yekke2 –
I guess I’m a fool for thinking that adding “[and yes, i KNOW that the two are not directly related etc. etc.]” would stop people from attacking this one line.
BS”D
No more of a fool that Rabbi Adlerstien in his recent article “Satmar: Do They Take Us For Fools?” posted on Cross Currents.
Many (as people and Yidden) automatically assume that the more to the right someone is, the “better” they are. Your post reeks of that concept. Chazal certainly disagreed, and put guardrails (largely ignored in this day and age) to protect Klal Yisroel from this Avlah (examples include “Mechzi K’yuhara”, etc. etc. 🙂
Rabbi Adlerstien (and you) make the mistake that just because someone is further to the right, they have “higher standards”. It is just as likely (as far as Chazal are concerned, not this “Olam Hafuch”) that you have “higher standards” by accepting more, and being more involved (and yes, accepting the other’s child into your school). Not eating at your relative’s house puts you at a “higher level” (vs. OCD)? Do you really believe that? You can understand the other side not wanting children in school (protect my kid from the disease of the other!!), but have to consider if that is how the RBSO really wants you to act towards his children.
There is a famous story with Rav Yaakov where he was at a wedding with a bunch of other Rabbonim. They were all ordering the chicken (over the beef) until someone figured out that they could order fish, which then everyone switched. Rav Yaakov, seeing that the waiter was getting nervous that there wouldn’t be enough, ordered the beef. Is Rav Yaakov therefore on a “lower level” because he didn’t go with the herd’s Chumrah?
I use the internet. I don’t consider someone who doesn’t to be on a “higher level”. I don’t have a smartphone, but that doesn’t make me on a “higher level” than someone who does. Neither would I consider someone who wears a burka to be on a “higher level” than someone who covers her hair in a halachicly appropriate manner.
P.S. Who is on a “higher level”? Baalei Teshuva, and those who go against the herd to do the hard thing. Whether it is the Maimonides child who chooses to learn in Kollel instead of becoming a doctor, or the Charaidi in Beit Shemesh who chooses to move out of his society and go to work because that is what the RBSO wants from him.