All this Slifkingate posts here and all over the blogosphere, as well as all those discussions offline, made me wonder something.
Have I ever felt differently about the "gedolim." Was I always such a cynic when it came to situations like this?
Honestly, I don't think so. I've always had a cynical approach to authority, perhaps because in my family things were in the open and "he's a gadol, he can do whatever he wants" was not a valid answer.
As I was thinking of what to write, (I need those hits, baby!) one thought popped right into my head: The Rally for Israel in Washington, D.C. It was after that rally that even die hard Yeshivish Jews started to, chas v'shalom, lo aleinu, have some questions regarding the actions of the gedolim, rachmana litzlan. It was at that point that some people started to realize that in order to be respected by EVERYBODY, the gedolim, as a whole, had to act in such a way so that the most right-wing fringe element would respect them. Otherwise, once the RWFE didn't respect them, others would join, just so they can say they are also right wing to the extreme.
Until this can be settled, I don't think the majority of Orthodox Jews (not Yeshivish Jews) will have the respect for gedolim that the gedolim want them to have and that the people actually want to have. I remember telling someone years ago that when you ask a shailah of a rav, the first thought will not be what is the halacha, but rather politics. It might not be true in all cases, but in many, if not most, cases, politics will trump halacha when it comes to a decision.
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8 comments:
What happened at the rally for Israel?
Nice template, btw, I need to get some sunglasses.
People asked the Moetzes if they can go and people also wanted Agudah presence at the rally.
What happened is that some members felt that people should go and some felt it was assur. If they went and said it was OK, then the people who held assur, would no longer follow the rulings and the Moetzes would be more modern.
What ended up happening is that many people went anyway and it was very nice. A rally with people from all walks of Judaism.
(As per the template, the original one was too big and it didn't allow Blogrolling. And I like green.)
At the very few rallies we've had here, I've been one of the few "chareidim" to attend. There's usually a "token" presence; the Rebbe assigns one of his more modern liasons to attend, but it's usually made clear that most people should stay away. The events are usually sponsored by conservative congregations, but occasionally by the modern orthodox shul by the lake.
Really pisses me off. I think the Orthodox should be the leaders here, not the reluctant followers.
But that require taking a stand and holding fast to principles, so it won't happen.
what, now blue?
Well, I hope this doesn't hurt people's eyes as much.
see http://rachack.blogspot.com/2005/01/how-to-succeed-in-knowing-without.html
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