[Avodah] R'YBS-Feminist/Talit Story

[Micha Berger]

On Wed, Apr 25, 2018 at 11:32:13AM -0400, Sholom Simon via Avodah wrote:
: > And the Frimers' article (Winter 1998, a half-year before) is at (pg 41
: > [37th of the PDF]) http://bit.ly/2FfK715
: 
: Let me ask the obvious question here.  According to the story, the Rav
: concluded:  "It was obvious, therefore, that what generated her sense of
: 'religious high' was not an enhanced kiyum hamitzvah, but something else"
: and therefore was "an inappropriate use of the mitzvah".
...
: The more obvious question: doesn't one sometimes get a high because he is
: *thinking* that he is being mekayum a mitzvah?  Is believing that one is
: doing ratzon HaShem, or believing that one is getting closer to Hashem, an
: inappropriate thought?

I think it's more that the high isn't from the halachic aspect of what
they're doing. Rather than it having to be halkhah qua halakhah. I am
not sure that "one is doing ratzon H'" is different than "being mequyam
a mitzvah" anyway. As for "getting closer to H'", Litvaks would talk
more about sheleimus than deveiqus.

IMHO this is part of RYBS being, fundamentally, a Brisker. Here's a
quote I feel is on a similar theme, from "The Rav: The World of Rabbi
Joseph B. Soloveitchik", starting on pg 54:

    Judaism must be explained and expounded on a proper level. I have
    read many pamphlets that have been published in the United States
    with the purpose of bringing people closer to Judaism. There is
    much foolishness and narrishkeit in some of these publications. For
    instance, a recent booklet on the Sabbath stressed the importance
    of a white tablecloth. A woman recently told me that the Sabbath is
    wonderful, and that it enhances her spiritual joy when she places a
    snow-white tablecloth on her table. Such pamphlets also speak about
    a sparkling candelabra. Is this true Judaism? You cannot imbue real
    and basic Judaism by utilizing cheap sentimentalism and stressing
    empty ceremonies. Whoever attempts such an approach underestimates
    the intelligence of the American Jew. If you reduce Judaism to
    religious sentiments and ceremonies, then there is no role for
    rabbis to discharge. Religious sentiments and ceremonies are not
    solely posessed by Orthodox Jewry. All the branches of Judaism have
    ceremonies and rituals.

    This is not the only reason why we must negate such a superficial
    approach. Today in the United States, American Jewish laymen are
    achieving intellectual and metaphysical maturity. They wish to
    discover their roots in depth. We will soon reach a point in time
    where the majority of our congregants will have academic degrees.
    Through the mediums of white tablecloths and polished candelabras,
    you will not bring these people back to Judaism. It is forbidden to
    publish pamphlets of this nature, which emphasize the emotional and
    ceremonial approaches.

    There is another reason why ceremony will not influence the American
    Jew. In the Unitesd States today, the greatest master of ceremony
    is Hollywood. If a Jew wants ceremony, all he has to do is turn on
    the television set. If our approach stresses the ceremonial side
    of Judaism rather than its moral, ethical, and religious teachings,
    then our viewpoint will soon become bankrupt. The only proper course
    is that of Ezekiel's program for the priests: "And they shall teach my
    people the difference between the holy and the common, and cause them
    to discern between the unclean and the clean" [Ezekiel 44:23] The
    rabbi must teach his congregants. He must deepen their appreciation
    of Judaism and not water it down. If we neutralize and compromise
    our teachings, then we are no different than the other branches
    of Judaism.

By RYBS's standards, being moved by music at a kumzitz is "ceremony".

Meanwhile, Chassidus, Mussar, RSRH, Qabbalah-influenced Sepharadim
(following the Chida and Ben Ish Hai) and numerous other derakhim have
no problem with ceremony.

For that matter, before it became minhag, specifying specific patterns
of hand washing (RLRLRL or RRLL) was also ritual once.

And many of those Academics that RYBS foresaw want their Nesivos Shalom,
Tish, kumzitz.... Neochassidus is a big thing in YU. This idea that
ceremonies that aren't defined by halakhah are inherently empty and
its sentimentalism is cheap rather than reinforcing the cognitive and
halachic, is, as I said, only something a Brisker would write.

Even within Brisk... RYBS went further in this direction than did the
Brisker Rav (R Velvel, his uncle). The BR holds that one makes berakhos
on minhagim that have a cheftzah shel mitzvah (eg lighting a Chanukah
menorah in shul), and that the Rambam and Rabbeinu Tam don't argue about
that. What they do argue about is whether Chatzi Hallel is close enough
to Hallel to qualify for a berakhah.

This is a non-started for RYBS, who requires minhagim have a cheftzah
shel mitzvah or else they're ceremoial. RYBS even fit the minhagim of the
3 Weeks and 9 Days to fit this shitah by insisting they must follow
what was already established aveilus and sheloshim, respectively.


Oops. I just notied I'm repeating something I worte a decade ago. See
<http://www.aishdas.org/avodah/vol25/v25n287.shtml#06>. At least the
berkhah-in-minhag part was posted in 2011, so that this post had the
value of combining the two earlier ones.

Beqitzur, I don't know of two many people (aside from our mutual
rebbe-chaver) who would agree with RYBS on this one.

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             Today is the 25th day, which is
micha at aishdas.org        3 weeks and 4 days in/toward the omer.
http://www.aishdas.org   Netzach sheb'Netzach: When is domination or
Fax: (270) 514-1507                          taking control too extreme?