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I was speaking yesterday, at some length, with a yeshiva rav who is also involved in broader relations with the community. I told him that recent controversies has filled me with questions and concerns about the concept of daas Torah when it appears, often, that some rabbanim who are considered to be Gedolim, are actually being misled and minipulated by askanim, leading to decisions and announcements that, frankly, has brought humiliation to themselves and the Orthodox Jewish world, as well as an assassination of character of several individuals, at least one of whom I know quite well. My rabbi friend said to me, "you're only asking question now? I've been troubled by this for years."

Also, it seems hard to understand what Daas Torah is when Jewish history is filled with examples of personal attacks against sages we, today, consider great, including Rashi, Rambam, and I believe some people questioned the Chafeitz Chaim, too. Certainly, there is the machlocus between Rabbi Ishmael and Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai that still resonates with us today. Therefore, I would like a discussion about whether a new tag for Daas Torah (or Da'at Torah if you prefer) can be added.

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  • What are some examples of questions that would be tagged that way?
    – Monica Cellio
    May 13, 2013 at 17:55
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    If there are enough questions about it, go ahead and add it. You have 1100% of the rep to add new tags judaism.stackexchange.com/privileges/create-tags
    – Double AA Mod
    May 13, 2013 at 17:57
  • @MonicaCellio -- I just wrote one called "The Silence of the Rabbis . . ." that would related. MSH changed it, I assume, because it doesn't officially exist (unless my use of it created it -- not sure how one creates a tag officially).
    – Bruce James
    May 13, 2013 at 18:05
  • You create a tag by typing it into the tags field on a question (if you have enough rep, which you do). Of course, you do this after you've made some reasonable effort to find a similar tag (different terms, translit, etc), which is not a comment about you but for the sake of future readers of this comment.
    – Monica Cellio
    May 13, 2013 at 18:11
  • BruceJames, I removed it from that question not because it was new but because I didn't see its applicability (and certainly not its applicability ahead of five other possibilities: the limit on a question is five tags). I fully concur with @DoubleAA's comment, above. Also you should certainly feel free to re-edit your question that I edited.
    – msh210 Mod
    May 13, 2013 at 18:14
  • I also don't see how that tag would apply to that question.
    – Double AA Mod
    May 13, 2013 at 18:18
  • @msh210 Thanks. What I have in the back of my mind with that question is probably way too topical for this board. Full disclosure -- I've known Rabbi Dov Lipman for 15 or more years and I'm very disturbed about the slanders against him -- even by Rav Aharon Feldman, who later apologized for it because it was based on wrong information. I know a lot of moderate Yeshivish rabbis who actually agree with Lipman's policies (those who've investigated what they actually are), and root him on . . . privately. But they are silent. Where is the Daas in Dass Torah?
    – Bruce James
    May 13, 2013 at 18:29
  • BruceJames, I'm sorry, but you've completely lost me. Have people slandered Rabbi Lipman as misinterpreting Gitin? Actually, better that you don't explain any further. We're in lashon hara territory. Let me just state that your last comment here seems to have nothing to do with your question on the main site or with the one here.
    – msh210 Mod
    May 13, 2013 at 18:42
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    @BruceJames, I've been directed to #2 here before. In a nutshell, in order to get a good answer to your question, you should ask the question that needs answering, and not ask about something that seems like it might help you solve your problem. If you want to know about Da'ath Torah, ask about Da'ath Torah, not about Bar Kamtza. Having said that, I support having a tag for Da'ath Torah (which, thanks to you, exists).
    – Seth J
    May 13, 2013 at 19:22

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Anyone with 300 rep on the main site can create new tags by just using them in a question. If a tag seems like something that applies to a bunch of questions and can be useful as a way of grouping them (and is not a meta-tag), then go ahead and add it to some of those questions!

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