Dear Matzav Shmooze,
A few weeks ago Ira Zlotowitz used social media to get advice on a workplace issue. It just so happens that I also have an problem and I hope the Matzav readers can give me some hadracha or at least some insight.
My job gives me many opportunities to work for the Klal, which is a responsibility I don’t take lightly. I never make an important decisions without speaking with either my Rav or my Rosh Yeshiva, whose words of wisdom are always an important factor in whatever undertaking I begin.
Recently, after several discussions with my Rav, I made the decision to help out with a project that my Rav felt would benefit the Klal greatly. I worked out what needed to be done and how I would get this project off the ground and was all ready to begin the groundwork for this project when I got a call from Rosh Yeshiva asking to meet with me.
My Rosh Yeshiva sat me down and explained to me that this project would in fact be detrimental for Klal Yisrael and in no uncertain terms he told me to cancel all plans to move forward. When my Rav got a wind of what happened he immediately called me back and stressed again the importance of what I was to do and made it clear that I need to get to work on this project right away.
So now I am in a quandary. I can’t choose one side over the other because these are both my rebbeim who are gedolim and tzaddikim that understand the issues much more than I ever can. It is my unique position that allows me to run this project in the first place so I cannot just delegate the job to others in my place.
In situations like this I would normally take the stance of shev v’al taaseh and just not do anything. But here is my biggest problem. If I take the position of shev v’al taaseh the project would fall apart. In my head this isn’t choosing not to take sides, doing nothing would be picking my Rosh Yeshvia over my Rav. My lack of decision is itself choosing a side so this isn’t an option for me unless I choose to go against my Rav.
I also know that my Rav and Rosh Yeshiva have discussed this problem among themselves many times and that having them meet to decide on what to do won’t help. Each one has his reasons to believe what’s best for the Klal and also firmly thinks the other is mistaken. I can’t use my own logic to decide who is right because they each have very valid points.
So I have this decision to make and my normal channels of Daas Torah are not open to me. So I am turning this question over to the readers of Matzav.com: What would you do in my place?
In a Pickle