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While not foolproof, I’ve found one of the ways to figure out who the true yirei shamayim is to see who gets the most criticisms on the so-called Jewish blogs and facebook and other social media. The rabbonim most heavily criticized online by the bloggeratti and others calling themselves Orthodox, tend to be the most fearless yirei shamayim. The rabbis who the online crowd are crowing about and praising, beware of.
Not foolproof, of course, but often a good yardstick.
Is this only true for Rabbonim? Or is donald Trump the biggest yorei Shomayim of the presidential contenders?
On this site, I see a lot of praise for R’ Chaim Kanievsky and R’ Shteinman. I’ve seen a lot of criticism towards R’ Tendler and other YU Rabbonim.
Pretty sure Joseph didn’t mean YWN when he referred to “Jewish blogs and facebook and other social media” (Joseph’s on Facebook??!! [No wonder they reached one billion]).
Which YU rav besides Tendler gets regular criticism here?
Rooting for the underdog is a very liberal thing to do, Joseph.
Although I do agree that this site is not representative of the Jew-ish internet world.
A large, large percentage of the Jewish blogosphere is heavily critical of Avi Weiss, Ysoschor Katz, and Open Orthodoxy.
It’s good to know where Joseph’s true loyalties now lie 😛
I don’t know what blogs you read, but there is no one really (except edited) who don’t have at least some people strongly defending them.
It’s a sensitive issue, but, for me at least, there are differences in methodology between selecting one’s personal rav or posek and formulating an opinion about more public figures with international notoriety.
Choosing one’s rav is more about compatibility, approachability and accessibility than knowledge, provided the rav has the integrity to recognize his own limitations. Issues beyond the knowledge and experience of any rav can be addressed in consultation with other rabbanim possessing greater knowledge and experience.
However, as far as public figures are concerned, the best approach is simply to listen/read pronouncements made in their name and then refrain from public criticism of those pronouncements or the person even on topics one feels strongly about. There’s just no way anyone can judge from a distance the character and abilities of those publicized as Torah leaders.
In what I think are the vast majority of times, people choose and then root either for or against a particular gadol the same way people choose to root for against sports teams or athletes, l’havdil. It becomes more about one’s personal pride (he’s the rav I chose or he supports *my* opinion on the matter, so I proclaim his merits or, r”l, the opposite) than an honest evaluation of the issue or person.
I could take one look at them and determine the good ones.
Joseph, your way sounds too complicated and involves wasting too much time on Jewish blogs. What happened to the old way of seeing who has the longest coat?
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