The Infallibility of Kefirah

Very important essay by Rabbi Natan Slifkin responding to claims of Kefirah against him. For more about the anti-Slifkin Chareidi "controversy" and the banning of his books, click. It is interesting to note that the loudest voices against Rabbi Slifkin are not those of the so-called "Gedolim." Rather, the loudest voices are those, of course, of lower tiered "askanim" who act on their own without really knowing what their "Gadol" says or thinks. And here's a great line:

It has become clear that many people, even disciples of Rav Moshe, do not properly understand his position and appreciate its uniqueness.

Rabbi Slifkin, in this essay, presents a letter written by R. Moshe Shapiro to a person who had given his Haskamah to a book of Rabbi Slifkin's. First line already presents a problem:

Several extracts from Slifkin’s books were read before me in a verbatim translation.

So tell me, Rabbi Shapiro, was the ENTIRE book read to you? Or just the parts that state the age of the universe without any explanation? Did the Askanim with whom you deal not tell you they weren't giving you the entire story and explanation? Or is it that your world was shattered by the fact that Chazal were indeed fallible? Perhaps, Rabbi, you should learn some English and read the ENTIRE book for yourself find out Rav Slifkin is in NO way a kofer, while you have besmirched this poor man's name and helped drag it through the mud, thereby actually transgressing the prohibition against being a "Motzi Shem Ra."

And a few great points for Rav Slifkin:

Second, Maharal actually read Me’or Einayim. Rav Moshe did not read any part of my books, but merely had some extracts read to him in translation. Those who spoke with him suspect that he was given a very flawed impression of the books, and that his translators were zealots who did not even possess skills of reading comprehension. One Rosh Yeshivah told me that Rav Moshe had been told that my books say that “one should be skeptical of Chazal” – the original statement in my book was very different. Now, I do not doubt that even if Rav Moshe would have read my books, he would still have opposed them. Still, I do think that his opposition would have been greatly lessened. I am sure that Rav Moshe is unaware of the extent to which I presented his favored approach – that of Maharal – in my books.

Third, when Maharal condemned de Rossi’s approach to difficulties in the Gemara, he accompanied it with a presentation of his own approach to solving these difficulties, in Be’er HaGolah. Rav Moshe, on the other hand, is not presenting any alternate approach to the specific problems addressed by my books, merely making sweeping and vague statements about the supremacy of Divine wisdom.

Fourth, while Rav Moshe gives the impression that the condemnation of Me’or Einayim was unequivocal, nothing could be further from the truth. Subsequent to Maharal’s condemnation, Me’or Einayim was still cited approvingly by many Torah works, including Magen Avraham, Kenesses HaGedolah, Yad Melachi, Be’er Sheva, Toldos Adam, and even by the Maharal’s own disciples, such as Rabbi Yom Tov Lippman Heller in Tosafos Yom Tov and Rabbi Dovid Gans in Nechmad V’Na’im.

Hmm. But today's "Gedolim" never hide the truth or misrepresent it, do they?

And what I find most admirable about Rav Slifkin is something sorely missing in Rabbi Shapiro, and that is respect. No matter how virulently anti Rav Slifkin Shapiro became, Rav Slifkin still has deep respect for Rabbi Shapiro and Shapiro's Torah knowledge, a respect not reciprocated in any way by Rabbi Shapiro. Rav Slifkin, in his attitude, proves himself to be a beautiful example of how a frum Jew should act, while Rabbi Shapiro has acted in a disgusting manner completely unbefitting a "Gadol B'Yisrael..."

Anyway, it's a really long, but very good essay and well worth reading.