First of all, I apologize if I offended people, but I really never heard before that there was such a problem in the premier yeshivishe community of the USA. I still can’t believe it, and wish somebody could better explain.
Second, Charlie Brown, I am glad that the kannaus problem is being addressed. But here is the point: Nobody can tell the difference between sincere kanaus, and bad midos. Therefore, I feel there should be an asifa to make it clear that kannaus is assur completely. Lo pelug rabbanan. Yomru kol haserikin asssurin vserieki baytus mutarin?
Third, the kannaus must stop not only in deed, but in word also. That means we stop crticizing all people, including the sectors we disagree with. Again, how are we supposed to teach kids not to speak loshon hora, when it is “mutar” to speak against Rav Tendler? Do you think kids understand the difference (if there is any)? Do you think yeshiva bochurim understand? We therefore desperately need to call an asifa against all kannaus, and all loshon hora, and all onaas devarim across the board.
Fourth, One reason I was having trouble with the tznius asifa is because let’s say tznius isn’t perfect in Lakewood, although I personally think that it is anyway 95%, for arguments sake. However, the kannaus is tearing apart our nation. So for an extra 5% of tznius you call an asifa, but you don’t call it for the reason the bais hamikdash was destroyed, the sinas chinam which in my humble opinion is a far greater threat to the klal. Now I realize that the gedolim have endorsed and appeared on the CHofetz Chaim Heritage Foundation tapes to encourage an awareness to onaas devarim. But what bothers me is that unless kannaus is forbidded, all the lessons in those tapes and videos go down the drain, because people will always justify that their loshon hora is lshem shomayim, as opposed to the other guy whose lshon hora is simply bad midos.
SO I propose that we assur kannaus, and all loshon hora and onaas devarim completely, and make it clear that THERE ARE NO EXCEPTIONS. Maybe this will bring the goel bkarov byameinu mamash.