The Chutzpah - A Good Eye

Somebody sent me a link to a post about the latest "scandal of censorship" and asked my thoughts.

He is the short of it: Artscroll produced a new Mikraos Gedolos chumash and omitted a passage of the Rashbam [Breishis 1/5] where he says that according to the simple meaning of the text the day precedes the night. This is in contrast to Chazal who teach us that according to the Torah, night precedes the day. [Incidentally - When it comes to non-halachic matters one may interpret a pasuk differently than Chazal as the rishonim and achronim often do and שבעים פנים לתורה].

This is undue censorship of a major rishon and some people are furious.

"The CHUTZPAH" they cry.


Artscroll responded as follows:  ".... an exegesis that Ibn Ezra, in his famous Iggeres HaShabbos, vehemently condemns, stating, that it had been put forth by “minim” (heretics). Furthermore, a later exegesis in the same manuscript page (on verse 14) directly contradicts that earlier exegesis."

I am not convinced that they did the right thing. If the standard Rashbam has it then it should remain [maybe with an added footnote pointing out the critique of the Ibn Ezra]. It is a dangerous precedent to set when we start cutting out classic sources that may make some uncomfortable.

What really gets me though are the people who spend a TREMENDOUS amount of time and energy exposing flaws in religious or Charedi people or organizations while ignoring the great contributions these people or organizations make to the Jewish world.

Artscroll is a classic example. I have heard so much criticism of Artscroll over the years. People were angry that they didn't offer a literal translation of Shir Hashirim, people were angry that their gedolim stories don't always seem to be accurate, that they rewrite history etc. etc. I am not saying that they are perfect. Nobody is perfect. I am also not saying that they are above criticism. Everybody needs constructive criticism to help them improve. What troubles me so is the inverse proportion between the amount of positive they produce vs. the negative and the amount of criticism they bear.

MILLIONS of pages of gemara have been learned and understood thanks to Artscroll. I get on the LIRR and I am sitting next to a businessman holding his Artscroll gemara in hand [he is usually playing around with his Iphone or blackberry but he will eventually get to the gemara:-)]. On the plane - Artscroll gemaras. In the beis medrash - Artscroll gemaras [or their imitations]. All types of people use them from the beginner to the advanced. And then there is their mishna series. And their Chumashim and Siddurim which fill the shelves of just about every English speaking shul on the planet. And so much more.

My point is that people LOVE to find fault. The same way they find fault with Artscroll they find fault with their wife, husband, children, the rabbi of the shul, the mayor, the waiter etc. etc.

Again - very often criticism is necessary but the balance should be to primarily focus on the good with an occasional notice of what needs improvement. We call that an "Ayin Tova". I know so many people who make their own and other peoples lives so miserable by always finding what is [or seems] bad and wrong.

Please be my partner in be mischazeik/es in Ayin Tova:-).