The Torah Im Derech Eretz Society

Sunday, November 30, 2014

Linked Article: AMERICAN ORTHODOXY’S LUKEWARM EMBRACE OF THE HIRSCHIAN LEGACY, 1850-1939

AMERICAN ORTHODOXY’S LUKEWARM EMBRACE OF THE HIRSCHIAN LEGACY, 1850-1939

Full Article Courtesy of Tradition

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Generous Words for the Washington Heights Kehilla

This is an excerpt from a fundraising letter that I recently received.

"As a young, newly-frum and newly-married couple, we lived in Washington Heights, NY (otherwise known as the "Kehilla Kedosha".) We were extremely fortunate to be in the presence of Rav Shimon Schwab, z'l and Rav Eliyahu Glucksman, z'l. Being a part of that community taught us so much of what is a true 'kehilla kedosha'."

The letter goes on to make a pitch for an organization in a different town that is trying to replicate what the authors experienced in the Heights.

I believe this is a widespread sentiment about KAJ. I heard one man who moved elsewhere reflect how "There's nothing else like it."

Monday, November 24, 2014

Online Class for the TIDE Society

I'm thinking that it might be nice if we all met via an online live class. The goal here isn't just to have a blog but a virtual community. I'm trying to gauge interest. We could use Google meetings or whatever they call it. So if you'd be interested in such a class (free of charge) please either indicate in the comments here or email thetidesociety@gmail.com and give me a sense of what times might work for you over the next month. Let me know also if you'd like to give that class. Figure 1/2 hour and then we can take a 1/2 hour to chat about our experiences and challenges as TIDE people.

Sunday, November 23, 2014

A Person's Worth

“To recognize a person is not just to identify him physically. It is more than that: it is an act of identifying him existentially…To recognize a person means to affirm that he is irreplaceable. To hurt a person means to tell him that he is expendable, that there is no need for him.”

Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik in Angel for Shabbat

Friday, November 21, 2014

Tiferes Tzvi Toldos

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R' Joseph Breuer, zt'l, 1882-1980

"Anyone who has but a fleeting insight into the life and work of Rav Hirsch will realize that his Torah im Derech Eretz formula was never intended by him as a Horo'as Sho'oh....As for us let us do our best to promote and fulfill the Torah im Derech Eretz ideal in its true spirit and let us protect it from regrettable misuse and interpretation. A personal footnote: on the day before he passed away, my father told me: 'I am firmly convinced that the way shown by Rav Hirsch will be mekarev ha'geulah.' A sacred testament." ("The Relevance of the Torah Im Derech Eretz Ideal")

"The definition of a gadol be'Yisrael is one who is great in Torah and great in piety, one whose personal views and conduct are based exclusively on those twin pillars. Such a person is acknowledged as a peer by the other great men of his era. Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch was revered by the Chassidic leaders of Galicia and by the rabbis of Lithuania. That his views did not accord with theirs was immaterial; his philosophy grew out of his G-d-fearing understanding of Torah, and therefore it was legitimate for him. So it was with Rabbi Salomon Breuer and so it was with Rabbi Joseph Breuer. Their greatness transcended community. They belonged to Klal Yisrael, so they were honored by Klal Yisrael, all of it."

R' Shlomo Wolbe

Full article

The brave German Jewish communities

"...in Germany where there was so much assimilation, a number of German Jews decided they are going to fight for the preservation of the Torah. And they built up an Orthodox kehilla that was excellent in every detail. They were machmir in everything. In some respects, they were more frum than the Jews in Russia and Poland were. And they had organized kashrus. Strict hashgacha. Not rabbanim who gave heksherim and were paid for it. No. The kehillias gave hashgacha and were very strict in every detail. And so the minority that withstood the test were a glorious fulfillment of the prophecy that the Am Yisroel will continue forever despite any circumstances."

Rav Avigdor Miller, Recording #855 - "The Kiss of Esav," 11:48

R' Miller on Great Kehillas

"Satmar they are devoted to avodas Hashem. They go all out to serve Hashem. Lubavitch, all out to serve Hashem. No question about that. They are not the only kehillas. I have plenty to say about the German kehillah. I love the German kehillah. As a boy I davened every Shabbos in a German shul. I can sit four hours in the afternoon, Shabbos afternoon, in a German shul. These kehillas we have to appreciate. And all the things that are said against them we have to learn how to refute. Vehitzidku es ha tzadick." R' Avigdor Miller, Loving His People 2, #528 1:06.