[Avodah] Judaism abhors extremism, as tempting as it may be

[Prof. Levine]

At 01:35 AM 04/24/2007, Micha wrote:
>A topic for Avodah, but I believe the Rambam's shevil hazahav is one
>of utilizing both ends of the spectrum more than finding a point
>between them.

 From http://mishmar.blogspot.com/2006/08/centrism-and-extremism.html

As the Chazon Ish (Iggeros Chazon Ish 3:61), in a letter which is all 
but the antithesis of Centrism, put it:

"Just as simplicity and truth are synonymous, so are extremism and 
greatness synonymous...We are accustomed to hearing in well-known 
circles, as announcing about themselves that they have no share among 
the extremists, and they nevertheless reserve for the themselves the 
right of (being) a loyal Jew with sufficient Emunah in Torah and the 
words of Torah. And we allow ourselves to state from the 
vantage-point of justice, that just as among those who love wisdom 
there is no love for a bit of it and hatred of abundance of it, so 
too there is not among those who love Torah and Mitzvos a love of the 
middling and a hatred of extremism.

All the fundamentals of faith, the 13 principles, and their 
derivatives, are always in vigorous contradiction to easily grasped 
concepts and the ebb and flow of life developed under the sun. And 
their clear and justified cognition, which grants an excess of 
particularism in believing in them, is the pleasantness of extremism.

And those who testify about themselves that they have not tasted the 
sweetness of extremism, are simultaneously testifying that they are 
lacking in faith in the principles of the religion in terms of their 
analytical prowess and emotional bonds, and only with the ropes of 
some level of relationship are they tethered to them. And the 
extremists, at the depths of their soul, with all of their most 
intense wish to pity those lacking in extremism, will not accord 
respect and honor to those who oppose them. And the abyss which 
divides them, when it meets with practical actions which create, by 
the force of their nature, arguments and bickering, will add to the 
rift incurably.

The Beinonius which has the right of existence, is the attribute of 
the Beinonim who love extremism and strive for it with all of the 
will of their soul, and they educate their descendants to the apex of 
extremism. But how pathetic is the Beinonius which has contempt for 
extremism. The obligation of our Chinuch is to extremism! The armory 
of Chinuch is, to plant contempt and disgust for those who mock extremism."


Yitzchok Levine 
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