[Avodah] A Modern Orthodox Hedgehog

[Anthony Knopf]

R. Micha,

Thank you for including me on this rich and thoughtful post.

Here are my thoughts, responding to some of your points in the order
that you made them.

- Your second point seems to assume that movements can't evolve in their
  point of emphasis. Is that necessarily so? Did Chabad always emphasise
  the outreach which has become their trademark activity? I also wonder
  if the comparison can be made with the other movements that Rabbi
  Perl mentioned. Chabad, religious Zionism, Torah Im Derech Eretz and
  the yeshivah movement were all started by ideological leaders with
  a particular agenda. Was this so of Modern Orthodoxy? I guess what
  I'm questioning is whether Modern Orthodoxy is based on some kind of
  founding ideal and agenda which would be transformed if we were to go
  the path Rabbi Perl is suggesting.

- Rabbi Perl clearly wasn't assuming that proposing it in a Lehrhaus
  article would create the change. But it has initiated a conversation.
  And even if we don't accept his answer, I believe the question is a
  powerful one and can lead to meaningful reflection and even development
  in the Modern Orthodox community. It remains to be seen how much can
  be achieved without a rabbi's rabbi at the helm but the development of
  "Neo-Chassidus" within the Modern Orthodox community that you refer
  to is instructive.

- I am more convinced by your later points about the necessity of finding
  an idea that is central to our approach to Judaism/life and the
  difficulty in justifying giving this centrality to non-Jews rather than
  "aniyei ircha". Indeed, I believe that middot, based on the teachings of
  Modern Orthodox thinkers and availing itself of the considerable recent
  academic work in the study of character, would be a more appropriate
  central concept for the community.

- You question whether something requiring so much work could become a
  popular movement. This is a sobering thought given how much work
  you have given to the cause over decades. But doesn't a life
  commitment to Talmud Torah take work? Doesn't the Chabad shlichus
  demand self-sacrifice for others? I'm sure there are ways to respond
  to this, making chilukim, etc. but I am not as inclined to rule out
  the broad acceptance of an approach to middot, chesed, nosei b'ol,
  etc in our communities.

As you know, I'm working on a conference to set a process in motion. If you
don't try, you won't know!

Best,
Anthony

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Rabbi Anthony Knopf