Rabbis

Jack made the following comment:

Remember that smicha does not always bestow kindness, wisdom or common sense.

I realized my response to him was quickly turning into a post. Thus far, I've been very fortunate in that every rabbi I've encountered, whether in person or through blogging, have all shown kindness, wisdom, and common sense. I can also say the same for the majority of Jews I've met in person and through blogging. Chassid, Modern Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, and secular: All have have shown kindness, wisdom, and common sense.

The impact of a rabbi cannot be understated. The years and years of study must be coupled with ahava amo yisrael. Rabbi Dov Lior, head of the Yesha Rabbis Council
is slamming the desicion of Bnei Akiva to invite Meretz Chairman Chaim Oron to a Bnei Akiva convention A rabbi of Bnei Akiva shows that:

Bnei Akiva's secretary-general, Rabbi Benny Nechtailer, said in response, "The Bnei Akiva movement is not afraid of listening to additional voices and opinions from the Israeli public discourse. The Meretz chairman's performance did not harm and even strengthened the committee into making national decisions, calling on the Israeli government to bolster the settlement in the Judea and Samaria and not harm the Golan Heights.

"It should also be noted that the decision to invite guests to take part in the conference was made along with the movement's rabbis. We would like to tell Kiryat Arba's rabbi that the convention held this year was the first to tour the City of the Fathers in Hebron and to pray at the Cave of the Patriarchs."

Former Bnei Akiva Secretary-General Dr. Amnon Shapira, who also took part in the discussions, said that he believed Rabbi Lior's approach was flawed and contradicted Judaism.

"Those who make these claims are trying to push us to the haredi path, where Rabbi Lior's books are banned from seminaries, as are those of Rabbi Kook and Rabbi Soloveichik. In our library one can also find books by Neturei Karta. This is the way of Judaism and this is the way of Bnei Akiva, which has always invited representatives from the Shomer Hatzair Movement and the Working Youth movement, and this year the Meretz chairman."

Jews have survived as a debating society. It started when Abraham began debating with Hashem. Moses debated with Pharoah and with Hashem. And the most common trait is the pleas for mercy on the shortcomings of the people of Israel. The school of Hillel was chosen over the School of Shammai because Hillel followed the principles of leniency. Listening to one another through the generations ties us together. The Catholic Church understood that when it tried to destroy the Talmud by burning the scant available copies and when that didn't work, by editing out parts and changing parts. The Greeks and Romans understood this as well. Throughout the ages, from the time of the Greeks to Hitler's Nazi Germany, the Talmud has been burned in an attempt to destroy it. And yet it and Jews are still alive. There is a fence around Torah to protect and preserve it and yet the fence is flexible enough to allow debate. It is when it is closed off that it can become withered and dry.