Regarding this essay - a wiki page of one of the people mentioned in the article from whom we should learn [according to the speaker quoted in the article] revealed that he [who was raised Orthodox] was married to a Muslim woman for many years. Then he divorced her and was then busy with another בת אל נכר [to borrow rabbinic parlance] for a while until he married another woman [who didn't have a Jewish name but maybe she converted]. Not to mention all of those in between וד"ל. [Maybe he did teshuva? We hope].
Let us learn from pure people who are not only great thinkers but can also control themselves.
On that note - there was a big item in the news that a well known, shamed rabbinic personality who was found guilty by a court of law and caused a MAMMOTH chillul Hashem and crisis of faith for his countless followers, opened up a Beis Medrash in the center of Yerushalayim. He has hundreds of followers and big money behind him.
Maybe he did teshuva. Maybe he was never guilty in the first place. [Even though Rav Aharon Lichtenstein and numerous other prominent Rabbonim thought he was and told him to leave the world of education for he is dangerous]. Who knows. I hope he was always innocent and did teshuva if he wasn't. But למיחש מיהא בעיא - There has to be some element of concern when such people are seen as guiding lights. It gives the impression that as long as you have knowledge and charisma you can get away with anything. That is not דרכה של תורה.
לא אלמן ישראל. We have so many special Talmidei Chochomim with squeaky clean records. Why can't we follow them???
