In the wake of the recent correspondence in London's
Jewish Tribune about HaRav Wolbe's view on Torah-
im- Derech Eretz, the following extracts from his
sefer Alei Shur (vol. I p. 295) are relevant. It
should be noted that the issue here is the view of HaRav
Wolbe in light of his background. (The translation is
literal, and all bracketed notes are in the original unless
otherwise indicated.)
*
It is necessary to clarify here a subject about which many
are unsure: How to look at the acquisition of general
knowledge. Since here it is not possible to deal with the
issue exhaustively, we set down very briefly a few
fundamental principles:
Looking from the perspective of what concerns the community
of Klal Yisroel [as opposed to looking from the
individual's perspective (Translator's addition)]:
1. The view of the gaon and tzaddik R. Shamshon
Rafael Hirsch zt"l concerning Torah im Derech
Eretz was understood by the gedolei Yisroel whose
pronouncements are our authority in life to be solely a
matter of horo'as sho'oh. [This is a term used by
Chazal to describe an action generally forbidden which is
allowed and mandatory under some special circumstances
prevailing at the time, e.g. sacrificing a korbon
outside the Beis Hamikdosh as Eliyohu did on Har
Hakarmel. (Translator's note)]
Perhaps this horo'as sho'oh still applies to places
and circles where a pure chinuch Torani is not
possible — on condition that even there the learning of
Torah is the main occupation and acquisition of general
knowledge is incidental to it.
2. The true essence of Klal Yisroel, Hashem's nation,
is only preserved by a pure "chinuch Torani" without
mixing in anything else. The Torah centers where Torah is the
sole subject of study are the places worthy of hashro'as
HaShechinoh in Yisroel. Thereby, they serve as an
example of what constitutes the true essence of Klal
Yisroel. Were not even one institution in Klal
Yisroel to be left which is totally dedicated to the sole
purpose of learning Torah, chas milehazkir, not only
would Torah be forgotten chas vesholom, but this would
amount to the destruction of the Jewish Nation's true
essence. This would be a greater churban than all
other churbonos which have befallen our nation.
3. Everyone who believes that Torah is min haShomayim
must know and believe that Torah learning is so powerful that
it can produce a human being who is truly great and complete
both in his relationship with Hashem and with other mortals,
a person who has superior understanding and wisdom in
heavenly as well as in worldly matters.
4. The name "yeshiva" may only be applied to a mokom
Torah in which the students' occupation is focused upon
Torah and yiras Shomayim and nothing else.
5. It is a matter of absolute necessity that there are true
talmidei chachomim [in every sense that is described
in this sefer] in our generation, as indeed is
necessary in every generation. As explained previously, this
is a matter of life and death for Klal Yisroel. If
there are doctors and engineers who are loyal to Torah and
emunoh, this is advantageous. However, their absence
would not constitute a matter of life and death for Klal
Yisroel.
Looking from the aspect of what concerns the individual [as
opposed to what concerns the community of Klal Yisroel
(translator's note)]:
6. Even in our generation, the acquisition of general
knowledge may well cause spiritual danger. This is in
addition to the danger of acquiring materialistic ideas which
one frequently meets in all spheres of science. Even the mere
study towards the diploma of "Bagrut" [Israeli
equivalent of A-levels/high school (translator's note)] makes
a person aspire to the "Outside World": A career, an
honorable position in society, a degree and luxuries. Even a
person who afterwards proceeds to devote himself to pure
Torah-study will have to overcome many hurdles and
difficulties if indeed he wants to acquire Torah.
7. The following is general knowledge necessary for every
Jewish person: The language of the country, some
understanding of the niflo'os haBorei (the wonders of
Creation) which are apparent in nature and especially in the
human body, some understanding of history, arithmetic.
8. We have always had great geonim of exceptional
quality who had a good grasp of general knowledge. On the
other hand, we have as yet never heard of true geonim
who have been educated in institutions with a stress on
general knowledge. We are referring to the latter generations
[as opposed to the Rishonim (translator's note)].
Germany is the proof. The Torah im Derech Eretz system
did not succeed in producing even one single gaon
[gaon here is meant in the sense of someone of the
caliber of the Chofetz Chaim or the Chazon Ish]. Despite
being careful to fulfill mitzvos properly, matters reached a
situation where Torah-learning was forgotten (matzav shel
shikchat haTorah).
*
Further explanations by Rav M. Spiro, based on HaRav Wolbe's
other seforim:
On section 2.: "The Torah Centers where Torah is the sole
subject of study, are the places worthy of hashro'as
HaShechinoh in Yisroel." HaRav Wolbe explains this
in more detail in his sefer Bein Sheshes Le'osor (p.
80): "Avrohom Ovinu was a zoken and studied in
yeshiva." (Yuma 28) Explains Rabbenu Chananel: "
`Zekeinim were sitting in yeshiva.' This means to say
that the Shechinoh rested upon them." Thus the phrase
"yoshev biyeshiva" means "the Shechinoh is with
him." And the word "yeshiva" is a synonym of
"Shechinoh."
Shechinoh is the revelation of a G-dly light in an
individual, deep in the heart, as having reached a certain
knowledge not beset by any doubts, as well as the Jewish
Nation's path (through history) in a miraculous and wondrous
way by virtue of heavenly intervention. The secret of a
"yeshiva" is that there the heavenly light is revealed within
the human heart and the heart of the multitude who are
"sitting in yeshiva."
*
"The Torah centers where Torah is the sole subject of
study serve as an example of what constitutes the true
essence of Klal Yisroel.
HaRav Wolbe explains this in more detail in his sefer Bein
Sheshes Le'osor (p. 83): "History teaches us that the
existence of the whole nation is dependent upon preserving a
certain level of moral purity. Falling below this level
spells out a free fall into the depth of destruction. The
well-known examples are Rome and Greece and other nations. If
we want to continue to exist — who will not understand
that opening the taharoh of the nation to invasive
forces destroys and obliterates us, chas vesholom.
*
On 2) as above, and on 5) If there are doctors and
engineers who are loyal to Torah and emunoh this is
advantageous.
HaRav Wolbe explains this in even more detail in his sefer
Bein Sheshes Le'osor (p. 83): "How strange it is to hear
the often-voiced criticism, even by believing Jews: One
complains that the yeshiva does not produce chareidi doctors.
Another argues that it should give us academic people who
know Torah. Another blames the roshei yeshivos for the
lack of teachers (of secular subjects). There is no end to
the criticism.
Their common denominator is that they have no idea what the
essence of a true mokom Torah is. They do not feel
that it has a raison d'etre for its own sake. Before
the Holocaust, hundreds of thousands of bnei yeshivas
guarded the Mishmeres haTorah vehaShechinoh in
Lithuania, Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia and Rumania."
*
On 6) " . . . the danger of acquiring materialistic ideas
which one frequently meets in all spheres of science."
HaRav Wolbe explains this in more detail in his sefer Bein
Sheshes Le'osor (p. 169): "At the beginning of the new
era, scientists were still involved with deep belief in the
Creator of the World . . . Also Newton, the great physicist
(1643-1737) . . . approached his research based on deep
belief in the Creator of the world where all mechanical laws
are nothing but a means of fulfilling His will. The first one
who constructed a mathematical model of the world without any
connection to belief was Rene Descartes (1596-1650). This
marked the start of a . . . materialistic outlook on the
world which claims to explain facts solely upon the basis of
what he actually found in his research."
