[Avodah] R. Hirsch as a Modern Orthodox Leader

[Micha Berger]

On Thu, Jun 30, 2011 at 01:45:42PM -0700, Harry Maryles wrote:
: I actually mis-spoke. What I meant to say is that his views on Zionism
: might have changed by the Holocaust much as RYBS's views changed. But
: his views on Austritt may have been modified by present day realities.

: In RSRH's day, Austritt was his answer to activist Reformers...

If you take RSRH at his word, Austritt was not only a pragmatic solution
to prevent his qehillah from being wept out with the tide (sorry for
the pun), but also philosophically and ideologically driven. For one
citation, see RSRH's "'Religion Allied to Prograss'" (from Collected
Writings; a long quote is available at
<http://people.ucalgary.ca/~elsegal/363_Transp/Orthodoxy/SRHirsch.html>.)


And AISI, Austritt precludes RZ -- if one understands being part of
the Zionist umbrella to be part of the definition of RZ. (Withough it,
I would think that a chareidi who makes aliyah to Ramot Polin or the
heart of Benei Braq would be a "Religious Zionist".)

Therefore, I see RSRH as he actually did live as espousing a philosophy
that wouldn't translate to supporting RZ today.

I'm not sure why we need to speculate about whether he could or would
have said otherwise had he lived in another era. Do we need RSRH's
validation so badly that we will put words in his mouth to get it?

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             Live as if you were living already for the
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