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| Rav Chaim Soloveichik (Wikipedia) |
There is a fascinating article in the latest issue of Mishpacha about R’
Chaim’s connection to Agudah, specifically why he did not personally endorse it
the way the other Gedolim of the time did - even though he was instrumental in
its founding. The article is mostly about a supposed list of 18 conditions that
needed to be satisfied for him to endorse this new organization. Which was
created to be a unifying force for all observant Jewry - that promoted a
religious lifestyle, with the top rabbis of the era guiding it.
Rav Chaim’s major objection seems to have been the
centralized power Agudah’s founders vested in those rabbis. R’ Chaim objected
to the idea of a single authoritative body deciding what was and was not
acceptable for the entirety of the observant community. He firmly believed that
such authority should be left to individual community rabbis, since each
community had its own Hashkafos. That belief was probably generated by the
following
Since Rav Shamshon Raphael Hirsch was to be part of that
governing body of rabbis (to be called the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah), he feared
that Rav Hirsch’s Torah im Derech Eretz Hashkafa would be applied to all
segments. Rav Chaim strongly believed that the status quo of his particular
segment of observant Jewry should be left as is. with no secular subjects being
taught. Why he felt this way is probably related to his negative experiences in
Volozhin. Where the antisemitic czarist government wanted to use a secular
curriculum to disabuse the Jewish people of their observance. (To be clear, Rav
Chaim was definitely not opposed to Limudei Chol per se.)
Be that as it may, his view was that the Moetzes should not
be considered the sole authority for all of observant Jewry. (Often referred to
as Daas Torah.) Individual Hashkafic decisions were to be left to the leaders
of individual communities. Not to a centralized body that would rule over all
of observant Jewry.
He was right.
Unfortunately, Agudah decided not to accede to Rav Chaim’s
demands. And he therefore did not join in endorsing Agudah, even though he
firmly believed a unifying agency like Agudah was vital to the perpetuation of
observant Judaism.
I mention all this in light of Rabbi Yitzchok Adlerstein’s
latest Cross-Currents
piece, wherein he clarifies why he is so committed to the new Charedi party,
Hatzibur HaCharedi. So committed is he that he joined the list of members who
will serve if they get enough votes…
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