May 26, 2005
Delayed Impact
Gil over at Hirhurim comments on the deeper meaning of the Slifkin Ban:
...Whether intended by the signers of the ban or not, their actions did not just place R. Nosson Slifkin's books outside of the community. They caused a reaction against the Rambam and anything that is not standard yeshivish theology.
I say, it's about time! Yeshivish theology has be co-opting the Rambam for decades, misrepresenting his positions on just about every topic you can think of. Be it Resurrection of the Dead, Rabbinic Infallibility or Creation Ex Nihilo (and the list goes on and on), not one of Maimonides actual positions on any of these major subjects directly aligns with the currently-popular dogma.
It's high time the Rambam was recognized for what he was: a Jewish neo-Aristotillean rationalist (heavily influced by Arabic interpretations, of course) who questioned almost every religious and cultural norm of his generation. Throw in the fact that he openly admitted to attempting to replace the Talmud with his own, often seriously altered, halachic treatise, and you get a clear picture of the kind of man he really was: a brilliant, indepedent thinker who refused to accept that which made no sense.
Just the type of person we need that needs to be marginalized, don't you think?
Greg,
First of all this is months old! Where have you been. Second, please do not try to compare R' Slifkin with the Rambam-you are comparing apples to watermelons.
Yes, the Rambam had his works burned publicily, his name defaced and scorned and many other disgraces. But he was the Rambam! His mastery over all things Torah spoke volumes about him. R' Slifkin while no slouch by any means is NOT the Rambam, is NOT the Gadol Hador, and is NOT the one who should be refuting 5000 years of Mesorah.
As rabbi M Solomon said at the Siyum Hashas in March, "We cannot compare the giants of yesteryear with the midgets of today"
Furthermore Rabbi Slifkin simply said some things questioning the age of the world in a similar vain to R' Schwab many years ago. the difference being of course that R' Schwab completed his comments by saysing that if in any way his words go against the torah and Das torah then he completely retracts his statement. R' Slifkin is not R' Schwab, a 30-year old rabbi has no business publicily questioning das Torah the way he did. I am not saying that he was put in his place or that the rabbis handled the situation in a way I would have, I believe this was blown way out of proportion, but there are proper methods to voice these opinions and questions instead of simply publishing them. What did he expect? Did he think that "old world" rabbis would line up and praise his 'thinking outside the box'? Did he assume they would quietly say 'yes you are right, we are wrong, Hillel was wrong, all our sages through the years are wrong, stop everything we are now 57,000 years old rather than 5700?
I feel bad that he was 'excommunicated', that it will be tough for him to find another job in a mainstream yeshiva, and that the rabbis now will not meet with him, and I invite everyone to view his website to learn his take on the matter.
http://www.zootorah.com/
JK
