The Haredi Libertarian is a strong advocate of following Daas Torah – loosely translated, “a Torah-true opinion”.
And in much the same way as I wish to reclaim the definition of the term Haredi (as in Isaiah 66:5, ha-haredim el d’var Hashem, as opposed to a particular style of clothing fashions), I also wish to reclaim the definition of what Daas Torah is.
Daas Torah is widely believed to be the system whereby one or more askanim (community activists/politicians) go to a certain Rabbi and present him with information (sometimes complete, sometimes partial, sometimes wholly fabricated), asking him to rule on their question. Having gotten an answer, they then plaster every vertical surface in the neighborhood with posters proclaiming that this ruling is now binding on everyone [who considers this Rabbi authoritative]. Often they short-circuit the process, and go straight to the pashkevillin without asking the Rabbi at all – and this I personally heard from the mouth of Rav Moshe Sternbuch שליט”א. And of course, if there is an opposing opinion from another gadol, his followers will put up contrary pashkevillin. This is exactly the kind of situation that led the Chofetz Chayim to decry the practice entirely – see the image on the left.
True Daas Torah is something completely different, and totally indispensable. When a person is facing a dilemma – be it about halacha, schooling, lifestyle decisions, interpersonal relationships, parenting, etc. – it is essential to consult with a trusted Rabbi. Pirkei Avos 1:6 relates Rabbi Yehoshua ben Perachya’s advice: עשה לך רב – you have to have a Rabbi you trust, to whom you can turn for guidance. There are so many pitfalls in life, and the yetzer hara/evil inclination has many ways to blind us to them. It is simply the responsible thing to do, to have a trusted external party, who is not only wise in the ways of the world, but also a reliable source for halacha, who can give us the objective advice we need, free of the internal personal inclinations that cloud our judgment.
Even so, Daas Torah can only take you so far, and no further. Ultimately, after 120 years, we are going to have to stand before the King of Kings, and we will have to justify ourselves before Him. And nobody else will be standing there for us to blame, not even the Rabbi we consulted. Rabbis are human beings, too, and sometimes even they make mistakes. If we could not have known better, and we relied on a faulty ruling that we accepted in good conscience, then fine, אונס רחמנא פטריה – it is considered an accident that is no fault of ours. But sometimes we do know better. I know this, because it has happened to me.
I was once in a very difficult situation, involving a vexing moral decision. My Rabbi at the time advised me to follow a certain course of action, which he strongly believed was the halachically correct and good thing to do – and yet I could not bring myself to do it. Something inside me was screaming that this was wrong. I therefore consulted with Rav L. (pending his approval to mention his name) – secondary Daas Torah, if you will – with whom I had a past connection. His advice to me was this: When Hashem put us in this world, He not only gave us His Torah to guide us; He also gave us a spiritual DNA. Our souls have a direct connection to God, and when faced with an immoral course of action, a healthy neshama will rebel with all its strength against doing wrong. If your neshama is screaming at you, then that’s a warning sign you cannot ignore.
I took the score as 2-1, with Rav L. and my neshama outvoting my Rav, and I did what the latter had told me not to do. I have not done such a thing before or since, and I have no regrets.
In that same conversation with Rav L., we discussed the concept of Daas Torah – the kind we mentioned before, where somebody comes and says, “Rav X says such-and-such, therefore it’s Daas Torah and you have to obey!” Rav L said to me: “When someone comes at you brandishing the phrases ‘Daas Torah’ or ‘The Gedolim Say’, run a mile! Daas Torah is a conversation stopper used by insecure people to squash debate.”
Hashem not only created us with a neshama with a spiritual safety valve, but He also gave us an intellect through which we can apply logic and reason, and guess what – He expects us to use them! If someone can convince you of the validity of his position through clear and rational debate, then that is a good thing. Expecting people to stifle their rational thought processes, just because “The Gedolim Say” is not Torah; it is a perversion of Torah. Look through the Gemara, which is chock full of fiery debates – and see if a single debate was settled by Rava saying to Abaye, “Rabbah says so, therefore you must concede!” For sure, the amoraim do not ever challenge the opinions of the tannaim – but nobody ever says that one tanna is the authoritative tanna, and you have to listen to him rather than any other tanna. All debate in the gemara is based on reason – and I see no reason why that should apply any less today.
In summary: Daas Torah is a personal thing, for each individual to consult sincerely with their chosen Rebbe. Nobody has the right to impose Daas Torah on anyone else, because every individual has the sacred duty to use both their neshama and their brain in the service of Hashem.
This, then, is the backdrop against which I will be expressing the opinions of the Haredi Libertarian, which often will appear to be at odds with conventional Haredi positions; I do not see any intrinsic paradox in this. I will always welcome sincere and respectful debate, and I hope you will continue on this journey with me!