Last week’s issue of Ami Magazine featured an attack against
the blogging world by Rabbi Avi Shafran. It has been republished in
Cross-Currents. (As an aside, Ami is doing a sensational job at getting free
publicity from the very people who would love to see it shut down. Controversy increases readership. But I digress.)
Rabbi Shafran did here what he has done before. He begins by
noting that there are responsible blogs that “share community news or ideas and
observations with others, and… explore
concepts in Jewish thought and law, (or) focus on Jewish history and society”. But
then he goes on a “tear
” and strongly condemns the remainder of the Jewish blogging
world - comparing them to Korach! Here is how he put it this time:
The Korach blogs, though, are a separate category. Their anger, snideness, half-truths, and bald lies attract like-minded people like rancid meat draws flies. Together, the bloggerei and their devotees march proudly into what they believe will be a bright, shiny future, one devoid of the old bearded men who so vex them.
They’re not insincere. They believe what they say; that, in fact, is the greater tragedy. Korach, too, was convinced that he was right. Why else would he have summoned all the people to witness the “showdown” with Moshe? Did he think for a moment that what happened was even a possibility? Surely not.
But sincerity is no guarantee of rightness. Evil that recognizes itself is a rare bird.
The big issue that generated most (but not all) of the acrimony in the
J-Blog world is sex abuse. We need to look at this issue in that context.
First let me say that I share Rabbi Shafran’s view that the
way criticism is handled on some of these blogs do cross a line. There is no
excuse for disparaging Rabbanim who believe they are doing the right thing for
Klal Yisroel – no matter how much one disagrees with them. In my view that is a
Chilul HaShem. I have said this a “million” times already - these Rabbanim are
Moser Nefesh for Klal Yisroel. There is not an evil bone in their body.
This is even true of those Chasidic Rebbes who have gone to
great lengths to protect molesters like Avreimal Modrowitz. They are sincere. They
believe they are doing the right thing. But– as R’ Avi points out – “sincerity
is no guarantee of rightness.” Leaving out those Chasidic Rebbes, other rabbinic leaders like those who are members of
the Agudah Moetzes have admitted mistakes in the past
and are trying to correct them. That many of us feel they are not “there” yet
does not take away from the fact that they act in ways they see benefiting the
Klal as a whole. We can disagree. But to vilify them in the process is terribly
wrong in my view.
That said it is understandable why victims of sex abuse (and
their advocates) are so upset. They have been hurt and do not see the kind
of rabbinic support they might have expected. So we should cut them a little slack when they express their anger. However
I totally reject the venom some J-bloggers use against some of these
rabbinic leaders. One can have compassion for victims without rancor at the rabbis. Rabbi Shafran is
right to be upset by that.
But comparing them to Korach who earned a permanent place in Hell for challenging Moshe Rabbenu's leadership goes too far. And
though I agree with him to a point about the acrimony on the part of some
bloggers, R' Avi goes way too far and I protest.
These bloggers are indeed sincere as R' Avi admits. But is their intent evil? I do not see it that way. They side with victims of abuse
and see some of our rabbinic leaders seeming to protect accused molesters.
While that may seem to be the case to them, I don’t think it is as simple as
that. These rabbinic leaders have weighed all considerations and have come to the conclusion that
they are doing the right thing in how they handle things. I don’t agree with
them. But their views are not sourced in evil, God forbid. They are sourced in
the belief that this is what the Torah mandates.
But because of their legitimate concern for victims of sex abuse
and the desire to protect our children some
J-Bloggers see red when they think of rabbinic leaders like those on the
Moetzes who they see as only interested in protecting the reputations of accused molestors. I don't think that is true. Nevertheless for those who do think that way - that is not the same thing as what Korach did.
Korach’s cause was not
just. He sought to challenge the leadership of God’s ‘hand-picked’ prophet,
Moshe Rabbenu and to replace him with himself. J-Bloggers are not challenging Moshe Rabbenu’s
leadership. They do not seek to replace the members of the Moetzes with
themselves.
These bloggers are all about victims of sex abuse and how
they have in the past been shortchanged - and are still being shortchanged. Rabbi
Shafran is therefore wrong in characterizing them as modern day
Korachs. They are not. They are only guilty of letting their anger do the
talking – something I think we are all guilty of from time to time. Including
yours truly. But their concern is for the victims. Their goal is to once and for all do away with child sex abuse. It is a just cause -
of which Korach’s wasn’t!
It does no one any good to ‘villainize’ their opponents. Wouldn’t
respectful discourse accomplish more than angry rhetoric against one another?
