“It’s not demeaning to our current Gedolim to say THEY”RE NOT AS BIG as the ones from years ago”
I see this comment or equivalent words over and over again on postings in various threads. There are also numerous postings seemingly engaging in Trumpian hyperbole about Gadol A being “bigger than” Gadol B. However, no one ever seems to amplify or clarify such comparisons by clearly stating what metric of “gadlus” they are using and what objective standards form the basis for their conclusion. Obviously this is all subjective and I suspect everyone is working off their own metrics but as has been noted here more than once, there is nothing per se that endows either the tzibur of the alte heim and their rabbonim, askanim or minhagim with inherently greater kedushah than those of today. Its all relative and in that regard, subjective. Its borderline mevazeh talmeidei chachamim to paint with such a broad brush and characterize all of today’s gadolim as inferior to those of pre-War Europe.