Several comments on my blog as well as offline life makes me want to post the following:
Firstly, we hear the claim a lot that "X is a gadol so we must do whatever he says."
Says who? The Jews in Egypt didn't listen to their gedolim.
Secondly, who says they are a gadol? Just because they were "selected" to be on Agudah's Moetzes Gedolei Hatorah, does not make them a gadol.
Thirdly, if someone is really a gadol, they have to act in such a way that the average person will have no questions about their actions or behavior.
Fourthly, a gadol, when issuing proclamations and decisions, will do so in a clear manner, describing the question and answer and the reason for his decision.
Lastly, a real gadol will welcome criticisms and invite questions.
Not everything in my post is mainly because of the current Slifkin affair, but it adds to the camel's load no doubt.
On a personal note, I want to, I mean really want to, have faith in our gedolim and trust our gedolim, but I really can't. If I have questions and comments, what am I supposed to do? Just push it to the back of my mind and get back in line? I won't, and I won't be a robot. To me, Judaism is about doing what Hashem wants, not what anybody else wants, and it means thinking. If you do a mitzvah just because you were programmed to, is that the same?
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1 comment:
OK, on the one hand, I totally agree.
But I think #3 might be wrong. How could the average person instantly recognize the infallability of another?
In an interesting academic study, the most incompetent people tended not only to overrate their own abilities, but also be unable to distinguish between competent and incompetent product.
Here is a link. It's only one group doing the research, but its very easy for me to believe.
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