I was once invited to a roundtable discussion, though it was really a square table, about kiruv rechokim (bringing Jews closer to a Jewish way of life), and a lot of professionals, representing different organizations, were in attendance. The people in the audience were all the top people in the field, and the speakers were professionals who helped the organizations. Each one talked about their organization and why we should support it. At the end, the chairman looked at me and said, “I want you to say something.” I replied, “Everyone's spoken, and there's really nothing I have to add.” He said “Okay” to me and his next words were, “I'd like now to introduce Rabbi Orlofsky to say a few words on this topic.” So there I was.
I stood up and said, “Someone once asked me a question, ‘Why are we spending so much money on kiruv rechokim? We have so many problems in our own communities. How many children cannot get into school, and are fighting to get in. I know people going to public school. Does this make any sense? So maybe we should be asking ourselves why we have to get involved in kiruv rechokim. Maybe, the answer is because we're in trouble.” I then started to talk about all the issues that were facing the Jewish community.
Rabbi Jonathan Rosenblum, who was in the audience, stood up and said something that has stayed with me to this very day. “Have you ever asked yourself why most of the books on Jewish thought are written by people who did not grow up in the frum, religious world? It’s because they went to school and asked a question in third grade and got an answer in third grade and were happy with that for the rest of their lives. And people who came in after a university education asked the same questions on a university level and demanded a university level answer. And they weren't content with “Just because ... that's the way it goes.” It's not enough for us just to be able to feel like, “Uh, I don't know. That's what I always heard.” Can you answer this if somebody pushes you on this? Can you answer this question? Can you give the answer correctly?
If you can’t, then forget about answering it for anybody else; answer it for ourselves. Once we can answer it for ourselves, most of the time, we don't even have to answer the question. I've had students of mine who said, “Rabbi, I can say over your answer, but I can’t do that little laugh that you do at the end, and that's really what answers the question.” When people realize that you're not bothered by questions at all, it really shakes them up. They start to realize, “Wow, this person seems like he's intelligent, and he seems like he's having a good time, and this question seems to not to be so much of a question.”
The point is to clear the way of Maamad Har Sinai, of the path towards the truth of Torah, of the truth of life, and deal with the real issue. How can I live a happy, meaningful life? What does Judaism have to say to me that's going to make my life a better life? That’s the answer that we need to be able to find for them. And it starts by asking questions and being inviting for others to do the same – ask questions in their unvarnished form. We have nothing to be afraid of or hide.
And that’s because we have the truth of Torah. And the truth of Torah can stand up to any question or scrutiny.
