I was recently informed that this topic is of particularly great concern to the young people in the yeshivos and seminaries. Much of what is happening goes against what they have taught about gedolim and Daas Torah. Many of them understandably express shock and simply can't digest it.
I think it would be helpful if some of the new generation wrote guest posts that I could post here. It is important that our leaders realize fully the destruction that has been caused by this corruption of the halacha process and the apparent lack of leadership in resolving it. Please do not include indentifying information. However do include how this crisis has impacted you personally.
If this is just to be viewed as a machlokes between Rav Shmuel Kamenetsky and other gedolim, eg Rav Moshe Sternbuch, who are you/we to take a side in said machlokes. In the same way in that if the rabbonim had a machlokes about the kashrus of a certain eiruv, we wouldn't take a personal opinion but rather just follow one's local rav. That doesn't make the other rav a mechalel Shabbos bepharhesia who i can no longer trust in any halachic decision, or question his godol status.
ReplyDeleteThat's because the concept of Da'as Torah, as we understand it today, was made up between the wars and was always generally unknown to Yiddishkeit.
ReplyDeletePeople generally find 'Gedolim' that support their cause, and every other 'godol' is not really a 'Godol' at all. And if, on occasion a recognized godol does say something a certain group doesn't like, you can bet your bottom dollar that one of the following will apply;
1) The godol was misrepresented.
2) The godol was chozer b'sof yomov.
3) The pronouncement from the godol was forged.
4) The godol was given false information.
So who is in the driving seat, the 'godol' or the 'people'.
PS I am not referring to this get case, which I know nothing about
I think I might be part of the younger generation. But I always had this daas Torah dilemma, are you supposed to be totally mekabel or can you question respectfully? I personally think there is a healthy balance, meaning naaseh vnishma. First be mekabel and then try understanding.
ReplyDeleteBut with this tamar heter I had a query. There are 2 types of ways rabbanim answer shailas. One is whatever you ask that's what he answers. The other trys to probe every detail and is very careful to answer. iv seen and heard stories with both these approaches.
I have a very hard time questioning big talmidei chachamim. They actually know and I don't. And they have a life of experience and shimush. So with r Nata it's definitely like that since I know his gadlus and wouldn't doubt it. But I do have questions. It seems r Nata answered whatever was asked to him. Thats not as hard to understand. But I do have trouble understanding how r Nata could have married her off without properly investigating to know for sure she was able to marry bheter?!
To end off, Do rabbanim have to probe every detail to answer or is it the questioners responsibility?
I just made this comment into a separate post - please comment to the post not here
ReplyDeletehttp://daattorah.blogspot.co.il/2015/12/tamar-epsteins-heter-was-rav-greenblatt.html