Reply To: The Modern Orthodox “Mesorah”

smerel,

“Depends on who you ask. Some would say… Others would claim…”

What kind of Mesorah is that, where some say RJBS (as you suggest), others say Moses Mendessohn (as Ely said) and others say Hildesheimer (as you also suggest)? If a hashkafic group claims to be a coherent legitimate expression, they should at least all know who their common Mesorah is from.

As far as your answer as to what the commonality between MO communities are that makes and defines a person as Modern Orthodox, what is *your* definition of MO that, let’s say, clearly establishes an individual is MO and not Chareidi or Conservative.

What makes Rabbi Hershel Schachter and Rabbi Mordecai Wilig MO (and not Chareidi) and what makes Rabbi Shlomo Risking and Rabbi Dr. Norman Lamm and Rabbi Yitz Greenberg MO (and not Conservative)? And what makes Rabbi Schachter and Rabbi Greenberg both MO?