Rav Feldman likely didn’t watch anything. Maybe he was shown some fragments that might have even indeed sounded controversial.
The real initiator of this Palvanov project is certainly Yaron Reuven. He has made plenty of videos defaming virtually all independent frum guys with some media popularity. Generally speaking, Reuven is a total nut case. So I think this isn’t the case of guarding any walls, just the ongoing malicious practice of defaming others for the purpose of creating more media attention.
Pretty disgusting to be honest. What’s more disturbing though is that there seems to be a substantial number of people who genuinely find Reuven&Mizrachi appealing. There’s probably no way to help those, I guess. I can’t imagine a moderately intelligent person tolerating Reuven’s talk for more than 5 minutes.
Rav Feldman taking a clown like Yaron Reuvein serious enough to release a video based on his assessment would be more of an indictment of his leadership skills and discernment than anything else. I’m inclined to imagine he wouldn’t do that. (I’m not that familiar with Rav Feldman, just I assume someone as well known as him is at least intelligent enough to not take a clown like Reuven seriously)
My guess is that he’s pretty indifferent to Yaron. He probably thinks it’s just some Kiruv guy. Yaron likely sought endorsement of his project from a big Rav and used connections to influence Rabbi Feldman to record this video.
In terms of leadership, I have no idea. He’s certainly not a leader for me. I respect his technical halachic authority to the extent that more learned people in my community do, but as far as hashkafa, I am not aware of any great ideas that he produced, and don’t consider his philosophical views any more important that those of Sam Harris or Richard Dawkins. As for discernment, again as I said I expect him to be rather indifferent and think in terms of simplified labels like “us vs. not us”, and this reflects his general inability to engage with the real world: differentiate, conceptualize etc.
No. Really. R Aharon Feldman is actually one of the most knowledgable Mekubbalim in the world, yet hides his knowledge from people. The video is not claiming to be am example of his wisdom. Were you really interested in debating the logic on an intllectal level, Rav Feldman (and even the smallest of his students) can easily demonstrate the inherent validity of our position.
He's not trying to debate palvanovs ideas. He's calling attention to his heresy. It's a message to ppl who trust Rabbi Feldman and look to him for guidance.
It isn't a message trying to convince a heretic of the truth of Torah shebaal peh
I've been developing a thesis about the role Egyptian culture played in laying the groundwork for the Torah nation. Can you point me to the relevant sources where Palvanov talks about "why Egyptian artifacts look uncomfortably familiar"?
Save a brother the time having to scroll and guess?
Putting aside halachic mandates to guard against exposure to heretical ideas, using control as a means of perpetuating the survival of a species is baked into human DNA.
To survive in the Levant you either eat or are eaten. Strength comes from community which requires being ready to lay down your life for king and country.
But you also need Tzofim - People with vision who see farther into the future and help make micro-adjustments to hedge against incestual thinking.
Those who choose to question are not much different from the prophets and seers of old who occasionally we're stoned and executed to silence their voices.
Ultimately he is acting according to halacha. The poskim rule that it is forbidden to read/view heretical material. This isn't a claim on R' Feldman, rather it is on all Halachic Judaism.
Do you think there's a fear embedded in the rabbi's disagreement beyond a mere desire for religious certainty?
That if the Torah was not a one-time complete divine command given at Sinai, then the glue that holds the Jewish community together and makes it unique would dissolve? That perhaps even the sacrifices and victimizations of Jews throughout history for their faith would be in vain?
LoL "Why'd he pick the Rambam".......Why pick the first halachic exposition that covers the entire Torah Sh'Baal Peh when you can pick people that covered only parts of it and who agreed on large portions of what was written?!
There's a saying I remember, I don't remember from which college prof I heard it first:
. . . "There are none so blind, as those who will not see."
. Charles
PS -- John Heyward, 1546, is the first record of it, according to:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8JvO14fB00
Rav Feldman likely didn’t watch anything. Maybe he was shown some fragments that might have even indeed sounded controversial.
The real initiator of this Palvanov project is certainly Yaron Reuven. He has made plenty of videos defaming virtually all independent frum guys with some media popularity. Generally speaking, Reuven is a total nut case. So I think this isn’t the case of guarding any walls, just the ongoing malicious practice of defaming others for the purpose of creating more media attention.
Pretty disgusting to be honest. What’s more disturbing though is that there seems to be a substantial number of people who genuinely find Reuven&Mizrachi appealing. There’s probably no way to help those, I guess. I can’t imagine a moderately intelligent person tolerating Reuven’s talk for more than 5 minutes.
Rav Feldman taking a clown like Yaron Reuvein serious enough to release a video based on his assessment would be more of an indictment of his leadership skills and discernment than anything else. I’m inclined to imagine he wouldn’t do that. (I’m not that familiar with Rav Feldman, just I assume someone as well known as him is at least intelligent enough to not take a clown like Reuven seriously)
Do you know that he takes that guy seriously?
My guess is that he’s pretty indifferent to Yaron. He probably thinks it’s just some Kiruv guy. Yaron likely sought endorsement of his project from a big Rav and used connections to influence Rabbi Feldman to record this video.
In terms of leadership, I have no idea. He’s certainly not a leader for me. I respect his technical halachic authority to the extent that more learned people in my community do, but as far as hashkafa, I am not aware of any great ideas that he produced, and don’t consider his philosophical views any more important that those of Sam Harris or Richard Dawkins. As for discernment, again as I said I expect him to be rather indifferent and think in terms of simplified labels like “us vs. not us”, and this reflects his general inability to engage with the real world: differentiate, conceptualize etc.
Another excellent post by Lakewood from AI
No. Really. R Aharon Feldman is actually one of the most knowledgable Mekubbalim in the world, yet hides his knowledge from people. The video is not claiming to be am example of his wisdom. Were you really interested in debating the logic on an intllectal level, Rav Feldman (and even the smallest of his students) can easily demonstrate the inherent validity of our position.
He's not trying to debate palvanovs ideas. He's calling attention to his heresy. It's a message to ppl who trust Rabbi Feldman and look to him for guidance.
It isn't a message trying to convince a heretic of the truth of Torah shebaal peh
I've been developing a thesis about the role Egyptian culture played in laying the groundwork for the Torah nation. Can you point me to the relevant sources where Palvanov talks about "why Egyptian artifacts look uncomfortably familiar"?
Save a brother the time having to scroll and guess?
Putting aside halachic mandates to guard against exposure to heretical ideas, using control as a means of perpetuating the survival of a species is baked into human DNA.
To survive in the Levant you either eat or are eaten. Strength comes from community which requires being ready to lay down your life for king and country.
But you also need Tzofim - People with vision who see farther into the future and help make micro-adjustments to hedge against incestual thinking.
Those who choose to question are not much different from the prophets and seers of old who occasionally we're stoned and executed to silence their voices.
Ultimately he is acting according to halacha. The poskim rule that it is forbidden to read/view heretical material. This isn't a claim on R' Feldman, rather it is on all Halachic Judaism.
Do you think there's a fear embedded in the rabbi's disagreement beyond a mere desire for religious certainty?
That if the Torah was not a one-time complete divine command given at Sinai, then the glue that holds the Jewish community together and makes it unique would dissolve? That perhaps even the sacrifices and victimizations of Jews throughout history for their faith would be in vain?
LoL "Why'd he pick the Rambam".......Why pick the first halachic exposition that covers the entire Torah Sh'Baal Peh when you can pick people that covered only parts of it and who agreed on large portions of what was written?!