An item published in the newspaper this week was given the headline "Yeshiva students released a booklet of answers to an apostate pamphlet publicized in charedi areas." I want to comment on the phrasing of the headline, "a booklet of answers to a pamphlet," etc. and it is not: a more appropriate headline is "a booklet refuting the pamphlet," etc. For if we said "a booklet of answers" it means that there were questions and about them, answers. No such thing: there never were any questions, for not every random or not so random clerk, a day old or a year old or a half-century old, can appeal against the foundations which were set between the walls of the study hall.
No voice scattered in the typical or atypical wind can or has the authority to cast doubt on matters touching the secrets of existence. Matters which the steadfast of the world and the giants of the earth have clarified and elucidated, which were forged by the brave of heart that all who see their words of holiness will fear their scrutiny and their whispered prayer, whose sparks are sparks of G-d's flame, in the depth of their intellect, who strive far beyond what is possible for Man to achieve, and where the achievements of a great Gentile like Socrates, Plato, or even Aristotle end, there begins the achievements and knowledge of Chazal.
And even Aristotle, thought to be the greatest Gentile scholar of all generations, as brought by the Rambam in "Moreh Nevuchim," chapter 14 of the second part; the Responsa "Chavat Yair," section 9, calls him thus. And thus is written in the Igros of Rabbi S. Ibn-Tibon, and the great man, our master the Rambam entered his jaws to pluck the vomit from its swallower. Rabbi Menashe Ben Israel, in the book "Nishmat Chaim," in the second article, chapter 10, wrote that all matters on which he disagreed with his master Plato were only to show the nations his greatness and to publicize his name, as Plato heard them from Yirmiyahu the prophet, as brought there, and this is written in "Seder HaDorot," 3300, and it is also brought there from the book "Torah HaOleh" by the Ramam, and went into at length there.
And more than this, the book "Yalkut Meam Loez" brings, on Parshat Shmot, a letter written by Aristotle to his student Alexander the great conqueror, in which he retracts all he wrote and bows to the scholars of Israel.
He has already stated, in one of the articles discussing the topics our sages disagreed with the Gentile scholars, in Masechet Pesachim page 94, Amud B, whether the wheel turns and the zodiac stands still or the opposite, and the Gemara there says that the sages of Israel bowed to the Gentile scholars; the Gilayon HaShas by the gaon Rabbi Akiva Eiger notes that one should see the "Shitah M'kubetzet" on Mesechet Ketubot, page 13, the words of Rabbeynu Tam, who wrote that even though the sages of Israel admitted [they were wrong], the truth was as the Jewish sages had it, for the Gentile scholars won only by argument while the received truth was as the sages of Israel, and so when we say each day, "Who cleaves the gates of the east and opens the windows of the firmament..." Where are there windows and where gates above? One should add to this what the Ramchal wrote in "Yalkut Yediot HaEmet," "Articles of our Rabbis on the Sun," that the Gentile scholars knew only what was tangible, but the Jewish sages -- the received truth which had been given to Moshe at Sinai.
And there is no need for all this, since in later generations the Gentile scholars once again bowed to the Jewish sages as brought by the commentators on "Moreh Nevuchim," in halacha 2, chapter 8, the words of the Yashar of Kandia who wrote in "Sefer HaMilim" that they did not have to bow to the Gentile scholars because the truth was with the Jewish sages.
And we did not bring all the above but to dissuade it arising in anyone's heart that the sages of Israel did not come with the secret of proper wisdom; all this is only a drop compared to the ocean, but this is not the place to go into it at length.
And now I have come with words of Torah, for even if that clerk learned a year or more, who is he to stand in the congress of the holy and wise, the light of whose Divine wisdom eclipses the light of the sun? And were one of them to appear, all the inhabitants of the land and residents of the earth would scatter and flee; fear and trembling would possess us when recalling their holy names.
And to whose ears has not reached the name and reputation of the ancient Rav Saadia Gaon, who raised his strong arm in his great work "Emunot V'Dayot," and who went abroad with sword and spear to fight false evil when he placed his dear and pure faith on steadfast foundations -- and from him our great rabbi the Rambam drew much, he who placed his soul in his hands in order to destroy worthless beliefs which were common in his generation, and he is the man who took up the yoke because Divine supervision indicated he show the confused of his time and of all times the paved road.
And who of today's clerks will be mad enough to stand against these princes of the Torah, commanders rich with battle who entered G-d's congress, for the name of Maimonides went throughout the land and his lines were common throughout the world, and who of those who crawl in the dust, dwellers in darkened caves, would dare?
And after them arose Rabbi Yehuda HaLevi to stand before the gentry and the nobility and clarify and elucidate and polishe the dear mesorah and its principles, and his words are written and explained in his lofty book full of wisdom, knowledge, and intelligence of all sorts, the Kuzari, which is known for its glory and outstanding magnificence.
And the foundation of the holy flame which appears in "Chovot HaLivavot" by Rabbeynu Bechya to excite hearts to the foundation of the dear faith and its many kindnesses, in the firm foundations of theory, for them and from them will be burst and broken the cause of those who gape their mouths and whose hearts are empty of all content.
Rabbi Yosef Albo, who reflected many qualities and superior wisdom in passing through the prism of criticism every part and section of the dear faith also created and reaffirmed and greatly strengthened the fundamentals which he authored in all their beauty and glory.
And even the Abarbanel, who was as a razor to drive away any distress or scoundrel, are not his words in his great essay on the Torah and in the wonders of G-d; he drives away scoundrels.
And we do not come here as peddlers to enumerate our sages and the great ones of our rabbis whose little fingers are thicker than out hips, in our raising the name of the Maharal of Prague, who opened the locked gates, located Rabbi Yitzchak Ben Arama in Akara, where he blended and ground, mixed and divided all intelligence and theory, and many others, hundreds and thousands whose names are common in all of Israel.
And we have come only to comment, for not every fly with shortened wings may challenge the flock of eagles in the sky, and the word of holy Chazal are wondrously deep. There is no limit to their wisdom and happy are those who come within the gates of the holy yeshiva and study halls, who save themselves most of the soul's torments which are the lot of all those who stray from the wisdom of the holy ones. And the Ramchal has already brought, in "Mesilat Yesharim," that our rabbis OBM paved before us the path of the just and the values of the righteous, and why should we follow fools when our rabbis told us that their words are foolish and their ideas are vain and repulsive, and we have no hope but this Torah.
From: Yated Neeman, Wednesday Shevat 4, 5759 (January 21, 1999)