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| Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch and Rav Dov Lando |
Thus, when the two elderly Roshei Yeshiva now recognized as
the Gedolei HaDor (thereby implicitly conferring an aura of infallibility upon
their views) express those views, or fail to express views they should have
expressed, it is treated as though God Himself had spoken. Those of us who
might be upset by positions that seem counterintuitive to the will of God are
told that we simply misunderstand what ‘Daas Torah’ is all about.
I believe that many of the problems facing the Charedi world
today are a direct result of this version of Daas Torah.
Why these two elderly Roshei Yeshiva are now recognized as
the Gedolei HaDor remains a mystery to me. I suspect, however, that it is
because they have been recognized for their Torah knowledge for decades. That,
combined with their advanced age, has led a consensus of younger Roshei Yeshiva
to ‘anoint’ them: The Gedolei HaDor.
I say this without rancor. They cannot help how old they
are. Nor can they help the immense respect they receive. They are
unquestionably great Talmidei Chachamim—the minimum requirement for even being
considered a Gadol. I also believe they possess genuine humility despite the
role that has been cast upon them.
At the same time, however, I believe they use this conferred
authority to advance an agenda they consider vital to the survival of what they
consider authentic Judaism. They sincerely believe that their views reflect
what God wants of His people.
This helps explain how they are able to raise many millions
of dollars on behalf of Charedi youth who, at their behest, refuse to comply
with Israel’s draft laws. Which caused the government to end the stipends that
have till now supported them for decades. It also explains why there have been
violent protests by the extremists in their midst on behalf of Charedim
arrested for draft evasion during a time of war.
Protests that included screaming at people, burning flags,
setting dumpsters on fire, vandalizing property, blocking traffic for hours,
surrounding buses, and even setting fires around them. These actions have
created massive Chilul HaShem.
A public outcry over the failure of these Gedolim to
publicly condemn such behavior was recently answered in an article that
sought to justify their silence. Which illustrates just how far they see the
infallibility conferred upon them.
The argument was that they need not condemn what the Torah
already condemns. Had these protesters adhered to the dictates of the Torah in
the first place, they would never have acted this way. Furthermore, it was
argued, these extremist young Charedim would not listen anyway.
Why wouldn’t they listen…
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