Consider the following list of people:
1. Moshe Rabbeinu
2. David Hamelech
3. Eliyahu Hanavi
4. Ezra Hasofer
5. Shammai Hazaken
6. Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai
7. Rabbi Akiva
8. Rabbi Yochanan
9. Abayei
10. Rav Saadia Gaon
11. Rashi
12. Rabbeinu Tam
13. Rambam
14. Ramban
15. Rav Yosef Karo
16. The Maharal
17. The Arizal
18. The Gra
19. The Chofetz Chaim
20. Rav Kook
21. The Chazon Ish
22. Rav Moshe Feinstein
23. Rav Aharon Kotler
24. Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik
25. The Satmar Rebbe
26. Rav Shach
Now perform the following mind experiment. Suppose, in conversation with your average, say, 19-year-old "yeshivish" yeshiva student, I argue that one of these people committed a particular grave error. Assume the student has never heard anybody make this allegation before, although I do have considerable historical evidence to back myself up. Concerning which people do you think I would encounter the most resistance in making my claim? List these personalities in order of least to most resistance. If there are too many people for you, you can leave some out, or make several different lists with different combinations of people.
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3 comments:
moshe rabbenu would encounter the least resistance LOL
20. Rav Kook
24. Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik
10. Rav Saadia Gaon
5. Shammai Hazaken
7. Rabbi Akiva
13. Rambam
2. David Hamelech
12. Rabbeinu Tam
4. Ezra Hasofer
16. The Maharal
25. The Satmar Rebbe
8. Rabbi Yochanan
9. Abayei
6. Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai
14. Ramban
15. Rav Yosef Karo
1. Moshe Rabbeinu
26. Rav Shach
23. Rav Aharon Kotler
19. The Chofetz Chaim
22. Rav Moshe Feinstein
21. The Chazon Ish
18. The Gra
11. Rashi
3. Eliyahu Hanavi
17. The Arizal
Not 100% sure what to choose on some of these, so say there's a 2 or 3 position margin of error
Do we now have to guess what each one's grave error was? Some I know, some I don't - and for the moderns (RAK, RYBS, RAYHK, etc.) exactly what the error was depends on one's politics. Far enough back, we just have the judgement of Chazal or Hashem.
E.g., for Moshe Rabbenu, hitting the rock the second time, and Hashem judges him for that. For Rashb"i, burning up the farmer after year 12 in the cave, for which he had to go back in. For David Hamelech, the Uriah incident, which may not have been technically a sin, but was clearly an error, as he confesses to Natan the navi.
What was the Gra's error? That he believed in tzimtzum kepeshuto, as the Chabadniks allege? As I say, the closer you get to modernity, the more the judgement of "error" is tinged by politics.
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