Rav Shach - Dialectics and understanding Gedolim

Shloime just posted a long list of harsh comments by Rav Shach - "to let him speak for himself" So let me present some counter balancing stories. which create a more 3 dimensional understanding. In essence I will take the approach presented by Anonymous [I would really like some more creativity expressed - why does everyone chose the moniker "anonymous"?]. A leader is not the simple sum of a sample of stories told about him.

1) My son learned in Ponevich in Rav Schach's time and related the following story which circulated the Yeshiva when Rav Shach was niftar.

Rav Shach once asked a close friend of his to promise to attend his funeral. When the astonished friend questioned the necessity of such a strange promise, Rav Shach replied, "As a leader I know I have made many enemies over the years. I am afraid that there will not be a minyan at my levaya."

This is intimately connected with another story.

2) When the news of Rav Shach's petira broke, there was a massive movement of hundred's of thousands of Jews to Bnei Brak. The buses leaving Har Nof were packed. While I was standing by the bus stop wondering how to get to Bnei Berak a car pulled up and offered me a ride. I did a double take when I saw who the driver was. An acquaintance who is the most dyed in the wool fanatic religious Zionist I have ever met. As I gratefully settled in my seat, I asked him why he was going to honor a man who was such a strong opponent for everything he stood for. He replied, "I have much reason to be upset with Rav Shach - both in terms of what he said and what he did to us. But there was no question that G-d chose him to be one of the major Torah leaders of our generation. How can I not show kavod to him by going to his levayah."

3) Regarding his attitude to secular learning. As is well know there is a unique institution guided by Rav Zev Leff - Maarava - in which an elite student body learn both Torah secular studies on a very high level. Something which is obviously not done in the chareidi world. It is also well known that Rav Shach periodically denounced the school in very strong terms. As those who know Rav Leff will attest, he is a very loyal member of the chareidi establishment. Before he accepted the position at Maarava, he of course had consulted with Daas Torah i.e., Rav Shach as to whether to accept the job. When he heard Rav Shach's strong denunciations and read the many wall posters attacking the school - he hurried to consult with Rav Shach. Rav Shach replied, "I already told you that you should take the job with the school. Just as it is your obligation to provide guidance for the school it is my obligation to denounce it so that the cream of our yeshivos understand it is not a l'chatchila choice for them. But for those who need such a school it is important that you guide it."

4) The Bostoner Rebbe told me the following when I was trying to find a school in Yerushalayim for my kids that was comparable to Chaim Berlin where they had learned. He said, "It is obvious that Americans need a different type of education than Israelis and it is obvious that many American's don't make aliyah or go back to America because their kids don't fit it the Israeli yeshiva system. I once went to Rav Shach to explain to him the need for a different yeshiva for Americans. When I presented my views he told me, 'If you American's don't like the way we run things here go back to America.' "

At the time I thought it was incredibly insensitive. However as I have gotten older, I realize that not every problem is to be approached with American rachamim - sometimes Israeli din is needed also. American's fail because they are overly sensitive about somebody saying boo at them or saying, " I don't like you." If they want to live and thrive in Israel they need to be as tough as the natives.

5) This was once expressed to me very bluntly by Rabbi Eliyahu Essas - one of the heroes of the Russian refusenik era. I mentioned to him that I had a set of mishnayos translated into Russian -my grandmother got it as an engagement present. I told him perhaps he would be interested in reprinting it to aid the Russian baalei teshuva. He replied with an irritated tone. You Americans are always looking for the easy way to do things. Russians know that the only way to be a scholar is to master Hebrew and learn the original. American's rely too much on crutches and don't learn to walk on their own."

6) One final story. Rabbi Steinzaltz is one of the modern heroes of the Jewish people. But he has no mesora i.e., he never was part of a yeshiva. [The Chofetz Chaim had a similar criticism of the Meshech Chochma]. There are many Russian Jews whose tie to Yiddishkeit was almost entirely through the Steinzaltz gemora. There are many baalei teshuva who first learned gemora with the Steinzaltz. Over time his influence and accomplishments increased mightily. He was even described as the "Rashi of Our Era" by Time magazine. Nobody criticised him until he acquired superstar status. It was when people starting describe him a gadol - as someone to guide and make the meta decision for the Jewish people that he was attacked. [Similar to R' Slifkin] He produced a book describing how our Biblical ancestors were human beings with psychological issues and typical petty motivation. It was then that Rav Shach attacked.

Hopefully this answers Shloime's question - if not - perhaps it will be enlightening to another reader of this blog.