Q&A: Attitude Toward Rabbis Who Have Gone Astray
Attitude Toward Rabbis Who Have Gone Astray
Question
Hello Rabbi Michi!
Unfortunately, in recent years a number of affairs have come to light involving rabbis who sinned (especially in matters of sexual propriety and the like). What should the attitude be toward books those rabbis wrote? Is it permitted to study them? Is there any difference between books they published before the sin and after it? Is there any difference between different kinds of sins (for example, between theft and sexual prohibitions)?
Thank you in advance!
Answer
There is no difference at all, and no prohibition. When you read a book, you are not supposed to see it as a source of authority but as a source of inspiration. If there are good ideas there—take them. And if not—don’t read it, even if the author is a perfectly righteous saint. This is apparently what was said about Elisha ben Avuyah (“Acher”): Rabbi Meir ate the fruit and threw away the peel. Receiving a halakhic ruling from such a person is problematic (though not inconceivable), because his ruling may be biased by his urges. In neutral areas, you can also consult him (although it seems to me that it isn’t appropriate to give him the status of a halakhic decisor whom people turn to with questions).
Discussion on Answer
I haven’t checked, but I have a similar impression. There could be several reasons for this—for example, people of Jewish law don’t cast charm and charisma over their listeners. They appeal to the intellect and to logical thinking, and that’s how they are judged. They also aren’t involved in counseling people about their personal lives. Besides, “rabbis” who don’t deal with Jewish law are not rabbis. For the information of all kinds of organizations and people—men and women—who think otherwise.
By the way, without getting into names, I’ve noticed that most of these scandals aren’t from rabbis who are known as people of Jewish law.