Comments on: The Attack of the Moralists http://rabbipruzansky.com/2009/06/15/the-attack-of-the-moralists/ A compilation of the Rabbi's recent thoughts and ideas.. Thu, 24 May 2012 10:36:54 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: Rabbi http://rabbipruzansky.com/2009/06/15/the-attack-of-the-moralists/#comment-38 Wed, 24 Jun 2009 14:50:15 +0000 http://rabbipruzansky.com/?p=533#comment-38 Factual correction:
calling Rav Dovid Cohen a “lead RCA posek” is just incorrect. I am a Vice President of the RCA, been a member of the Executive Committee for over a decade, and I never would have thought to say that Rav Cohen is a Posek for the RCA, much less a “lead” posek.
Rav Moshe Feinstein zt”l was also consulted by RCA rabbanim. Was he then an “RCA posek”? The Vaad Haposkim was disbanded because it confused more than elucidated. It was an informal group that never met, whose “members” were consulted on a variety of issues and offered their opinions, if they wanted to. Others were consulted too.
The RCA does have a Vaad Halacha that deliberates, advises and publishes on a variety of issues, that is composed of RCA Rabbis.
To term Rav Cohen an “RCA posek” is flat-out wrong. In any event, the point of my piece was not to defend or criticize Rav Cohen, but rather to underscore that such matters do not belong in newspapers. That is not the Torah way.
-RSP

]]> By: HAGTBG http://rabbipruzansky.com/2009/06/15/the-attack-of-the-moralists/#comment-33 Mon, 22 Jun 2009 22:59:00 +0000 http://rabbipruzansky.com/?p=533#comment-33 On the other hand, it is improper to ban a rabbi because I do not agree with something that he has said.

He was not banned. He was removed from positions of communal authority. Having a leader say these things (which you assumed in your response he said) implies you find them acceptable. Having a lead RCA posek say these things implies it is a legitimate halachic position that the RCA would be duty bound to defend to the world (“no, we would never say that, but he said that and its legitimate only for his followers to do that”… it would go over very well). Hence he was removed from these roles.

You wrote above of spiritual harm from reading one newspaper written by some individual lacking any moral authority over you. It was a point of pride for you that you did not read it and you felt a need to explain how you read this article despite that. Yet, when it comes to the spiritual harm from the positions of a “well-regarded” rabbinic leader … whose role means we would each take what he has to say seriously … the community should react in silence and leave the person in positions of honor and prestige?

]]> By: Rabbis Vs Journalists http://rabbipruzansky.com/2009/06/15/the-attack-of-the-moralists/#comment-31 Sun, 21 Jun 2009 21:28:11 +0000 http://rabbipruzansky.com/?p=533#comment-31 [...] Rabbi Steven Pruzansky blogs: It is a bitter irony clearly lost on its editors that the so-called “Jewish Week” chose to impugn the well-regarded Rav Dovid Cohen during the very week the Torah castigates Miriam for slandering her brother Moshe (actually, mildly rebuking him). Perhaps the message of the weekly Torah portion was unknown to the writer, someone named “Staff Report” – apparently to protect his identity. [...]

]]> By: Srully Epstein http://rabbipruzansky.com/2009/06/15/the-attack-of-the-moralists/#comment-25 Wed, 17 Jun 2009 04:27:32 +0000 http://rabbipruzansky.com/?p=533#comment-25 Lichvod Harav,

I’m just sorry I moved to Bergenfield in August of 2007 and missed the speech…

What I’m wondering is: Is it possible Rav Cohen was simply quoting the Gemara and speaking theoretically, rather than issuing a practical psak?

And I totally agree (not that the Rav needs my haskamah!) that reading Jewish papers in general is, at best, a waste of time, and at worst, depressing.

]]> By: Was there http://rabbipruzansky.com/2009/06/15/the-attack-of-the-moralists/#comment-21 Mon, 15 Jun 2009 19:49:17 +0000 http://rabbipruzansky.com/?p=533#comment-21 Rabbi, with all due respect, how can we, who try to hold ourselves to very high moral standing, ignore such public comments that are k’neged everything we stand for. Many people were there and heard Rabbi Cohen say it is mutar to sign a false tax return as long as you will not get caught and it will not create a chillul hashem, yet it was ignored or “brushed under the rug” for too long and we continued to turn to this man for Psak. Too many people were there and heard it to deny that the incident took place and why must we fall all over ourselves apologizing for this when we should repudiate these statements and distance ourselves from the man who made them. Do we in the Modern Orthodox community have no self respect, can we not find more main stream poskim to rely on others than those who publicly advocate cheating on your taxes? The truth is what it is and I am sure it would not take too much of an effort for you to find a number of people who heard these disturbing comments and the subsequent non action taken by our leadership to call out what was done.
While I recognize, as you point out, the need to minimize lashon harah, I also recognize the need to stand up for true torah principals and values and call out those, regardless of who they are, if they choose to misinterpret or pervert those sacred values.

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