YS> However, they did choose to not publish many letters and speech transcripts for a variety of reasons. There’s no dishonesty, it’s just that things meant for a 19th century German Ba’al HaBatisch audience are not necessarily the type of Torah that resounds today. … Nor did he have the idea that a Rebbe is no longer needed, since we have his writings and everyone can just learn from them. Yiddishkeit needs teachers. No one can learn Torah from books alone.
1) R Soloveichik criticize modern man for conquering the space, but losing connection with time, while the Jews can relate to Avraham Avinu, etc. – but we got to admit that our times seem to be changing much faster, probably appropriate as zman moschiach is accelerating. So, translating R Hirsh from 19th to 21st century is nothing comparing with what to do in our days. Thus, R Moshe’s hatan can (controversially) claim that R Moshe would be OK with his grand-daughter learning Gemora ..
2) If we pre-screen Talmidei Chachomim for appropriate opinions to our times, we lose the sense of that dynamic. It is instructive to see evolution of R Hirsh’s thought in response to challenges of his time – to learn how we should be doing it now. This is why Bavli is learned (al pi Maharal) – because it gives us a methodology of thinking, not just the psak halocha. We need the same in modern environment. I do understand temptation to present modern Torah as easy digestible static Mishna – R Hirsh is this and R Aharon is that, but we don’t pasken from the Mishna and do not spend most of our lives learning it.