Rav Yaakov Perlow - the
Novominsker Rebbe - justifiably set off a firestorm with his remarks at the
Agudah dinner about Open Orthodoxy. The criticism on the left demonstrate the truth of his words. Deep shameful guilt, borne out by a lack of fealty to the
Torah. There is a famous story told about the
Chernobler Maggid, insert alternative name at whim. The
Maggid called a meeting of his townspeople to raise the needed funds to supply the town with a
Esrog. As predictably as the
ma yofis'nicks of Vosizneias fame, the town's miser asked why the
Esrog was more important than
hachnosas kallah for an orphan getting married that week... The
Chernobler Maggid needed only to point out that the miser had not contributed to that either, because he deemed something else to be of higher priority at the time he was approached for money for
Hachnosas Kallah. There are always many issues that are deserving of the wider
tzibbur's attention. Every issue gets its turn to be on the front burner.
Tznius,
Shalom Bayis, tuition,
machlokes, the OTD crisis, and on and on. Woe is to us if we will allow outsiders and fringe elements to set the agenda! I don't know the answers to all the issues. The simplest manner of determining where to place your trust can be done with the litmus test of
Lesheim Shomayim. Whom would you accuse of it, summit makers of Footsteps and their attention seeking
noch shleppers (bar for Yitzchok Adlerstein) or Rabbi Perlow and his fellow
Moetzes members?
we thank
Camp Agudah for the vintage photo.
(
Hirshel Tzig says: While YCT and the Open Orthodoxers are ווערט דאס געלט, we can argue that the venue to criticize them may not have been the correct one, as well as the need to give YCT much undeserved attention. If I were a betting man I'd bet that 90% of those attending have no idea who YCT or Open Orthodoxy is. Now they all know... They're minuscule, to say the least; the supposed danger to Orthodoxy just isn't there. They're not taking over mainstream Orthodoxy. I think - and who am I? - that it was at best premature, and at worst totally unnecessary. And besides, they got the mayor in hot water from some idiot NYT reporter. Just kidding.)
