Behold the Wizard of Oz

Why the Gedolim™ usually keep quiet

Twenty years ago, when my books on Torah and science were banned, the letter signed by all the Gedolim™ accusing me of heresy did not go into detail. Shortly after the ban was issued, R. Moshe Sternbuch, head of the Edah Charedis, wrote a detailed explanation of why my book on Torah and creation was heretical (though, interestingly, he did not sign the ban). Someone that I knew in Har Nof distributed it along with an English translation that he produced. Initially I was devastated, but later I realized (and I think that this was what the person had in mind) that it was actually extremely helpful.

Why? Because as long as the Gedolim™ did not go into detail as to what exactly was the problem with my books, it was impossible to evaluate their arguments. People could claim that the verdict of the Gedolim™ was based on impeccable analysis of sources, logical arguments, and profound reasons. But once they actually gave their reasons, people could see for themselves that they were, to say the least, lacking. People were begging me to take R. Sternbuch’s letter off my website on the grounds that it made him look foolish.

The same happened with R. Aharon Feldman’s essay on why my other book, about Chazal and science, was banned as heresy. It was so full of holes that three different people fisked it. Likewise R. Aharon Shechter's speech of condemnation against my books that he delivered in Teaneck, at an event arranged by R. Heshy Grossman in an attempt to restore honor to the Gedolim,™ earned scorn and ridicule. And when R. Moshe Shapira’s disciple Reuven Schmeltzer published an explanation of his mysterious condemnation of my work, it likewise proved to be an embarrassment.

Very quickly I realized that the more people realize what the Gedolim™ actually have to say, the better. (See my post The Mystique of Silence.) I posted all their condemnations on my own website, and uploaded the video of R. Shechter to my YouTube channel where it has already received an unbelievable 47,000 views!

All these events from so many years ago just came back to mind. Because I received the following very interesting message from a rabbinic colleague who attended last week’s “Hear the Gedolim” event against charedi IDF programs:

“I was at the event, and one of the things I noticed is how sparse the crowd was. You can even see it in the pictures posted on YWN. It took a long time before the room felt even remotely full. I think one of the reasons for that is that events like this are actually counterproductive for the Haredi community, and there are two main reasons why.

“First, when you listen to the arguments being presented by the Gedolim, they are simply not compelling. The analysis isn’t deep or penetrating, and it doesn’t seriously engage with the full range of relevant sources. Much of it is superficial, often based on misinformation, with incorrect facts and full of fairly shallow arguments that have never really been subjected to rigorous scrutiny. For someone within the Haredi community, it’s often easier, and safer, to avoid these topics altogether. Not thinking about them is preferable, because thinking about them and then realizing how weak the arguments are can be deeply unsettling. That’s why many people would rather not attend these events at all and prefer simply not to engage.

“The second reason, and I think this is the more fundamental problem, is that the entire Haredi system rests on Daas Torah as its ultimate backstop. If you’ve ever had a full conversation about these issues with someone Haredi, you’ll recognize the pattern: when their arguments start to fail, they eventually retreat to the claim that “it’s Daas Torah.” If your arguments seem more correct or compelling, the response is that your disagreement is ultimately with the Gedolim; go argue with them. Surely the Gedolim are wise and brilliant, and there must be deep reasons behind their positions, even if we don’t understand them.

“But the problem arises when you actually pull back the curtain. When the Wizard of Oz is revealed, when the Gedolim themselves appear publicly and articulate their reasoning, the mystique collapses. Instead of encountering an all-knowing oracle, you often hear weak, superficial, and poorly thought-out arguments. The Gedolim don’t have any hidden truth; their arguments are exactly the same as what the average guy on the street says.

“What’s exposed is not hidden wisdom, but a group of elderly men who may possess enormous Torah knowledge, yet who have not seriously engaged in analytical thinking on these issues or had their ideas rigorously tested.

“And at that point, you realize there’s nothing there. From the community’s own perspective, it would be far better to keep the oracle hidden, to believe that there is some profound wisdom beyond our comprehension, than to reveal it and expose the fragility of the arguments on which the entire system rests.”

This is why I’ve always been not only comfortable, but even enthusiastic to air the views of the charedi Gedolim™ in detail - in sharp contrast to how they feel about airing the views of non-charedi rabbis!

NOTE: I am visiting the US in February - Florida and possibly also elsewhere - and I have availability as scholar-in-residence for Shabbos February 7, parashas Yisro, and possibly for weekday engagements too. If you’re interested in arranging for me to speak, please write to me with the subject heading “Speaking Engagement.”