Q&A: A Rabbi Who Has Gone Astray
A Rabbi Who Has Gone Astray
Question
Hello,
What is the Rabbi’s view about studying Torah from a rabbi who has gone astray and was discovered to have committed indecent acts and was convicted of various such offenses?
Is there a fundamental problem here—namely, a problem regarding the honor and purity of Torah—or do we not worry about that, and it is possible to separate between the Torah and novel insights and the evil deeds?
Answer
I have no problem with it at all. One should always relate to ideas, not to the person saying them. Of course, not to see him as your rabbi and not to rely on his judgment, and not to give him access to children and people who do not have enough critical sense. But to hear interesting ideas from him? Why not?
Discussion on Answer
Absolutely not. Whatever you can learn, it is worth learning. Why should it matter what field it is in?
At first glance, the Talmud forbids it out of concern that we will not know how to distinguish between the pure and the impure.
If I study his Torah, won’t I be influenced by him?
I don’t think so, and I really don’t think you will be influenced toward sexual promiscuity by a lesson you hear.
Doesn’t the Talmud have authority here?
Authority in what sense? I do not know of any prohibition against learning from a rabbi who has gone astray. I know of various recommendations, and I also know that Rabbi Meir learned from Acher, and Rabbi Akiva from Rabbi Eliezer who had been excommunicated. And I also know the distinctions the halakhic decisors wrote between their times, when all Torah was transmitted orally by the rabbi, and our times, when the information is found in books and the rabbi’s status is completely different.
Isn’t there a higher spiritual standard expected of rabbis who claim to represent Torah authority?
Before even talking about the content of what he says—which really is important to study on its own merits, and it does not sound reasonable to me that anyone would be negatively influenced by it—don’t we demand a more complete moral level from rabbis from whom we want to learn?
In my opinion, this is what the Talmud requires when it says: “If he is like an angel of the Lord of Hosts, they should seek Torah from his mouth.”
How should one relate to a rabbi who has gone astray? Does one need to denounce him publicly, or simply not call him by honorific titles and that’s all?
Maimonides, Laws of Torah Study, chapter 4, law 1—from the words “and likewise” until the end of the law—it sounds like it is forbidden to learn Torah from him. I would be glad for the Rabbi to address this source.
A rabbi who has gone astray has the same status as any other person who has gone astray. Of course, if you see that he has a bad influence, that should be dealt with accordingly.
I assume Maimonides means serving under him for practical rulings (learning halakhic judgment from him), and not learning Torah from him in a lecture, as is customary today.
Does moral corruption impair halakhic judgment, or does it add some unknown bias, so that one should suspect his motives and not accept anything without proof?
Moral corruption can indicate a strong influence of urges or impulses (a sign and not necessarily a cause). I would not rely on the judgment of a person who is driven by his impulses.
Interesting. I do not feel that way (unless there is a clear reason for suspicion). Maybe it can be tested empirically. That is, gather thousands of rulings from different decisors, corrupt and upright, and present them to distinguished rabbis so they can give their opinion on the contents. Personally, I would be very surprised if there were a statistical gap in favor of the upright decisors. I understand that in your view there would be such a gap?
But actual Torah study?
And is there a difference between novel analytical insights and ethics and faith?