A Revolution is Brewing in the Chareidi World

Recent evidence from Artscroll suggests a stunning turnabout in chareidi attitudes

In his last post, Natan brought evidence from Feldheim’s 2002 republishing of Irving Bunim’s Ethics from Sinai, which apparently censored some extremely problematic lines about working for a living, that the chareidi world has “erased the teaching of Chazal from Judaism”.

However, more recent evidence from Artscroll (certainly at least as chareidi as Feldheim?) suggests that the chareidi world may have started to reverse this trend. Behold, some images from Pirkei Avos: Generation to Generation: by Rabbi Nosson Muller (2019):

The book in question. A sign of a coming chareidi revolution? Or perhaps a new ban is just around the corner?

These lines are absolutely astounding. Work? Work?! WORK?! In the chareidi world? In the inner sanctum of chareidi holiness, Artscroll? On the MISHNAH?! It cannot be overemphasized how revolutionary this development is. What the broader significance is, though, remains to be determined. After this stunning revelation, can it be that we are seeing the blossoming of a long-sought chareidi renaissance? That the seeds planted some 20 years ago by heroes like our good friend Natan and others like Naftali Moster, are finally bearing fruit?

Are we about to see chareidi schools finally educating their children, no longer filling their minds all day with mystical heebie jeebie stuff like prayer and saints? And finally teaching rational scientific facts, like evolution, Biblical Criticsm, gender equality, and LGBTQ rights? Are we about to see the reintroduction of water bottles with straws into chareidi schools? Or is this just a fluke, a mistake, that was not yet caught be the chareidi censorship committee? Maybe it is just a matter of time before the book is banned with the full fury of the Gedolim?