Having been a member of the Orthodox Jewish blogosphere for quite a few years now, I was recently reflecting on some major "controversies" that have caught our interest at one time or another. Off the top of my head here are some of the major items that come to mind. Some of these issues have long been forgotten, others pop up once in a while and others in some form or another are still thriving.
- Lubavitch Messianism and theological positions regarding manifestations of Divinity
- The Slifkin Saga: creation and contemporary science, the existence/non existence of mysterious creatures, the fallibility/infallibility of scientific statements in rabbinic literature
- Making of a Gadol: censorship, the white washing of history and the fallibility of rabbinic authorities
- Kashrut Scandals: Sheitals from Indian Hair, Brooklyn Water, Treif meat in Monsey
- The Limits of Orthodox Jewish dogma: Marc Shapiro book on the Rambam's Thirteen Principles of Faith
- The removal of the settlements in Gush Katif
- Cases of sexual abuse and their cover ups
- Cases of rabbinic misconduct
- Cases of prominent Jewish individuals breaking the law )
- Chumrah society: the shifting to the right, once permissible practices and opinions that are now no longer acceptable
- “Daas Torah”
Have I missed anything? Let me know in the comments section.