case!’ (I even recall listening to a recording of Rav Soloveitchik addressing Yeshiva University Alumni saying almost exactly that in Yiddish: Es Geit Mich Nisht Uhn Vos Tut Zich in Agudah!

I get that. In fact I too have disagreed with some of their views. But agree or not, Agudah is a powerful asset for Orthodox Jewry. They are probably the most successful lobbying agency on behalf of Orthodox Jewry on Capital Hill.

Their Moetzes is what defines them. So yes, I do care about what goes on there. And so should anyone else that cares about the Orthodox world in America – agree with them or not.

What is my take on R’ Perlow’s speech? Aside the fact that I agree with him on this issue, I think it is also one of the best things to have happened in Agudah in recent memory. Public honesty about one’s views is far more important that some kind of forced unity. And I am glad to see it. Because that is the only way Emes can prevail.