If true
prayer takes place in the heart one does not need a master of
ceremonies to mediate between the congregation and the Creator.
Judaism teaches that every individual possesses a heart full of
love - conscious or unconscious - for God; his heart is as near to
the Gates of Heaven as that of the "clergyman," often more so. There
is no need for the "rabbi" to stand on a pulpit, adorned with the
"priestly vestements, " to stage the prayers. He and the simple Jew
have exactly the same status before God. Joseph B.
Soloveitchik, Shiurei HaRav,
edited by Joseph Epstein ( Hoboken, New Jersey: Ktav, 1974), adapted
translation by Shalom Carmywith Menachem Kasdan from Maayonot,
Tefillah 5724, Department of Jewish Education for the Diaspora, p.
84.
...the study of the Torah is an ecstatic,
metaphysical performance; the study of Torah is an act of surrender.
That is why chazal stress so many times the importance of
humility, and that the proud person can never be a great scholar,
only the humble person. Why is humility necessary?
Because the study of Torah means meeting the Almighty, and if a
finite being meets the infinite, the Almighty, the Maker of the
world, of course this meeting must precipitate a mood of humility,
and humility results in surrender. Partial transcript
of an address to the RCA Convention, 1975, on the topic of
gerut. Transcribed by Eitan Fiorino
in http://mail-jewish.org/rav/talmud_torah.txt.
He (Abraham) was a resident, like other
inhabitants of Canaan, sharing with them a concern for the welfare
of society, digging wells, and contributing to the progress of the
country in loyalty to its government and institutions. Here, Abraham
was clearly a fellow citizen, a patriot among compatriots, joining
others in advancing the common welfare. However, there was another
aspect, the spiritual, in which Abraham regarded himself as a
stranger. His identification and solidarity with his fellow citizens
in the secular realm did not imply his readiness to relinquish any
aspects of his religious uniqueness. His was a different faith and
he was governed by perceptions, truths, and observances which set
him apart from the larger faith community. In this regard, Abraham
and his descendants would always remain “strangers.” Reflections
of the Rav, p. 169
There is one power authority that the Torah not
only sanctions but encourages in Jewish society, that of the
teacher-student relationship. Our leader is not the king, nor the
warrior, but the Torah scholar whose authority is that of a Rebbe
over his talmidim….(However) the authority of the teacher is not
imposed; no coercion or political instrument is employed. His
authority emerges from his personality; his learning and
selflessness are acknowledged. Not fear but affection and respect
motivate one’s submission. A teacher is a master, like a king. At
times, he inspires emulation of his way of thinking and his general
deportment, but this does not result in the enslavement of his
disciples. The students are not crimped and circumscribed; their
souls are not shriveled through fear and conformity. On the
contrary, there is an enlargement and growth of the total
personality. Reflections of the Rav, p. 135
