There have been over the past two weeks many disturbing news items about the recent municipal elections in Israel. These have primarily focused on the mounting tension between Degel HaTorah (the political party backed by Maran Rav Aharon Leib Shteinman) and Eitz (the political party backed by Maran Rav Shmuel Auerbach). This escalated with stories that Eitz affiliates learning in Degel affiliated Kollelim would need to sign a Marxist style document pledging allegiance to Degel.
Am Yisroel is a family. We have our family moments. At times we have moments of internal friction and at times moments of Achdus. By and large like in any family we stand up for each other, we defend each other from the outside. We are a far from perfect family. Chazal explain to us that our Father is Hashem and our mother is Knesses-Yisroel. We are unfortunately living at a time in which our parents are separated. This means that at present Am-Yisroel is like a broken family.
Being a broken family doesn’t make us less of a family it just makes us somewhat a dysfunctional family. Dysfunctional families are more vulnerable to tension. We are more vulnerable to behaving in dysfunctional ways.
Perhaps this is how we can understand what happened over the past two weeks to Am-Yisroel’s elite.
Those of us who choose to live in Eretz Yisroel are undoubtedly those who most yearn for our parental reconciliation. We came back to our physical home where our Father still (so to speak) primarily resides and hope to somehow reunite Am-Yisroel once again with Hashem. Those who have chosen to live in Eretz Yisroel and to uncompromisingly adhere to Toras Hashem undoubtedly are the most stable members of our family.
Being the most stable in a dysfunctional group doesn’t necessarily make someone entirely stable.
Everyone knows what elections are, and many of us will be politically charged as elections approach. When all is said and done, we will usually agree to disagree. This is true in conventional politics. If we view elections as a vehicle to promote spiritual rejuvenation, however, things become a matter if passion.
Under normal circumstances, even an issue of passion will know the boundaries of reason. But when we are a wounded family, we may lack the stability to allow reason to have any impact on our passion.
It is clear that the split amongst Am-Yisroel’s gedolim stemmed only from a passion for retzon Hashem. As outsiders who don’t share the same level of passion for retzon Hashem, we see only a blatant lack of reason in resorting to Marxist techniques, and in the apparent desire for totalitarian control over the tzibur of the fervently religious.
Even if politics can be harnessed as vehicles to promote Retzon Hashem they can by no means be translated into Ikrei-Haemuna. While Maran Harosh Yeshiva Rav Shmuel Aurbach might represent the minority group he is an Adam Gadol with a legitimate voice. No one in the world cares so much for our reunion with Hashem as does Reb Shmuel. When the Israeli government carried out the so-called “disengagement”, Reb Shmuel wept bitterly. He voices time and time again the need to respect the Torah and Mitzvos of every Jew, regardless of the differences in approaches. Reb Shmuel is known for saying “the national religious have brought much light to Am-Yisroel through their spreading of Torah”. Reb Shmuel may be a “hardliner.” He does not allow it to compromise his mutual respect for all of Am-Yisroel – and all the more so for all Gedolei Yisroel.
It is ridiculous that yungerleit should be thrown out of kollelim for voting for a party started by Maran Reb Shmuel. It is primitive and ridiculous that kollelim students, teachers and Rabbonim should be made to sign a document that they will only vote for Gimmel, that they won’t read Hapeles, etc.
We do not need an explanation, because the answer is that right now we are still a dysfunctional family.
Just as we as Am-Yisroel have put so much else behind us, let this whole episode also be put behind us. Just as we always persevere with Achdus let’s continue to push for Achdus.
Rabbi Y. Dov Krakowski
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13 Responses
People can sign the document under duress. And since it is under duress it has no legal value. They can then continue voting for Bnei Torah party and reading HaPeles despite their coerced signature.
No one is chas vishalom claiming that Maran Harosh Yeshiva Rav Shmuel Aurbach is not an Adam Gadol. However when something that is of importance to the ruchnoius of the entire jewish people as a whole then everyone must follow THE Gadol Hador. We have always had gedolim and of course they disagree on issues and when there is a machlokes between ex. R’ Shlomo Zalman and R’ Elyashiv no one would be wrong no matter who they paskin like. However when there comes an issue for the entire Klal then everyone would follow one person The Gadol Hador (R’ Shach). Klal Yisroel always have one Monhig like a father to all of us and when and Hashem always guides us whom to follow as a leader. Everyone realizes when woken up and asked in middle of the night who all of klal Yisroel turnes to as a leader it is undoubtedly R’ Chaim and R’ Shteinman. Therefore when it comes to these matters everyone is expected to follow R’ Shteinman and someone who does not is like following a Rebbi in a Yeshiva who says something not like the Rosh Hayeshiva. No matter how great one is the Rosh Hayeshiva has the final word on matters that effect the Yeshiva as a whole as apposed to a individual Talmid. A Monhig is a Monhig! Every kvutza in Klal Yisroel has a Monhig and only one Monhig. Chasidim have a Rebba, the Litvish have a “Gadol Hador”! The Litvish have always had achdus even with the thousands of machloksim because when it comes down to it at the end of the day they all have one person that they realize is “The Gadol Hador” and he has the only word on matters that effect all of Klal Yisroel!
Bmechilas kevod Harav,
“Those of us who choose to live in Eretz Yisroel are undoubtedly those who most yearn for our parental reconciliation. We came back to our physical home where our Father still (so to speak) primarily resides and hope to somehow reunite Am-Yisroel once again with Hashem. Those who have chosen to live in Eretz Yisroel and to uncompromisingly adhere to Toras Hashem undoubtedly are the most stable members of our family.”
How can you make such a blanket statement?! Just because you live in current Israel makes you a better more yearning yid!!!!!!!
Those of us who choose to live in Eretz Yisroel are undoubtedly those who most yearn for our parental reconciliation. –
These words hit me between the eyes for their insensitivity, lack of awareness and self-righteousness. Your article describing the dysfunctional family is right on target, just do not believe it just began now. It started many years back.
#2 Re hashkafa issues there is not a halacha to abide by a Gadol or the Gadol as you posted. There have always been difference of ‘derech’ to accomplish a goal. Re halachic issues, Bnei Brak and Yerushalayim have had differences of opinions since the Chazon Ish and Rav SZ Auverbach days.
The current lack of Derech Eretz between Chareidim of different views is a direct outgrowth of the lack of Chareidi Derech Eretz to non-Chareidi Jews – even those who are Shomer Torah uMitzvos. The chickens have come home to roost…
an Israeli Yid
Little concerned that this article is so focused on Maran Harosh Yeshiva Rav Shmuel Aurbach and how indeed he is a great man.No one disputes this.
But Rabbi Krakowski must take into account that until a month ago most people have never really heard of Reb Aurbach’s Shlita stance on any of the major situations affecting Klal Yisrael.And as ag1983 writes so clearly,we must have one leader deciding these major decisions which until now has always been the domain of Hageonim Reb Aharon Shteinman and Reb Chaim Kanievsky Shlita.
Remember,these are serious issues and we cannot afford power or Kavod struggles.We especially cannot afford that every time a Rosh Yeshiva has an argument with the majority,that a new party must be made to defend his honor.Otherwise,we will have so many parties that we will not get anywhere!!But I do agree with Rabbi Krakowski’s ending paragraph that we need Achdus and may it come soon.
#’s 3 & 4 seem to forget b’derech she’adam rotzeh l’haloch molichim oso. Those of who chose to live in Eretz Yisrael to be able to raise our level of Asias Mitzvos and limud Torah did so because we wanted to, certainly more than those who CHOOSE to live in Chu”l.
It seems that we all forget that we have been a somewhat dysfunctional family throughout our history (learn Chumash and Navie). Unfortunately when these activities become public knowledge we are M’challel Shem Shamayim no matter who is behind them.
this is a very good article. kol hakavod to the author.
ag1983,A concerned Jew : every person has a right to deside who his godol is as long as he is take a godol – harav elyashiv made all his decisions after talking with r’ shmuel shlita, he was involved in matters pertaining to the godol hador for the last 18 years, just a little behind the scenes, and if r’ elyashiv held/relied on him so can we.
“It is ridiculous that yungerleit should be thrown out of kollelim for voting for a party started by Maran Reb Shmuel. It is primitive and ridiculous that kollelim students, teachers and Rabbonim should be made to sign a document that they will only vote for Gimmel, that they won’t read Hapeles, etc.”
I’m not sure who you are, but I am pretty sure that you are not even close to the madrega of any of these gedolim (just from reading the article) and therefore when you say that doing what Rav Shteinman and Rav Chaim said to do is “ridiculous,” you are playing with fire and you should be very VERY careful.
As someone from Israel I’d like to share my small perspective: People of Rabbi Shteinman’s type voted for him, and people of Rabbi Aurbach’s type voted for him. It was not about following THE gadol, but about following the rav that is your own style and type. I noticed people who never exchanged a word with Rabbi Aurbach voting for him, and so too for those voting gimmel. Its different strokes for different folks. Those of a different beat finally have a drummer. Its not about who is THE gadol at all, Me thinks.
Perhaps to ask for some clarity here: what if a yid follows the Brisker or Satmar derech not to participate in elections? Is he going against daas Torah? What if he is dati leumi? Is he forbidden from following a dati leumi rav?
10 ME think you are right!!
In most cases you vote by feeling, when that person makes you feel secure, comfortable and trusting…you place the paper in the slot. This is the beginning of a ‘small spring'(uprising) in the Charedi world, the frum torah yidden of today’s Eretz Yisroel are not the same tapestry as those of Rav Shach’s day.
Very disappointed in the article. Better to stay not involved than to disparage gedolim. What exactly is this article trying to accomplish anyway?