[Avodah] R. Hirsch as a Modern Orthodox Leader

[Micha Berger]

On Thu, Jun 30, 2011 at 03:51:28PM -0700, Harry Maryles wrote:
: I don't think it is 'putting words in is mouth' to say that most
: of his Hashkafos are Modern Orthodox. R' Gil wrote a post on his blog
: yesterday based on an article by R. Yitzchak Blau. Based on the post and
: the article - while it may be true that the 2 points we are dwelling on
: are Charedi  most of them are MO...

And so the question becomes which features of MO we consider defining,
and which we consider mere side attributes. I would not have considered
"analyzing biblical characters as great but flawed human beings" is part
of what makes MO MO, nor do I think RSRH does it all that often. There is
one famous case, Yitzchaq and Rivqa's mis-raising Esav. But as a pattern?

Also, maximalism WRT aggadita or science weren't popular across the board
yet. That RSRH happened to have the same position as many MO Jews do today
doesn't place him any closer to the MO camp than RYS, who shared those views.

Similarly, his universalism.

But let's talk about the one thing I do find defining:
: 6. Believing in the inherent value in secular studies, including the
:    liberal arts

RSRH disagreed about #6. TiDE is about being accultured, a refined human
being, not the "inherent value in secular studies".

As discussed here ad nauseum, TiDE isn't TuM. Touro isn't YU. The Gra and
RSRH's positive attitude toward secular knowledge comes from a different
place than MOs -- with daily and fundamental pragmatic differences.

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             It isn't what you have, or who you are, or where
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