As a member of the Modern Orthodox community (yes, many of us read YWN!), I was stunned by the divisiveness of a letter from Rabbi Moshe Hauer, EVP of the Orthodox Union, regarding Agudath Israel and the OU. Instead of celebrating the shared commitment to Torah and Klal Yisrael that both organizations embody, the letter subtly drives a wedge between them, taking unnecessary potshots at the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah of Agudath Israel. We are living in turbulent times, and now more than ever, unity should be our guiding principle. Differences in approach or emphasis between Torah leaders should be acknowledged with respect, not wielded as a means of drawing lines of separation. The Torah world is not strengthened by highlighting divisions—it is strengthened by recognizing the diverse voices that, despite differences, are all rooted in a profound dedication to Hashem, His Torah, and His people. I am attaching Rabbi Hauer’s letter below for all to read and reflect upon: Sacred and Profane Conflicts It has been a very noisy time for Klal Yisrael, as arguments between us proliferate. Some of these arguments may be considered sacred and pure while others are quite profane, either originating from or quickly descending into power politics, pursuit of self-interest, and ugly and derisive disagreement. In any case, the sheer prevalence of argument – sacred and profane – is frightening, painful, and confusing. That confusion grows significantly when the arguments are accompanied by rabbinic declarations, and we must seek to address that confusion from within the Torah itself. Hachodesh hazeh lachem rosh chadashim. The Jewish calendar is the ultimate unifier of the Jewish people, an issue where there is to be no compromise on halachic uniformity. Even when there was compelling evidence that a mistake had been made in calculation of the new moon, we are to follow the ruling of the central authority; asher tikre’u atem – afilu shogegim, afilu mezidim, afilu muta’im (see Rosh Hashana 25a). Every Jew must live by the same calendar. This was why undermining the calendar was a principal goal of the Sadducees and other heretical sects whose goal was to challenge the unity of the mesorah of the Oral Torah and thereby divide Klal Yisrael into 31 flavors, and why it was critical that in anticipation of the dispersion created by churban and the breakdown of the central Sanhedrin, Hillel the Elder used the last moments of our national halachic unity to put in place the calendar that would keep us together forever. Yet there are two instances where even the calendar leaves us divided, Purim and Yom Tov Sheini. Purim is a nes she’b’chutz la’aretz, a miracle that occurred after we left Israel (see Megillah 14a), and was originally established to be observed on different dates in open and walled cities, and the observance of the second day of Yom Tov is observed by those who live outside of Eretz Yisrael. With the advent of galut, even our calendar became somewhat divided, indicating the need to carefully embrace the differences in halachic practice that emerge from the dispersed and varied communities of the truly faithful. As Maharal of Prague frequently noted, the scattering of Klal Yisrael is always reflected in the divisions within Torah (see for example Netzach Yisrael ch. 56) That is where we stand today. […]