There is much to be proud of in the Torah world of Charedim in Israel. I usually point out the flaws and this post will be no exception. But there is plenty to praise. Certainly the depth and scope of Limud HaTorah there is unparalleled anywhere in the world. I think I can say with a fair amount of certainty that more people in Israel, both in numbers and as a percentage of the whole learn Torah in depth than anywhere else. And the praise does not stop with just learning Torah. The acts of Chesed are a staple there. It is ingrained into the fabric of their existence.
In an op-ed in the Jerusalem Post (pointed out to me by Dr. Hall) we can indeed see some of the positive aspects of the Charedi community there. In describing his recent Shavuos experience the Frum writer of the article says:
“It was a wonderful Shavuot. Our 11-year-old daughter walked to the Western Wall for the first time, we delighted in the throngs who gathered at the site and made us really feel a part of Klal Yisrael, and we made use of the extensive hospitality offered by the haredi community to those making aliya baregel (pilgrimage). Indeed, we were struck again by the extent of the refreshments and other items offered along the way to both observant and secular walkers passing along the capital's Rehov Shmuel Hanavi.”
I too have felt this type of warmth and hospitality when I have visited Israel. The Charedi community of Ramat Bet Shemesh in Israel is as hospitable to me as any I’ve ever been in. The residents there, almost to a fault treat me with the utmost of respect and love that one would expect from the people who are advised: VeAhavta L’Reacha Kamocha. I can indeed feel it in the air of Ramat Bet Shemesh. My Kipah Seruga is no impediment to their hospitality.
Now it is true that many of them realize that I am the father of one of their more respected Charedi members, but I really believe it goes beyond getting Kavod for just being someone’s father. I see it in Shul. I see it from the neighbors, from the store keepers and just about everyone else I meet there. In fact when I first heard about some of the violent excesses in that community, I was surprised, even shocked. In each case, whether it was trying to boycott Rabbi Slifkin’s Shiurim, or the disruprtion of a Lag B’Omer concert because the seating was family style and not separate… I couldn’t believe that this was the same community that has been and continues to be so kind to me.
But as the article suggests, there are two kinds of Charedi worlds. One is the kind that I have had personal encounters with and admire. The other is the type that stones cars driving by with Israeli flags on their cars on Yom Ha’atzmaut. While I believe it is a small percentage of the whole that do things like that, it happens far too often for it to be chalked up to mere fringe element of hooligans.
Typically the comment I get from defenders of the Charedi community is that every society has its ‘bad apples’ including Charedim. True enough. But when that happens in the Torah world it is a far more significant event. That’s because then it isn’t just a bunch of criminals. It is a bunch of Charedi criminals. The word Charedi attached to criminals makes this kind of behavior a major Chilul HaShem. Because they, more than anyone else, are identified as the religious Jews, people who are the most observant of the laws if the Torah… the Frummest among Israel.
If the Torah world’s Frummest Jews can, with such regularity produce people who would otherwise be written off as criminals, it makes the Torah itself look bad. As this latest episode shows they continue to pop up from time to time. Here is what happened just after the conclusion of Shevuos on the very same Shmuel Hanavi street, as described by the very same writer of this article who was one of the victims:
"A rock thrown at our car while we drove to work down a street in a haredi neighborhood - already a good 20 minutes after the holiday had ended - smashed our side window. It had been thrown by small children who, the previous Saturday night, had attempted to damage our car with a rope strung across the very same street."
"Astonishingly, a colleague of ours reported a similar attempt with a rope on his car earlier that same Saturday night. He'd been less fortunate, his vehicle actually "bouncing off" the dangerous trap laid on Rehov Yirmiyahu, one of its tires punctured."
"As the last glass shards tinkled out of our car, we shook our heads in disbelief, thanked the heavens that we had not been hurt, and drove away from the scene."
I’m sure that Charedi leaders of communities where those hooligans operate have condemned these acts as they have in the past. But these condemnations have as of yet not produced the desired results of preventing this type of Chilul Hashem from happening… again and again. These condemnations seem to fall on deaf ears.
I think one of the reasons for that is the attitude so often expressed by the rabbinic leadership about the lifestyles of the secular world. There is no shortage of harsh words and condemnation for our brothers and sisters who lead a secular lifestyle... far more often and far more sincerely than the condemnations of violent acts like the ones described in this article, which usually come only after an incident.
The not so subtle message to these young people is that preventing disturbances in the lifestyles of the Frum on Shabbos or Yom Tov in their own neighborhoods is a far more important thing then condemning the stoning of a passing car who dared to violate the solemnity of that day, or the spraying of bleach on the clothing of female passersby.
The result is a Chilul HaShem which generates and perpetuates a negative stereotype of what a Torah Jew is like and causes hatred of the Torah Jew and by association, the Torah itself. All the acts of kindness in that community done by the vast majority of good people there are overshadowed by this kind of behavior.
This behavior didn’t start yesterday. It has been going on for many decades. And as reported in this article it’s still happening. Dangerously so!
What will be the Rabbinic leadership response be? Will they consider it as important as the Tznius standards of woman’s clothing? Is Chilul Hashem of secondary importance to relatively minor Tznius violations in the Charedi world that generated a special Beis din of respected haredi Rabbanim? Will they convene a meeting of similar urgency to consider how to stop this behavior from ever happening again? I doubt it. But, you never know. I may yet be pleasantly surprised.
