[Avodah] Decentralizing Authority

Micha Berger via Avodah avodah at lists.aishdas.org
Wed Aug 2 06:27:30 PDT 2017


On Wed, Aug 02, 2017 at 08:57:08AM +0200, Ilana Elzufon wrote:
: Maybe my memory is failing me, but I believe people were lamenting the lack
: of universally recognized gedolim while Rav Elyashiv and Rav Ovadiah Yosef
: were still alive and active...

In the US, recognition of R' Henkin and RMF were near-universal.

And RMF was capable of telling a Bnei Akiva group that within their givens,
they should be skipping tachanun on Yom haAtzama'ut.

In Israel, I think the most recent candidates are pre-Shas ROY and RSZA.
Although ROY's pesaqim are distinctly Sepharadi, I think it's commonly
accepted that Yabia Omer is one of the few sefarim written in my lifetime
people will be learning centuries from now.

My mention of pre-Shas points to something I think is one of the causes.
The search for "daas Torah" on political and societal matters makes
enemies and cynics from among those who disagree.

As for RSZA, RALichtenstein notes that he posessed a gedulah different
in kind, not just degree [inevitable nisqatnu hadoros], than those we've
looked up to since. I highly recommend "Im Da'at Ein, Manhigut Minayin?"
<http://upload-community.kipa.co.il/1229201133629.pdf>. In it RAL defends
da'as Torah as a doctrine, but questions if anyone since RSZA has been
qualified to have it.

To quote my own pitgam from past posts:
    A gadol is tall enough to see over our fences.

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             "I think, therefore I am." - Renne Descartes
micha at aishdas.org        "I am thought about, therefore I am -
http://www.aishdas.org   my existence depends upon the thought of a
Fax: (270) 514-1507      Supreme Being Who thinks me." - R' SR Hirsch



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