Friday, August 03, 2007

It Will Break: A Response to Comments

My remarks about the Herem placed on the Jewish Music Concert elicited several types of comments that deserve a posting of their own.

1) I absolutely meant no disrespect to Gedole Torah. However, greatness in lehrnen was not the issue. My point is that I see the disasterous results of this policy of socio-cultural constriction and constant prohibiting the allowed. It destroys people, adumbrates the break up of families and actually contributes to people leaving Torah. So, it might be that the signatories on the herem were misled. However, as in חושן משפט so in יורה דיעה, you bear full responsibility for your signature. [I might add that if you read books like Karlinsky's, Rishon le-Shushelet Brisk, you learn that there was no lock-step Daas Torah position on most things.]

2) I agree that Ger is not dour, except in matters בינו לבינה. It was of those we were speaking.

3) Not every Litvak is dour (at least not 24/7).

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

If he is not dour he is not a Litvak!

Ben Bayit said...

The Gerer cousins tell me that this rebbe is lightning up on the "kedusha". Too many alterer bochurim in Gur these days - no other chassiduyot want to do shidduchim with Gur boys. From what I've seen however most Gur couples are happy.
Gur is run like the Saudi royal family. Each king/rebbe places his own stamp on the dynasty.