Q&A: Haredi or Religious, etc.
Haredi or Religious, etc.
Question
I became religious a year and a half ago and was exposed to different streams within Judaism, such as Lithuanian Haredim, Religious Zionists, Hasidim, Etzniks, Chabad, Breslov, and the Zilberman community [and at the head of each of them stands a great person with reasons and explanations; where does my own intellect fit into these matters] — does the Rabbi have a well-formed position regarding these streams, and is it even my role to examine each stream? After all, what I do in life should stem from thought and understanding that this is the right thing, but when the amount that requires clarification is so large, is the right step here too to investigate and clarify?
Answer
A person is supposed to form his position on his own. It is worth hearing the arguments of all sides, and very preferably in a critical way, and then forming a position. If you are looking for someone to rely on, you will not be able to arrive at a well-formed position, because on all sides there are smart people and Torah scholars. So there is no escape from forming a position yourself. Of course, this should be done carefully and gradually. The more you get to know, the better you will be able to form a position. At first, go with your heart and your initial intuitions, but it is worthwhile to remain open and then make corrections.
In general, I am not at all in favor of adopting a sweeping position, that is, placing yourself under one of the labels you presented in your list. On every question, it is worthwhile and appropriate to form your own position. There is no reason to adopt a whole series of answers just because of belonging to one group or another. Therefore I also do not have a position toward this or that stream. I am against streams in general, and I have positions on the various questions, and that is how I try to conduct myself.
Discussion on Answer
I assume that’s a joke.
I’m asking because in a certain sense you need to connect with people (synagogue, study institutions, etc.)
yes there are some
Is there a community of people who hold this outlook?