AZ and Zaidy78,

First, thanks for your thoughtful and respectful replies.

I am well aware that we have bechirah, and that we have the power in our hands to do away with this crisis if we so choose (if indeed this is the solution). However, this is only in terms of going forward, of the choices we are to yet make. If you feel that narrowing the age gap is the necessary solution, then yes, pursuing it is by no means contradictory to bashert.

But I wasn’t referring to that. I am referring to the rather inflammatory stance of Nasi which suggests that due to our choices until now we are somehow at fault for the current situation, that the marriages between older boys and younger girls WHICH HAVE ALREADY BEEN DONE are not what the Aibishter wanted, that we have done wrong in doing so.

Is this what Nasi believes? Please clarify.

I would appreciate it you could also respond to my point regarding what the author of the Nasi response implies is the cowardice of the gedolim ch’v in not proudly standing up for the Torah view.

So to clarify, it is entirely possible that the age gap is the root of our crisis and that this plan is the solution. If so, let’s implement it without delay.

But we cannot and must not ever point to a happily married ben and bas Yisroel and say, ‘you caused this.’

I await your response.