Problems With Today's Agudath Yisroel

The Decline of the Generations: Today and  Agudas Yisroel

Dovid Eidensohn

The Mishneh in Sota 49 makes is clear that from the time of the Destruction of the Second Beis HaMikdash, decline from generation to generation was the order of things. The final terrible decline comes just prior to the coming of Moshiach. We want to discuss here that decline as it comes from the time of the Chofetz Chaim who founded Agudas Yisroel with other great rabbis such as Reb Chaim Brisker and great Hassidic rabbis. We will discuss that decline and bring it up to date to our own time, a time where it is quite difficult to find a kosher Beth Din in Israel or America, and where rabbis are known to make major mistakes.

Let us go back to the founding of Agudas Yisroel by the Chofetz Chaim, Reb Chaim Brisker and the Torah leader of the kosher community in Germany which was at that time a rarity but one respected by the Chofetz Chaim and great Gedolim. The first meeting of the Agudah was successful. But the second meeting was without Reb Chaim Brisker and his friend a prominent Chassidic rabbi. The reason given was that the Torah Jews in Germany, respected by the Chofetz Chaim, were nonetheless in a country so remote from Torah that certain perhaps unavoidable changes were made, and tolerated by Gedolei HaDor.

 As a matter of fact, the Gaon Reb Yisroel Salanter, perhaps the greatest saint and Gaon of his generation, left Orthodox Europe and went to Germany near Memel to teach Torah where he influenced many people, some of them quite wealthy who supported poor Jews in Israel, to become his disciples in learning musar. But when Reb Yisroel spoke in shul on Shabbos, he noted that out the window of the shull could be seen ships loading merchandise for the Jewish merchants. He explained that he left the old county because when the horses race down the mountain the driver cannot control them until they reach the bottom. Therefore, the decline in the old Europe could not be controlled, and he came to Germany and eventually France, to reach and influence people more readily.

Our modern age in America begins with the arrival here of Geonim Reb Aharon Kotler who worked with Reb Moshe Feinstein, Reb Yaacov Kaminetsky and other European Gedolim to bring Torah to a broken world. But these Gedolim had children and disciples who did things that were against the Torah. Today the problem is incredible and is producing a generation of mamzerim from forced Gittin. The Sefer Mishpitei Yisroel from the Gedolim of Israel and America describes the sin of using a GET from a Beth Din that is not controlled by the senior rabbis.

The sons of Reb Yaacov Kaminetsky and Reb Moshe Feinstein are described in my blog in the strongest condemnation and they are major Rosh Yeshivas. I recall years ago around 1993 that senior rabbis in America told me to run for the office of County Executive in Monsey on the condition that I would lose. This was a joke but with a blessing from these rabbis I entered the race and was written up on the front page of the major newspaper the Journal News, “Rabbi Attacks the Gay Lobby” in big black letters with my picture on top of page one of the paper.

At that time I asked two major Rosh Yeshivas associated with Agudas Yisroel to help me fight the gays. They both replied, “It is forbidden to fight gays. We are against hate.” What about Vayikro 18 and 20 that a gay who sins with a man is put to death?

In recent times things are even worse, much worse. A senior Rov who did much to build Torah in America and Agudas Yisroel was recently appointed Assemblyman to take the place of one who resigned. He then announced that he would honor all of the rulings of the old Assemblyman who was a strong liberal and supported gays. Today some people despise Agudas Yisroel. A far cry from the Chofetz Chaim.