Idiocy In The Name Of Torah

On The Main Line has posted a section of a fundrasing brochure from a Bnei Brak-based nonprofit describing the visit of a gadol (haredi rabbinic leader), a leading signer of the Rabbi Slifkin Ban, to the nonprofit's offices:

Why are so many stations necessary?" he asked. The telephones at the stations of the steady operators were ringing non-stop...."But how is it that a person contributes over the phone? How does the money come in?" he asked. The gabbai [assistant] briefly explained how a credit card works.

"But the contributor doesn't even sign anything... he's contributing over the phone!" Harav Steinman asked again. "But what if he changes his mind?" he went on....It was astounding to see to what extent maran, shlit"a, who is immersed in Torah study day and night, is cut off from the financial nature of our daily lives in the modern world. At the same time, it was fascinating to see how quickly he caught on when the matter was outlined in the briefest detail.

The man did not know how a credit card works. Earth To Haredim: GET NEW LEADERS! YOUR SHIP IS SINKING!

Comments

Rav Steinman shlit"a is an sage from another time and place, who is immersed in his religious world, and lives very frugally and simply. For someone from that background, it's understandable if he's not completely up-to-date on technology. Perhaps his simple lifestyle is better than our 'sophisticated' one.

Another thought - perhaps his questions, which seem to astound you, actually are quite understandable from his Torah-viewpoint.

E.g., he wanted to know how the new technology interacts with halocho. If there is a kinyan involved and stuff like that, how halachically binding are such contributions, if the donor can change his mind, etc. ....

"But how is it that a person contributes over the phone? How does the money come in?" he asked. The gabbai [assistant] briefly explained how a credit card works.

"But the contributor doesn't even sign anything... he's contributing over the phone!"

Halevai (would it be that) other people would follow his example, and stay away from credit cards, which have ruined and damaged so many.

[S.]

>Rav Steinman shlit"a is an sage from another time and place, who is immersed in his religious world, and lives very frugally and simply. For someone from that background, it's understandable if he's not completely up-to-date on technology. Perhaps his simple lifestyle is better than our 'sophisticated' one.

This isn't necessarily an indictment of him.

I posted in the comments on my original thread about this:

I've learned Ayeles Hashachar. I know R. Steinman is a tremendeous talmid chochom. I also know that there is a long ascetic tradition in Judaism. Prishus is not a quality that is antithetical to the development of some Jewish tzaddikim. But consider, there are R. Chanina ben Dosas and there are R. Yohannan ben Zakkai. The former have not take on the roles of the latter and its astonishing to think that people can seriously contemplate a society in which its leaders are just completely removed from the reality in which its members are living.

S, I see what you are saying, but, on the other hand, Rav Steinman is not a poseik, paskening sheilas involving credit cards - rather, he is a Rosh Yeshiva.

Who says he is "just completely removed from the reality" in which his people are living ? I think that's going too far. Maybe he is removed from one aspect of it - the modern consumer society - but not necessarily other parts of it.

Maybe a Rosh Yeshiva can be somewhere in between R. Chanina ben Dosa and R. Yochonon ben Zakkai.

[Shmuel]

Friends, look, the astounding thing here is that he's in charge of lots of such charitable institutions and only now, in 2005, is he being introduced to credit cards, a world-wide tool of transactions which have been around for some time now. That's simply amazing. These questions should have been asked when credit cards came out, whenever that was (when was that? Help!). For someone in his unique position, a leader in klal Yisroel, who runs (!) mosdos of tzedaka, the question reminds me of George Bush I marveling at scanners in supermarkets. It just sounds funny in 2005, is all; it doesn't make him any less righteous or saintly, just a bit not up to speed with the times.

[Chaim]

HaRav Steinman is in his nineties. He lives in a cramped little apartment in Bnai Brak. There is no TV or telephone. He spends his days studying the Talmud and seeing the many visitors who come for his advice from all corners of the world. He is not in charge of any charities. I've known him for nearly sixty years, ever since he arrived in Israel from Europe. (He is a close relative)

[frummeyid]

Enough of the lowblow against this gadol. I may not really know much about him, and I'd guess that I would choose not to follow much of what he says --- I'm not into daas torah and infalliblity of humans. But please, I don't care if he knows about credit cards. My guess is that the chareidim who have shaylos about finances have asked other poskim. This man lives within daled amos shel torah according to a certain interpretation. I can't hold that against him.