Most people who read my essays know that I am an adherent of Torah U’Mada(TuM). But I am also a great admirer of the philosophy of Torah Im Derech Eretz (TIDE). And in truth the differences are not all that great. However the purpose of this essay is not to compare the two Hashkafos or describe the differences between them. It isto defend Torah Im Derch Eretz from being constantly mischaracterized by some members of the right.
In recent years there has been a revisionist attempt to paint the Hashkafos of Rav Shimshon Raphael Hirsch in Charedi terms. There are those in the Charedi world who are forever trying to paint every Gadol they can get their hands on as reflecting their own narrow views. As such the common characterization used about Rav Hirsch’s monumental philosophy of Torah Im Derech Eretz is that it was one of Horo'as Sho'oh, that it was temporary and limited to the necessities of life at the time of Rav Hirsch.
I doubt that Rav Hirsch meant any such thing. It is clear that he meant TIDE as a L’Chatchila. He truly believed that the integration of Torah with secular studies was the primary choice for a Torah observing Jew. To say otherwise in order to advance one’s own differing Hashkafos is pure Chutzpah in my view.
Torah Im Derech Eretz is a philosophy which believes that one must make full use of all the means available to mankind in order to properly serve God. It does not minimize Mada but rather insists on it. But if the Charedi spin on Rav Hirsch would prevail they would have you think that this very TIDE philosophy is only B’Dieved.
The Charedi approach is of course that Talmid Torah is the primary goal for all of mankind. That is, if one is a Jew then the best way to fulfill one’s purpose in life is to learn Torah full time and to just forget about other disciplines. This is called “Torah Only”. And the Charedi world has done its level best to make people believe that this was Rav Hirsch’s view too.
Dr. Yitzchak Levine has been kind enough to allow me to link to an essay on his website written by Rav Hrisch’s famous grandson, Rabbi Dr. Joseph Breuer, ZT"L called, "A Time to Build" . It can be viewed here in pdf form. In this relatively short essay, it is quite clear exactly what Rav Hirsch’s philosophy was. We can easily see that "Torah im Derech Eretz… is not part of troubled, time bound notions; it represents the ancient, traditional wisdom of our sages that has stood the test everywhere and at all times." (Gesammelte Schriften vi p.221 …as quoted on Wikipedia).
These last paragraphs of Rabbi Dr. Breuer's essay say it all::
"Times may have changed. But the problems have remained essentially the same. We must solve them along the course as it has been charted for us. Are we really certain that our children will remain true to our calling if we create for them an artifical ghetto?"
"Half-heartedness and compromise are never acceptable but they are virtually fatal in the area of eductaion. Only an un-wavering straight forward course will lead to success. We neither look for nor require the agreement or approval of those who prefer a different course. Their criticism does not touch us. We certainly respect the ideology of other circles provided their course is also an unmistakably consequent one."
"As for us, let us do our best to promote and fulfill the Torah Im Derech Eretz ideal in its true spirit and let us protect it from regrettable misuse and misinterpretation."
As I said. I am an adherent of Torah U’Mada. Never-the-less all I can say about this is: Amen!
