Is Torah scholarship and punctillious performance of Mitzvot enough to make one a leader of Klal Yisrael?

In comments on my post re Rav Elyashiv I was lambasted by many for not accepting his statements about the conduct of this war and the diplomacy around it without question. I was accused of Bizuy Talmidei Chachamim, of Pirud and a host of other transgressions. Let me first state that I meant no disrespect to Harav Elyashiv. He is both a Zaken and Yoshev Be’yeshivah and deserves all the respect we can give him. That does not however make him infallible and above criticism when he wades into areas he has no expertise in. All I know is that we are at war and public pronouncements about submission to the world’s will can only hurt and demoralize. It is especially so when coming from someone who advocates that Bnei Torah have no responsibility to be productive in society and partake in the defense of the land. If they do not want to join the army directly, which to my mind is in itself a disgrace, why not send bachurim bein hazmanim to help the army, bringing supplies, comfort and chizuk to the front lines? Why not help families whose breadwinners are at the front, by trying to fill in their jobs where possible? Why not help fill in positions in the country’s infrastructure while those who were responsible are at the frontline? As long as the Chareidi world refuses to act responsibly, I do not think they have a right to have a say in the conduct of the war or for that matter the nation. If someone should be accused of Pirud, it should be the people whose pronouncements are considered Torah min Hashamayim by the masses. It is not me on my little blog that is doing it. All I am doing is venting and sharing my frustrations with my readers.

Now let us deal with the issue of listening to a great Chacham in Halacha in areas that he has no expertise in.

Can someone who has no knowledge in a subject legislate in that subject? Rambam in Hilchot Sanhedrin 2:1 rules:

א אין מעמידין בסנהדרין, בין בגדולה בין בקטנה--אלא אנשים חכמים ונבונים, מופלאין בחכמת התורה, בעלי דעה מרובה, ויודעין קצת משאר חכמות, כגון רפואות, וחשבון תקופות ומזלות, ואיצטגנינות, ודרכי המעוננים והקוסמים והמכשפים והבלי עבודה זרה וכיוצא באלו, כדי שיהיו יודעין לדון אותם

What I gather from this Halacha is that if I needed to ask a sh’eilah that dealt with medicine, astronomy, hashkafah, I would first verify if that Posek had the necessary knowledge in that area before asking him. כדי שיהיו יודעין לדון אותם.

Does spending a lifetime learning Halacha without theological or philosophical enquiry, make one into a Hashkafic expert? In fact is that the ultimate goal for a person in his Avodat Hashem to strictly learn Torah limiting it to Halacha and Mussar?

The answer here is complex and quite involved. In the last few generations, I believe because of a situation of Eit La’asot la’shem, some Rashei Yeshiva have advocated that as being a goal. Unfortunately that approach has robbed us of real leaders who can interact with a thinking person, a layman who aspires to serve HKBH without staying within the confines of the Beit Hamidrash. Even those Chachamim who would have leadership aspirations, are stifled by the hysterical masses of close-minded zealots. The reason I say it is an Eit La’asot La’shem situation is because the Rishonim, Rambam, Ramban, Rashba and others of their stature saw Limud Hatorah, the part that deals with Halacha and its practice, as a stepping stone to proper speculation and searching for God, Yediat and Ahavat Hashem. These goals cannot be achieved without knowing about the sciences, about the world. As one gets closer to HKBH in that way, using the knowledge acquired from the Torah, the personal growth and service of God generated by following its teachings supplemented by a good understanding of the world and its inhabitants, one starts to know, love and emulate Him and thus becomes a real leader who has to be listened to. That learning Torah on its own is only a tool is made clear by Rambam in Moreh 3:54 –

“Our Sages have likewise derived from this passage the above-mentioned lessons, and stated the same theory that has been explained in this chapter, that the simple term hokmah, as a rule, denotes the highest aim of man, the knowledge of God; that those properties which man acquires, makes his peculiar treasure, and considers as his perfection, in reality do not include any perfection: and that the religious acts prescribed in the Law, the various kinds of worship and the moral principles which benefit all people in their social intercourse with each other, do not constitute the ultimate aim of man, nor can they be compared to it, for they are but preparations leading to it. Hear the opinion of our Sages on this subject in their own words. The passage occurs in Breishit Rabah, and runs thus," In one place Scripture says, 'And all things that are desirable (hafazim) are not to be compared to her' (Prov. viii. 11); and in another place, 'And all things that thou desirest (hafazecha) are not to be compared unto her '" (ibid. iii. 15). By" things that are desirable" the performance of Divine precepts and good deeds is to be understood, whilst" things that thou desirest" refer to precious stones and pearls (in other words wealth DG). Both - things that are desirable, and things that you desire -- cannot be compared to wisdom, but" in this let him that glorieth glory, that he understandeth and knoweth me." Consider how concise this saying is, and how perfect its author; how nothing is here omitted of all that we have put forth after lengthy explanations and preliminary remarks.”

Performance of Mitzvot, learning halachot is not the ultimate goal for a person, just like acquiring wealth is not. Note the jarring comparison!

What is the goal of Yediat Hashem? Rambam concludes:

“The prophet does not content himself with explaining that the knowledge of God is the highest kind of perfection: for if this only had been his intention, he would have said," But in this let him who glorieth glory, that he understandeth and knoweth me," and would have stopped there; or he would have said," that he understandeth and knoweth me that I am One," or," that I have not any likeness," or," that there is none like me," or a similar phrase. He says, however, that man can only glory in the knowledge of God and in the knowledge of His ways and attributes, which are His actions, as we have shown (1:45) in expounding the passage," Show me now thy ways" (Exod. xxxviii. 13). We are thus told in this passage that the Divine acts which ought to be known, and ought to serve as a guide for our actions, are, hesed," loving-kindness," mishpat," judgment," and zedakah," righteousness."… The prophet thus, in conclusion, says," For in these things I delight, says the Lord," i.e., My object [in saying this) is that you shall practice loving-kindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. In a similar manner we have shown (1:45) that the object of the enumeration of God's thirteen attributes is the lesson that we should acquire similar attributes and act accordingly. The object of the above passage is therefore to declare, that the perfection, in which man can truly glory, is attained by him when he has acquired-as far as this is possible for man-the knowledge of God, the knowledge of His Providence, and of the manner in which it influences His creatures in their production and continued existence. Having acquired this knowledge he will then be determined always to seek loving-kindness, judgment, and righteousness, and thus to imitate the ways of God”

The last few sentences describe a leader, a true leader, who leads his people “in their production and continued existence”. If there is such a thing as Da’at Torah, here is the description of a person who has acquired it.