‘Orthodox Society Is Constantly Rewriting The Past’: An Interview with Professor Marc Shapiro

Would you prefer that editors at least tell readers they’ve removed material? For example, in Changing the Immutable you have a picture of a page of Rabbi Moses Hyamson’s translation of the Rambam’s Mishneh Torah in which the words “Translation omitted” appear in place of two halachos.

Yeah, that’s interesting because he tells us. Clearly if people leave things out, they should let the reader know. But I don’t think they should leave things out. I don’t see what the problem is. It’s Torah. Torah deals with all matters, and there’s nothing to be embarrassed about.

People argue that many rabbis would censor their own works if were they alive today. For example, in one of your posts on the Seforim Blog [seforim.blogspot.com] you note that the translator of a recent biography of Rav Elyashiv omitted the fact that he didn’t know his own children’s names because he was so involved in Torah study. But wouldn’t Rav Elyashiv himself have given the OK for the translator to omit this had he been told that American Jews wouldn’t understand his behavior?

You’re probably correct. But the person who wrote the book on Rav Elyashiv is alive and was involved with the translation. He can do what he wants with his book. That’s very different than taking a book from 100 years ago and deciding to cut something out.

But what if the material you take out is completely incidental to the author’s life and philosophy and will do nothing except decrease the number of people who will read the author and respect him?

I understand that argument, but I don’t accept it for the simple reason that who are you to decide what’s important? I personally do not believe that anyone has the right to tamper with someone else’s writings.

Last question: Your critics argue that many of your books make one cynical and disillusioned with Judaism. What’s your response?

If that’s what they feel, they shouldn’t read them.

But I’m not writing as a yeshivish-type person or spiritual leader putting forth a vision. I’m writing historical books. If certain people find them troubling, that’s fine; they shouldn’t read them. I don’t take any offense at that. Not every book is for every person.