[A
talk given in the Yeshiva during lunch]
Question: The Satmar Rebbe is arriving in Israel for a ten-day visit. Is it obligatory to go and greet him?
Answer: A person is not obligated to greet every single Torah scholar,
especially since – Baruch Hashem – there are so many Torah scholars today. A person is only obligated to greet his
Rabbi, i.e. "Rav Muvhak" - the Rabbi from whom he has gained the
majority of his knowledge. Additionally,
even if a Rabbi is not his main teacher, but is the "Gadol Ha-Dor",
he is considered one's "Rav Muvhak."
Therefore, if the Satmar Rebbe is one's "Rav Muvhak," he is obligated
to go and greet him, but if he is not, one is not obligated, although it is
certainly permissible.
Regarding
the question if the Satmar Rebbe is the "Gadol Ha-Dor" there is a
dispute. Who is the "Gadol
Ha-Dor"? The answer for us is
simple: the "Gadol Ha-Dor" is Maran Ha-Rav Kook. In fact, he is not only the leader of this
generation, but the leader of generations.
But it is possible that there is a dispute. One person says that this rabbi is the
"Gadol Ha-Dor," while another says that another rabbi is the "Gadol
Ha-Dor." Surely some thought that
the Rambam was the "Gadol Ha-Dor" and others thought that Rabbenu Tam
was the "Gadol Ha-Dor." It is
even possible that each is the leading rabbi in a different sense. The Gerrer Rebbe said that there is no need
to find out which holiday is most important.
On Pesach, Pesach is the most important.
On Shavuot, Shavuot. On Sukkot,
Sukkot. Each holiday, when it falls is the
most important one. So too here, it is
possible that there are different types of leading Rabbis of the
generation. Nonetheless, the students
of the Satmar Rebbe consider him the "Gadol Ha-Dor," and others do
not agree. Thus, one is not obligated to
greet him as the "Gadol Ha-Dor."
Question: It is forbidden to greet him?
Answer: Why would it be forbidden?
Some say that if Yitzchak Rabin was a "Rodef" (literally
a "pursuer" – who one is permitted to kill in order to save the pursued)
then the Satmar Rebbe is all the more so a "Rodef" on account of his
virulent anti-Zionist views. We reject
this position, since according to all halachic opinions, Rabin was not a
"Rodef" and thus neither is the Satmar Rebbe. It is certainly not forbidden to greet him.
The question of a
rabbi who ridicules and insults the State of Israel, others Rabbis, etc. is a
very sensitive topic. On the one hand,
the transgression of a Torah scholar who shames other Torah scholars is very
severe. On the other hand, we need to
give the Rabbi as much benefit of the doubt as possible. For example, there was a "Gadol
Ha-Dor" of the previous generation who shamed all of the other
Rabbis. Rav Shlomo Yosef Zevin said
about him: He is insane – he is not normal.
This was giving him the benefit of the doubt. There are also Torah scholars who have
extremely harsh styles of speaking. They
refer to everyone as apostates, heretics, etc.
Explaining that this is someone's style of speaking is also a type of
giving the benefit of the doubt. We are
not saying that this is proper, but are trying to see others in the best
possible light.
In any event,
quite simply, it is extremely important to honor all Torah scholars. One should not shame them, even if there is a
harsh communal dispute. The Gemara in
Sanhedrin (99a) explains that one great Rabbi, Rabbi Hillel (not Hillel the
Elder who was a contemporary of Shammai), said that the Messiah would not
come. This is certainly a severe
statement. Everyone is waiting for and
anticipating the Messiah, yet in his opinion: "No – there is no
Messiah." Rav Yosef said to him:
"May Hashem pardon his error" (as explained by Rashi). We clearly see that despite the severe nature
of Rabbi Hillel's comments, Rav Yosef did not shame him. Based on this, there is a Teshuvah of the
Radvaz (4:187) that even a great Rabbi who has
expressed himself heretically should not be ridiculed even though one should
argue with all forcefulness against his ideas.
Maran Ha-Rav Kook explained this law based on the Jerusalem Talmud,
which compares disgracing a Torah scholar to a structure of stones: that is, if
one stone is shaken, the entire structure is shaken (Jerusalem Talmud,
Sanhedrin 10:1). Thus, one who scorns a Torah scholar knocks over the entire
building of the Torah in Israel (see "Perek Tzibbur" by Maran Ha-Rav
Avraham Yitzhak Ha-Cohain Kook, Ma’amrei Ha-Re’eiyah 55). Scorning Torah scholars is similar to sitting
on a powder keg; we do not know when it will blow up and who will be
injured. Shaming Torah scholars cannot
be controlled and we do not know where it will end. If someone disgraces one Torah scholar, he
disgraces them all.
We saw
this with our own eyes: Rav Yoel Teitelbaum, the first Satmar Rebbe, made
extremely harsh statements. Our Rabbi,
Rav Tzvi Yehudah Ha-Cohain Kook, never scorned or denigrated him even though
their stances were diametrically opposed.
Our Rabbi once heard a severe ruling in the name of the Satmar Rebbe,
and all he said was: "This is not correct." Ha-Rav Tzvi Yehudah also admonished students
who expressed a lack of respect towards the Satmar Rebbe, and would not allow
them to continue to speak. Once Ha-Gaon Rav Moshe Feinstein issued a ruling that in
pressing situations it is permissible to be lenient in a regarding the height
of a Mechitzah between men and women in a Shul. The Satmar Rebbe came
out against him. Our Rabbi said: "It is known that our paths are separate
and different, but in this issue he (the Satmar Rebbe) is correct."
Even though they were polar opposites regarding the Redemption of Israel and
Klal Yisrael, our Rabbi never said one negative word against him.
