A famous ultra-orthodox rabbi, Eliyahu Dessler, was primarily active in the Gateshead yeshiva of England and later the Ponovezh Yeshiva in Bnei Brak, Israel. His books have become a set piece fo the Lithuanian Hareidi stream of orthodoxy, who consider his every word as being scientific and Divine truth all in one. However, even a brief familiarity with his writings reveal that not only are his views questionable, but they are often entirely false.
According to one lecturer at http://www.webyeshiva.org/course/strive-for-truth-michtav-meeliyahu/
" Rav Dessler opened the shiur with an important statement of purpose.
Rav Dessler did not see the תנ"ך as a history book. He also did not see
it as a book of theology, which is an abstract inquiry into the meaning
of Judaism. The stories in the תנ"ך are there to teach, to instruct us
how to serve Hashem"
Firstly, the תנ"ך is not a single book, it comprises of various books, some of which are Prophetic, others are more historical or Chronicles. The Books of Kings and Chronicles have many functions, but they are primarily historical records of leaders of Israel or history of Israel.
Furthermore, there are many prophetic and theological books within the TNK. That doesn't exclude the moral and ethical instruction. However, just as an example, the book of Daniel, can hardly be described as an ethical work. It is full of miracles, mystery, prophecy and eschatology.
Even in Kings, we see, for example, Elijah's battle with the prophets of baal. This is not an ethical instruction, it is about supernatural events, which are not applicable today since we do not have Prophets. It is thus all the more surprising that Dessler, who takes his name from that very prophet, is making false statements about the TNK.
What is more worrying, is that thousands of rabbis who are his followers take his words as Gospel, when in fact they are false speculations.
