a Jew shouldn't rush

Reb Moshe of Kobrin zt'l and some of his chassidim were once guests at the home of the daughter of Rebbe Boruch'l of Mezhibuzh zt'l. At the end of their stay, they were in a rush to leave. The chassidim were busy packing up and preparing to leave. At this time, Rebbe Moshe of Kobrin asked the rebbetzin to repeat something she heard from her father, Rebbe Boruch'l of Mezhibuzh. She replied, "My father would often say, 'A Yid tur zich nisht yugen,' a Jew shouldn't rush. He mustn't ever be in a confused, rushed, panicky state. He should always be calm and patient." Upon hearing that, Rebbe Moshe Kobriner instructed his chassidim to stop rushing. Everything will work out well. The atmosphere in the home changed immediately. They calmed down, and it took them quite a while before they left the house.

Rav Elimelech Biderman

“Da'as Torah”

by Rabbi Chananya Weissman

“Da'as Torah” is an oft-cited term, but it is not a Torah concept. There is a mitzva to follow some rabbis under some circumstances, but it is nothing like this. “Follow the rabbis” is a Judaized version of “just following orders”.

Jews do not just follow orders. We follow Hashem. We engage in critical thinking. We put every instruction by every person under serious scrutiny, and if something is off we do not obey. We are expected to know if something is off – especially when they make it so easy for us by trampling all over the Torah and tradition.

A Jew will never get closer to Hashem by blindly following someone without engaging in critical thinking. At the very best he will be unwittingly doing the right thing like a monkey. Not only does this path impede a connection with Hashem, it will inevitably lead him away from a true connection with Hashem, which must always be personal.

A rabbi is a guide to aid one in his personal journey to connect with Hashem, not the actual destination, nor a substitute for the taking the personal journey. A rabbi who demands that you blindly follow him or anyone else is demanding you disconnect from Hashem and your personal journey.

https://chananyaweissman.com/article.php?id=352