Am I Charedi?

Is he Charedi? (MJL)

Last week during the course of a conversation I was having with one of my granddaughters she happened to mention in passing that she considers me Charedi.  Being Charedi herself, I thought she simply identified me as being Charedi, too. It still took me a bit aback to hear she thinks of me that way. Not that I mind being considered Charedi. It’s just that I am not. I am a Centrist. (Which basically amounts to being right wing Modern Orthodox.)

When I challenged her by pointing out that I have a TV in my house and that no Charedi would ever have one, she simply said that I am from a different generation when TV was more common in some Charedi homes. In other words, I am grandfathered in. (No pun intended.)

Upon reflection, though, it is not just thinking of me that way because we are family. It is that I am fully observant - same as she is and most Charedim are. Additionally, my views on many issues affecting Orthodox Judaism are not all that different that are the views of Charedim. In other words she does not see any practical differences between us. 

I actually agree with her. On a practical level there are no serious differences. The differences exist on a Hashkafic level which rarely come up in the course of our daily lives. Otherwise the way we both lead our lives is pretty much the same. 

(This is why I firmly believe that despite our Hashkafic differences Centrists and mainstream moderate Charedim meld very well into a community. As I repeatedly say - the future of Orthodoxy lies with the overwhelming and continually grown mainstream moderate Charedi joined by the much smaller but not insignificant Centrist minority.) 

What about our Hashkafic differences? They are there. They are real. And they are stark. Without going into too much detail those differences consist of our respective attitudes about we view secular education and the general culture. Even though we both have decent education and participate in the general culture our attitudes about both are starkly different. 

The term Charedi is their preferred descriptor. It based on being Chareid L’Dvar HaShem – trembling at the word of God. They wear that name proudly. Trembling at the word of God is often misunderstood. It does not mean that every Chaeredi goes around shaking with fear. It means is that they take the word of God seriously and try to fulfil their obligations to God in the best way they can. 

The fact is that Centrists are really no different in that respect. Isn’t that the mandate for every Jew? As a religion of obligations we try and and perform them the best way we can. And Like Charedim we don’t  always succeed  but we both know what is the ideal. 

If that’s the case, why shouldn’t all observant Jews be called Charedim? Is there an observant Jews who thinks it’s OK to NOT observe some things?  

One respected Rav I know told me that he resents the fact that Charedim have hijacked that term for themselves. He is not Charedi but is clearly Chareid L’Dvar HaShem. 

What I think has happened is that Charedim no longer define the term solely as being Chareid L’Dvar HaShem. They define themselves as people that listen to Daas Torah (in contradistinction to other orthodox Jews . Which they define as listening to their Gedolim on matters or public policy. There is no wiggle room. When Daas Troah speaks. That is the end of the conversation. 

One might ask, ‘So, what’s wrong with that?’ Aren’t we supposed to listen to our rabbinic leaders? Doesn’t the Torah tell us to do that? 

Yes. It does. But rabbinic leadership is not monolithic. There are differences of opinion between great leaders.  Daas Torah is not limited to a predetermined set of leaders that come up with public policy decisions by majority vote. But that is exactly how the Agudah Moetzes works. Dissenting opinions are never heard. When there is disagreement between them on public policy they take a vote and the majority rules. And then they speak with one voice. 

I do not accept that. I respect their views, but I have a problem with not allowing legitimate dissent to be made public. If there a legitimate opinion that makes sense to me but is not in the majority, I have a right to know what that is and choose that path. 

But the Charedi world never gets to hear that dissent from the Moetzes. They hear a unified statement  and that becomes inviolable public policy to which they ‘tremble’ before God. 

Of course there are Charedim that take their ‘Daas Torah’ with a huge grain of salt. But most are in the closet about this. And will never admit it publicly. 

So my granddaughter is right. I am Charedi. Just not the way Charedim currently define it.