MISC-----achdus- cant we all just get along

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nechy Posted - 20 February 2006 21:54

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Last month, Rav Mattisyahu Salomon, Rav Aharon Feldman, and the Novominsker Rebbe, shlit"a came to several schools in the NY/NJ area.

Students had submitted questions earlier, and a moderator (Rabbi Grossman, the nephew of Rav Feldman) read a few of the questions aloud and asked the rabbanim to address them.

One thing that Rav Mattisyahu pointed out, was that it's ok to have a different hashkafa. In his words, "as long as you follow Shulchan Aruch, I'm not better than you, and you are not better than me." (those were his exact words).

I don't remember who said it, but one of the Gedolim also said that really, the things that different segments of frum society differ on, comprise a tiny tiny percentage - he said we disagree on maybe 5% - that means that we agree on 95% of everything!!!!

I am not at all making a plug for Modern Orthodoxy here, so please do not quote, misquote, or in any way attempt to use this for anything other than what I am about to say, because the quotes must be taken from the context in which they were said.

I just wanted to point out how sad it is that the frum community nowadays is so divided. I feel like every segment of society is so antagonistic towards all the others, with the constant thought of "anyone to the left of me is too modern, anyone to my right is a fanatic, but I'm perfect".

Of course I can't say that I am innocent of this myself... It is really sad that there are so many young people nowadays who find themselves totally stranded between two worlds - they don’t fit into Modern Orthodox society, nor do they belong in the yeshivish one.

Isn't it a shame that no one can live and let live, and just mind their own business?

If everyone would just resolve to live his own life, and let his neighbor live his, there would be so much heartache, confusion and suffering eliminated.

Please, everyone, as one frum person to another- we may not be able to change others, but as individuals we can change ourselves, and thereby change the world.

There is so much sin'as chinam today, and there is NO REASON for it. Help stop the anti-Semitism that seems to be rampant in our communities today.

MODERATOR Posted - 20 February 2006 21:55

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Nobody in the world says that you cant "follow a different hashkafa." But also, nobody in the world says you can follow any hashkafa. There are Kosher Hashkofos and Treif Hashkofos. An Apikorus, for instance, is a Hashkafic defect, and even if he learns 24/7 and keeps all the Mitzvos perfectly, he is still a full-fledged Apikores.

Nobody disagrees with any of that, including those who you are accusing of "sinas chinam" (though I have no idea who they are, and believe me, neither do they). The question is, which Hashkofos are Kosher and which are Treif. It would have been much more informative had you asked that to those Rabbonim. As it is, they taught you something that neither you nor any Orthodox Jew on this planet ever had a doubt about.

For the record, it is understood that when someone uses the expression to "follow the shulchan aruch" they don’t mean only the writings of Rav Yosef Karo.

They are referring to the entire gamut of Torah requirements, such as saying Modeh Ani in the morning, taking off Terumah and Maaser in Eretz Yisroel, loving Hashem, and more, all of which are omitted from the Shulchan Aruch itself.

Included in these mandatory Torah requirements is to have the right Hashkofos. In fact, the Mishna Brurah comments on the very first statement of the Ramah, "shivisi hashem lenegdi tamid hu klall godol batorha ubmaalos hatazikim", states that in order to fulfill this Ramah properly should strive to fulfill the 6 Mitzvos Temidios that are listed in the Sefer Hachinuch, number six of which, the Chofetz Chaim quotes, is:

"Not to follow the ideas of your heart ... as it says Lo sosuru acharei levavchem. Chazal said, this refers to Apikorsus...and in the category of Apikorsus is all thoughts that are against the views of the Torah."

nechy Posted - 21 February 2006 8:36

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I would just like to point out that I did not mean for my words to be interpreted like this.

I actually had in mind something like the song by the group Sakrfys-

"I don’t care what kippa you wear
You are my brother love me if you dare
It’s ok whatever nusach you pray
Hashem hears us all in these many ways"

MODERATOR Posted - 21 February 2006 9:10

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I don’t know of anybody who professes sinah for another Jew because he davens another nusach.

As for the Kipah, the song is, in quite an immature manner, implying that the ideological differences between Zionist / Modern Orthodox, and traditional orthodox are due to the type of yarmulke people wear.

I actually think it's sinas chinam to accuse Jews of having something against others because of what kind of Yarmulke they wear. The fact that certain ideological factions within Judaism dress different ways merely makes it easier when it is true - and tempting when it is not - to identify an individual who dresses a certain way as possessing certain ideals.

You can say is that someone wearing a knitted yarmulke may still be against Zionism or modern orthodoxy, and therefore you should not be quick to attribute an ideal to someone dressing like those who in general profess the ideal, although most of the time they will be right.

More to the point that just because someone has a certain ideal does not give you the right to have sinah towards them. If someone is Modern orthodox or Zionist, they probably were brought up that way or taught that way, or influenced that way, or for whatever reason unaware that the Torah is against their ideals, and therefore you cannot judge them, and cannot harbor sinah toward them.

The idea of loving another Jew does not mean you must accept as legitimate everything he does or says or believes. In fact, it is a weakness if the only way you can love another Jew is to make believe that his Hashkofos are legitimate. Loving another Jew means to love him regardless of the fact that his actions or ideals are illegitimate (of course, within the boundaries and only to the extent that the Torah allows you to allows / requires you to love him).

But in any case, nobody that I have ever met harbors sinah to someone because of the style Yarmulke he wears. Rightfully or wrongfully, it is the ideals that are attributed to that person that is the cause of the criticism - and that, too is not sinah.

MODERATOR Posted - 21 February 2006 9:19

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Also important to note, regarding the accusation of Sinas Chinam against those who "follow shulchan aruch" and nothing more than shulchan aruch -- doing so is self-contradictory, since it says nowhere in shulchan aruch that there is anything wrong with sinas chinam.