My comments about Daas Hedyot appear to have struck a serious nerve, and were clearly misunderstood. I had written that had DH been exposed to Modern Orthodoxy, he would have been spared much of his present angst. He took sharp exception to my remarks, both in his comments here and on his own blog posting.
DH misses my point. For present purposes, Modern Orthodoxy, entails the expansion of one's religious, spiritual and intellectual vistas- primarily through thinking and through expanding one's Torah curriculum. IOW, there is a vast literature that provides the searcher with legitimately Orthodox ideas, but which are outside the very narrowly drawn borders that currently obtain in the Yeshiva World. I trust that DH would not consider such writings or ideas to be heretical. [The late Professor Yitzhaq Twersky used to say that studying the full-range of Jewish intellectual history is an excursion into 'penimiyus ha-Torah.]
In addition, Modern Orthodoxy does see a positive value in engaging and mastering 'General Culture,' though there are wide differences as to the degree and importance of that engagement. Nevertheless, as I did note, this path is both harder and gives one the tools to engage the challnges of a world that imposes itself upon us, whether we like it or not. At the same time, it requires an equal portion of intellectual humility to undertake. [See the Rav's remarks in his noted shiur Gerus and Masorah.]
Reading over DH's remarks, I can't help but feel that he's caught between worlds. He rejects the basics of Yeshiva culture, but rejects the authenticity of anything else. He reminds me of Chaikl Vilner's friend in The Yeshiva (aka Tzemach Atlas). The boy can't leave and he can't stay within the yeshiveshe velt.
3 comments:
What about my comments made you think I misunderstood you?
As I read your post above I'm hearing the exact same thing that you said last time. I'd appreciate if you could please explain how you thought I understood your statements.
(For the record, I didn't take offense at all to what you wrote (despite the condescending tone). I just thought you were mistaken in your assesment of the situation.)
To elaborate a bit more:
What I wrote about Modern Orthodoxy, I was referring to your suggestion that as a kid growing up, it would have helped me out of the unpleasant situation I found myself in. Like I said, I dont think it would have made any significant difference in my appreciation of, or interest in, Judaism.
However, this is not to say that I don't think MO has it's merits. Personally, the Judaism that I find more appropriate and wholesome is something along the lines of Modern Orthodoxy.
And yes, you are right that I find myself somewhat torn between two worlds. Despite the length of time that I have been out of the chareidi world, I still have difficulty accepting other alternatives as wholeheartedly as I should.
I substantively agree with both Melech and DH. I would also prefer that the different modalities we are talking about transcended individual groupings (which they, to an extent, do). Certainly, the MO community needs more fire in its Torah and its spirituality. Too many MO's are too sophisticated (in their own eyes) to really daven, learn or surrender their own wills to a Higher Will. OTOH, the rigidity and knee-jerk rejectionism of anything but a very narrow vision of Torah, has negative effects upon the Haredi World. We need to fructify one another in order to survive.
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