Can rabbis make mistakes - The Spirituality of Imperfection

The Spirituality of Imperfection[1]

Recently a famous Rosh Yeshivah stepped down admitting to of made a big mistake.

Yes a Rosh Yeshivah can make a mistake.  Even a great Rebbe and a Tzadik can make a mistake.  Did you know that even an Angel can make a mistake (see the Shaloh Beis Yisroel 18a quoting from the Medrash).

We do hold our Rebbe’s and Rosh Yeshivahs in very high regard.  The Tzemach Tzedek (quoted in Toras Shalom p. 169) said that the Alter Rebbe in the days of the Tanaaim would have been a Tanna.  The Chazon Ish (Igros Chazon Ish Vol. 1 letter 32) referred to the Vilna Goan as a Rishon. 

And yet, the pesukim are full of references to the mistakes and imperfections of the greatest of men.  To list a few, see Melachim 1 5:46; Divrei Hayomim 6:36, Mishlei 24:16 and numerous others.  There is even a special sacrifice designated for any mistakes that the High Court makes.

The rabbis of the Talmud say that Daniel made a mistake (Megilah 12a).  The great sage Rava told his students of his possibility of making an error (Baba Basra 132a). 

Yes, the Talmud is explicit (Shabbos 55b-56a) that one that says that our great Tzadikim sinned is mistaken, or as the Talmud says (Gitin 7a,) that Hashem doesn’t even cause the animal of the Righteous to sin, that is all regarding sin, but mistakes they can and do at times make[2].

Rav Nachman of Breslov famously said (Likutey Moharan I, 72; Likutey Halakhos, Hilkhos Shiluach Hakein 4:8-11): The world makes a mistake. They think that a groisa mensch [literally, a “great person”—i.e., a Torah sage and tzaddik] can’t make a mistake. It’s not so. Such a person can make a mistake. The mistake is a mistake and the groisa mensch is still a groisa mensch.

The Lubavitcher Rebbe a in public talks and in letters admitted to making a mistake (see Igoros Kodesh Vol. 1 p. 13, p. 135, Toras Menachem Vol. 12 p. 204).

I am not comparing Rabbi Laam to the Lubavithcer Rebbe, nor am I comparing the Vilna Goan to Reb Yehudah HaNasi.

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Recently a friend of mind told me that he scream at his 8 year old out of frustration.  Later he realized that he overreacted and apologized to his son.  How beautiful. 

Humility and honesty is so important in all aspects of our lives.  But for our leaders, our teachers and yes us as parents, can make an especially strong impact.  I do not think this diminishes their power and impact, quite the contrary.

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[1] I took this title from the name of a well know book.

[2] .  Tosfos in his comments to Gitin ibid. says that even sins can occur inadvertently by Tzadikim, and the Talmud is only referring to sins relating to eating, where there Hashem doesn't let a sin to take place even inadvertently.