Reply To: Question to Toi on Modern Orthodoxy

“Rav JBS himself wrote that the more one can distance himself from secular culture the better he is for it” – HaKatan

“secular culture entails destructive elements, many negative and perverse aspects; it may be a blessing and a curse simultaneously, and thus as long as one can live without it so much the better for the spirit ” – The Rav

At the risk of being labelled a pedant, I’d like to point out that HaKatan’s assertion does not flow logically from the out-of-context quote of Rav Soloveitchik.

Saying that the Rav felt that “THE MORE” one can distance himself from secular culture the better he is for it implies that secular culture is something which should be shied away from – if one must engage in it, it should be in as limited a capacity as possible.

“As long” – unlike “the more” – may well refer to different stages in life. Once one needs to confront secular culture, Rav Soloveitchik’s statement is not limiting the extent.