In today's litigious world, where so many people are sadly confused and their emotions cynically manipulated regarding all forms of sexual deviance, and journalism thrives upon sensationalism, does the halakhic principle of שעת הדחק כדיעבד דמי or the halakhic mechanism of hora'as sha'ah allow us to settle a lawsuit and recognize a club for LG self-identifying LGBTQ students and their allies? What if that appears to be the only prudent, pragmatic path forward? I know beforehand the reaction to my letter on the part of our apostles of religious, in quotes, modernism and, in quotes, utilitarianism. They will certainly say that since a great majority of the recently constructed synagogues have abandoned separate seating, we must not be out of step with the masses. This type of reasoning could well be employed with regard to other religious precepts, such as the observance of Shabbos or the dietary laws. However, we must remember that an ethical or halakhic principle decreed by God is not rendered void by the fact that people refuse to abide by it. Its cogency and veracity are perennial and independent of compliance on the part of the multitudes. If the ethical norm "thou shalt not kill" has not lost its validity during the days of extermination in gas chambers when millions of people were engaged in ruthless murder, but on the contrary has been impregnated with deeper meaning and significance, then every halakhic maxim assumes greater import in times of widespread disregard and unconcern. The greater the difficulty, the more biting the ridicule and the sarcasm, and the more numerous the opponent, then the holier is the principle and the more sacred is our duty to defend it. These are the immortal words of Rabban shel Yisrael, the Rav, Zatzal, in a message to a rabbinic convention addressing the issue of the day, the movement to remove the mechitza from hitherto Orthodox shuls. There is, however, something conspicuously absent from his message. He demands that rabbanim remain steadfast and firm. He adjures them not to yield to a false philosophy. But he's very understated in his predictions as to whether they will emerge victorious in this struggle. Quote: "I have the feeling that a well-coordinated, aggressive effort on our part may stop, if not reverse even, the trend of Christianization of the synagogue." Elsewhere, the Rav expressed his unshakeable confidence that Orthodox Jewry would emerge victorious in its struggle over the mechitza. And yet, in his message to the rabbinic convention, the best he could offer is "may." Why? Time and time again throughout our history, we've been challenged to rachmana litzlan renounce or compromise upon our commitment to the fundamental principles of Torah. Throughout the millennia, Jews have not flinched. They've met the challenges. They have unwaveringly and uncompromisingly affirmed and reaffirmed their beliefs. In so doing, they knew that ultimately Torah would prevail. קושטא קאי שיקרא לא קאי, the Gemara says. Truth endures, falsehood fades. דבר אלוקינו יקום לעולם, the word of Hakadosh Baruch Hu will stand eternal. And yet, this is not why our ancestors were moseir nefesh. Jews stand firm and are moseir nefesh not because they're assured of victory, but because the Torah Hakadosha is true. Jews stand firm in their commitment to Torah because that expresses who we are and what we believe. For that reason, and that reason alone, Chananya, Mishael, v'Azarya tell Nebuchadnezzar that they don't expect to be miraculously saved from the kivshan ha'eish. And such is the halacha, that one is moseir nefesh shelo al m'nas. she-ye'aseh neis. When our commitment to Torah is challenged or threatened we stand firm without a thought for pragmatism or practicality. We're moseir nefesh not because we see a path forward to victory. We're moseir nefesh because that's who we are and that is what we believe בכל לבבנו ובכל נפשנו ובכל מאודנו. This forms the substance of the Rav's message to the Rabbonim at their convention and for this reason he intentionally understated his confidence in prevailing in the short term. Standing firm and upholding Torah are not contingent upon seeing the path to victory. Unflinchingly and unabashedly a Jew stands by and affirms his belief, his beliefs, principles and commitment because they are true, because that is who he is and what he believes. When a lawsuit is brought to force YU to allow self-identifying LGBTQ students and their allies to form a club, prudence and pragmatism should be non-factors in determining our response. Identification with the LGBTQ acronym entails identification with a heretical nihilistic philosophy which champions and celebrates all forms of sexual deviance in a Nimrodian brazen defiance of Hakadosh Barukh Hu. We must unconditionally reject their demands and can never settle. Whether this position seems practical is irrelevant. We stand uncompromisingly firm because that is who we are, that is what we believe. Of course Torah will prevail. The false heretical LGBTQ philosophy will fail, but we don't need to see how that will happen because that's not why we stand firm. We stand firm in rejecting the degeneracy represented and militantly advocated by LGBTQ because that is who we are, that is what we believe. During the mechitzah battle a RIETS musmach under extreme pressure from his shul called the Rav and appealed for a dispensation to remove the mechitzah from his shul. The Rav of course adamantly refused. But the Rabbi argued membership is hemorrhaging, people are deserting in droves to the Conservative temple and there is no alternate solution to keeping people within the fold of Orthodoxy. Ploni, the Rav thundered, don't bring me mashiach. Your job is to uphold and defend Torah. Don't bring me mashiach means don't cultivate a messianic complex that leads you albeit in a misguided way lesheim shamayim to compromise upon Torah when you see no path forward. Echoing the Rav we too cry from the depths of our heart, don't bring us mashiach. Don't save us from litigation or any perceived or actual adverse consequence. Stand firm in rejecting the odious false philosophy of LGBTQ with its Nimrodian defiance of Hakadosh Barukh Hu. The chilul Hashem caused by a club for LGBTQ students, the existence of such a club and its allies at YU cannot be abated. Such a chilul Hashem begins to be reversed by closing the club on principled grounds. A yeshiva which institutionalizes chilul Hashem cannot and will not survive as a yeshiva. The chilul Hashem must end now.