The Impostors of Jewish Thought (part II)

See Part I

Guest post by Guravitzer

Preface.

BeSho'oh SheHikdimu Te'erav, Perek 14: "And this will be understood in the higher sphere through the statement of our Sages, their memory is a blessing, 'Quiet! So arose in thought.' For it seems to mean that there is no reason at all for this. But in truth it is profanity to say so, for this is not said in stubbornness, Chas VeShalom. But this is the idea of the concealed reason that is higher than the intellect and Chochmah-reasoning. And according to intellect there is no reason for this at all, to the point that there was no room in his [Moshe Rabbeinu's] intellect for this, and he asked, 'And is this Torah and is this its reward?' And this is the idea of the light of Chochmah-reasoning as it is higher than the container of Chochmah-reasoning." BeSho'oh SheHikdimu is the series of writings and talks by the fifth Chabad Rebbe, the Rebbe Rashab, tackling the highest levels of Kabbalah according to Chassidus, published in three volumes. "This" refers to raking the flesh being Rabbi Akiva's reward for his Torah study.

In other words, there is a level of thought which rises above all other thoughts at all levels. To get the answers to questions of Emunah which challenge the Litvishe thinkers and gedolim we must rise to this level of thought, reached by Baalei Ruach HaKodesh, although never quite reached by us. At the lowest level, the light of Chochmah resides in the keli-container of our chochmah, our mind, Sechel Anoshi. Human intelligence, being a container made of the thickening of light of Elokus, can’t comprehend Elokus. The Rebbe Rashab provides examples of this distinction in the above Ma’amar. The intellect of the Nefesh-soul before descent to the body versus the intellect in the human mind. Understanding the true nature of the spiritual versus only understanding the fact of the existence of the spiritual. Understanding concepts unlimited by time and place versus understanding our limited world. In all of these, human intelligence can be told of the existence of these higher spheres by Baalei Ruach HaKodesh, and be given understandable metaphors from our world. This doesn’t negate the attempt of Sechel Anoshi to understand Elokus. We should try that as well. It breaks the natural pattern of Sechel Anoshi to lean towards the animal, as Seichel Anoshi is a subset of the Nefesh HaBehamis.

If we consider Moreh Nevuchim as an explanation of Elokus and Emunah according to Sechel Anoshi, we’re told that Chasidim as far back as the Alter Rebbe’s Chasidim were fluent in Moreh Nevuchim, as well as Kuzari, Emunos Vedeios and other Sifrei Emunah. But we must realize that Emunah of the Nefesh Elokis lies further than those explanations. This Emunah is not fed, it is uncovered, the Nefesh Elokis is incapable of disbelief. This is a two-sided coin, both Emunah Peshuta and Emunah in a realm described by Mekubalim and explained by Toras HaChasidus. In essence, a person who professes disbelief doesn’t need to be convinced of anything. The Nefesh Elokis must be revealed to overpower the subset of the Nefesh HaBehomis that is Sechel Anoshi. With Sechel Eloki firmly in control of the Sechel Anoshi, we can then proceed to let the Sechel Anoshi dabble in trying to understand Elokus at its level. A piece of Matzah at the Seder may be more effective than all the permissions to believe and receive.


At heart, these ideas are not new, they emerge from the old. Witness the Rebbe Rashab’s statement of concept as based on a Ma’amar Chazal. Toras HaChasidus reveals the deeper meaning of every part of Torah. Whatever you have isn’t taken away. What you have is shown to have depths you never knew. The Rebbe defined this clearly in the booklet The Concept Of The Teachings of Chassidus (Kuntres Inyono Shel Toras HaChasidus), that the four layers of Pshat, Remez, Drush, Sod are given more depth through Torah HaChasidus, not superseded by a fifth layer. Again, this is only about this particular article, and this article chose to quote from Litvishe thinkers and gedolim only. I want to stay focused on this article only and not other issues, worthy as they are of discussion on another opportunity. If we broaden the discussion, we lose focus. The article chose to approach this issue from the Litvishe perspective only by providing responses from Litvishe sources only. It wasn't my choice. In general, the Litvishe world is almost the only one where the twisted approach to Emunah makes all conversations fractured.

A Lubavitcher Chosid can have a conversation on this topic with a Tora U’Mada adherent, with a Sephardishe adherent of Emunah Peshuta and Kabalah, with a fellow Chosid of other streams who thirsts to add Chabad Chasidus to the Emunas Chachomim of their Rebbe’s behavior. Toras HaChasidus reveals their inner meaning, no negation, they are all sourced in holiness. Only a crooked path whose fallacy is most clearly shown in Discovery seminars full of foolish content can’t be helped, there is no inner meaning. I am writing for the children bereft of Emunah. I want you to know there are answers. This may not affect your behavior or beliefs, now or ever. But you should know that when your teacher told you to be quiet, there are no answers, the question itself is despicable - your teacher was wrong.

The Impostors Of Jewish Journalism

Guest post by Guravitzer

Ki Lo Ami should be the name of the magazine. These editors are not part of my nation, and their beliefs are not mine. Editorial slant is always discernable, most discernable in yellow journalism. Hate journalism. Fear-mongering journalism. There are impostors among us! Rise to action! Which is obviously impossible, because this is fear of thought – how is the average frum citizen supposed to take action against the thoughts of their spouse, friend or rabbi? The call to action is spurious. “It’s a story about the dangers that the Internet poses to emunas Yisrael” is their editorial summary. Locking up the internet will not remove kefira. As is the case with every journalistic call to fear, people with questions of Emunah have always existed, will always exist, and people who continue to keep Torah and Mitzvos while harboring questions of Emunah have always existed as well. The dangerous use of yellow journalism is evident throughout. “Aharon is a fraud.” “Infiltrators in our communities.” “They behave and dress like you and me.” “Pose many more dangers to society.” “Duplicitous, heretical infiltrators.” “These fifth-columnists.” “An ominous rebellion.” “These heretics are among us.” “Almost…mentally ill.” “Be forewarned: He may be the one coming to pick up your daughter tonight.”

This article is not an indication of the failing of these dangerous, ominous, fraudulent, infiltrators who dress like you and me (I pity them – hopefully they have better dress sense than I do). This article indicates the failing of the Litvishe world. There are failures in every community, this article is in particular about the Litvishe failing. The vaise zoken mentioned in the article don’t fail for the reasons mentioned. There are two statements of Chazal to consider here. “A person can’t proclaim themselves wicked.” In context of forcing a divorce although Halachah states the husband must be willing, “We compel him until he states, I am willing.” The Rebbe would often remind us of the Rambam’s explanation of the legal reasoning. Every person is willing to do Hashem’s will – even if unaware. It’s subconscious. Since subconsciously the husband’s Neshama wants to do the right thing, and he proclaims that he is willing to do the right thing, the fact that he had to be compelled is irrelevant Halachically. We trust his inner Neshama, not his outward boasts. And the first statement of Chazal tells us that we don’t trust his outward boasts either – if a person declares that they no longer believe, there is room to disbelieve them. If they perform Mitzvos but declare themselves a Mumar, why shouldn’t we trust their actions? The editorial slant is therefore not only tragic, but incorrect. There is no Psak Din here about drinking their wine, which would have to be given case by case. This is whether we accept them as one of us and find the fault within ourselves, or stage them as the enemy with ourselves as innocent victims.

The Litvishe world has made a conscious decision for centuries to ignore all matters of Emunah. The books they have reluctantly written are nonsense. The Creator they speak of, the Almighty, has no logical coherence. This world has no answers to the questions – and that is the true danger. As was once said in response to a report of apikorsus, “the G-d they believe in, I don’t believe in either.” The many logical fallacies in this article demonstrate the logical inconsistencies of this world. There is almost no paragraph without such errors. Eliyahu and his declaration to stop following both Hashem and Baal has no place here. Those people held dual beliefs, this article is about people who profess no belief but follow the instructions of Hashem. A vibrant appreciation of beauty and truth of Mitzvos is declared the antidote, but beauty is in the eyes of the beholder and truth is only arrived at by questions and answers. In fact, these people have a vibrant appreciation of Mitzvos – they still observe Mitzvos! They found cultural value in Mitzvos. Perhaps more so than those that decry them in this article. To say that, “He outwardly pretends to be…observant,” is incorrect as fact, and any decent editor would catch this. He is observant of Mitzvos. Lack of Emunah doesn’t negate that and make it pretension. This is evident again in the story of a yungerman without belief watching a believing man commit an aveira – the sinner must be at risk to the editors, at the same level as the yungerman. In reality, the believer may simply have indulged his desires while still believing.

The statements of the professionals and Gedolim further illustrate the faults of this world. Contrast the story of finding comic books and declaring that reading silliness means this person can’t pursue intellectual studies, which flies in the face of reality, to the Frierdike Lubavitcher Rebbe stating for American-raised bochurim that, while intellectual and romantic novels damage a person’s Neshoma, reading political ideologies is just silliness which is easily remedied. Comic books wouldn’t even merit a mention. With all due respect to the Bais Halevi, this statement is wrong on every level: “The end proof of faith is faith, and the best someone else can do for the avowed Apikorus is to daven for him.” This is the ultimate expression of the confusion in the Litvishe world, then and now. We are maaminim bnai maaminim, that is faith, and we are commanded to know Hashem, that is theological and philosophical proof. Where the Bais Halevi ends in davening, that is only the beginning for us. Answer the questions. If you don’t have the answers, step down from your position of Godol and defer to the Lubavitcher Rebbeim in matters of Emunah just as you did in matters of Askonus. Did Reb Boruch Ber really fight for years to remove one statement of mockery from his mind? Fight fire with fire, fight mockery of us with mockery of the world and kofrim, as Chazal tell us, “all mockery is forbidden, other than mockery of avoda zara which is permitted.” As Chasidus teaches, this refers to any avoda which is zar to us. For the grand finale, the reporter passes judgment. “After all, I did not have much in common with one who has lost his last vestige of spirituality and G-dliness.” Yes, you do. Spirituality and Elokus is not determined by you, it is gift from Hashem. You both have a nefesh hoElokis. You both have a nefesh haBehamis. We are all children of One father. May He have mercy on your souls, dear journalist, dear editors, and dear publisher.