Who is the new leader of Klal Yisrael?

Boys, please read:

http://www.theyeshivaworld.com/coffeeroom/topic/rating-gedolim/

Sadigur Rebbe, I did and Rav Auerbach is still on the Moetzes the same as the last 20 years.

NC -“Rubashkin.”

I think he’s a Godol in Achdus. All the others mentioned are Gedolim in their own right.
I personally think that the most Chushuv in our generation is the Kaliver Rebbe.
He spoke in English to give Hakoras Hatov to Pres. Trump!

So the criteria for a Gadol now is whoever approves of Trump in English?

I always suspected some kind of democratic process in the decision of who to place on the gedolim pedestal, including public opinion, but I never knew the electoral college was involved.

this is a very important issue to resolve. if aliens land on route 59 in monsey tomorrow and say take me to your leader, we will look very foolish in their eyes as we stumble and fumble for his name and address.

lebedik yankel – What was the position of Rav Shteinman zt’l that Rav Edelstein shlita has taken over?

I don’t understand this talk of “taking over.” Take over what? The Gimmel political party? Degel? That’s not the same as the Leader of Klal Yisroel. Klal Yisroel is, unfortunately, not a united group. And we certainly do not all follow one person. Everybody has their own mesora, their own rabbonim, and neither Rav Shteinman nor any other Gadol has ever claimed authority over all of Klal Yisroel.

benignuman, you never heard Rashkbehag applied to contemporary Gedolim?

Rav Moshe Feinstein was the Rashkbehag, as was Rav Shach and Rav Elyashiv.

Godolhador -” but there is any oxymoron about being a “gadol” and giving the Trumpkopf a blanket endorsement. in any language”

And you think calling yourself “GODOLHADORAH” on YWN, makes you one?!?

Or, it’s very sad that you didn’t begin to understand mine. If it helps, I didn’t expect you too, so I was already sad before I wrote it.

Joseph, I have certainly heard people use that term as an honorific for contemporary Gedolim in my lifetime. However, I do not think I have ever heard anyone use the term in its literal sense. Rav Moshe was widely accepted as the Torah authority for the yeshivish velt in the United States. But he was not accepted as such an authority by the Chassidishe velt or even the Yeshivish in E”Y.

The same is true of Rav Shach (who was never really treated as a halachic authority) and Rav Elyashiv. Their sphere’s of authority were limited to certain subsets of Torah Jewry.

Even the Chofetz Chaim, who was universally revered as a tzaddik yesod olam, was not viewed as an authority by all Torah Jews. Even Rabbeinu Gershom Meor Hagolah, was not really a Rashkebahag because he was not followed in the Mizrachi world.

A source for a fact that everyone already knows, is the Rambam in his Hakdamah to the Mishneh Torah where he says that there has not been a central authority since the compilation of the Gemara. He says that every Chochom in each respective city has the authority to pasken according to the Gemara as he deems proper.

benignuman, just as you see the appellation Rashkbehag when applied to contemporary gedolim as not being literal, why can’t you see a discussion (and title) such as this thread in the same light?

“Rav Moshe was widely accepted as the Torah authority for the yeshivish velt in the United States. But he was not accepted as such an authority by the Chassidishe velt or even the Yeshivish in E”Y.”

Yes, yes… To say what should have gone without saying, this thread is OBVIOUSLY talking about who the next gadol will be for the Litvish velt that followed HaRav Shteinman. I don’t really see how anyone managed to be confused by that.

On Rav Moshe as Rashkebehag. I don’t mean that the Yeshivish in E”Y never used the term with regard to Rav Moshe and they certainly revered him as a tzaddik and talmud chochom. But Rav Moshe actively resisted paskening for E”Y, and practically speaking his psak was not followed on many, many issues in E”Y.

Funny, Joseph. Because the power of psak is real (like lehavdil, the judiciary) whereas the “gadol hador’s” power is undefined, illusory, unenforceable, without clear precedent, comes from a chassidish place,
So a “posek hador” if he exists would have real power. The term “gadol hador” is mostly meaningless.

Joseph,

Two reasons: 1. I think in recent years people have started to take the “leader of Klal Yisroel” idea too literally. As if there was an actual rabbinic position with that title (like the Naasi in Mishnaic times).

2. Properly understood the question is non-sensical. The authority or authorities of the yeshivishe velt come about organically. There is no appointing body, no formal vote, no particular criteria. You can’t really ask the question as if there can be an immediate answer. You just need to look around after a while and see who the rabbonim you follow defer to.

To bring my point home. I did not think Rav Shteinman tz”l was the “Leader of Klal Yisroel.” I saw large segments of the Yishivish velt not deferring to him. And I did not get the impression that people viewed him as a halachic authority.

Joseph, I did not mean to imply that Rav Moshe was followed on all matters by all Yeshivish people in the United States. But his psak on various issues (especially new ones) were followed the vast majority of the time. And when it came to public halachic issues he was followed all of the time in his later years in the US. He was not similarly followed in Eretz Yisroel

Beni: “To bring my point home. I did not think Rav Shteinman tz”l was the “Leader of Klal Yisroel.” I saw large segments of the Yishivish velt not deferring to him. And I did not get the impression that people viewed him as a halachic authority.”

I didn’t have the guts to say this, but that’s kind of what I thought too. I don’t really know enough about the society in Israel, but it sure seemed like Rav Kanievsky was always the more prominent posek.

if one were to translate lehavdil the three branches of government into Judaism

On what basis?

I thaught we are not supposed to compare tzadikim thats first. Ssecond every sect of judiasm has there own gadol hador therethere will never e an agreement till moshiach comes.

Rashi wasn’t the universally accepted Godol Hador of his day?

Randomex:

“if one were to translate lehavdil the three branches of government into Judaism

On what basis?”

On the basis that these three powers exist in all law-based institutions. Being that yiddishkeit is a law based institution, it has at least those three powers. The question is, how are they divided? The Torah divides between Kehuna, Melucha, Nevius, and Rabbanus with distinct rules for each.
Who is the executive branch now that we have no king?
I think it is an important question.

Why do you think “separation of powers is a Jewish concept?”
If I’m not mistaken, our kings had all 3 powers.
The Chashmona’im were punished for taking the throne despite not being
of the royal family. You’ll have to find another source to support that idea.

Can there be an executive without a state?

(What did you mean by “legislative powers are from Sinai”
and by “involved laypersons?”)