Daas Torah: A criticism from Tanya

The concept of Daas Torah, as the specialy granted ability of Gedoei Hador to receive Divine assistance in ruling  on all matters, including those that are not explicitly linked to a Torah source, is often linked to the"chassidic revolution" and the concept of the Rebbe as a guide in all matters of body and soul.

Here is an exerpt of an article that makes this point, here:

"

Some observers, such as Dr. Jacob Katz, feel that the idea that these are de facto binding on the whole community is a novelty to those outside of Haredi Judaism.

Prior to the modern period, rabbis functioned as the primary leaders of every Jewish community. Lay leaders served under the general guidance of the rabbincal leadership regarding religious issues, and often on political matters as well. This was not understood to mean that rabbis, even gedolim, were infallible, but simply that they were seen as the best qualified leaders for the Jewish people (Feitman 1995).

Some argue (e.g. Kaplan 1980) that with the rise of modernity and the wider availability of secular knowledge (and a reduction of commitment to religion), various groups, including groups within the "Orthodox" world, raised challenges to the exclusive leadership role of the rabbis. These theorists suggest that to some degree, this generated a backlash in the Haredi world, intensifying the Da'as Torah concept to imply near infallibility for gedolim.  ...

Many believe that the gedolim receive Divine guidance in their leadership role. Some regard the rise of the Da'as Torah concept as a return of a form of low-grade "prophecy" to Judaism, and a number of social researchers in Israel see the appearance of Da'as Torah possibly as part of a process or reaction, in the Haredi world, to the Holocaust and the establishment of a Haredi society based on a very large proportion of men devoting themselves to full-time Torah study. ... "

Here is how Avo Sharan explains this concept:

"Da'at Torah is not some Jewish equivalent to the Catholic doctrine of papal infallibility. Not only can rabbis make mistakes of judgment, there is an entire tractate of the Talmud, Horiut, predicated on the assumption that they can, that even the Sanhedrin is capable of erring, even in halachic matters. What Da'at Torah means, simply put, is that those most imbued with Torah-knowledge and who have internalized a large degree of the perfection of values and refinement of character that the Torah idealizes are thereby rendered particularly, indeed extraordinarily, qualified to offer an authentic Jewish perspective on matters of import to Jews - just as expert doctors are those most qualified (though still fallible, to be sure) to offer medical advice."

Note that this is a little different in that it has makes recourse to Divine Inspiration.

For an extensive discussion of this concept and how it relates to older similar concepts, see here:

It is interesting that Tanya appears to agree with some of the modern criticisms of this concept (Iggeres Hakodesh, 22);

חכמי ישראל הראשונים והאחרונים

Has such a thing ever happened in days past? Where indeed have you found such a custom in any of the books of the early or latter sages of Israel,

להיות מנהג ותיקון לשאול בעצה בגשמיות, כדת מה לעשות בעניני העולם הגשמי

that it should be the custom and established norm to ask for advice in mundane matters, as to what one ought to do in matters of the physical world?

אף לגדולי חכמי ישראל הראשונים, כתנאים ואמוראים, אשר כל רז לא אנס להו, ונהירין להון שבילין דרקיע

[Such questions were not asked] even of the greatest of the former sages of Israel, such as the tannaim and amoraim, the authors of the Mishnah and the Gemara, “from whom no secret was hidden,” and “for whom all the paths of heaven were clearly illuminated,”

כי אם לנביאים ממש אשר היו לפנים בישראל, כשמואל הרואה, אשר הלך אליו שאול לדרוש ה׳, על דבר האתונות שנאבדו לאביו

but only of actual prophets who used to live among the Jewish people, such as Samuel the Seer to whom Saul went to inquire of G‑d through him about the donkeys that his father had lost.

Why, indeed, were sages of stature such as the tannaim and amoraim not asked about mundane matters?

כי באמת כל עניני אדם, לבד מדברי תורה ויראת שמים, אינם מושגים רק בנבואה

For in fact all matters pertaining to man, except for words of Torah and the fear of heaven, are apprehended only by prophecy.

ולא לחכמים לחם

[As the verse states,] “there is no bread unto the wise,”

כמאמר רז״ל: הכל בידי שמים, חוץ מיראת שמים

and as our Sages, of blessed memory, said, “Everything is in the hands of heaven except for the fear of heaven.”

ושבעה דברים מכוסים כו׳: אין אדם יודע במה משתכר, ומלכות בית דוד מתי תחזור כו׳

Likewise, “Seven things are hidden...: no man knows how he will earn his living, nor when the Kingdom of David will be restored...,” i.e., when Mashiach will come.

הנה הושוו זה לזה

Note that these [two questions] are likened to one another. Just as no one knows exactly when Mashiach will come, so, too, no one knows by what means he in fact will obtain his sustenance.

ומה שכתוב בישעיה: יועץ וחכם חרשים

As for the phrase in Isaiah, “A counselor and a man whose wisdom silences all,” suggesting that Torah wisdom qualifies one to advise in other fields as well, —

וכן מה שאמרו רז״ל: ונהנין ממנו עצה ותושיה

and also, as for the statement of our Sages, of blessed memory, regarding one who studies Torah lishmah, “for its own sake,” that “people derive from him the benefit of etzah (counsel) and tushiyah (wisdom),” —

היינו בדברי תורה, הנקרא תושיה

these teachings refer specifically to [counsel in] matters of the Torah, which is called tushiyah (assistance).

כמאמר רז״ל: יועץ, זה שיודע לעבר שנים ולקבוע חדשים

Thus the Sages, of blessed memory, said: A counselor is one who knows how to intercalate years, making certain years leap years by interpolating an additional month of Adar, and how to determine the months, establishing what day is Rosh Chodesh, the first day of the lunar month,

שסוד העיבור קרוי עצה וסוד בלשון התורה, כדאיתא בסנהדרין דף פ״ז, עיין שם בפירוש רש״י

for in Torah terminology the principle of intercalation is called “counsel” and “a secret,” as stated in Tractate Sanhedrin, p. 87; see the commentary of Rashi there, which states explicitly that the terms “counselor” and “advice” are related to the principle of intercalation.

Of course, this passage must be seen in the light that the Alter Rebbe himself functioned as any Chassidishe Rebbe and willingly dispensed direction and advice about all matters of life, not ony Torah issues.

A note in the Lessons in Tanya makes the folowing point:

"As we all know, however, chassidim in every generation have in fact asked their Rebbe for advice in mundane matters and, moreover, each of the Rebbeim has in fact obliged. How is this possible? Elder chassidim of earlier generations used to explain that the Alter Rebbe himself sanctions this conduct — in the letter that he wrote “close to the time of his passing,” regarding the value of “fraternity and counsel from afar with regard to all family matters....”

Be it as it may, the position expressed above by Tanya should be an important addition to the debate about the validity of the concept of Daas Torah.

Comments

[Neil Harris]

Was the concept and term "Daas Torah" coined by R Yisrael (Lipkin) Salanter?

[Neil Harris]

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