THE TALIBANIZATION OF ORTHODOXY

The 6/22 issue of the Jewish Week, contained a most fascinating article about a speech given by Rabbi Marc Angel. Here is the opening of the article:

“Modern Orthodoxy’s ‘Cultic’ Influence
Retiring Rabbi Marc Angel charges movement’s growing reliance on yeshiva deans is danger sign.
Debra Nussbaum Cohen and Stewart Ain – Staff Writers

Rabbi Marc Angel of Manhattan is going out with a bang.

As he prepares to retire from the pulpit this fall, the prominent Modern Orthodox rabbi and former president of the Rabbinical Council of America, has fired a salvo at his own movement, saying it is “slipping over the line to a cultic superstitious kind of religion.”

“In the early part of my rabbinate, Orthodoxy was free, open to dialogue and discussion, and had a message for other Jews and for the world,” he said.

But during his 38 years as spiritual leader of the Upper West Side’s Congregation Shearith Israel, known as the Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue, Rabbi Angel said he has seen a growing insular perspective that shuns innovative thought and relies instead on the opinions of so-called authorities.

“There’s been an increasing tendency to defer to certain authorities and of the individual rabbi or individual Jew to back off on personal responsibilities,” he told The Jewish Week.”

A few days later, we read (and shared) the article about a chareidi radio station in Israel that had banned a certain singer’s songs “because he sounds like a woman.” Never mind that there is absolutely NO prohibition involved in hearing a high pitched male voice, the station simply banned the singer and took him off their play list. So much for halachic integrity. In fact, so much for any kind of integrity at all!

Then Deborah Wenger, superstar editor over at the main UTJ offices, sent us a small quote from Commentary magazine. The quote was: “The arts [are] undeveloped, music minimal. The religious authorities frown upon most forms of joy outside the joys of faith itself, and this dourness suffuses things. The most visible form of self-indulgence is sweets.”

Gosh, were we surprised to find out the article whence the quote came was about Saudi Arabia and not Buda Park nor even Meah Shaarim!

The Jewish Week article went on to say: “…The Modern Orthodox have surrendered in almost every area of responsibility to the more right-wing group.”

The result, Rabbi Angel said, is that “people with independent opinions get shut out. When people stop thinking and expressing creatively, then there’s no more intellectual dynamism.

“Once that intellectual dynamism is gone that’s the beginning of stultification, of cultism. There’s a very fine line between true religion and cultism. Orthodoxy to a certain extent is slipping over the line to a cultic, superstitious kind of religion,” he said. “It bothers me endlessly.” ”

The Jewish Week article concluded with these words: “Reflecting on the changes in Modern Orthodoxy, Rabbi Angel said those who dare to offer a different opinion “are cut down and isolated, which is something that is not healthy for Orthodoxy and Judaism in general.

“There is a sort of intimidation out there and if one takes a stand that is different, that person is isolated. People are afraid to be isolated; that fear is palpable.” ”
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A few years ago, a certain publication concerning kashruth, posited that it was forbidden to eat chocolate “coins” because doing so meant destroying the foil wrapper. What was written on the wrapper? “In God we trust.” However, God is not THE name, it is just His title, and certainly not included in Rambam’s list.

We could go on and on, but you surely get the point. We have said this before and we repeat it now: Daas Toirah is NEVER an acceptable replacement for halachic process.