Saturday, December 28, 2013

My Guest Post on Emes Ve-Emunah: As the World Turns...

Emes Ve-Emunah: As the World Turns...

Emes Ve-Emunah


Posted: 27 Dec 2013 01:40 PM PST
Guest Post by Rabbi Yosef Gavriel Bechhofer

Rabbi Bechhofer
Orthodoxy across its entire spectrum is in upheaval. One must go back to the triple pincer challenge of Reform, Haskalah and the Emancipation to find similar turmoil. Then, however, because of the state of civilization at the time, cataclysmic catalysts took longer to have an impact and the responses could be formulated and implemented over a longer period of time, affording some measure of the leisure of contemplation and analysis. Today's civilization compacts, and therefore devastates all the more. We are all reeling.

But we are in a crucible, at high, rolling boil. It will take time – I do not know, of course, how long, but I suspect much less than the seventy-five or so years it took us to successfully adapt to those challenges of the early 19th century.

I do not foresee, at this point in time, that my generation – those of us who came of age in the 70's through the 90's or so – will be the heroes who successfully contend with the elemental forces at work. We were not brought up to be heroes.

The two generations that preceded us were heroic – in maintaining Torah through tribulation and tragedy, in fighting off the new challenges of secularism and Conservative Judaism, in establishing yeshivos and kollelim as axiomatic and widespread institutions.

When we came on the scene, there was – and is, to be sure – more of the same to accomplish. But it takes the form of another community Kollel in Chicago, another yeshiva in New Jersey, another Bais Yaakov in Monsey, an alternative community in Atlanta, another program to get Ba'alei Battim to learn, another lomdishe sefer on Bava Basra, etc.

We were also rendered timid – sometimes indirectly, sometimes directly – by the pioneers who preceded us, who were our Rabbeim and Roshei Yeshiva, our Rabbonim and the pillars of our community. They were men and women of vision and idealism, and we were along for the ride, and were given to understand – again, implicitly and explicitly – that we were to follow. They had more than enough creativity and leadership, and those were not our jobs.

There are so many clear manifestations and ramifications of our failure to overcome that timidity and passivity, the real and imagined limits and limitations in intellect, in spirit and in accomplishment.

The Internet has given us – somewhat belatedly – the ability to gripe and snipe together, to grumble and complain – but social media will not help us in the long run, but hinder us, as we mistake blog postings and Facebook comments for agents of growth that require the concrete rather than the ephemeral, the interaction of souls rather than their typed statements, the power of conclave rather than the curious notion of virtual reality.

We are outstanding at kvetching. We are utterly incompetent at doing.

Rather, in the absence of some major metamorphosis in my generation's collective heart-and-mindset, we are relegated to the role of any sandwich generation. We can and must maintain streams of thought, perspectives and influences of earlier times, to serve as a resources for the generation that inevitably will arise someday to bring redemption to Orthodoxy. 

I, personally, try to keep figures and writings that have moved me, at the disposal of our society, lest they be forgotten, compelling some future culturally primitive generation to reinvent a more deficient and imperfect wheel. This keeping of the flame is, in itself, an important mission. Especially when the seething cauldron might, at any moment, boil over and extinguish the flame. And thus we too will have played a role in bringing that redemptive time to pass, howsoever long this period of epic turmoil persists.

28 comments:

  1. Rav Bechhofer, please pardon my incredible naivete. But what great upheaval is taking place and why do you pine for some far off better time? I know this will sound optimistic and - since it's on the internet - unpopular, but klal yisroel is probably on firmer ground now than at any time in the past 250 years.
    I have heard for 30 years - I'm not exaggerating - about how the American Kollel system will crumble. Hasn't happened. I have been hearing for a decade - from both right and left - about how the internet will rip open and destroy the frum community. Wrong again. I have been hearing for close to two decades about how kids at risk is getting worse and how the Yeshiva world has no answer. I'm around kids at risk and the numbers aren't getting worse.
    Can you be more specific about the impending doom?
    And the internet has created significant positive change in one area - how we deal with child abuse. This is certainly improving in spite of what the blogs say.

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  2. The Internet has also had a different positive effect ... it has provided almost unlimited resources for learning. I can look up almost anything, and I can do it quickly. Not only that, but when there is something to discuss, parsha, daf yomi, etc there are always people to discuss with on email, twitter, Facebook, or other venues.

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  3. Considering the human potential we all have, the idea that any generation of scholars still alive is too stunted to rouse itself to do great things is puzzling. For starters, why not identify the problems by name and propose courses of action instead of invoking a Carter-like malaise?

    One large problem is the extent to which some communities' apparent spiritual normality, even nobility, conceals the deep corruption of some people who pull the strings. Not only is corruption itself bad, but it's coming to light more and more in ways that our neighbors, some previously sympathetic, see and react to. And how many of us, young and old, after seeing a sullied derech-in-practice, have then gone off the derech?

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    Replies
    1. Ram, this too is not a new problem. It only seems that way because the internet exposes all and creates a free flow of information

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  4. Reb Meir:

    Since Reb Shimon Shkop, has anyone created a new derech ha'limmud? That is stagnation.

    Since Reb Gedalya Schorr, has anyone created a new derech in machashava? That is stagnation.

    Since Reb Elya Meir Bloch and Reb Reuven Grozovsky on the one hand, and Reb Zvi Yehuda Kook and Reb Yoshe Ber Soloveitchik on the other hand, has anyone tried to formulate an updated thoughtful approach to Zionism/the State of Israel? That is stagnation.

    Has anyone, ever, attempted to address the flaws, failures and shortcomings of the educational system in a systematic, comprehensive, professional manner. Not for the Aleph and Beis levels. The need there is not as pressing. For the Gimmel and Daled levels and beyond. That is stagnation.

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  5. The ember of Yeshivas HaOlim is glowing!!!! Do not give up the fight, Klall Yisroel needs you to not just keep the flame, but to set souls on fire. Please revisit the idea for a Yeshiva you need to push with everything you have!!!

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  6. I try to "keep hope alive." Unfortunately, "everything I have" is not that much.

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  7. Published by Rabbi Steinzaltz almost simultaneously with this blog post. Must be something "in the air:"

    http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/the-rabbis-of-today/

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  8. Rabbi Bechhofer,
    When it comes to the Chareidi world,I must respectfully disagree. Those of us who have recognized what needs to be done and what needs to be changed, have been rendered timid, not by the towering genius and brilliant creativity of the heroic generations; rather, by the pressure and threat of crucification, of being declared persona non grata, of being declared "Ehr iz nisht fun unzerer," by a society that as a culture and as a policy has developed a warped sense of reality. People (some of them respected poskim themselves) quote p'sakim of poskei hador, regarding yeshiva policies, from over 30 years ago, as if direct inferences can be made from them to the Yeshivos today. Yeshivos back then were for the Alef and Beis Bochurim, and before the war were for only the Alef bochurim. Today they are for all of our talmidim. Allowing psakim regarding general studies, college-yeshiva connections, athletics, etc. from 30, or even over 100 years ago, determine what course the yeshiva world will take today, is an absurdity that we don't dare challenge, for fear of our positions and our children's shidduchim.

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  9. And as far as improving/changing derech halimud is concerned, the same timidness at challenging societal norms applies for the same reasons. The only difference is that the undisputed (at least in EY) gadol hador of the last generation in the Chareidi Yeshiva world held of a derech halimud with regard to gemara that most yeshivos rejected, I suspect out of laziness. As far as to other limudim, such as machshava, philosophy, historia, etc., if one dares to mess with the curriculum that we have so strictly adhered to since the time of Rav Chaim Volozhiner ZT"L (note my sarcasm), then he will be ostracized as well.

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  10. Well that's what you get for using the name "Acharonim" for the guys who came after the Rishonim. When their 500 years were up about 13 years ago what were we supposed to do next? Start with Acharei Acharonim?
    Once upon a time Judaism was about searching for God and developing a relationship with Him to understand what real truth is. Now it's about imitating the past in an attempt to pretend that nothing changes over time, truth be damned.
    Yes we are better at kvetching than doing because anyone who does something is roundly condemned as an innovator. The real danger of this attitude is that it leaves folks like YCT and JOFA as the only innovators out there!
    At any rate none of this will matter once the zombie apocalypse beings.
    Sounds like a great topic for some shiurim at Pesach though!

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  11. Those of us who have recognized what needs to be done and what needs to be changed, have been rendered timid, not by the towering genius and brilliant creativity of the heroic generations; rather, by the pressure and threat of crucification, of being declared persona non grata,

    I don't think we have to quibble as to the antecedents of the timidity. It may well be that I agree with you to a large extent, but have been careful in phrasing things on account of the issues you mention...

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  12. As far as to other limudim, such as machshava, philosophy, historia, etc., if one dares to mess with the curriculum that we have so strictly adhered to since the time of Rav Chaim Volozhiner ZT"L (note my sarcasm), then he will be ostracized as well.

    Yes, but. If we were to employ RCV's curriculum we wouldn't be half-bad. Instead, the yeshivos only learns Sha'ar 4 of the NhC, evidently assuming that the first three she'arim are like the Sha'ar HaYichud of the ChL. There is a gap of about 85 years until the Telzer Rosh Yeshiva, Maharil Bloch, begins to reintroduce the yeshiva world to the stuff of those first she'arim. Indeed, during the "Golden Era" yeshivas had remarkable breadth and depth. The tzimtzum reversion is of relatively recent origin.

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  13. At any rate none of this will matter once the zombie apocalypse begins.

    Doesn't our conversation lead you to suspect that it has already begun?

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  14. MGI: Once upon a time Judaism was about searching for God and developing a relationship with Him to understand what real truth is.
    who says? maybe for some elite philosopher-types. but for most of us [and more than a few of the elites] it was once about Shabbos, davening, sending kids to cheder till about bar mitzvah, etc. not so different today in many ways, just today we are more conscious of our decisions.

    all this doom and gloom. you know, we ortho have not been in such a good position for generations. with all our flaws, we are growing, and 90%+ holding on to our youth, who grow up to raise more good jewish kids.
    you are looking for some 'leadership' 'creativity' 'inspiration.' im not sure amcha ever had that [outside of Zionism, and possibly Hasidism], and im not sure it needs it. why cant you just do your thing? you know, kind of like what you've been doing until now. im just not clear on your sense of lack. can it be boredom?

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  15. I do not agree. The "amcha" were not the ideologues, the thinkers and the writers, but they were swept up in the movements and experienced ardor for the cause. They knew their leaders and respected them and were proud of them. All this is much diminished in our day and age.

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  16. im still not sure what you want. where do you want yiddishkeit to go? even within the 2 movements I mentioned, they did not necessarily encourage yiras shamayim middos, better davening, or torah study.
    so again, what do you want, and how were things so much worse overall than they are today?

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  17. Anon, for centuries we survived because the ghetto walls kept us together. Why is it that over the last 3 centuries Jews have defected en masse every time a new enlightment or "ism" like socialism, liberalism, etc. has come along? Boredom? Hardly. How about inspiration? Greater goals? A chance to be part of something that changes the world? How long has it been since religious Judaism offered anyone that?

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  18. Well said, Sir Garnel. Better than I could have said it myself!

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  19. thanks for your response mgi.
    but rygb says we had inspirational leaders with vision and wisdom less than 100 years ago.
    and in fact today without those leaders, our numbers are holding steady with little appreciable attrition.

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  20. Numbers are what matters? I thought Kiddush Shem Shomayim is what matters.

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  21. obviously you need both.
    but jews making the difficult decision to remain frum is in itself a kidush shem shamayim, wouldn't you say?

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  22. Not necessarily. Societal affiliation is tough to shake off.

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  23. ...and yet, as pointed out repeatedly, this happened with frightful frequency for the last 200 years until around 1980.

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  24. As per Rav SR Hirsch, in 19 letters, numbers are not that important, as long as on that great day there is one Yid left who got it right.

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  25. "Reb Meir:

    Since Reb Shimon Shkop, has anyone created a new derech ha'limmud? That is stagnation.

    Since Reb Gedalya Schorr, has anyone created a new derech in machashava? That is stagnation.

    Since Reb Elya Meir Bloch and Reb Reuven Grozovsky on the one hand, and Reb Zvi Yehuda Kook and Reb Yoshe Ber Soloveitchik on the other hand, has anyone tried to formulate an updated thoughtful approach to Zionism/the State of Israel? That is stagnation."

    I find this position a bit ironic.

    The answer to all those question is that yes, somebody has.

    But I fear pointing out who I think has done those things, for them being labeled and pushed out as being "not legitimate".

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  26. Lemichlas kevodscha,your observation regarding derech halimud indicates a tremendous out of "touchness" in what's going on with any bochur who has spent time in the mir(under the influence of Rav asher arieli)or brisk .The relativly old mehalech of focusing on achronim and letting them do the thinking has become very passe with the focus now on figuring out for ones self the actual meaning of the gemoras and rishonims words.This is quite a revolution in derech halimud.

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  27. LiMichilas Kvodascha, r berger, we all know what is going on in the Mir and Brisk. Rav Asher and the Briskers do focus on the Rishonim; but unfortunately it is all about what a certain Acharon (such as Reb Nachum, the Zayde, or lihavdil bein Chayim liChayim, Rav Asher) thinks about the Rishonim. Too many talmidim think that the derech to be koneh a MiHalech is to focus on chazzaras hashiur instead of on their own learning. In fact, I will go out on a limb and question this whole accepted approach of needing to be "koneh a mehalech." Reb Yankev Kaminetsky ZT"L was very against it because the Alter of Slobodka held that a Talmid's individual potential would be stifled by focusing on trying to mimic a certain rebbi's mode of thinking. Now, you may say I am out of touch because today's talmidim are nowhere near capable of developing their own mehalech halimud, but that is just a catch 22: They are not capable because they do not learn up enough dappim when they are still young. In Brisk, the Rov was not allowed to discuss sevaros until he had covered a voluminous quantity of blatt in shas. Otherwise everything is shooting from the hip--unless one focuses on just what his Rebbi taught in shiur. R Berger, you make it sound like there is some kind of mass revolution going on in the Yeshiva world with regard to getting back to the rishonim. I speak in learning with bachurim who come back to our community from some of the top mesivtos in the U.S., and then afterwards from some of the top Yeshivos in the world and I do not get the impression that such a revolution has happened.

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