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Anger at Torah Leadership

by Rabbi Dovid E. Eidensohn

The Internet is filled with anger at Torah leadership. Recently, some prominent Torah scholars have taken to present their opinions on the Internet, and this simply made things hotter. There is a cycle to the situation. Someone does something or says something that offends certain rabbis. The rabbis respond, and this stokes the fires instead of calming things. There are many Torah Jews on the Internet, but it seems at times that the anger is greater than the love and reverence we expect. Why? What is going on?

I have been angry at the Torah community for a generation. A new type of "gadole" took over after the European greats died. A new kind of Torah Judaism is alive in the world. I hate it. I fought it in my seforim, in brochures and letters to the community, even on the radio. I did this not because I rebel against Gedolim, but because I was very close to them, and they were upset but silent, and I will not be silent.

I once opened my mouth full blast in a shull in Jerusalem in front of a close relative of a great Gadole. He was very puzzled and upset, because I was a Talmid of his relative. At first he made faces and mumbled and finally his puzzlement changed to a broad smile. A wise man, he did not tell me directly why he now understood. He hinted from a Torah peshat on Chumash that Shimon and Levi did what Yaacov wanted done, even though it was a horrible thing to do. I don't say that this is what I meant, but my point is that he realized I was saying what great people could not. If they would say it the world would come to an end. If I say it, whoever wants to listen, fine, and if not, no damage is done.

What do I hate? Here is a list:

1. 2500 girls aged 25 on a Shadchon's list. Other shadchonim won't take a girl because it is a waste of his time.

2. A bas Talmid Chochom is rejected, by the Rosh Yeshiva's "daas Torah" in favor of a rich baal habos. The Shulchan Aruch quotes the gemora that one must sell everything to marry a bas Talmid Chochom.

3. A girl is taught to marry a great scholar, but the great scholar's rebbe tells him to marry someone rich.

4. Everyone must be a gadole. Whoever works is a failure. The gemora and Shulchan Aruch say just the opposite.

5. Everyone must take after marriage and not earn. Rambam, Rabbeinu Yona and Rashi say that if you take you have no Olam Habo.

6. Parents ready to retire must fork over fortunes to support the "jewel" who learns and doesn't work. "Everyone" must go to kollel, which is against the Shulchan Aruch and destroys many men, their working wives, and children who have no mother. It also destroys the desperate parents who have to pay sometimes by selling their homes.

7. This spiritual sewage produces no gedolim. But it gets worse and worse.

8. Learn, don't work, and take government programs. This again is a violation of the Talmud and Shulchan Aruch.

9. The Talmud says, "A child not taught to earn will be a thief." Do we just say rip off the parents and trust in HaShem? What happens then?

10. The divorce situation is a disaster, and will surely lead to mamzerut. But there is nobody to talk to about it.

11. Kashruth for a baal nefesh will end in a few years do to genetic engineering and the absence of mirsas in global food companies. Nobody cares.

12. Family and marriage are torn to shreds by "daas Torah."

There are many people out there who don't articulate things this way, but they are getting angrier all of the time. The Torah world is a can of gasoline, and I want to throw in the match.