The Chachmei Ha-mesorah

Rav Soloveitchick in a 1975 lecture [from R' Ari Kahn's blog]. I was unable to attend as I was very busy playing with my blocks and lego.

Kabalas ol malchus shamayim -- which is an identical act with talmud torah -- requires of us to revere and to love and to admire the words of the chachmei hamesorah, be they tannaim, be they amoraim, be they rishonim.  This is our prime duty.  They are the final authorities, and an irresponsible statement about chazal borders on, I don't like to use the word but according to Maimonides, the heretic.  When the Rambam says about tzadukim, perek gimmel hilchos t'shuva halachah ches, v'chen hakofer b'perusha v'hu torah she- b'al peh v'hamach'chish magideha k'gon tzadok ubaitos -- it's very strange, I wanted to discuss it with my father zt"l.  Whoever denies the truthfulness or the authenticity of the torah she-b'al peh is a tzaduki.  Why did he add v'hamach'chish magideha -- whoever denies the authority of the scholars, the chachmei hamesorah?  Apparently the Rambam says that under the category of kofrim batorah are classified not only those who deny for instance that nisuch hamayim or avodas beis hamikdash is required, or those who deny the torah she b'al peh -- there is no doubt about it in those cases.  But moreover, even those who admit the truthfulness of the torah she b'al peh but who are critical of chachmei chazal as personalities, who find fault with chachmei chazal, fault in their character, their behavior, or their conduct, who say that chachmei chazal were prejudiced, which actually has no impact upon the halachah;  nevertheless, he is to be considered as a kofer.  V'chen hakofer b'perusha v'hu torah she b'al peh v'hamach'chish magideha; he who denies the perfection and the truthfulness of chachmei chazal -- not of the Torah, but of the chachmei chazal as personalities, as real persona as far as their character, their philosophy, or their outlook on the world is concerned -- is a kofer.  Let me add something that is very important: not only the halachos but also the chazakos which chachmei chazal have introduced are indestructible.  We must not tamper, not only with the halachos, but even with the chazakos, for the chazakos of which chazal spoke rest not upon transient psychological behavioral patterns, but upon permanent ontological principles rooted in the very depth of the human personality, in the metaphysical human personality, which is as changeless as the heavens above.  Let us take for example the chazaka that I was told about: the chazaka tav l'meisiv tan du mil'meisiv armalo has absolutely nothing to do with the social and political status of women in antiquity.  This chazaka is based not upon sociological factors, but upon a verse in breishis -- harba arbeh itz'voneich v'heironeich b'etzev teildi vanim v'el isheich t'shukaseich v'hu yimshal bach -- "I will greatly multiply thy pain and thy travail; in pain thou shalt bring forth children, and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee".  It is a metaphysical curse rooted in the feminine personality -- she suffers incomparably more that the male who is in solitude.  Solitude to the male is not as terrible an experience, as horrifying an experience, as is solitude to the woman.  And this will never change, mayid shamayim vaaretz.  This is not a psychological fact; it is an existential fact, which is due not to the inferior status of the woman, but rather to the difference, the basic distinction, between the female personality and the male personality.  Loneliness frightens the woman, and an old spinster's life is much more miserable and tragic than the life of an old bachelor.  This was true in antiquity; it is still true, and it will be true a thousand years from now.  So, to say that tan du mil'meisiv armalo was or is due to the inferior political or social status of the woman is simply misinterpreting the chazaka tan du mil'meisiv armalo.  No legislation can alleviate the pain of the single woman, and no legislation can change this role.  She was burdened by the Almighty, after she violated the first [law].  Let me ask you a question -- ribono shel olam, G-d Almighty, if you should start modifying and reassessing the chazakos upon which a multitude of halachos rest, you will destroy yehadus.  So instead of philosophizing, let us rather light a match and set fire to the beis yisrael, and get rid of our problems.