What is an old-fashioned Litvishe Purim like? We have discussed the Litvishe attitude to Purim in the past here, but it is worthwhile to revisit, explore, and reinforce it yet again, due to confusion among too many people, who have come under foreign influences.
This time, we will look at and try to learn this סוגיא via the example of the renowned Rav Avigdor Miller z"l. Rav Miller was a born and bred Litvak, a Litvak through and through, who learned under great Litvishe gedolim in the USA and in Europe, where he learned in the Slabodka mussar yeshiva.
Let us focus on a few points from תורת אביגדור..
1) Rav Miller z"l spoke strongly against drunkenness on Purim. Purim is to gain דעת he explained, not to lose it ח"ו.
2) When asked about the Purim-Yom HaKippurim idea, an idea stressed by Chasidim that Purim > Yom Kippur, that has become widespread and popular among so many nowadays, he seemed to be unaware of it, and explained it in a different way than it is usually done. That shows that that idea was not part of the Purim milieu and discourse in old Litvishe Slabodka yeshiva type circles years ago, so much so, that it seemed unknown, or hardly known to him. Additionally, in a talk on Yom Kippur (in general, and app. 30% through, in a section entitled "The Happiest Time") he talks of Yom Kippur being the best day of the year, and greater than Purim, squarely at odds with the reverse notion that is heard so often nowadays.
3) I don't recall seeing him mentioning another notion stressed heavily by Chasidim that on Purim one can ask Hashem for anything, כל הפושט יד, וכו and that one therefore should "storm the heavens" on that day, as if there were a blank checking awaiting above.
ב"ה we can still get a glimpse of the old Litvishe way via Rav Miller and some others who held to tradition and did not adopt foreign notions wholesale, uncritically, as far too many do.
May Hashem help us follow our true way, וטהר לבנו לעבדך באמת.
א פרייליכען פורים
In the past I've been critical of Rabbbi Miller in this blog but on Purim it's time for Venahafach Hu. To his credit, and it's one of the reasons for his popularity, Rabbi Miller approached Judaism from the perspective of what Hashem wants rather than what the people want. This explains why he would have such a different spin on Purim. Feel good Judaism is about non stop partying and so it's in line with the motif that Purim is more elevated than Yom Kippur. As for Purim having the power to grant any and all of one's wishes, isn't that what the Rebbe was all about? You know no problem was too difficult for him to solve.Lest I sound like I'm endorsing Rabbi Miller we still must explain why he was so effusive in his praise of Chasidim, particularly Satmar and Chabad.
ReplyDeleteYour question is raised and addressed in the book "Walking With Rabbi Miller", by Rabbi Mordechai Dolinsky, put out by Mesorah/Artscroll (https://www.artscroll.com/Books/9781578193790.html).
DeleteA few weeks ago there was a fuss made in the FJJ over a supposed slight of Rabbi Miller. The paper acted as if the world was coming to an end. Rabbi Miller made some controversial statements and it's perfectly acceptable to challenge them as long as one acts in accord with Halacha. Therefore I found it repulsive when the idiotic letter writers acted as if criticizing Rabbi Miller is equivalent to Korach attacking Moshe Rabbeinu. I'm writing this because I think you're also guilty of treating Rabbi Miller as an icon rather than an influential rabbinic leader.
ReplyDeleteAn icon is an idol. Human beings are not idols, we do not allow that in Yiddishkeit. We venerate, esteem, revere great men, great gedolim...but there are limits, we are not to idolize human beings.
DeleteThank you for bringing up this important subject once again. אין מזרזין אלא למזורזין.
ReplyDeleteCertain parts of the Chassidic approach to Purim have quietly crept into the Litvishe world ;the idea of Yom "Kipurim" in particular has gained a noticeable foothold .
It is important to keep the right perspective. Thanks once again.
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DeleteWelcome back Old Litvak. You're absolutely correct that "Ki"purim has become accepted but perhaps Chasidim aren't totally to blame. The Kiruv organizations, not just Chabad, love to present Judaism as one big party so if anything sounds like fun they're all over it. As for why Rabbi Miller endorsed Chasidim I'm really not interested in what's written in an Artscroll book because they invariably present Gedolim as supernatural beings who are incapable of making a mistake. As an example consider Rabbi Miller: The Man and His Revolution. I have a theory. I'm not asking you to accept it but I'd like you to think about it. A few years ago I came across an article saying that Sladbodka produced OTD students as well as gedolim. My former Rosh Yeshiva quoted Rabbi Miller as explaining that when a yungerman leaves the religion after leaving the Yeshiva it's because he was never religious only the Yeshiva was religious. I suspect that Rabbi Miller was referring to his personal experience. I'm sure that he had Chavrusas who left the faith and he likely attributed it to the Alter's philosophy of Godlus Haadam and so he favored the Chassidic model in which people have no education and are told to simply follow orders. I'd like your feedback.
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Old Litvak can respond is he wishes, but I want to just comment on some things.
Delete"I'm really not interested in what's written in an Artscroll book because they invariably present Gedolim as supernatural beings who are incapable of making a mistake."
That critique of some gedolim books is well known. However, not all such Artscroll books are the same, nor written by the same author.
"As an example consider Rabbi Miller: The Man and His Revolution"
That was published by Judaica Press, not Artscroll. It is a worthwhile book. In general, even if a book is not perfect, we can often still benefit somehow from it, if we read carefully.
Thank you for correcting me on that point, I always accept valid criticism. As for why Rabbi Miller was fond of Chassidim could you offer a shorthand answer.
ReplyDeleteThe book I cited earlier, Walking With Rabbi Miller (R. Mordechai Dolinsky, Artscroll/Mesorah) addresses this in Chapter 28, entitled The Master of Peace, on pages 124-125 in particular. It says that Rav Miller was an unequivocally straight Litvak, with nothing wish-washy about that. However, he tried to minimize dissension, and also felt that laymen commonly misunderstood the positions of their leaders. As related in Toras Avigdor, he felt that differences among leaders should be left to them, and that followers should stay away from such things.
DeleteI would add a few more words about the matter. Rabbi Dolinsky's book was written by someone who was with him in his early years in Rugby (1940's, 1950's). It describes how at that time Orthodoxy was still quite weak in that milieu, and that there were struggles against mixed dancing, and to safeguard and upgrade basics such as kashrus, Shabbos, limud haTorah, for people to have their own Sukkahs, and so on. In such an environment it would seem quite understandable for Rav Miller to make common cause with Chasidim for a more robust and intensive observance of Yiddishkeit, and try to ignore differences.