Agreeable books are hard to come by

I'm an avid reader. I read about all types of Jewish leaders, whether I agreed with all their policies or not. I feel a strong connection to Jewish History, and I like to be informed of what went on in the past. It gets a bit difficult when today's writers of biographies seem very intent on squeezing the protagonist into what they would want him to be, and turn him into a zealot/Takif/hateful person. It does a disservice to the Tzaddik/Rosh Yeshivah, and keeps people of a different mind from getting to know him and appreciating him. As you know I'm in the process of reading the biography of RMBW zt"l. My fears about his grandkids being Satmarer, (not that there's anything wrong with that) and the entire book being written from that slant were proven right, both from further reading and from what I heard from people that know the author and his family. Hence, much of his opinions are presented as very much in line with Satmar and the "extreme" elements of today, when in reality we know that he was a very educated man - not that he propogated TIDE - who abhorred ignorant people.

There's a chapter that deals with his personality and Shittos, and how he was a very caring person who still managed to be tough when necessary. Actually they make him a tough person who remembered to be nice when necessary. Some of the stories are really inspiring and show us how today's leaders are so far and removed from the leaders of yesteryear. RMBW didn't care as much about HIS K'vod HaTeyreh as he did for the Kovod of the Torah itself. If it meant that his Kovod was to be compromised for the sake of building Torah then so be it. Actually it was never an issue that he had to "forego," he never cared about his Kovod at all. I may quote some examples later, but need to get to the point now. They speak of his opposition to what's known today as "Kiruv Rechokim," and how he was of the opinion that those who are Mekarev Rechokim are at the same time "Merachek Kerovim." They say that at the same time that they recount a slew of stories where he tried to bring Jews back to Yiddishkeit, both those that were frum before, and those that never were. He would speak to wayward Bochurim and try and convince them to remain frum. Yet, for some reason, in 1956-1957, when the "Tshuvah" movement was still in its infancy, he supposedly was all "against it!"

The story goes as follows: There was a Yid in the Nitra Yeshivah named Reb Osher Schwebel z"l. The book doesn't say this, but I heard from former Talmidim that he was a Lubavitcher Chossid. I never saw his name mentioned in any Lubavitcher literataure, but then again maybe I just never realized it. The book says the following: Reb Osher would travel to a certain Admo"r whose custom it was to be MeKarev ReChokim, and RMBW rebuked him for traveling to him, saying that "those that are MeKarev ReChokim tend to be MeRachek Kerovim. Das is Nichs unzer Derech!." Ad Kan Devorov HaK'Doshim. Even an Ungarisher Naar/Ferd like myself can add one plus one and see that the author is referring to the Rebbe. There's nothing simpler for a budding author or biographer today; if you want your book to succeed amongst the Heimishers attack the Rebbe, Tziyonim, or both. You're guaranteed the Williamsburg/BP crowd, and even those that are attacked will buy, I guess we all must all be a bunch of masochists. What's a guy like myself supposed to think about what I just read, and about what the protagonist's grandchild wants to make out of him?

Another "proof" of his "stand" against Kiruv was the fact that he once took a drive to Valhalla, fifteen minutes away from Mt. Kisco, where the Yeshivah was and is located. He noted to the ones with him how many thousands of Jews there were living just in that short drive, and he wondered what he'd say to the B"D SHel Maaloh when they'll ask him after 120 years why he didn't try to bring them back to their roots. "I'll answer that I was working to rebuild the generation that was destroyed, and that I had a responsibility to the deceased parents of these Bochurim." Correct me if I'm wrong here, but does that sound like someone who thinks that bringing these Jews back to their roots is not on the agenda since it's not "Unzer Derech?!" Is it so important to reinvent a man who passed away fifty years ago, just so you Satmarer grandson of his will feel comfortable with every move your Zeide made?! That's why I named this thread the way I did; There's always some chapter in the book, especially when speaking about Litvishe or Hungarian Rabbonim, Roshei Yeshivah, and Rebbes, that'll make me squirm and wonder "why did I just spend 22.50 on this?"