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<font size=3>At 05:02 PM 11/29/2010, R. Micha wrote:<br><br>
<blockquote type=cite class=cite cite="">2-
<a href="http://daattorah.blogspot.com/2010/11/rav-dessler-yeshiva-should-deny-self.html" eudora="autourl">
http://daattorah.blogspot.com/2010/11/rav-dessler-yeshiva-should-deny-self.html</a>
<br>
(a/k/a <http://bit.ly/eWfrDd>.<br><br>
<br>
2- Monday, November 29, 2010<br>
Rav Dessler: Yeshiva should deny self-esteem to those not
fully<br>
involved in Torah study<br><br>
What follows is a partial translation of Rav Dessler
(Michtav M'Eliyahu<br>
3 page 355-357 by Prof. Low. I have modified the translation
in a<br>
number of places - in particular the last line.<br><br>
<x-tab> </x-tab>The
Frankfurt school supported an educational system in which the<br>
<x-tab> </x-tab>students
were exposed to the study of secular subjects and later<br>
<x-tab> </x-tab>went on to
universities. At the same time it paid attention to<br>
<x-tab> </x-tab>the strict
observance of all the mitzvot. The advantage of the<br>
<x-tab> </x-tab>system was
that the vast majority of its adherents stayed Orthodox<br>
<x-tab> </x-tab>and
carefully observed the ordinances of the Shulchan Aruch,<br>
<x-tab> </x-tab>despite
the fact that they were exposed to a general non-Jewish<br>
<x-tab> </x-tab>
intellectual environment.It is true that they [the Frankfurt<br>
<x-tab> </x-tab>School]
benefited in that the number of defectors from mitzvah<br>
<x-tab> </x-tab>observance
was small. The price paid for this was that few, if<br>
<x-tab> </x-tab>any,
Gedolei Torah emerged from such an educational system. On<br>
<x-tab> </x-tab>the other
hand, their weltanschauung was somewhat imperfect<br>
<x-tab> </x-tab>as far as
the complete acceptance of the Torah point of view<br>
<x-tab> </x-tab>is
concerned. Whenever there was a conflict between sciences<br>
<x-tab> </x-tab>and Torah,
they resorted to a strange combination of the two,<br>
<x-tab> </x-tab>as if the
two systems can be combined as a unity". Therefore,<br>
<x-tab> </x-tab>exposure
to non-Jewish ideas affected to some extent the purity<br>
<x-tab> </x-tab>of their
faith in the absolute truth of Torah, resulting in<br>
<x-tab> </x-tab>strange
compromises.<br>
</font></blockquote><br>
I posted the following comment about this post.<br><br>
<font size=3>What I find strange about R. Dessler is that his father made
sure that he had a secular education, since his father had studied in
Kelm where secular studies were part of the yeshiva curriculum.<br><br>
I have no idea on what he bases these assertions. "On the other
hand, their weltanschauung was somewhat imperfect as far as the complete
acceptance of the Torah point of view is concerned. Whenever there was a
conflict between sciences and Torah, they resorted to a strange
combination of the two, as if the two systems can be combined as a
unity". Therefore, exposure to non-Jewish ideas affected to some
extent the purity of their faith in the absolute truth of Torah,
resulting in strange compromises."<br><br>
Would he say that the same thing happened to the Rishonim who studied
secular subjects? <br>
</font> <br>
Yitzchok Levine<br><br>
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