Letter of the Rebbe: Applying R' S.R. Hirsch's approach in U.S. does not serve interest of Orthodoxy in the U.S.

This fascinating letter of the Lubavitcher Rebbe came from an email list. This letter is not included in the collections of letters that are published and circulated, and the name of the recipient and date are missing-- this looks like a section of a draft. If anyone knows how to date a manuscript like this or if anyone knows who this letter may have gone to, please share. I typed up the interesting parts, because the scan quality is very poor. Click on image to read the original with what looks like the Rebbe's handwritten markings and edits to R'Nissan Mindel's text.




Excerpts from the Rebbe's letter:

"I must touch upon another, even more delicate, matter concerning the teachings of Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch whom you mention in your letter. There has been a tendency lately to apply his approach in totality, here and now [added: for Americans born and ~?~] in America! While it is understandable that the direct descendants of Rabbi Hirsch or those who were brought up in that philosophy, should want to disseminate his teachings, I must say emphatically that to apply his approach to the American scene will not serve the interest of Orthodoxy in America, with all due respect to his philosophy and approach which were very forceful and effective in his time and in his milieu. R. Hirsch wrote for an audience and youth which was brought up on philosophical studies, and which were permeated with all sorts of doctrines and schools of thought, and disciplined in the art of intellectual research, etc. Thus it was necessary to enter into long philosophical discussions to point out the fallacy of each and every thought and theory, which is incompatible with Torah and Mitzvoth. There was no harm in using this approach, inasmuch as the harms had already been there, and if it could strengthen Jewish thought and practice, it was useful and to that extent, effective.However, here in the United States we have a different audience and a youth which radically differs from the type whom R. Hirsch had addressed originally. American youth is not of the philosophical turn of mind. They have neither the patience nor the training to delve into philosophical discussions, and to evaluate different system and theories when they are [added: induced to go to college and] introduced to all sorts of ideas, including those that are diametrically opposed to the Torah and Mitzvoth, and there are many of then, since there are many falsehoods but only one truth. This approach can only bring them to a greater measure of confusion. Whether or not the final analysis and conclusions will be accepted by them, one thing is certain, that the seeds of doubt will have multiplied in their minds, since each theory has its prominent proponent bearing impressive titles of professors, PhD’s, etc.

Besides the essential point and approach is “Thou shalt be wholehearted with G-d, they G-d.” The surest way to remaining a faithful Jew is not through philosophy but through the actual experience of the Jewish way of life in the daily life, fully and wholeheartedly. As for the [?] “Know what to answer the heretic,” this is surely only one particular aspect, and certain does not apply to everyone. Why introduce every Jewish boy and girl to the various heretics that ever lived?

The whole problem is a delicate one, and I have written the above only in the hope that you may be able to use your influence with certain circles in Washington Heights, that they should again re-examine the whole question and see if the R. Hirsch approach should be applied to the American scene. My decided opinion is, of course, that it should not, and I hope that whatever measure of restraint you may accomplish through your influence will be all to the good. I hope to hear good news from you also in regard to this.

[...]

I want to take this opportunity to mention another point which we touched upon during our conversation, and which I followed up in writing. I refer to the movement of “Torah v’Derech Eretz,” alluding to the saying of our Sages that Derech Eretz comes before Torah. However the term “Derech Eretz” is interpreted as a college education, and it is claimed to be the doctrine Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch of blessed memory.

As you will recall, I made the point in my previous letter on this subject that in my opinion, with all due respect to this policy and school of thought which had their time and place, ‘they are not at all suitable for American Jewish youth and for present times and conditions, especially in the United States. I even made so bold a move as to try to enlist your cooperation to use your influence to discourage the reintroduction of this movement on the American Jewish scene, since it is my belief that your work carries a great deal of weight in these circles here.

I want to note with gratification that on the basis of unofficial and behind the scenes information which has reached me from the circles in question, the point which I made with regard to the school of thought that has been gaining evermore adherents. It is becoming increasingly recognized that a college education is not a vital necessity and is not even of secondary importance. Many begin to recognize that the Torah, Toras Chaim, is, after all, the best s’chorah, even as a “career.” In the light of this now reappraisal, attendance at college is being recognized as something negative and interfering and with detracting from the study of Torah. So much for the younger generation..."

A Chassidic interpretation of Global Warming

My husband gets a over a dozen weekly email newsletters from shluchim around the country. Most are a familiar compilation of parsha summaries, important zmanim and customs for the following week, reminders about upcoming chabad events and an inspirational tidbit, usually recycled from chabad.org or Tzvi Freeman. This week we were treated to an original thought, written by a young shliach, which I thought absolutely charming and worthy of sharing.

A New Study on Global Warming

Yesterday,as I was walking on the street, I was thinking about how thank G-d, this winter has hardly been a winter so far. It's more like fall or spring. Some days, I don't even need a coat. Gloves or a scarf are out of the question. Some people think it's because of global warming. Some people don't. I think that since we're actually on the threshold of the Redemption, and the light of Moshiach is so strong, the world is in fact becoming warmer, both spiritually and physically. So global warming is not a cause for concern. On the contrary, let us get warmer and warmer until Moshiach finally comes and we'll be able to chuck our coats, scarves and gloves into the Mediterranean Sea. Or we could keep them on display in our closets as a remembrance of how it was those in those cold, exile days.

Russian Anti-semitism; as Predictable as the Snow

This letter was written by a friend of Dovid's:

Yesterday, December 26, at around 5:00 in the afternoon, our center was vandalized. A bottle filled with gas was thrown into a window, and a knife with a message on a paper was thrust into a tree in front of the center. The paper had a message saying to kill the Jews, and if we don't kill them then we should teach our children to kill them. It continued by saying that the Jews are the satan and are cancer to society and many more negative words about the Jews. It was signed "friends of hitler".

Rabbi Yossi Marozov
Jewish Community Center
Ulyanovsk, Russia

I think I'll use the only really bad Russian word I know: SVAWLITCHI!

Last night's explosion on my Rebbe picture menorah

You know those menoras that have been recalled because the plastic cups are catching into flames and burning (link)? Well, I didn't realize that my oil cups were the bad ones because my packaging is totally different than the one pictured, and sure enough, my menora caught on fire and took a few scary and noxious-smelling moments to put out. Take a look--is it so obvious that these are the same brand?










Actually, side by side, it is more obvious, but mine has pictures of the Rebbe & 770, so it didn't even occur to me that it's the same product in different packaging. Someone should release a new 'consumer alert' that these oil cups are also dangerous.

While we're on the topic, how does it come to be that there are two productions of the same thing, one for Jews at large and one for Lubavitchers? The number of candles are the same, the number of nights are the same... what is the idea behind producing a special line of lubavitch themed chanuka candles that could only sell to lubavitchers? There must be some marketing ploy behind this, and chances are it sells better off the shelves than neutral packages in places like Crown Heights, but there is also something manipulative and disingenuous about it.

Also, doesn't the box become shaimos if it has a picture of a tazddik? I've seen this done on a lot lately, especially on posters for Chabad events. These posters are hung outside or distributed as fliers and inevitably end up in the trash, gutter or being driven over by a 15 passenger flying down Kingston Avenue! How could that be a good thing?

Images are powerful- there's no denying that--particularly images of tzadikkim (Vehayu ainecha ro'os es morecha.) But the mass mediazation of the Rebbe picture (p.s. did you notice it's almost always the same one?) has completely changed the meaning of the image. In Israel especially, every step is plastered with Rebbe pictures. After a few weeks, the picture becomes invisible, a part of the Israeli landscape. I remember arguing with friends over this--they thought, "how beautiful that the Rebbe picture is such a natural and prominent presence to Israelis", and I thought, "how odd that the Rebbe picture is so overused to the point of being mundane to most Israelis."

I think there's an advertising term called "image saturation", which describes the technique of overloading the consumer with the same image (i.e. coca cola = fun & refreshing, or pantene = gorgeous hair) until it becomes an unquestionable part of their subconcious decision making. Sure enough, I picked those chanuka lights off a shelf with several other options. I don't remember thinking about it, but I instinctinvely picked the package with the Rebbe picture.

I run a Lubavitch home, with a photograph of the Rebbe hanging prominently in the dining room. The idea, I think, is that when I see the picture (often) I am reminded of who I am and become inspired to live up to what is expected of me from my leader. That is why it's upsetting to see the Rebbe picture used as a cheap maketing tool. It's simply disrespectful... mostly of the Rebbe, but also of his followers.

~~ Lubavitcher Rebbe and Rebbetzin ~~

zechuseihem yagen aleinu

Update on fines (knas) in yeshivos.

Update: My husband just pointed out to me that my post will make absolutely no sense to anyone that hasn't been through a lubavitch boy's yeshiva. It turns out that no other yeshivos fine their students for misbehaving! Well what do you know--we are crazy after all. In all seriousness though, is it true that only lubavitch schools use this system? If so, why in the world? How do other yeshivos punish their students and why don't lubavitch yeshivos do the same?

(Comment here.)