I am often accused of bashing the right. And it is true that I focus on much of what's wrong in that community, although I do not focus on them exclusively. But what my critics do not seem to realize is that I do not look at Charedim as "them". I look at them as "us". What a religious Jew does affects all of us. A Chilul HaShem by any Jew is seen by the entire world as... a Jew… not as a Charedi, or a Modern Orthodox Jew, or any other denomination.
My inclination, therefore, is to react negatively to bad behavior or damaging Hashkafos where ever I find them. If my critics were to be fair and look at many of my other essays, they would find that I have often criticized MO Lites, and Religious Zionists with the same fervor that I criticize Charedim.
Unfortunately whenever I criticize a community of which one is a card carrying member, they take umbrage, attack me, and label me a basher of their group.
My criticism of bad behavior or bad Hashkafos is meant as a Hochacha to “us”… not just to “them”. It is meant to raise the consciousness of members of those communities so that it can be fought from “within”. And it is to raise consciousness of non members so that it can be fought from "without".
I truly love all members of Klal Yisroel and only wish that the bad apples (who get all the media attention) be equally condemned for their bad behavior by members of their own community, instead always of trying to find some merit in those actions. Unfortunately, the usual response from a community when one or a group of its members are accused of wrong doing is to come to their defense without regard to the facts.
I often hear the excuse of applying the Halacha of being Dan L'Kaf Zechus for a fellow Jew. But this approach has not has not served the Torah world well, whether it is in matters of sexual abuse by Frum rabbis (RW or MO)... or in "explaining away" mob riots as somehow justified.
Of course one must always be Dan L’Kaf Zechus. …but not at the expense of the spiritual welfare of the entire Jewish people. If one publicly tries to justify a mob riot or a proclaim the innocence of a man arrested for murder, just because they… or he is Frum… or deny that a “Frum” man with a 20 years history of sexual abuse by saying “innocent until proven guilty”… then we are no better than the world of Islam who are forever excusing suicide bombers. It’s only a matter of degree.
This comparison will not be lost on our external critics, whether secular Jew or non Jew. The result can only be a Chilul HaShem that will push secular Jews yet another step further away from potential Torah observance. And if we are perceived by secular Jews and non Jews as having a double standard… one that is Dan L’Kaf Zechus for Jewish mob violence and Dan l’Kaf Chova for non Jewish violence, that doesn’t bode well for us either... not in the eyes of man…not in the eyes of God.
So before anyone criticizes me again for bashing this group or that one… one ought to consider what I wrote above and see if his protestations are legitimate or whether they are just a knee jerk response from a member of the group being criticized. One should always be aware the consequences of their actions.
