This reminds me of a story that I read about the Brisker Rav. A number of kannoim came to him to get his support for a protest against something. They said that he was the Gadol Hador and they wanted his approval. He answered, you only call me the Gadol Hador because you think I support your position. As soon as I say something you don't like I will no longer be the Gadol Hador.
The same or worse applies today and is exactly what happened to R' Shteinman. Yonasan Rosenblum (Kollel is not always forever) said it best:
There is another reason that there will be no such public statements. Any such statement would be met with vicious attacks by the “kenaim,” who would say about the gadol in question precisely what KollelGuy asks me: Who are you? The Chazon Ish did not say what you are saying; Rav Shach did not say it.” Perhaps KollelGuy remembers the attacks on one of the Sages he mentions for his tacit support of Nahal Chareidi. (Even Rav Shach used to say that he was afraid of the stone-throwers.) One of the members of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah of the United States told me recently that the gedolim cannot even discuss questions surrounding poverty because if they did the “street” would just label them fake gedolim.
4 comments:
Do you have a link for the Rosenblum quote?
I updated the post with a link
So they're chareidim mamash.
The problem is that some Gedolim are supportive of "kollel forever" idea.
And they would call the other Gedolim (who care about poverty) as "fakers."
The problem is not with the street, but with half of Gedolim.
How come only R Steinman signed to nachal charedi? Where are R Eliashiv, R Kanievtsky, R Moshe Shapiro etc...?
They, by not signing together w/r steinman, made him look like lone maverik/faker!!
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