The Real Difference

Question: What is the difference between Mainstream Orthodoxy and Modern Orthodoxy?

Response: There are fundamental social divisions that exist among the People of Yisrael. A lot of people might look at a certain detail that pertains to this division such as Tzionism or the color of one’s suit. However, the fundamental difference lies at the heart of the Haskalah (Post-Enlightenment movement). The social division that separates Normative Orthodox Jews from other Jews is the fact that the Pro-Haskalah Schism was rooted in the desire to adapt to ideas that are newer and/or involve being friendlier with the Akum.

The best example of how a Pro-Haskalah Schism affected the Jewish community is Hungary. The Latin word “neo” means “new”, and the Neologs were a Modernist Sect of Orthodox Jews that had an interest in newer ideas. In practice, they’d be considered Modern-Orthodox at best and Conservadox at worst. The Neolog movement existed in a time period where Magyar (Hungarian) Nationalism was on the rise which included the proliferation of the Magyar Language. While Ashkenazi Jews were, historically, speaking languages that resemble Old French and Old German, the sprouting of Magyar culture meant that Jews would be influenced by newer ideas.

Now, in the context of the current situation, the usage of the Magyar language has no implication of exposure to modernist ideas. In fact, Hungary is more to the Right than most of Europe. So if it’s not the language itself that makes the difference, then what does? Perhaps, it’s the modernist ideas.

Modern-Orthodoxy promotes the idea of learning and participating in the secular University system. Why is that? A man can become a computer programmer without going to a University. If a successful Jew in Beit Shemesh was a successful computer programmer without going to a university, then by looking down on him for not having learned and participated in a university means that you don’t like the fact that he did not participate in that system.

And now you can see why the Haredi world has a different attitude on giyus…A fair number of Datim Leuimim understand that it would be a problem for a fair number of the Gavrim Haredim (Religious men) to be part of Tzahal unless they’re in the Haredi unit, and we all know that the [previous] Minister of Defense tried to sent out Giyus letters to thousands of Gavrim Haredim even more than the number needed to fill that unit. There is a reason for Datim Leuimim to be skeptical of the dangerous, corrosive elements in the Israeli political establishment especially when you’re dealing with the Secular Tzionist political parties. So if a Dati Leuimi is trying to make someone who is Haredi Leuimi or Haredi [Stam] feel guilty for not joining Tzahal, then maybe he should consider the fact the degree of assimilation associated with the IDF and then see if he (he who’s Dati Leuimi) is being strongly for assimilation into the secular Jewish culture.

It was never about one’s attitude towards Tzionism as if anyone can truly comprehend what that means in our society where the Medinah was already created. It was never about the language that a Jew speaks. In fact, there use to be plenty of Yiddishists – people promoting their secular ideas and lifestyles using the Yiddish language. The fundamental difference is the attitude on assimilation.

As it turns out, many Jews associated with these Modox-leaning ideologies are, in fact, pro-assimilation. They do not see anything wrong with the modern world, nor do they understand the dangers of creating a society built on modernist values specifically and especially those that have no stood the test of time. That is why the Modox crowd goes to Giyus and College…

Since October 7th, there has been the unification of the Nation of Yisrael, and I haven’t seen that many people, who are associated as being Dati Leuimi, try to instigate a social conflict over their opinion on Giyus, but nevertheless, it is important to understand the ikar (primary focus) of the division between Orthodox and Modern-Orthodox Jews are. It would also be good to nullify such social divides.

In fact, I’d say that there is a fairly large middle ground when it comes to the stereotypes of Datin Leumim and Haredim such as those who identify as Hardal, and also, it is important to note that many Observant Jewish people are open-minded but don’t see themselves as gravitating towards Modern-Orthodoxy. This is because they don’t value Modern-Orthodox Society enough to consider themselves part of that segment of Yisrael.

There is still a difference between being an open-minded Religious Jew and being a Modern-Orthodox Jew. Being an open-minded Jew, who sees himself perceives himself as one who wants to be Observant, is different than one who views himself as being part of the world of Modern-Orthodoxy which accepts a belief system that’s Pro-Assimilation which is an ideal that supports the complexities of the modern world including the evils of secularism. If one is identifying himself as being part of society that’s Modern-Orthodox, then he is openly claiming that he is a subject to the cultural influences thereof.

Ideally, we should consider living in a world where Jewish people do not have ideological differences. In fact, the character traits of a Jew should be more important than his sociopolitical leanings. In order to accomplish this, we need to analyze what kind of people we are to better understand our commonalities.