And the most negative Jewish blogger of the year award goes to…

Rabbi Avi Shafran….

I know you all were expecting someone else, but just because someone is a well respected Rabbi by some, doesn’t mean they can tame their yetzer harah for negativity and sinas chinam. After reading Rabbi Shafran’s post comparing all bloggers who dare to question the God given authority of Daas Torah to Korach, I decided to bestow this lofty award on Rabbi Shafran. I think Dov Bear seems to agree with the negative blogger of the year award.

Sneering cynicism. Self-glorification in the guise of advocacy. Ostentatious observance cloaking rank jealousy. “Democracy” in the pursuit of evil ends. Haughtiness pretending to the selfless pursuit of justice and truth.

What do all those things bring to mind?

A) The parsha we read on Shabbos.

B) Much of the “Orthodox Jewish” blogosphere.

Both, you say? You win.

Such a talmud chochom you may say, but isn’t he doing the exact same thing that these supposedly Korach-esque bloggers are doing. He is putting all of his anger towards people who are merely trying to question the system, did you know that when Rav Elyashav a gadol b’torah was nifter that Shmarya Rosenberg of Failed Messiah put up blog post about their lives and the good they did? I bet Rabbi Shafran didn’t take the time to look at Yerachmiel Lopin of Frum Follies when he talks about his Jewish ethos and his respect for true Daas Torah. Just because someone is passionate about justice within the frum community and writes something you don’t agree with, doesn’t make them Korach. Unless Rabbi Shafran is implying that he is God.

The problem with self righteous frum people is that they don’t realize they sound exactly like the people they seek to attack. Matzav is probably the most self righteous site of all, constantly attacking other bloggers for seeking truth and questioning when it comes to Daas Torah, Haredi violence, sex abuse, and women’s rights. Just because someone is frum, doesn’t mean they don’t deserve to seek the truth. Just because you keep shabbos, kasharus, and taharas mishpacha doesn’t mean you give up your right to question what goes on in the inner circles of the Rabbinate.

Daas Torah, the kenaim, askanim, and everyone else who is in the battle to out-frum each other is responsible for the erosion of Daas Torah, not the bloggers.

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