What Happens if German Orthodoxy Disappears?

So if you've seen my posts about KAJ NY and Monsey, you heard the happy tale of my discovering German Orthodoxy still living and breathing in our times. But as a German Jewish type, I'm not going to allow myself to exaggerate and wax romantic. I did indeed find elements of German Orthodoxy in the KAJs, but there's no denying that this is neither Frankfurt circa 1870 nor Washington Heights circa 1950 or even 1980.

So while you'll see at KAJ remnants of the old German Jewish decorum and Hirschian approach, you'll also see lots of Eastern Europeanism in there. You see one Hirsch chumash on the shelf and 50 Artscrolls. Same with the siddurim. However, you won't necessarily see even that in a Litvish shul.

I don't mean this as a criticism of the Eastern European approach but rather a lament for the waning of  pure TIDE alternative. Certainly, you see TIDE elements in the American yeshivish world where general studies are part of the educational curriculum if only due to government rules and most people get jobs eventually if only due to the high expenses here. You see elements in the MO world where the idea of compassion for the gentiles and contributing to the society are tangible. However, you don't see much of pure TIDE with Torah being central at the same time that positive general studies are embraced, where one has compassion for the world but practices Austritt.

German Orthodox in its pure form is leaving us rapidly I remember 25 years ago living in Monsey and hearing the term Breuers fairly often. I remember being captivated by the word. Today, you really don't hear it much.

So what happens to Hirschian concepts like tikun olam, contributing to one's society, caring about humanity, reasons for mitzvos, learning a trade?

Have no fear. The rock solid reputation of R' Hirsch is enough to keep them around. Of course, it's hard to be in a world that does one thing while you do your own with only books to back you up. That's one of the reasons I visit KAJ when I can, to feel that I"m not in this alone - Modern Orthodoxy not providing the support I need because of all the problematic pieces to it.

But you don't need just Hirsch for these concepts. The Netziv talks all about light unto the nations. See my prior post about that. The Duties of the Heart talks about actually following the nations in the areas where they act properly (Introduction to Duties of the Heart, near the end). He gets it from the Gemara. The Shulchan Aruch, according to R' Breuer, talks about dignity and order in the synagogue. The Rambam talks about getting faith from studying nature. The Sefer HaChinuch gives reasons for the mitzvos. The Kuzari talks about faith coming from history. Many talk about the point of Torah study being for keeping mitzvos (Ramban - letter to his son, R' Soloveitchik in the Rav Thinking Outloud). R' Hirsch was remarkable in how he packaged all this up and again you still have Hirsch and to see his approach demonstrated through people like R' Breuer and others in the old kehilla, certainly that makes life much easier. But these concepts are all just Torah concepts. They'll live on. Be strong.

Eastern Europeanism has transformed too. The old Litvaks are also gone. What we have today Haredism and Modern Orthodoxy. They offshoots of old Europe but not old Europe itself. And these will transform too. Life is ever changing. Torah is eternal. R' Hirsch packaged up Torah concepts and his package will last as long as it will last. Then it will go into the body of eternal Torah teachings by our great scholars. Spanish Jewry as practiced in Spain faded too and then the teachings of those greats went into the great body of work from which future generations drew.  No movement is immune from this. You just do the best you can and God will take care of the rest.