The Charedi press hasn't been under this much pressure in a long time. "The mailboxes of thousands of Bnei Brak and Jerusalem residents, as well as residents of other Charedi neighborhoods, were flooded again this week with a wave of shocking, slanderous words against Chazal and our rabbis the Rishonim, who were as angels," reported the Charedi newspaper HaMishpacha. According to the paper, it is a "low and most degraded heretical pamphlet" bearing the name "Daat Emet."
The Charedi newspaper HaShavua reported that "an anonymous apostate is trying to present himself as an expert in the ways of Torah." The two papers said that "under the instruction of leading Torah greats, these letters are to be destroyed unopened." Signs were given for identifying these spiritual letter bombs.
The Degel HaTorah newspaper Yated Neeman reported that Yeshiva students have issued a pamphlet, entitled Zot haTorah lo t'hei muchlefet, in response to the heretical pamphlet, and it "refutes the heretical arguments one by one." Rabbi Y.D. Rosenberg, in an especially emotional article in Yated Neeman, argued that "Not every leaf blowing in the common or not so common wind may cast doubt on matters touching upon the secrets of existence, matters which the pillars of the world and the giants of the earth have clarified and examined, which all who see their holy words are shaken by the depth of their knowledge and emotions." Even the National Religious Party's newspaper, HaTzofeh, joined the fight against the pamphlet, claiming that it made use of correct facts to lead the reader to incorrect conclusions and to spread the poison of heresy, lies, and apostasy.
What did the authors of the three "Daat Emet" pamphlets, all people with Halachic backgrounds who left the religion, really do? They used the tools of Torah study to see if our Sages of blessed memory obtained their knowledge directly from G-d or whether they were as ignorant about science as the rest of their generation. The results are most amusing.
The first pamphlet brings a series of important Halachic sources which determine that lice were created from dirt or the sweat of man. The Mishnah and Rashi further claim that there are mice created from the dirt which are half flesh, half dirt. The second pamphlet examines Chazal's claims that beasts of prey have venom and Rashi's words that the windpipe divides in three, sending branches to the lungs, liver, and heart.
The authors of the pamphlets agree that it seems "Chazal's knowledge was no better than the knowledge of scientists of those generations, that is, flawed, partial knowledge which is not compatible with reality." The authors explain to the readers that their words are meant "to enlighten and examine the words of Chazal, the Rishonim and Achronim, to see whether their words match reality; be as a thinking man and not as a fool who accepts everything without examination and verification."
The third pamphlet escalates a step and dares to wonder how it happened that Moses our teacher listed the hyrax and the hare amongst the ruminants "while the hyrax and hare do not ruminate at all." The author wonders whether "Moses wrote this according to the holy Spirit?!! Was this, G-d forbid, an error? An error in our holy Torah?! It appears from our words that Moses our teacher did not understand animals, and if he wrote in error he did not write according to the holy Spirit, for the holy One, blessed be He, never errs; he wrote on his own."
The secret of the pamphlets' strength apparently is, as it notes, that "all we have said is in respectful language which respects all." It does not deny the existence of G-d, only doubts the word of those who presume to represent Him, and it uses the only means of proof yeshiva students recognize, the Jewish library.
"And if the people of Yated Neeman think that we have brought distorted quotes," the authors of the pamphlets suggest, "would those honorable ones please be kind enough to print, in their newspaper, a Torah article which would show where and how those so-called distorted quotes were cited." For yeshiva students who "thirst for true knowledge" and wish to begin a dialogue, a post office box is offered and the authors promise "to give a full and correct answer to all correspondents, so as to be pleasing to the listener and the speaker."
For too long the secular public has abandoned the field of ideological debate and left it to the Charedi to create the impression that they have all the answers. The organization for those leaving the religion, "Hillel," even clarifies, time and again, that it does not engage in missionary activities, as though there were some shame in rescuing young Charedi people from the life of idleness and ignorance which is to be their lot. The organization even takes care to warn every candidate of the difficulties to be expected in the secular world.
The Daat Emet pamphlet is an important step in the right direction, but is not enough. Another important step is the internet magazine "Gog," which recently premiered and which features Daat Emet pamphlets side by side with practical information about disorganization in the Ministry of Religious Affairs and techniques of the outreach organizations. Its founders believe that they must publicized and distribute words of apostasy written by the Rishonim and Achronim through the mails, the internet, in synagogues, and to teach yeshiva students to ask. There is no greater danger to the Charedi community, there is no greater challenge to its foundations, than scholars who ask questions.
From: Haaretz, January 26, 1999 9 Shevat 5759