There are bullies in our midst. No not school bullies, although I know that they are a problem. I’m talking about bullies with a bible in their ‘hands’. These are otherwise known as Kaanaim who take matters they see as counter to their Hashkafos into their own hands… ‘in the name of God’.
They claim to be L’shma. And they believe it. But is that the real motive? …or are they just plain bullies? In my view… whether we are talking about Tznius Patrols or rioters in Jerusalem or in Ramat Bet Shemesh, these people are nothing more than bullies.
What is worse in my view is that on some cases there otherwise decent people who tend to blame the victim. This was the case with Mrs. Miriam Shear who was severely beaten by such bullies. That was unconscionable. Yet, every time I wrote about this and similar incidents, the victims are blamed by good and well intentioned people. But blaming the victim only perpetuates the problem, even if lip service is paid to condemning the bullies in the process.
I’m not the only one who feels this way. In a column discussing the issue of bullying, so does Rabbi Yakov Horowitz:
As I was reading the responses to Miriam Shear’s Enough is Enough!, column which I posted on my website, it struck me how many similarities there are between the phenomenon of school bullying and the actions of the criminal ‘tzniyus-patrol’ thugs who are assaulting our women. (For the record, I condemned their actions in the strongest terms in my essay They Don't Represent Us).
What is equally striking is how the reactions of many decent people to Mrs. Shear is similar to how well-meaning adults often mistakenly treat children who are victims of bullying – telling them to ‘just ignore it’ and questioning if their behavior provoked the attacker. (FYI; this is a also a classic response to victims of domestic abuse – implying that it is the fault of the victim and suggesting that they ‘ignore things’ and they will improve.)
If you feel, as I do, that there are parallels, engage in a serious cheshbon hanefesh and think carefully if the time has come for ALL of us to say as Miriam Shear has said. “Enough is Enough!”
I couldn’t agree more. But I would go a step further and say that the bullying does not only stem from the type misguided youth in the above mentioned examples. Bullying can take a more subtle form as it does with the Kanaim who are Rav Elyashiv’s Askanim. When one manipulates a Gadol into taking actions that have negative consequences for Klal Yisroel, that is perhaps the worst bullying of all, even if it is done L’shma where the goal is legitimate. Because this form of bullying impacts negatively on tens of thousands of people. And so I would say that the next time anyone has the urge to defend these people they should do the same Cheshbon HaNefesh and say that here too, enough is enough!
