Rabbi Aharon Feldman Sells Out Rabbi Slifkin

Rabbi Aharon Feldman, a one-time defender of Rabbi Nosson Slifkin, has sold out and now backs the ban against Rabbi Slifkin and his books.

GodolHador has written extensively on this.

My thoughts on the duplicity of Rabbi Feldman, the Rosh Yeshiva of Ner Yisrael are made clear in the post above.

As for Orthodoxy, it is moving rapidly into the Dark Ages. For all interested in truth and light, it's time to jump ship.

Comments

[rebeljew]

Given the street support that Slifkin is getting, I think that "Orthodoxy" is responding appropriately. I believe it was Will Rogers who said that if the people lead, the leaders will follow.

[Shmarya]

I've heard Rabbi Slifkin is drawing very small crowds. Is that what you mean?

[rebeljew]

It is my impression that Slifkin is:

a) well received in places where he speaks (though I would measure more in general support than in crowd size. That can be affected by many different practical factors.)

b) not thought of negatively by "the street", despite the ban

[Shmarya]

Good will doesn't pay the rent. If he's not drawing crowds, he won't get asked back and he will lose money.

Agudah is out to crush him (albeit quietly). No Agudah shul will host him. No Agudah members will attend his talks.

Rabbi Slifkin's career is about to fall apart – just what R. Yosef Shalom Elyashiv wanted.

[rebeljew]

The issue was whether Slifkin's view is philosophically acceptable or whether Orthodoxy was slipping into the Dark Ages. I think that Ortho people are substantially safer than Ortho leaders.

Practically, of course they will try to destroy him, by any means necessary, as is the nature of Charedism. Just being right, even obviously right, doesn't equate with success.

[Steg (dos iz nit der šteg)]

How ironic that many of the science-friendly rabbinic authorities R' Slifkin quotes in his books were ones who lived in the "Dark Ages".

[Neo-Conservaguy]

"Rabbi Slifkin's career is about to fall apart – just what R. Yosef Shalom Elyashiv wanted."

Let's slow down a little - writing such predictions may do more harm than good. From what I've seen having spent some time with him this past week, R. Slifkin can defend himself quite capably, and has rabbinic support in "the real world" (my term, not his). He is a successful author and I suspect will continue to be based upon the clamor for his books the instant they were "banned".

Interestingly enough, the one Orthodox rabbi in this area that didn't attend R. Slifkin's talk was indeed affiliated with Agudah. From a MO perspective, this stuff is a non-issue; it's the haredi folks that are having a hard time with it, and it's not clear why we should care about that. The "Godol Hador" is a bogus concept that is arguably unprecedented in Jewish history and is in fact contrary to the rich history of halachic debate between various ravs and groups.

[Out of Town Marbitz Torah (R'OT)]

What is most sad is that had the Ban never been implimented this would never have been an issue, the ban has had just the opposite effect. Most people I have come in contact never thought of these issues. The Gedolim have lost more than they gained this time. It is so nice to live "out of Town" where I don't have to get caught up in these issues and can focus on what is really important; like Torah and Mitzvos and spreading Ahavas Yisroel.

R' OT

[Jimmy]

Neo Conservaguy, how do you interpret the term 'reish galussah' and the term 'nosi' if 'godol hador' is a bogus concept?
Listen,I'm not preaching anything to you, since as far as I'm concerned Modern Orthodox and ultra orthodox and everything in between is the same.The Modern Orthodox sin is thinking that they are any better.They are not!(and they are %^&** snobs to boot)
The one group I'm comfy with is the Carlebach mode.

[Grey Area]

Uh, Jimmy, those were official Jewish community leadership positions, not Torah leadership positions. The Resh Galuta occassionally clashed horribly with the "Gedolim" of his day!