[Avodah] The Legacy of RSRH, Zt'L

[via Avodah]

From: "Prof. Levine via Avodah"  <avodah at lists.aishdas.org>

The following is taken in part from Rav  Shimon Schwab's Essay The 
Legacy of RSRH, ZT"L that appears in Selected  Writings pages 88 -93.

Rav Hirsch is usually accepted as the exponent of  the
Torah im Derech Eretz philosophy. This principle is
explained by his  grandson, Dr. Isaac Breuer, as follows:

"He was strictly opposed to  compromise or
reconciliation, or even a synthesis: he demanded full  and
uncompromising rulership of the Torah. 
[snip]
There are two schools of thought and they are  both
legitimate. One is "Torah Only" and the other is Torah im
Derech  Eretz. All Torah-conscious Jews work for the same
goal. There are various  methods and various avenues of
approach. They all lead up to the ultimate end  of:

"Yisgadal v'yisgadash  Shmei rabah"

 
 
>>>>
 
See the wonderful pamphlet by R' Shimon Schwab, "Eilu ve'Eilu," explaining  
the broad outlines of the differences between these two hashkafos, "Torah  
im Derech Eretz" and so-called "Torah-only."  I try to re-read this 48-page  
pamphlet every year.
 
 
 
http://www.stevens.edu/golem/llevine/rsrh/these_and_those.pdf
 
I am grateful to RYL (Prof. Levine) for making this pamphlet available  to 
the public as a pdf.  However I note that he is often highly critical of  
the charedi world, and I believe that R' Hirsch would emphatically not have  
agreed with him.  He would have honored and cherished the talmidei  chachamim 
who devote their lives to limud haTorah, and would have educated his  
balabatim to take pride in the zechus of financially supporting the "black hat"  
yeshivos.
 
In the so-called "Torah-only" world they may have disdain for balabatim,  
but we who believe in TIDE can respect and honor that world of sustained and  
focused Torah study without internalizing an inferior self-image.  We  
believe in Yisachar and Zevulun even if Yisachar lacks proper respect for  
Zevulun.  We believe in twelve shevatim, we believe in twelve paths through  the 
sea.  And we believe that without the shevet of full-time lomdei Torah  and 
talmidei chachamim, the rest of Klal Yisrael would have no  kiyum.
 
I would also note that R' Hirsch would certainly not have shared RYL's dour 
 view of present-day Eretz Yisrael.  True, all the flaws and failings of  
Zionism are abundantly on display in the modern Medinah.  But at the same  
time, it takes an almost willful blindness not to see the incredible  miracles 
that have been taking place there over the past sixty years or so. Not  the 
least of these miracles is a flourishing of Torah scholarship, be'eichus  
uvekamus, the likes of which has not been seen since the churban Bayis  
Sheni.  We owe at least a small measure of gratitude to the Zionist  government 
that helps provide the infrastructure for the Torah community to  flourish, 
and a huge measure of gratitude to the Ribono Shel Olam for allowing  us to 
live in a time in which the beginning of kibbutz galuyos is taking place  
before our eyes.  The sight of thousands of men, young and old, from all  
corners of the world, streaming into the Mirrer Yeshiva each day, gives us  a 
little foretaste of what it will be like to visit the Third Bais  Hamikdash.
 
Again, I urge everyone to read Rav Schwab's wonderful pamphlet,  "Eilu  
ve'Eilu." 
 

 
http://www.stevens.edu/golem/llevine/rsrh/these_and_those.pdf
 



--Toby Katz
t613k at aol.com
..
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