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AAQ – “But do you see a stirah here between your 2 statements? If the rebbe is not infallible, then there is a place for non-rebbes to come up with solutions.”
Who said anything about anyone being ‘infallible’? Even אם תמצא לומר he WAS infallible, that isn’t the same as omniscient and omnipotent, and having every solution for every problem, attributes that לכל הדעות only apply to the Ribbono Shel Olam Himself. Daas Torah/Emunas Chachomim is not ‘infallibility’. It refers to an enhanced סייעתא דשמיא to both discern true רצון השם and to carry it out successfully. It does not automatically guarantee smooth sailing בגשמיות, or even ברוחניות for that matter. If it would, then there would be no בחירה. This is basic Hashkafah 101, לכל השיטות והדעות. The reason most Chassidim and many non-Chassidim ask their Rebbeyim guidance in areas not directly covered by Halacha is because there is much רצון השם that is not spelled out explicitly in Poskim…
“If the rebbe is not infallible, then there is a place for non-rebbes to come up with solutions.”
Moshe Rabbeinu was as close to infallible as any human being could possibly be, and in his capacity as transmitter of רצון השם to כלל ישראל he was in fact infallible, yet there was room for Pinchas to take the initiative to kill Zimri, for the טמאים לנפש to ask for and receive פסח שני, and for the בנות צלפחד to ask for and receive the פרשה of inheritance. Sarah Shenirer didn’t just run ahead with her idea on her own, she did seek guidance from the Belzer Rebbe, and not much later got the emphatic support of the Imrei Emes of Ger, who sent his own granddaughter. There is enough room for many צדיקים and ehrliche Yidden (men and women), big and small, through all the ages. We are able to make נחת רוח for Hashem Yisborach by rising above our challenges, in a way that even Moshe Rabbeinu and the Avos could not. If not, then Hashem wouldn’t have created us in the first place…
“His solution: an article in a Yiddishe paper summarizing halochos of mikva on one page”
That’s all he ever did? Not exactly. Are you aware of how many short sefarim and pamphlets the Chofetz Chaim wrote, including those specifically geared towards women? (Including on טהרת המשפחה and tzeniyus issues.) He wrote for bochurim conscripted in goyish armies and for those who went to work abroad in places where their Yiddishkeit would be challenged. He did much more, read up a little about his life and work. What do you suggest he should have done, given the logistical and financial limitations of Eastern Europe more than a century ago? As it is, he probably did more ‘outreach’ than any other Gadol of that era. But no one person, no matter how big, can ever do everything. That’s WHY there is plenty of room for the Sarah Shenirers, within the framework of Emunas Chachomim.
Somehow, learning how to divide a talit that two people are holding is worthy learning, but a contemporary issue is relegated to “let the Rebbe tell us”.
For starters, because ‘contemporary issues’ are vastly more susceptible to interference from the good old Yetzer Hara than halachic discussions spelled out in the Gemara… “Let the Rebbe tell us” protects you from אדם קרוב אצל עצמו. As I mentioned in my previous post about Reb Yoshe Ber z”l,, it could be anyone bigger than you ברוחניות as long as both of you are sincere. Rav Avigdor Miller (and many others) often said that the point of learning Gemara and Poskim etc. is to understand the מושגים and language of the Torah. Without that, it’s like a cow going to a Rav for guidance… That also won’t work…
Rav Avraham Twersky integrates psychology w/ Torah – while he was treating nuns (he has a book about just that).
Yes he did. He also corresponded extensively with the Steipler Gaon, and went to the Mikveh every day while going to medical school…
חכמה בגויים תאמין refers to technical know-how, not guidance on the תכלית החיים and רצון השם, which, for Yidden, define and permeate every aspect of life.
YYA> Sarah Shenirer didn’t just run ahead with her idea on her own, she did seek guidance from the Belzer Rebbe, and not much later got the emphatic support of the Imrei Emes of Ger,
From what I read, she got her original idea from a German Rav she met in Vienna as a refugee during Great War (and first skeptical seeing a “Rav” in a modern suit). She got a brocha from Beltzer Rebbe when her brother submitted a kvittel in an effort to convince her NOT to go with this – and was surprised by the answer. And she also brought at least 3 German university-educated ladies to help her develop the curriculum. I am not sure how well knows this history is to the BY students, but maybe the whole point was to launder the German curriculum thru acceptable channels 🙂
>> [Chofetz Chaim] “His solution: an article in a Yiddishe paper summarizing halochos of mikva on one page”
> That’s all he ever did? Not exactly.Of course. I am just mentioning one of the specific letters. He wrote me. I am not piling it on Chofetz Chaim, he had an understanding of issues – not only women and immigrants, soldiers (mahane isroel book), but also calling on to keep housing prices low for great war refugees; to support Jews in USSR with packages and fasts, etc. My point was only that others, not just gedolim, can and should participate in developing solutions. I am not of the view that Rabbis should be ignored, but that we all have a responsibility.
> For starters, because ‘contemporary issues’ are vastly more susceptible to interference from the good old Yetzer Hara than halachic discussions spelled out in the Gemara…
Absolutely, we benefit from Gemora and other sources that they help us develop the approach. Still, we need at some point to proceed to deal with current issues. There is nothing new here – amoraim were also combining learning what was old then with dealing with contemporary society. Maybe the difference is that changes happen now at much faster rate, so issues and decisions might change in 10-20 years. It calls both to be a little more conservative in changes, but also paying more attention to what is happening.
YYA > As I mentioned in my previous post about Reb Yoshe Ber z”l,, it could be anyone bigger than you ברוחניות as long as both of you are sincere. Rav Avigdor Miller (and many others) often said that the point of learning Gemara and Poskim etc. is to understand the מושגים and language of the Torah.
Yes, and R Soloveitchik himself writes about approaching modern issues with Torah knowledge…
>> Rav Avraham Twersky integrates psychology w/ Torah – while he was treating nuns (he has a book about just that).
> Yes he did. He also corresponded extensively with the Steipler Gaon, and went to the Mikveh every day while going to medical school…That is an interesting episode that I got a new insight recently. I am not sure how much they communicated. So, he asked Steipler (classmate of R Twersky’s father) about going to medical school and Steipler approved provided he goes to mikva, has daily hevrusa, and learn chassidus (or mussar?) I think. In one of the books, R Twesky adds a comment that precautions were not necessary, he did not really encountered challenges that Steipler envisioned as he was able to integrate the good parts and ignore or did not encounter problematic. So, my new insight on this episode: Steipler was looking at the situation as a Bnei Braq resident would feel, not the way Twersky saw it.
Another interesting comment from R Tersky: he saw how previous generation would go to his father with business, psychological, and even medical problems, but that the next generation was going to professionals – lawyers, doctors, so he decided that being a psychologist was a more productive path for him …
> חכמה בגויים תאמין refers to technical know-how, not guidance on the תכלית החיים and רצון השם, which, for Yidden, define and permeate every aspect of life.
of course, I think we have less and less to argue about 🙂
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