Rabbi Meir Kahane
(taken from "Perush HaMaccabee", Rabbi Kahane's commentary on the
Tanach)
"If there arise a matter too hard for thee in judgement. then thou
shalt arise , and go up to the place which the lord thy G-d shall
choose. and thou shalt do according to the sentence ." (Parshat
Shoftim, 17: 8-10)
We can learn out from the words "if there arise a matter too hard for
thee.", that if you have a question regarding something you don't
know, then you must ask. But if you are certain of the answer, do not
ask, but rather make the halachic decision on your own. And it is
unfortunate, that today many have become robots without common sense,
who turn to the rebbe for everything, turning him into idol worship,
so much so, that they disregard any other rabbi, and even turn
heretical in disgracing other Torah scholars. And this seems to be
what the Ibn Ezra is saying on the verse (11): " 'and you shall
observe to do according to all that they inform thee' regarding
something too hard for you".
"Be careful, lest you forget the covenant of the Lord your G-d, which
he made with you, and you make a carved idol, or the likeness of
anything, which the Lord thy G-d has commanded you." (Parshat
Vaetchanan, 4:23)
This verse is difficult to understand, for it should say at the end,
".which the Lord thy G-d has forbidden you." It seems that the
interpretation is like this: Do not make a carved idol, or the
likeness of anything, including of things which G-d commanded us. In
other words, don't make idol worship out of things which you admire,
such as the Holy Temple, Sefer Torah, or a great rabbi, for this too,
is idol worship. This is why the verse continues, "for the Lord is a
consuming fire, a jealous G-d". In other words, worship must be
exclusive to G-d only; and He will not tolerate any competition or
partnership in worship.
"And Asahel pursued Avner, he did not deviate from the right or left
from behind Avner" (Shmuel 2, 2:19)
One who pursues a positive goal, it is proper to see it through to the
very end, and not deviate from the right or left (as it says in
Parshat Shoftim "do not deviate from the right or left"), but adhere
to it despite all the difficulties. But such clinging to a goal is
only positive when that goal is a positive one -- only then one must
cling to the path and not deviate right or left. But if the goal
itself is a negative one, of course one must deviate from the evil (as
it says, "don't deviate from the right or left, remove yourself from
evil" (Mishle, 4:26). And here, Asahel is clinging to a negative goal,
by chasing Avner in a war of brother versus brother.
There is a sad and dangerous phenomenon today, and it is: the growing
tendency of students relying completely on the rav, or the "gadol",
going after him like a blind man in the dark, not deviating right or
left -- without the willingness to think for themselves. This
personality worship essentially prevents the student from independent
thought, and is dangerous for the student and for Judaism. Instead of
striving to serve and worship G-d, they accept upon themselves the
service of the rebbe, and if he says "white" and tomorrow "black", the
student will follow him, and will boast that he obeys his rebbe and
adheres to the mitzvah of "not deviating from the right or left".
Indeed, this is a dangerous and bitter phenomenon, which turns the Jew
from a thinking individual to a robot.
Of course, one must obey the psak halacha of his rav, but when it
comes to "hashkafa" (political, world view), one must analyze and
think things through, and he must even argue with his rav if something
seems incorrect, or he has counter sources. And if he thinks his rav's
halachic decision was mistaken, he should approach him and ask him to
clarify things, and not just accept it. And even though he must obey
the decision as long as his rav sticks to it, it is incumbent upon
him, in any case, to pressure his rav, over and over again until
either his rav agrees with him, or he is convinced that his rav was
indeed correct. And it is a pity that our generation has become one of
"mouths that do not speak, eyes that do not see".
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"Enough weeping and wailing; and the following of leaders & rabbis who
are pygmies of little faith & less understanding."
"I believe very much in a nation beating their swords into plowshears
but when my enemy has a sword I don't want a plowshear"
-Rabbi Meir Kahane Zs'l HYD