The Earliest Origins of Modern Orthodoxy

One would think at first glance that the Yirai Elokim's philosophy is the ideal Jewish standpoint; after all, his goal is a closer connection to God. He teaches us that we are not in control of our circumstances, and that we are not supreme beings. He preaches that we don't know everything, and we shouldn't pretend that we do. We must be personally accountable for our actions, and know manipulating the "spiritual existence" is far beyond our capabilities. Even though God is in control, we are the ones who make the final decisions- i.e., man may be autonomous, but God is still the sovereign. He even goes so far as to counter two of the previous philosophies before him. He tells the pleasure-seeking Neheneh that he can't use the fact that God is in control as an excuse to be irresponsible and carefree. He scolds the work-focused Amal and tells him that he is arrogant and foolish- man is certainly not in control, and that perfection is not within the reach of mankind. The end result is not what matters most; in the end, it is the journey that counts. All that matters, he concludes, is being an Eved to God. This is the only true way to find a purpose in life.
Now, upon seeing this for the first time, one would come to the reasonable conclusion that the Yirai Elokim has the right idea. After all, this is how it's supposed to be, isn't it? But alas, this is not the case. The much awaited Chacham has a great deal to say about the Yirai Elokim's philosophy, and it is unexpectedly negative. Why, one might ask? It appears that, according to the Chacham, the Yirai Elokim is not the knowledgeable tzaddik that he's purported to be. Rather, he is nearsighted, naive, and hypocritical. The Chacham tells the Yirai Elokim to reflect on himself before he judges others. In reality, explains the Chacham, no one is as great as you're saying they must be, not even yourself. It's just not possible. You're not that great, and you look down on everyone else's sins. You said yourself that people can't be perfect, yet you're holding them to a double standard. Don't be so self-righteous- you will cause your own destruction. When a person goes to such extremes, they can never end up in a good place. Others will turn against you because of what you preach and your hypocrisy. No matter how much you would like to believe it, people are imperfect beings, and cannot restrain themselves from lying and breaking the rules, yourself included. It is time to get off your high horse, because this charade cannot continue much longer.
How very interesting. According to the Chacham, it is silly to think that we can do everything we are expected to do and be perfect beings. Effort is definitely important, but no one is expected to go above and beyond to be overly scrupulous, or to push others to do the same. The Chacham pushes for moderation. Could this be the earliest proponent of a sort of "Modern Orthodoxy" of the Biblical era? Modern Orthodoxy prides itself on finding the middle ground and not pushing extreme borders; in a sense, the cornerstone of the movement is the ability to not be so fully "immersed" so that one is able to view the world in a way that is clear-sighted, yet still has a keen sense of boundaries and propriety. In other words, it encompasses a mastery of the ability to "walk a fine line" between "our world" and everything else. It seems that, without knowing it, the Chacham may have stumbled on the building blocks of the Modern Orthodox movement, and in doing so, showed us all what he considers the most effective way to find meaning in our lives.