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| YCT head, Rabbi Asher Lopatin (Image from NJJN) |
Open Orthodox no more. So says Rabbi Asher Lopatin in a
recent interview in the New Jersey Jewish News. He objects to the use of that
term as a description of his school, Yeshiva Chovevei Torah (YCT). This is because of the
controversy it has generated. And yet he says that his liberal philosophy is
exactly that of Open Orthodoxy but that term
detracts for the mission of the school. In
a personal conversation I had with him a while back he expressed the same
sentiment to me. He then said he just wants his Hashkafa to be known as liberal Orthodoxy. But now he seems to prefer being known simply as Modern Orthodox. In any case he has dropped the term Open Orthodox from all of YCT’s literature.
I understand why he feels this way. Open Orthodoxy has been
attacked so many times that it is in danger of losing its identity as an Orthodox institution. And for good reason. It isn’t
so much that his mission is problematic. I even agree in theory with a mission that
tries to be as inclusive and ‘open’ as possible.
My only difference with him is in how he pursues his
mission. Specifically that being
inclusive does not mean including ideas and innovations that are not compatible
with centuries of Jewish tradition. And that have been widely rejected by legitimate
Poskim across the entire spectrum of Orthodoxy. There are some things that are
just not ‘open’ to us as Orthodox Jews. Much as we’d like them to be.
The truth is that the fact that Rabbi Lopatin has not changed
his philosophy but has simply chosen not to be called Open Orthodox any more -
preferring the term Modern Orthodox - does not really help him. To paraphrase
Shakespeare, a rose by any other name is still a rose. It isn’t the name that is problematic, it is
the philosophy behind it. Or more specifically in this case how it is applied.
What is a bit concerning to me that it is unclear whether he
wants to co-opt that term exclusively for his Hashkafa or just want to be in
the general category of Modern Orthodoxy. If it is the former then I have a
problem with it. Even if I grant that YCT is still in the fold, it is unfair to
co-opt that name for his movement to the exclusion of all others. Modern Orthodoxy
is a broad definition that encompasses much more that the extreme left that
Rabbi Lopatin and his yeshiva represent. It encompasses a right wing as well.
Not a Charedi right wing. But a Modern Orthodox right wing. Whose Hashkafa is perhaps
better known as Centrism. A Hashkafa to which I subscribe.
A Centrist is someone that embraces modernity in positive
ways as long as it is compatible with Halacha and tradition. To a Centrist there
is nothing inherently evil about secular culture and much of it can be used to
enhance our lives in variety of ways. We embrace secular studies as either a
function of Torah Im Derech Eretz (TIDE) or Torah U’Madda (TuM). This is in
contradiction to our Charedi brothers who
see secular knowledge as not much more than a means towards a livelihood at
best. They see secular culture as wasteful at best or even inherently evil. To
the extent that they participate at all it is for purposes of health or
utilitarian benefit. Secular knowledge it
is seen as a means towards a livelihood at best and not valued at all
otherwise.
Clearly therefore (at least to my mind) being a Centrist is
being Modern Orthodox. Centrists are therefore entitled to be called by a name
that described what we are: Modern and Orthodox. Centrists embrace modernity
same as the left. What makes us Centrists is that we share many of the values of
the right. We are in essence in the center Hashkaficly.
Why is a name important? Names are important because Orthodox
Judaism has evolved to the point that there are many groups with different Hashkafos and
therefore different identities. Those of
us that are of limited background and seek truth can then find out what each
Hashkafa is about and choose which one they
believe they are closer to. And it is useful to know that there are modern
Hashkafos as well as right wing Hashkafos – each with their own different
segments to choose from.
Gone are the days where we were all one people with a single
worldview. Times have changed and Orthodox has changed with them. Who is the ultimate
possessor of Truth? I think we will have to wait for Moshiach to find that out.
In the meantime the best we can do is serve God in ways that we believe He best
wants us to. For that is the ultimate purpose of Judaism.
