When my Emunah questions started reaching a critical mass, my wife panicked and reached out to a Rebbitzin she trusted. That Rebbitzin suggested that she ask me to talk to a particular Chaim-Berlin-style Rosh Yeshiva who has a reputation of being both an illui and a worldly maverick. I met with him several times, and, amongst other things, I raised the problem that quite a few statements in Chazal were untrue when viewed in light of today's science. The Rosh Yeshiva pulled a Morah Nevuchim off his shelf and showed me the passage where the Rambam grapples with the issue himself. The Rosh yeshiva pointed to where the Rambam says that Chazal was very possibly limited to the science of the times, and said that I should assume Chazal were mistaken on the topics I had brought up. I was scandalized. I had never heard an elderly chardi, yeshivish, accepted Rosh Yeshiva adopt such a position.
"Isn't what you are saying kiferah, falling into the category of "ma'chish magi'deha"? I asked.
The Rosh Yeshiva seemed tired, almost like he was resigned to the pushback.
"This is how my rebbeim taught me," he said simply.
Later, when I raised this Rosh Yeshiva's view with my peers and mentors in my kollel, they all cycled through the same process. First disbelief, then assuming that I misunderstood the Rosh Yeshiva, and finally delegitimizing the Rosh Yeshiva, claiming he is an outlier opinion and reevaluating their original respect for him. (One of my friends and chavrusa, even went so far ask to ask me to verbally renounce my belief in the Rosh Yeshiva's position for me to be trusted enough for him to associate himself with me further.)
Something odd is going on. It seems like the older generation had far more nuanced views than the younger generation of Rebbaim. The younger generation of Rebbaim radicalized the next wave of talmidim, making this Rosh Yeshiva's position utterly untenable.
However, I believe that the next generation is also undergoing a radical change.
In Lakewood, six years ago, in most circles, it was scandalous to have a smartphone. If you saw someone with a smartphone, they were almost certainly not a ben Torah, and it was entirely socially acceptable to harass them about their phone. However, by the time I left kollel about two years ago, more than half my fellow yungerlight had smartphones. Even while my more yeshivish friends are clinging to their flip phones, their wives are often sporting the latest model iPhone. Schools stopped insisting that one couldn't have a smartphone to register your children, instead, falling back to demanding that parents have a TAG approved filter.
Two nights ago, I talked with a Rabbi who has become one of the go-to men for "adults-at-risk." He told me that there had been an exponentially significant uptick in the number of cases he has seen in the past year compared to previous years. Tons of yungerlight in BMG and NY yeshivish communities are having serious "Emunah issues." The Rabbi did not speculate on why there was such a substantial increase in numbers, but the reality is the same - something is happening.
On the other hand, if you walk into the Lakewood shuk around Succos time, you will find hordes of people eagerly buying aleph aleph brisker haddasim for $50 a pop.
Additionally, when I was in BMG, the older bochurim were a sad and lonely lot. They were awesome people, mature, funny, and possessed rich personalities. But life had dealt them a tough card. They watched all their friends get married, get flashy chosson watches, new expensive leases with their shver's money, stunning new 4-bedroom apartments, and generally move on in life. They were stuck, trapped in the BMG cycle of horror. Many wanted to escape and start the path of earning a productive livelihood, but they couldn't. Shidduchim demanded that they remain in yeshiva, but, According to them, BMG did not allow them to enroll in any outside courses. They explained that after a bunch of hassling, BMG finally allowed them to join in PCS's accounting course--but they were not allowed to tell anyone. It was a secret, that if revealed, could lead to expulsion. BMG is a pure makom Torah, and anything that gives the impression that Torah and chol can mix must be eradicated. Dozens of these bochurim attended accounting school, late at night, clandestinely building their resumes to move on with their lives eventually.
I do not know what all this means. Is Lakewood changing? Is it getting more or less radical? What does the Olam think about these issues?
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