The Truth Will Be Absent - Sanhedrin 97A

I came across an interesting post by Rabbi Yitchok Adlerstein from Jauary 11, 2007, available here on Cross-Currents. The post is entitles "The Bais Yaakov Edicts – Are We Next?"

Rabbi Adlerstein tells us of the difference between Torah Judaism when Reb Moshe and Reb Yaakov were alive, as opposed to today:

"...Like fashion trends moving from Paris to New York, there is a tendency in Torah matters (lehavdil) for Bene Brak to call the shots even when they do not intend to.

This is not the way it always was. Some people think that it is one of the most unhealthy developments in Torah life in our times. While Rav Moshe and Rav Yaakov were both alive, American haredim turned primarily to them for leadership. People did not regard this as a slight to Torah luminaries in Israel. Rather, they recognized that not only did Torah leaders in America have a better grasp of local realities, but that HKBH Himself had different plans for, and different expectations of, communities in Israel and America. Forcing square pegs into round spiritual holes was not going to get people very far.

The existence of different Torah communities, each different and each legitimate, is perhaps adumbrated by the Gemara Sanhedrin 97A. Speaking of the prelude to the messianic age, the Gemara invokes Yeshaya: “The truth will be absent (nederes).” The Gemara proceeds to explain that truth will form different groups, or flocks (adarim), and go off on their own.

Rav Aryeh Kaplan told me a number of times that he didn’t think that the Gemara meant that truth would simply disappear. Alternatively, it meant that truth would no longer be available on a one-stop shopping basis. Different groups would each specialize in different aspects of the truth.

Similarly, perhaps, different groups would each have their own legitimate approaches and reactions, each generated by the Divine Providence that led to their formation."

This is a beautiful lesson by Rav Kaplan, one that many orthodox group, especially those furthest to the right, fail to accept. I've seen many comments on many blogs by RWNJs (Right Wing Nut Jobs) who claim they are ranting and raving because they can't stand it if someone speaks or writes something that is not their version of Emes. But who is to say that one person's version of Emes is invalid if that person is, at the end of the day, shomer Torah and Mizvos, learns regularly, and performs acts of chesed?

Unfortunately, the same may be said for many groups. It all goes back to one of my original posts, When Moshiach Will Come. The truth being "ne'ederes," absent, is an extension of Bnai Yisrael being Chayav or Zakai in each others' eyes.

But we have a choice. Each group may, and should have its own version of Emes, as long and it does not go against Torah. Obviously, a group that says we believe in God but worship Buddha would not quite constitute an Emes version of Yiddishkeit. Our choice, however, is to either accept each group as legitimate, live and let live, or to reject all the other groups as not frum, not Yirei Hashem, not kosher Judaism.

Good Shabbos.