Sick To My Stomach

DIGRESSION:

The entire "Rav Schachter Scandal" has made me sick to my stomach. It is times like these that remind me why I no longer live in the Modern Orthodox community. For a community that claims not to believe in the infallibility of gedolim to crucify one of their own greatest minds for using a turn of phrase that could be misinterpreted is simply sickening. His biggest sin, if you can call it that, is unfortunate phrasing about something that should be obvious to all. But the innuendo, the immediate negative reaction, the lack of basic respect for not only a fellow human being but a talmid hakham... disgust me. The calls for his resignation or firing are just childish. Such an act would be Modern Orthodoxy shooting itself in the foot (once again).

It is wrong of me to tar the entire Modern Orthodox community for this because it is only the vocal few who are doing the distorting, while most of the others are simply gullible and overly judgmental (I know, pot calling kettle black).

But let's be real here. Rav Schachter does not believe that women are animals. His essay does not even imply it, except by a forced and unsympathetic reading. Let's stop the (politically motivated) madness already.

Ribbono shel olam, it is not even a week after Tisha B'Av!

(This whole issue reminds of a Washington DC politician who had to resign after publicly using the word "niggardly". I hope we have not sunk so low as to allow our immediate impressions to override truth and our obligation to be dan le-khaf zekhus.)