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| R' Yiztchok Sorotzkin (Wall Of Fame) |
At the time (early 60s) Telshe had a program for high school students designed to learn Gemara with Beis Hamedrash students in the evening. There was no official night Seder but we were all set up with those older students - called ‘Eltera Chavrusos’.
My freshman year it was with a brilliant fellow from my home town of Toledo. (ironically he has since gone OTD ). In my sophomore year I was set up with Yitzchok Sorotzkin. He was just a bit older than me, but far more advanced in Torah study. By miles. His father was R’ Baruch who was at the time a RoshYeshiva under the Rosh HaYeshiva, Rav Motel Katz – destined to become the next Rosh HaYeshiva together with Rav Mordechai Gifter.
Yichus aside - R’ Yitzchok was (is) a Masmid and brilliant Talmud Chacham in his own right. He has published many Sefarim since those days and is well respected by his peers. Which is why he was chosen to become a member of the Agudah Moetzes.
It is worth noting that a few years ago, when the Charedi world in Israel was crying foul and condemning their government’s requirement to register Charedi students for the draft, R’ Yitzchok was asked by a Charedi magazine columnist to comment on the ‘woeful’ situation there. His response was along the lines of, ‘What woeful situation?!’ Instead he saw tens of thousands of students studying Torah there with unprecedented intensity and success. I remember being proud of his response.
This announcement contained what probably amounts to the first edict that he is listed as being a part of. It is in reference to how we should approach the high holidays. Much of which I agree with. But there is one part of it with which I completely disagree:
Davening: It is appropriate, under our present circumstances, to be especially mindful during prayer, and certainly to not change in any way the recitation of the traditional prayers and piyutim. (It goes without saying that the blowing of the shofar should not be changed in any way.)
Under normal circumstances this would be quite appropriate. But not when there is a pandemic that has had deadly consequences. Which can be exacerbated if this part of their edict is followed. There is not an epidemiological expert in the world that has not expressed the fear that spending too much time indoors will increase the incidence of COVID. Even if all the precautions are taken and adhered to.
Which will instead very likely be violated during the course of a 6 to 7 hour day on Rosh Hashana in a building for 2 days in a row and then almost an entire day on Yom Kippur. There is a high probability that these rules will not be followed all that meticulously. I doubt that Shuls that follow this edict will be monitoring all the people in the room to assure compliance. Or whther they will in any event be able to enforce it in every case of a breach. Especially now when everyone is experiencing pandemic fatigue.
As I keep saying. The Pandemic has not gone away. It is just as deadly now as it was 6 months ago. As the President was recently discovered to acknowledge early on, this virus is 5 times as contagious as the flu and far more deadly. And more insidious since it is contagious for days before any symptoms appear.
This is not the time to stay in Shul and say all the Piyutim – most of which were likely composed long after the Talmudic era. Which means there is not even a rabbinic requirement to say any of them.
Under normal circumstances we want to say them as a means of prayer. But they should never be said when doing so may result in increased serious illness and death.
That is why (as noted by a frequent commentator here) R’ Akiva Eiger eliminated all the Piyutim during the pandemic of his day.Was he less Frum than today’s Moetzes members?
This is also why Rav Hershel Shachter issued a Psak allowing for shortened services during Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur. Adding that if necessary we do not need the extra Tekios (Shofar blasts) to raise the amount to 100. The Halachic requirement applies only to those blasts sounded just before Musaf and those sounded during Shemonah Erseh (Chazras hashatz) of Musaf.
I understand that there are differences of opinion. Even though I agree with Rav Shachter (and thereofre strongly disagree with the Moetzes) they are huge Talmidei Chachamim and certainly entitled to their own opinion. But it was in the way that they phrased it that troubled me. As though there was no possibility of another point of view under these circumstances. Did they phrase it that way because of R' Shachter?
The fact that the OU/RCA (and CRC) Shuls will be following the traditions of R’ Akiva Eiger and reducing the amount of time spent in Shul to approximatey 2 and ½ hours (based on the best advice of medical experts) should not be cast in the kind of negative light that the Agudah Moetzes has done.
I agree. Prayer is important. Especially at this time. But not as important as doing what is necessary to prevent unnecessary illness and loss of life. R' Akiva Eiger understood this. R’ Shachter understood this. And so do I.