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| Rabbi Ysoscher Katz |
I was contacted by Rabbi Katz who said that I was misrepresenting his views and that he and his family were deeply hurt by my post. He actually agrees with Rabbi Linzer.
One of the most important things to me is Emes. Hurting people by mischaracterizing them is the last thing I would want to do. Needless to say, it was never my intent. It was the furthest thing from my mind.
I want to therefore publicly apologize for my error. I am truly sorry for any hurt I caused to him and his family. And ask for their forgiveness. I also invited Rabbi Katz to personally respond to that post and that I would publish it. He graciously accepted. His words follow - unedited and in full.
Dear Harry,
I was alerted to your post about YCT earlier this week and, as I read it, was surprised to see you misrepresent my views on the issue you were discussing and carelessly lumping it with views of others in the YCT community who I disagree with. While I have been grappling with the complex halakhic issues for many months, I will share my own views (as representative of no one other than myself) at the appropriate time.
However, my contribution to my student’s alternative semicha fund had nothing to do with my halakhic opinion. It was merely an expression of emotional support for my student by helping him pursue an alternative semicha in place of the one which he did not receive. I was providing chizuk to a student בשעת צערו. I also thought it was appropriate to shell out money as a form of expiation. I strongly believe that we need to ask forgiveness from Ha’kadosh Baruch Hu for hurting other people, even if and when we might think that it is justified.
I assume that you would do the same for your student, who is like your own child, after they have been so profoundly hurt, rightfully or not.
Having said that, allow me to add some personal thoughts regarding my beloved student. (Again, speaking here on behalf of myself, not as a representative of YCT or any other institution. Only R. Dov Linzer is authorized to speak for the yeshiva.)
I have known him for a long time. He is a ben Torah and true yerei shamayim. I am confident that will achieve his goal of reaching existential wholeness in a manner that is yashar and correct in the eyes of Hakadosh Baruch Hu. There will, undoubtedly, be mistakes along the way, as happens to all of us, but ultimately, with se’yate’e deShemaya, he will arrive at the place which God and God’s Torah demands of them.
I pray שיהי ה׳ מצליח דרכו, כי מלאכיו יצוה לו לשמרו בכל דרכיו
Be’yedidut,
Ysoscher