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| Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah of Agudah (Matzav) |
I say this with no malice in my heart toward any of the
great Torah leaders who comprise this esteemed body from which ‘Daas Torah’
emanates. I have only the utmost respect for these great Talmidei Chachamim.
So, what is this thing called Daas Torah that is so sacred in the Charedi
world? Anyone who has paid the slightest attention to what has been said by
numerous Torah luminaries and personalities at Agudah conventions over the
years would realize that Daas Torah equals whatever their Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah says. The
term is used liberally throughout speeches at those conventions. As noted by
Rabbi Yitzchok Adlerstein in his latest contribution to Cross-Currents:
“It is forbidden to agree to matters that the Torah leadership of Klal Yisroel has explicitly forbidden.”
The implication is that by not following Daas Torah, one
risks losing their Olam HaBah - their place in the World to Come.
The problem with this kind of thinking arises when other Gedolim
of comparable or even greater stature disagree with the Moetzes. Or worse, when
there is dissent within the Moetzes itself. Who should be followed in such a
case?
Agudah, whose Moetzes members are selected from among the
most knowledgeable senior rabbis of the generation, asserts that they alone
represent Daas Torah. Disobeying their edict, they claim, is tantamount to
disobeying God, as they are deemed best positioned to understand His will.
This debate is currently playing out over whether to
participate in the World Zionist Organization (WZO) elections. The disagreement
is not merely about whether one should or should not vote. It is whether voting
is outright forbidden and constitutes a Chilul Hashem (desecration of God’s
name). That is the publicly stated belief of Ner Israel Rosh HaYeshiva and Moetzes
member Rav Aharon Feldman. Apparently, he has convinced the entire Moetzes to
adopt this view and publicize it in absolute terms. As reported by various
publications, here is an excerpt from VIN:
The Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah of America, the rabbinic leadership council of Agudath Israel of America, has released a formal declaration opposing participation in the upcoming World Zionist Organization (WZO) elections.
The declaration, titled “Kol Korei Regarding the Elections for the WZO,” emphasizes the organization’s position that it is “forbidden to vote for any party in the election for the WZO,” listing several religious concerns, including what it terms “issurim” (prohibitions) involved.
However, as Rabbi Yitzchok Adlerstein pointed out:
People who have followed the story know that the psak does not reflect the positions of many, many Torah figures. That includes members of the Moetzes itself, some of whom have aligned themselves in recent weeks with the opinion of zekan hagedolim, R. Shmuel Kamenetsky…
They know that even in Israel, there are large numbers of roshei yeshiva who have endless kavod, as they should, for Rav Dov Lando… and know that he has positioned himself against the stated position of R. Chaim Kanievsky, who instructed people to vote in the past.
So, who represents the real Daas Torah? The Moetzes, which
has long been regarded as the de facto—if not de jure - infallible word of God?
Or those to whom the Moetzes themselves look up to?
One may ask: if Rav Kamenetsky is the head of the Moetzes
and disagrees with their Kol Korei, how can they sign it as though it were a
unanimous decision - especially when his position is well known?
This is due to a policy in which, if the majority decides public policy one way, dissenting opinions are not listed, as that would lead
to people picking sides. This way, there is no ambiguity about what Daas Torah
truly is.
Except, in this case, there clearly is.
For the first time (at least to my knowledge), people who
value Daas Torah and fear the implied consequences of not following it are in a
dilemma. They do not want to lose their Olam HaBah, which violating the Kol
Korei suggests. Yet by not listening to Gedolim who hold otherwise, they may
lose it as well.
I, for one, am grateful that my Daas Torah has nothing to do
with either of these opinions. Their debate is over whether they should vote
for Eretz HaKodesh, a Charedi party that would ultimately benefit their own community through a
larger Charedi turnout at the polls.
My Daas Torah is my Rebbe, Rav Ahron Soloveichik, ZTL, a Gadol
recognized as such even by peers in the Agudah Moetzes. A Gadol who
supported the Jewish state. A Gadol whose Yeshiva (Brisk) sang Hatikvah (with
slight modifications) at every banquet. A Gadol who recited Hallel (without a
blessing) on Yom Ha’atzmaut. A Gadol who was the titular head of the Religious
Zionists of Chicago. A Gadol who taught the late Rav Yaakov Perlow, ZTL (the
Novominsker Rebbe and Yoshev Rosh of the Moetzes), how to learn a Rambam - as Rav
Perlow himself testified at Rav Ahron’s Hesped Shloshim.
Rav Ahron is no longer with us, but I have no doubt that he would have encouraged voting in the WZO elections - and that the vote should go to the Religious Zionist party. That is exactly what I did, and I encouraged other Orthodox (even Charedi) Jews to do.
What will happen to Agudah now? Is this the beginning of the
end of their influence over the Charedi world? Will they still be regarded as
the exclusive voice of Daas Torah?
At the end of the day, I am sure they will. The next convention will hardly differ
from the last in this respect. It will surely feature the same slate of Torah luminaries and
personalities as before. This episode will likely be forgotten.
Or will it?
Rabbi Adlerstein raises an important point:
Since October 7, Anglo Charedim have seen past the headlines about protests and civil war and witnessed a renaissance of interest in Jewish roots among those “pesky” secular Zionists. They have stood in awe of their mesiras nefesh for Am Yisrael. And they have stood shamefaced, realizing that the Charedi community (as a whole; I am not speaking about thousands of individuals acting as individuals) has lived apart from the rest of the country. They are going to be wary of positions and pronouncements that affirm the isolation of Charedi Jews from everyone else and will seek the leadership of those with a tad more openness…
Some Anglo Charedim have had enough of this kind of thinking. It is infantilizing and humiliating to thinking people. Backed into a corner, they will continue to accept instruction from Torah leaders rather than follow their own instincts—that is part of what makes them Charedi. But if given a legitimate choice, the outcome may no longer be as predictable.
We shall see.
