Modern Orthodoxy, Chareidism, and Mussar
Thinking about it, I don't think the whole Torah uMadah (TuM) vs. Torah im Derekh Eretz (TIDE) vs. "Torah Only" distinctions which have become the borders between our communities are really compatible with Mussar. To simplify, let's phrase the difference between Modern Orthodoxy and Chareidim as basically whether (1) chol is an opportunity whose risks must be mitigated or (2) it is a set of risks that ought to be avoided and only then we can look to see what opportunities remain of what's left. (TIDE and TuM then differ as to what the opportunity is, what one stands to gain from chol, and therefore what kinds of chol are more significant.)
Both are relatively remedial ways of addressing personal challenge. Methods usable for setting communal policy or for someone who doesn't really know himself. However, in a community of people who strive to know themselves and judge each situation accordingly, there is no need to rely on such blanket statements.
The current TuM/TIDE sociological groups do not include a TuM/TIDE plus tiqun hamiddos (repairing one's personality traits. Probably because they are founded on the thought of R' YB Soloveitchik, from Brisk ("you don't need any more Mussar than you get from the Shulchan Arukh"), and R' SR Hirsch, respectively. Modern Orthodoxy sadly collapses into Orthodoxy-Lite for so many of those who affiliate with that community because there is no such introspection. Without that self-awareness, the dangerous gets embraced long enough for the risks to blind the victim to themselves before anyone even thinks to ask the question of mitigating them.
Alternatively, I could say to a yeshivish person that what they need is a different kind of yeshivish, one in which tiqun hamidos tools are used to know when and how to protect oneself from today's degenerating society without missing out on its opportunities. That the currently pursued alternative, retreating into fortresses, is a position for the weak. And weakening the masses engenders the need for further retreat ad infinitum. But the resulting "yeshivish" would be something that is too new to simply fit within the current movement's umbrella.
And in fact, both this new Modern Orthodoxy and new Yeshivish would be identical.
The solution, in my humble opinion, is orthogonal to that whole axis. (Or perhaps I'm just one of the "newly converted" who just got a shiny new hammer and sees everying as nails...)
Both are relatively remedial ways of addressing personal challenge. Methods usable for setting communal policy or for someone who doesn't really know himself. However, in a community of people who strive to know themselves and judge each situation accordingly, there is no need to rely on such blanket statements.
The current TuM/TIDE sociological groups do not include a TuM/TIDE plus tiqun hamiddos (repairing one's personality traits. Probably because they are founded on the thought of R' YB Soloveitchik, from Brisk ("you don't need any more Mussar than you get from the Shulchan Arukh"), and R' SR Hirsch, respectively. Modern Orthodoxy sadly collapses into Orthodoxy-Lite for so many of those who affiliate with that community because there is no such introspection. Without that self-awareness, the dangerous gets embraced long enough for the risks to blind the victim to themselves before anyone even thinks to ask the question of mitigating them.
Alternatively, I could say to a yeshivish person that what they need is a different kind of yeshivish, one in which tiqun hamidos tools are used to know when and how to protect oneself from today's degenerating society without missing out on its opportunities. That the currently pursued alternative, retreating into fortresses, is a position for the weak. And weakening the masses engenders the need for further retreat ad infinitum. But the resulting "yeshivish" would be something that is too new to simply fit within the current movement's umbrella.
And in fact, both this new Modern Orthodoxy and new Yeshivish would be identical.
The solution, in my humble opinion, is orthogonal to that whole axis. (Or perhaps I'm just one of the "newly converted" who just got a shiny new hammer and sees everying as nails...)
posted by micha @ 6/28/2005 08:55:00 PM
