Letters/Discussion Forums
Don’t judge the judges
In regard to the Beth Din’s Limmud decision, don’t judge our judges. The Book of Ruth talks about how in the days of judging judges, there was a famine. Our rabbis ask about the seeming tautology of judging judges, and explain that because they judged their judges in order that they should not have to listen to them, they were punished with a famine. So, please don’t judge our current judges and continue all your loshan horah (negative speech). The Beth Din’s decision with regard to Limmud is its business, with reasoning beyond us.
Elliot Kuppler, Johannesburg
I shouldn’t have to justify to you why you shouldn’t do so, but will share a snippet with you. There is a fairly prominent rabbi – who incidentally achieved six distinctions in matric when distinctions were rare – and has been involved in full-time Jewish learning for more than 20 years since the day he matriculated. It gives us an indication of how learned he is, and how little importance he attached to matric. I heard this rabbi say about one of the judges that he has no idea how someone can know so much.
So to conclude, the Beth Din and leadership gave Limmud a fair hearing, and in their wisdom they decided it wasn’t good. There are so many 100% kosher and free shiurim which are of a much higher calibre than the Limmud lecturers, whom I have heard speaking elsewhere.