A Frum Rabbi

Friday’s post about Rabbi Zecharia Greenwald, (a Seminary head who unequivocally said that young men that go to work a year after graduating Yeshiva high school are not Yreis Shmayim or Bnei Torah) generated the following comment from someone who identifies as afrumrabbi: 

I am reading this discussion and comments and find it hard to believe that anyone can take themselves seriously.

Rabbi Greenwald is an educator who sincerely tries his best to motivate and inspire young American women. He is not expressing Haredi ideology, as anyone even remotely familiar with his approach and his school can attest. His comments can be understood only in that context. Those of you who apparently have an axe to grind, who scour Mishpacha Magazine - of all places - as the forum to highlight Haredi foibles, should really find better things to do with your time. 

I was going to respond in a comment to afrumrabbi. But I think both his comment and my response to it warrants broader exposure.

First, to clarify my commenting policy - I do not censor comments with which I disagree. Nor do I always respond to them. I allow a lot of latitude here the purpose of which is to allow the free flow of ideas and encourage discussion. The only things that are off limits here are profanity, personal attack, and matters challenging the fundamentals of our belief system. Anything else is acceptable. The rest of this post will address afrumrabbi directly. 

It's interesting to note how you identify yourself. Calling yourself afruimrabbi implies that you are some sort of legitimate authority on observant Judaism - whereas others here are not qualified. Including me. That is insulting. 

I am a Frum rabbi too. And although I do see it your way on many things, there are some things with which we do not agree - as is the case here, You expressed a meanness of spirit that has an aura of certainty about your views. Implying that mine are based on some kind of agenda and not to be taken seriously.

This is nothing more than a personal attack. I do not have an ‘axe to grind’ against Charedim. And please don’t try to say you weren’t talking about me.  You know you meant me as well as  some of the people that comment here.

You say I don’t know Rabbi Greenwald and imply that he is not some sort of card carrying Charedi. You’re right. I don’t know him and have never met him. But one would be hard pressed to buy that he isn't -  based on the comment excerpted from Mishpacha which I will repeat here. Which is about as hard core Charedi as one can get: 

A boy who finishes high school and a year later is in college and then the workplace — I will state this with conviction, from personal experience — he will invariably not be a yerei Shamayim or ben Torah. The occasional exceptions to this do not refute my statement. 

That you seem to believe that Mishpacha is not a legitimate source from which to comment on Rabbi Greenwald  ignores this very clear statement. He not only dismisses the 'working boy' but without saying so he dismisses the RIETS (YU) boy too. These are young man who study Torah diligently for many years post high school as well as preparing themselves for careers that will support their families. 

Doubling down strictly on the Kollel Yungerman as the only acceptable Shidduch prospect that pretty much tells us all we need to know about who is a Ben Torah and who isn’t. A YU boy isn’t. Making him just as damaged goods as are those who go directly to work - even if they are Koveah Itim (set aside regular times to study Torah).  

Had he made an exception and allowed that young YU students too were Bnei Torah, I might have been a bit kinder to him. But he didn't do that. He unapologetically doubled down on the classic dismissal the hard core Charedi world has toward the Yiremim U’Shlemimn that is the RIETS student. Thus eliminating them from the pool of acceptable Shiduch prospects. Which leaves acceptable only those Shidduch prospects that choose to become a Kollel Yungerman.

You say that Rabbi Greenwald is an educator who sincerely tries his best to motivate and inspire young American women.. Inspire them to what? To look down at the working boy? To look down at the YU boy?  

If I have an axe to grind, it is against the brave new world in which there has been a distortion of the concept of V'Hagisa Bo Yomim VaLayla. A version that does great damage to the Klal and serves to perpetuate a climate of Sinas Chinam.

For for the record I am not opposed being Choreid L'Dvar HaShem. I believe we should all have Yiras Shamayim. Nor do I oppose a lifetime dedicated to learning Torah full time if one is intellectually, emotionally, and temperamentally suited for that. What I am opposed to is pushing everyone to do it. and looking down on anyone that doesn’t. 

You, Mr afrumrabbi, have apparently bought into this radicalized new philosophy. My guess is that your daughters (-if you have any of marriageable age) would never consider a YU boy no matter what kind of Masmid he is. And your daughters would not be alone 

This Hashkafa is being planted into the minds of every Charedi from the moment they are old enough to understand Aleph Beis until they get married - and beyond. And they will surely transmit this Hashkafa to their children. 

This is a sad commentary on the direction of observant Judaism. I can't predict the future. But if we continue on this path we we are headed for an elitist Judaism based not on what one contributes to the world of Torah knowledge and Yahdus, or  based on their contributions to the welfare of mankind. But in how long one can sit in a Kollel.

 Mr. afrumrabbi: if you read this and wish to respond, I will give you the space to do so.