The Chairman's Take on The Agudah Convention

Agudah Chairman R' Shlomo Werdiger penned a post convention take,it was sent out to the public.

 One of the topics that came up was consensus- in a fast-paced world, where information is shared in real time, there needs to be a process as to how decisions are made and presented to the tzibbur.

Achai verei'ai,

Thanks to all of you who participated in the Agudah Convention, whether for Shabbos or one of the sessions. Perhaps you were one of the over 100,000 guests who logged in to watch it online- whatever the case, we appreciate your joining us.

Every convention has its "chidushim," but to me, one of the most important moments took place just before the convention itself started- at about 4:00 pm on Thursday, in a conference room on the second floor of the hotel.

It was a meeting between members of the Moetzes Gedolei Hatorah and the executive committee of our Board of Trustees.

As an aside, I always take a moment to look around the room and marvel- these are some of the busiest people I know. They carry responsibility for thousands of talmidim, huge budgets, so many individual issues, and yet, there is something called 'Klal Yisroel,' and to them, it's personal- whatever the discussion is, it's as important and relevant to them as if it was in their own backyard.

At this meeting, I was especially moved by the fact that Rav Malkiel Kotler, the Lakewood rosh hayeshivah shlit"a, was there- because he didn't arrive at the convention until Friday! That means he came from Lakewood to Stamford, then turned around and went right back to Lakewood, just for the meeting.

One of the topics that came up was consensus- in a fast-paced world, where information is shared in real time, there needs to be a process as to how decisions are made and presented to the tzibbur.

I shared a story which I heard directly from Rabbi Moshe Sherer a'h, who recalled a particularly heated debate between two of the senior members of the Moetzes, Rav Moshe Feinstein and Rav Yaakov Kamenetzky, who saw the same situation in very different ways. Rav Moshe didn't understand Rav Yaakov's position, and at a certain point, he grew frustrated and he stood up, excusing himself to take a walk. As the discussion continued, Rav Moshe walked up and down the hallway, and then returned a few minutes later.

He looked around at the others and asked a single question. "Shoin gevehn a hachloteh, has a decision been reached?"

Yes, they answered. They had voted and the majority held like Rav Yaakov.

Very good, said Rav Moshe- Rabban shel Yisroel- calmly accepting the decision. He came around to embrace Rav Yaakov, and then took his seat again, ready to move on.

That was the story I said, one with implications that are always relevant.

I was not the only baal habayis at the table. There were others, and it was humbling to see not how the gedolim spoke, but how they genuinely listened as the baalebatim spoke, eager to hear about the realities faced beyond the beis medrash. I knew it was special - this process of gathering facts and perspectives, and then seeing how the light of daas Torah makes everything clearer- but I couldn't articulate what made it unique until I heard Rav Elya Brudny's Motzoei Shabbos derashah. He spoke about the fusion between the tamchin d'Orasya, the supporters of Torah, and "Oraysa alein," the Torah itself, and how Eisav tried desperately to damage that connection, sensing that it is our secret. 

That idea, this bond between talmidei chachamim and their foot soldiers, baalebatim and askanim, drives us now, as we set out to follow up on the many initiatives of this convention, working on the ground to benefit klal Yisroel, at every level.

Hu yigal osanu bekarov...chaverim kol Yisroel, amen.

Besuros tovos,

Shloime