Over the past few days, there has been vigorous and public debate about Rav Dov Linzer’s decision not to grant semikha to an openly gay student at Yeshivat Chovevei Torah. It
is not our interest here to get into the debate about Rabbi Linzer's
decision not to grant semikha. It is our interest to discuss how the public debate ought to be conducted, and how talmidei chakhamim ought to be treated.
We are mindful of the fact that we are a few weeks away from Pesach, and from the period of Sefirat HaOmer which begins on the second day of Pesach. We remember the reason that Rabbi Akiva’s students were decimated during Sefira - because they did not conduct themselves in an honorable way with each other. How much more so is it a problem when students do not conduct themselves honorably with a rebbe, or a Rosh Yeshiva who is a talmid chakham.
As a musmakh of YCT (Daniel) and a student at Maharat (Jennifer), we value the open exchange of ideas and the intellectual freedom to explore all aspects of halakha at our institutions. Such exchange of ideas, between students and students, must be done in an honorable way - for the sake of heaven, not in a way where it embarrasses people or causes undue pain and anguish.
When exchanges with rebbeim or Rashei Yeshiva occur, there is an additional requirement to conduct those conversations in a way which comports with the Torah value of emunat chakhamim. While all people are human and can and do make mistakes, emunat chakhamim dictates that students recognize that rebbeim have more knowledge, more experience, and have had more practice in developing the judgment necessary to adopt sometimes unpopular positions. When challenging a rebbe or a Rosh Yeshiva, a great degree of humility is necessary, as well as an attitude of willingness to be challenged, to see things from a different perspective, and to possibly change one’s mind.
We have had the honor of calling Rav Linzer our posek for many years, and trust his vast Torah knowledge, his expertise, his humility, his sensitivity, and his good judgment. Rav Linzer has proven himself to be a sincere ally of the LGBTQ+ community, as he has already demonstrated his support on many occasions.
Those
wishing to serve as genuine alllies of LGBTQ+ individuals within the
religious Jewish community can do so more effectively by demonstrating
sensitivity and respect for halakha as well as modeling
the Torah value of emunat chakhamim.
Rabbi Daniel Geretz, YCT/SFRP 2017
Jennifer Kotzker Geretz, Maharat 2020
