FACTIONS-----modern orthodox-how it began
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MODERATOR Posted - 06 March 2002 19:32
Modern Orthodoxy is nothing but a label. It is used by different people at will, to describe so large a range of beliefs and actions, that there are MO who consider beyond the pale the beliefs and actions of others who are called MO.
The reason for this confusion is because, unlike Chasidim, Conservatives, Maskilim, Briskers, and other "movements" stemming from Judaism (some legitimate and some not), MO was never officially created. Rather, it began as simply people violating accepted standards of Orthodoxy, and then, when these low standards became the norm within certain communities, they decided to self-proclaim themselves MO, giving the illusion that their indiscretions are instead some kind of set of beliefs.
There were no rabbis that decided "OK, we are creating Modern Orthodoxy. These are our teachings..." the way all the other movements were created. Just the opposite. After certain behaviors became accepted in certain communities, those communities said "Well, I guess we're just Modern Orthodox!".
And anyone can do that to justify any type of behavior, we have so many diff groups and definitions and people claiming the title for themselves.
The only coherent explanation of Modern Orthodoxy comes form Rav Soloveitchik in his Five Addresses, which is, in a nutshell, we must compromise our standards in
Which means the integration into secularity must be done to the extent that we must in order to survive.
Obviously, the whole idea was a mistake. But where does that leave them now?
