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| Rav Dov Landau (Rationalist Judaism) |
Rabbi Shai Graucher is the son of the late singer Dedi Graucher, and the author of several works on the teachings of Rav Chaim Kanievsky, based on his close association with him. But today he is better known for being an absolute powerhouse of chessed.
After October 7th, R. Graucher raised millions of dollars to help with the war in all kind of ways. He’s arranged for endless supplies to be shipped in from around the world. He’s arranged for food to be brought to soldiers. He arranged for three laundry trucks to do twelve thousand loads of laundry for them. His organization is working with seminaries to send girls to help mothers whose husbands have been called up. They help families of victims and families who have been evacuated from their homes. The scale of the operation is simply mind-boggling.
Even people who dislike charedim have nothing but praise for Shai Graucher. If there’s ever a substitute for not serving in the army, it’s this! His chessed is absolutely off the charts.
Shai Graucher is a selfless individual of high moral character that would probably never even dream of taking any credit for what he considers his minimum obligation to the Israeli armed forces at a time of war. These are soldiers that are putting their lives in the line for their people. He would probably shy away from any credit or praise, deserving though he may be.
Nonetheless, his kindnesses did not go unnoticed by Rav Dov Landau, someone much of the Charedi world now considers the Gadol HaDor. But Rav Landau did NOT exactly praise him:
Rav Dov Landau didn’t just say something negative about R. Shai Graucher. He condemned him in the harshest terms. He described him as a mazzik gamur, a “totally destructive person.” And he declared that this should be publicized.
I wish I could say I’m surprised by such comments. But I’m not. There are unfortunately other Rabbinic personalities of the same mindset. Refusing to recognize that there is more to Hishtadlus than saying Tehilim or learning Torah for extra hours - important though those activities are. Thankfully there are other rabbinic leaders that would disagree with him and would heap lavish praise on Shai Graucher’s efforts.
These kinds of differences did not just happen yesterday. There have always been Charedi rabbinic leaders that have sparred over the value the IDF or how to deal with the draft. Going as far back the 73 Yom Kippur War when R’ Chaim Shumelvitz expressed his public appreciation for the IDF while hard core Briskers (Israeli branch) condemned those comments.. And more recently the dispute between R’ Aharon Leib Shteinman and R’ Shmuel Auerbach over whether Charedim should register for the draft.
What bothers me though is not that R’ Landau isn’t entitled to his opinion. He most certainly is. What bothers me is the impact - the kind of influence someone considered the Gadol HaDor has when making comments like that.
No one was more adversely affected by this than was Rabbi Slifkin himself. Who at one time considered himself a card carrying Charedi. His books attempting to reconcile Torah and science were given approbation by several Rabbinic leaders at e time. Until a few Charedi atcivts in Israel decided they didn’t like what he wrote and told the then Gadol HaDor, Rav Elyashiv about it. Who them immediately condemned those books as Apikursus (heresy) and banned them.
That ban caused enormous damage to Rabbi Slifkin and his family. His reputation among Charedim was ruined. His parents’s pride in their son’s accomplishments turned into grief at his being shamed by the Gadol HaDor. Rabbi Slifkin was vilified as an outcast by his former community - claiming that he had no respect for the Gadol HaDot for simply trying to defend himself.
Had that been all that happened it would have been bad enough. Rabbi Slifkin could however still take comfort that his books still had the approbation of other Gedolim.
But unwilling to leave things alone – and perhaps fearing to contradict the Gadol HaDor, one of the approving rabbis, Rabbi Aharon Feldman, flew to Israel and met with Rav Elyashiv. After which he withdrew his approbation.
Were his books actual Apikursus? I don’t think so. But a lot of people have been convinced that they are. When Gadol HaDor speaks, people listen.
Rabbi Slifkin survived. One could say that he is even thriving. But is no longer Charedi. He has been a thorn in their side ever since. (And still vilified by many of them). And who can blame him? That ban almost ruined his life!
Back to Rav Landau’s outlandish comment. Unfortunately there will be a lot of people that will listen to him and consider his words Daas Torah. This is the way the Charedi world is constructed.
The Gadol HaDor has the final word. Ask Rabbi Feldman. Or Rabbi Ephraim Wachsman who said it about Rav Wosner who banned the internet a few years ago.
This cannot be good for Klal Yisroel. It cannot be good to instill the complete and total rejection of the IDF during a time of war when they need material and moral support the most. That there will be less people doing that because of what Rav Landau said is disheartening, cruel, and in my view - counterproductive.
