Reuven’s Progress

I just wanted to thank Rabbi Yosef C. Golding and RCCS for everything they have done and continue to do for my grandson Reuven ben Tova Chaya (pictured here with two of his brothers. He's the one on the left) and for his parents. I would also like to thank Matzav.com for their post today. There are a lot of good people in the world whose charitable acts are pure. They are motivated by a love of their fellow Jew and do not look at the size or style of one’s Kipa. I do not know them personally nor have I ever spoken to them but actions speak louder than words.

Reuven's cancer has returned. A very small tumor has reappeared. Not unexpectedly although we were hoping for better. At this point there is an option for Reuven to get involved in a clinical trial with an experimental drug. Doctors are divided about whether to proceed. On the one hand it is important to be as aggressive as possible about it. On the other hand there is a quality of life issue.

This experimental treatment is done in conjunction with the same chemotherapy used in the first round of treatments. Although it is a lesser dosage it can still very easily compromise his immune system to dangerous levels. Worst case scenario - it would mean possible isolation from school – which he loves – and friends. Waiting a month seems to be an option recommended by some.

This experimental drug is in its infancy of being tested. So my daughter and son in law are trying to get some more clarity from other doctors to see which way they want to go. I will update this post as soon as I know.

As always I continue to thank everyone for all the prayers on his behalf.

Update: 4:48 PM CDT

After further consultation with doctors my daughter and son in law have decided to go ahead with the protocol. It begins this Monday. I pray for success and that the side effects be minimal.

Arrogance Versus Respect

The following is a letter I received yesterday from a regular reader of my blog. Aside from the very flattering things he says about me – for which I thank him, I think one can see that he is an observant Jew and serious about his commitment to Yiddishkeit - Torah U'Mitzvos, and Eretz Yisroel. And yet he feels pain about how other serious Jews see him.

His concern is something about which I often post – respect! Or more accurately the lack of it on the part of certain Charedim. In their arrogance they reject the views of other serious and observant Jews - and their leaders. I agree with his perceptions. Most people who read this blog regularly know this.

I am obviously not alone. I think his is an important message to those who think that only their own views matter - and therefore look down upon the rest of observant Jewry. I present it here unedited except for some personal things which I deleted. The rest is verbatim and intact. As requested his name is being withheld.

Dear Rabbi Maryles,

I am an MO American-Israeli who reads your blog 'religiously'. Your ability to combine loyalty to Torah and Mitzvot while candidly dealing with the many problems in the Orthodox communities (including my own) is an inspiration (at least to me). It has helped me keep faith knowing there are people like you out there, that not all Chareiedim are fanatics.

In many of your posts, you discuss the hatred-contempt-derision that many Charedi leaders direct towards MO's and DL's. I would like to share my perspective from "the other side of the fence". Believe me when I say that my experience is not an isolated case, and many others have reacted in a more extreme fashion.

The Shulchan Aruch brings an extreme case to demonstrate how far the Mitzva of Kibud Av Va'Em goes. Even if the son is a Rosh Kahal, and his father spits in his face in front of everyone and tears his clothes, the obligation still stands.

Now, imagine if the father did this to the son day in, day out, finding new and interesting ways to insult and humiliate him, destroy his reputation and make his life a living hell. I'm sure you can agree that even if the son was the most devout, loving person on earth, he would be hard pressed to be mekayim this mitzva bekavana mele'a.

This, Rabbi Maryles, is how many of us committed MOs and DLs feel on a daily basis. I have lost count of the number of times I have heard of our Gedolim and major Rabbanim being humiliated, our principled halakhic stands derided by both Gedolim and the various lower-level Rabannim of the Charedi world.

You cannot begin to understand the level of rage, humiliation and insult I feel every time I hear someone talk casually talk about "JB" or "airbrush" certain Rabannim like Rav Kook and Rav Herzog, neither of whom were anywhere NEAR MO-lite, out of "official history". These are only the "lighter insults", I'm sure you know, and have mentioned much worse.

Like the proverbial Rosh Kahal, I have long since passed the point where "kibud talmidei chachamim (Charedim, that is)" has any real meaning for me beyond a formal halachic requirement. I cannot show respect when I feel none whatsoever, only shame and hatred. There are only so many times I can be spat on before I stop complaining about the rain. I am only human.

In their effort to constantly assert their superiority in the most insulting and degrading manner, Charedim who hold this attitude not only create a serious Chilul Hashem among secular Jews. They have caused people like me to wonder how on earth it is possible that people can learn Torah for so long and yet have so ridiculously little to show for it. Being able to come up with brilliant sevaros for Gemara sugyot is in my mind worthless if you don't know how to act like a mentsch. I'm sorry, but that's how I feel.

Praying at Rachel’s Tomb

Today is the Yahrzeit of one of our Matriarchs. Rachel - Yaakov’s beloved wife died on this day. I don’t recall ever celebrating this day in all my years in the Orthodox community. Not in Yeshivos. Not in Shuls. Nowhere.

And yet there people are being urged to show up today to pray at her tomb in Bethlehem. Over 100,000 are expected.

Now there is nothing intrinsically wrong with praying at the tomb of a righteous ancestor. It has been noted that this tradition was first practiced by a biblical figure. Caleb went to the Tomb of the Patriarchs to pray that his fellow ‘spies’ not sway him with their bad advice. So indeed there is precedent.

But I’m afraid that today’s version of praying at the burial sites of Tzadikim – righteous individuals - has morphed into a near Avodah Zara.

The correct way of praying at the burial site of a Tzadik is to pray that in the merit of that righteous person - God should answer them. But I do not think most people who visit grave sites to pray understand this. And yet tons of people do it every day in Israel. I think many people mistakenly pray to the buried Tzadik … as though he or she were a god and could actually effect things on earth.

The most extreme example of this type of activity is the annual pilgrimage to Uman by the Chasdim of Breslov. Thousands of them leave home and family for Rosh Hashana - one of the holiest days of the year - and travel to Europe in order to pray at the burial site of their movements founding father - Nachman of Uman. If I had to guess I would day that most of them in their ignorance actually Daven to the Rebbe himself!

Today apparently - the same thing is happening at Rachel’s Tomb.

Do we really need 100,000 people showing up in Bethlehem today? Are the prayers they say there today going to be more effective than if they would pray at their local Shul? …or Yeshiva? …or the Kotel?

If this is such a great thing to do, why haven’t I heard of it before? Has it ever been done en masse like this in the past? I realize of course that many people go to Rachel’s Tomb to pray throughout the year. But I don’t think there has ever been a call for 100,000 people to show up all at once. At least not until today.

This entire thing smacks of politics. It smacks of asserting our rights there. And showing up in droves to show the local Arabs who’s the boss. And to whom Rachel’s Tomb really belongs. Furthermore no one seems to be explaining the correct approach to praying at a tomb of a righteous individual. It is God that should be prayed to and not the deceased person buried in the grave. How many people really understand this?

The result of this kind of thing is that far too many people will end up thinking that it’s perfectly fine to pray to a dead person. And that borders on idol worship.

Fundamentalist Dogma and Heresy

I hate when that happens. But it is probably happening more now than ever. This is the kind of teaching that can drive away many a rational thinker from observant Judaism. A short post by a father on Beyond Teshuva about his a six year old son illustrates what I am talking about.

His son who has an interest in dinosaurs was told by his Rebbe in Yeshiva that dinosaurs never lived. That the bones were just planted in the ground when the world was created.

The father wrote that he kind of just agreed in order to avoid conflict with the Yeshiva and asks how others would handle it. That is an excellent question.

I suppose for the moment this young boy walked away relatively satisfied. But will this answer sit well with him as he progresses in life? This issue will certainly come up again at a later age and he will very likely not be satisfied with the answer he got now as a six year old.

The one thing I would not do is corroborate what this Rebbe said without explaining that there are other legitimate explanations that allow for an ancient universe. And that would help explain the existence of dinosaurs and their extinction. The older he got and the more questions he asked after that – the more I would try to explain it to him – taking into account what the Torah and Chazal teach us and what science has to offer. I would not deny the validity of either. Denying the validity of science risks losing your child to heresy.

There are unfortunately many skeptics created every day in this way. They will get on the Internet and see information that contradicts much of what they’ve been taught as inviolable fundamentalist truths. It seems clear from everything I have read that a Rebbe who dogmatically insists that the universe is less than 6000 years old and then refuses to answer difficult questions about it can eventually cause many a religious student to abandon his Judaism.

If a Rebbe plants into the mind of a child the idea that the world cannot be more than 6000 years old and that believing in an ancient universe is tantamount to heresy – he can easily be planting the seeds of heresy into that child. If not now then later when he sees clear evidence of an older universe and the existence of dinosaurs at one time in history.

This does not mean to say that one cannot believe that the universe is less than 6000 years old. And that it was created to look old - dinosaur bones and all. But it should be a choice from among many options that deal with the realities of nature.

This is how I believe all matters of conflict between science and Torah should be handled - should they arise. Children must be given real options in dealing with these matters that will neither contradict science or Torah. In those cases where there seems to be irreconcilable conflict one should acknowledge it and say that one does not have a good answer.

I would add that just because one cannot reconcile the science and the Torah – that does not mean that they are irreconcilable. It just means that we are lacking in our ability to do so at this time. Further study of both science and/or Torah may ultimately provide us with reconciliation between the two. We need to give it time while remaining with a question. Not all questions have immediate answers. Some may never be answered.

I believe that there are many Mechanchim like the Rebbe in this story. They refuse to acknowledge a different approach other than the most fundamentalist one. That dogma is being presented as a hard and fast tenet of Judaism. Instead of progressing in the real world and dealing with science in a rational manner as do many Orthodox scientists, we are regressing into a primitive and ignorant view of science – treating it as though it was all a bunch of lies perpetrated by scientists who by their nature are atheists with an agenda to sell atheism as fact.

But that is simply not true. There are many scientists who are atheists but there are many respected scientists who believe in God. There are even Orthodox Jewish scientists who are not only knowledgeable in science but knowledgeable in Torah as well. They are the ones who do the best job in reconciling science and Torah. Their views are the ones that should be taught – right along with the more fundamentalist views currently being taught. It’s all about presenting legitimate options.

Though I have mentioned his name many times, Rabbi Arye Kaplan is the best example of that. He scoffs at those who think the universe is less than 6000 years old. And yet he is accepted by the Charedi world as one of their own. Views like his about the age of the universe and other related matters should be a mandatory part of the curriculum in every Yeshiva that teaches even a single science course.

The phenomenon described by this father is a relatively new one. I don’t think that was the direction we were going in before ‘The Big Ban’. I am of course talking about the ban on Rabbi Natan Slifkin’s books – calling the views expressed therein heretical. Until then views like Rabbi Kaplan’s were becoming quite mainstream and acceptable. But now - these views have been deemed heresy. That may be what the scenario described by this father represents.

I don’t know how to counter the trend. But I do know that if we don’t then we will over time multiply the numbers of skeptics from religious backgrounds. I only hope that this man’s son doesn’t become one of them.

Tyranny of the Majority - Imposing Chumros on the Public

Finally some common sense. The Transportation Ministry in Israel has determined that the Mehadrim buses are illegal. Mehadrin buses - for those who don’t know - are buses where men sit in the front and women sit in the back.

Crirtics might ask, ‘How can you side with such an anti Frum ruling?’ The answer is simple. It is not an anti Frum ruling. It is in fact a common sense ruling. The traveling public should not be subject to the religious stringency of a particular sect of religious Jews -even if they are a majority of a neighborhood being served by it. The only proper course of action in these circumstances is for them to segregate voluntarily - as indicated by the Ministry of Transportation. If there is someone on any bus who refuses to do so, it should be their right especially when there is ample room on a bus for Tznius to be observed.

It shouldn’t matter in which neighborhoods these buses run. If a woman gets on a bus who is uncomfortable sitting in the back of a bus, she should be able to sit in a seat that is more comfortable. Poskim like Rav Moshe Feinstein have weighed in on this issue long ago. There is no Halachic requirement to have segregation of the sexes on a public bus.

That it might be a more Mehudar (religiously preferable) expression of modesty (Tznius) does not outweigh the inconvenience it causes to those who are uncomfortable with it.

I spoke to a very Charedi Mechaneches in Israel about this subject. She told me she never takes a Mehadrin bus. That’s because women tend to take public transportation more often than men and the women’s section at the back of the bus is often very crowded and uncomfortable while the men’s section is sparsely populated – with plenty of empty seats.

To me this illustrates the patently unfair nature of Mehadrin buses. It isn’t just secular or Modern Orthodox Jews that are opposed. There are Charedim that have issues with it too.

The idea of segregating the sexes is on a public bus is merely a Chumra insisted upon by Chasdic sects like those that live in Meah Shearim. Their standards are much more extreme than even mainstream Charedi standards – let alone Dati or Modern Orthodox satndards. Mainstream Charedim may appreciate it the more Tznius Mehadrin buses but they were not the ones who asked for it.

Until relatively recent times it was quite sufficient for them to take non Mehadrin public transportation and make do with it. Some may like it better even though it wasn’t their community that aksed for it? Well one’s personal comfort with a Chumra insisted upon and executed by a minority should not be at the expense of the discomfort of others.

That said, I have no opposition to Charedim running their own private bus lines. The fact is that Egged, the large Israeli bus line subsidized by the Israeli government chose to offer Mehadrin buses in Charedi neighborhoods precisely to pre-empt this kind of private competition. Charedi routes are lucrative ones because they use public transportation more than any other segment of the Israeli public. But Egged is nevertheless wrong. Segregation of the sexes not required by Halacha that causes an imposition on some of its users is unfair – even if it is only to a minority of them.

Bus routes should be open to the entire public in a fair and equitable way. And if this new determination by the transportation Ministry means that private bus line will now compete with Egged, well they should learn to live with that. And they should still provide their own – perhaps reduced -run of bus service to those neighborhoods that will have private Mehadrin buses in order to accommodate those who don’t like it.

A compromise with a private Mehadrin line about the number of buses each would run - perhaps alternating with each other - seems like a fair course of action that should make the maximum number of people happy.

When it comes to public transportation segregating the sexes ought to be a voluntary process. No one should be forced to sit at the back of the bus.

A Godly People

He is right. In a Cross-Currents post, Rabbi Avi Shafran contends that most Orthodox Jews (The Daily Jews as he calls them) are decent people whose daily actions constitute a Kiddush HaShem. This means that when encountered by irreligious Jews or non Jews they are admired and thus sanctifying God’s name.

I don’t know the statistics here but I suspect he’s probably right. Most Jews do the right thing and make good impressions upon others. Rabbi Shafran gives a personal example of that.

Interestingly, he noted his initial reaction upon being told by a non Jewish merchant that he recognized that Rabbi Shafran was a religious Jew and that he had experiences with them - was apprehension. ‘What now?’ …he might have thought. The news about misdeeds of Jews (both religious and otherwise) has so pervaded the media recently that the list seemed endless. Rabbi Shafran was waiting for yet another proverbial shoe to drop.

It turned out that his fears were misplaced. This merchant was highly complementary of his dealing with religious Jews. Rabbi Shafran was quite relieved by that. But his initial reaction illustrates that our image is severely tarnished – even in the eyes of one of our greatest defenders.

Rabbi Shafran goes on to say that most religious Jews are indeed conscious of who they are and what they represent. And generally go out of their way to make a good impression. That is the norm. As I said, I think he’s right.

The problem – as he points out - is that the media doesn’t pay any attention to that. And that too is understandable. The media by its nature does not report on the norm. They are not going to write or broadcast a story about people being nice to each other on a daily basis. That is not news. What they do is report on the anomaly. The individual who is outside the norm doing the unexpected: A Grand Rabbi scamming the system – that’s news. A group of rabbis laundering money – that’s news. Yeshiva Bachurim transporting drugs - that’s news. Violent rioting by Chasidim in Meah Shearim – that’s news.

So in spite of Rabbi Shafran’s assurances that we are a good and decent people - that does not change how we are currently potrayed and being perceived. The image is negative and recent events have reinforced the negative stereotype of Jews as greedy people with shady dealings. Or as violent and primtive savages.

The fact is that there has been a spike in bad behavior by religious Jews this past year. Repeated stories about wrong doings buries any good news about ourselves. The public therefore does not factor that into our image. Public perceptions about us are badly tainted by the Bernie Madoffs, Ezra Merkins, Spinka Rebbes and Yoelish Krauses of the world.

The Cross-Currents post immediately preceding Rabbi Shafran’s (a must read) places things in proper perspective - at least as far as one aspect is concerned. It suggests the reason why we are in the present state. The post by Rabbi Yitzchok Adlerstein is based on a sermon given by Rabbi Mitchell Wohlberg of Beth Tfiloh in Baltimore. As Rabbi Adlerstein point out the problem can be summed up in three Yiddish words. Es Kumt Mir. I am entitled to it. It is an attitude of entitlement in our day that has destroyed us. How we got to be that way is worthy of a major scientific study. But that is how many of us think. Those who have cheated the government feel they had a right – perhaps even an obligation - to do so.

But that doesn’t explain everything. There are a group of ‘religious’ Jews whose daily actions are the opposite of what Rabbi Shafran reports. They do not see their daily actions as viewed by others as a Chilul HaShem. They see them as a Kiddush HaShem. They believe that they are protecting the honor of Shabbos… or Tznius. Any and all activity in that regard constitutes sanctity.

This is the Meah Shearim mindset. It can clearly be seen via an interview with Yoelish Kraus conducted by Rabbi Yair Hoffman and presented in VIN. Rabbi Hoffman challenged Mr. Kraus to explain why the actions he advocates are not a Chilul HaShem in that it chases away any non observant Jews. His answer is There is no chiloni that can say that he has not heard of Shabbos. There is therefore no Chilul HaShem in violent protest. They are Rishoim who will in any case not repent.

It should be noted that Eida Chareidis Vice President and Av Bais Din of the Eida Chareids Bais Din, Rav Moshe Sternbuch stated categorically that Yoilish Krauss has no connection whatsoever with the Eida Chareidis. But despite this disavowal I believe that Kraus’s thinking represents the mindset of that community. That’s the only way one can explain what goes on there.

This is what we are up against. We are fighting an uphill battle – waging war on greed in one sphere and ignorance another – both serving to undermine our standing in the world as a Godly people.

So even though Rabbi Shafran is right about most Jews we cannot afford to sit back and relax while patting ourselves on the back. I for one will continue to speak out against evil Chilul HaShem every time it is reported in the media. Hopefully others – more prominent than I - will too. The more public and unequivocal condemnation of violent people, violent acts, and unethical behavior – the better.

We must take a stand for what is right and oppose what is wrong. Those who act against those interests should be loudly and forcefully ‘outed’ and condemned. It is only when we eradicate this kind of behavior that we will be rightfully be able to reclaim our mantle as kingdom of priests and a holy people.

Accepting Charity from Christians

I understand the opposition. I really do. But it is wrong and much of it is based on a misunderstanding of what is really going on. I am talking about opposition to Jews accepting charity from Christians.

Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein is someone I have written about before. He and his organization, the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews (IFCJ) are once again being attacked. This is not the first time. They have been attacked unjustly many times. Not only by the right – but by many well meaning but misinformed Orthodox Jews.

I am not here to Paskin. But I am here to defend my friend Yechiel. He is an Erliche individual who saw an opportunity to help his brethren in a unique way and grabbed it. He has tapped into a rich resource of heretofore untapped funds for the Jewish people - to the tune of many millions of dollars.

How do I know that he is Ehrlich? For several years he and I were both members of a Daf Yomi Shiur of which he was an integral part. It was led by Rabbi Yosef Gavriel Bechhofer. This is where I got to know him. He was one of the more intelligent and knowledgeable members of a very bright group and had a very sincere commitment to learning Torah.

Our Shiur was not his first choice. He had originally been a member of the Chicago Community Kollel’s Daf Yomi Shiur. When it was discovered that he was involved with Christian Evangelicals he was asked to take a ‘leave of absence’. After doing some research and much deliberation - and discussion with other Poskim - the Roshei Kollel allowed him back in. But the feeling among the Avreichim of the Kollel was not positive. They virtually boycotted him, including walking out of any Minyan in which he Davened.

Needless to say Rabbi Eckstein was publicly embarrassed by this. He soon left and tried other Daf Yomi Shiurim where he was also rejected. It was upon coming to Rabbi Bechhofer’s Shiur that he was finally and warmly welcomed - both by Rabbi Bechhofer and by the members of the Shiur. Rabbi Eckstein was finally able to reach his goal of learning all of Shas. I know he is eternally grateful to Rabbi Bechhofer for this.

This is not to say that Rabbi Bechhofer approved - or didn’t approve - of what he did. The truth is that I don’t really know. But he did approve of the man and his desire to learn - and he accommodated him enthusiastically.

The question is what about Rabbi Eckstein’s work? Is he – as accused - assisting Evangelical missionizing of Jews? I strongly believe that he is not. I base that on my own observations of Evangelicals and on what Rabbi Eckstein has told me privately and said publicly.

I have written in the past what I believe is going on in the world of Evangelical Christians vis-à-vis the Jewish people. Although they believe in end-times prophecy where only ‘believers’ will be saved via ‘the rapture’ and non-believers will suffer the trials and tribulations of Armageddon, this is not what motivates them. They support the Jewish people because they believe in the bible.

Their ‘Old Testament’ (which is our Tanach) teaches them that those who bless the Jewish people will themselves be blessed. Believe it or not, they take that seriously. They follow suit in providing Israel and the Jewish people with tremendous support – both moral and financial. With no quid pro quo. They also see us as similar to themselves in values. Especially those of us who are Orthodox. Those who say that this is all a ruse to get better access to us for missionary purposes are mistaken. They must contend with the views of an intelligent and Ehrliche man who has been working with them for many years. Rabbi Eckstein knows better than anyone what their true motives are. They are not out to missionize us.

This does not mean they don’t think we should convert. Of course they do. They believe their views are Emes. They want their Jewish brothers to ‘see the light’ and be saved too. But that is not what motivates them. It is a simple belief in the bible. That - and a good and generous heart.

What about missionary groups like Jews for Jesus? Yes they exist and are active but they are not mainstream and have nothing to do with the IFCJ.

Unfortunately there are those among us who point to these groups to ‘prove’ that Evangelical motives are all about converting us. But it isn’t true - at least not in the sense that it applies to most Evangelicals. That does not mean we shouldn’t be vigilant. Of course we should. But we should also realize that the vast majority is not like that. We should accept their generosity - given without any strings attached.

Recently, however, Rav Elayshiv has said that it is forbidden to accept funds from Christian donors. He has in the past made similar statements and has given reasons. From an article in the Jerusalem Post:

The document to which (Rav)Elyashiv added his signature, originally drafted in 2002 by the Eda Haredit, gives three reasons for the prohibition against taking money from Christian organizations. First, publicizing that Christians have given to Jewish charities aggrandizes Christianity, which is a form of idolatry according to many rabbinic opinions. Therefore, it is "close to idolatry." Second, it aids missionary activity by making Jews beholden to Christians. Third, there is a prohibition against receiving charity from a non-Jew when it causes a desecration of God's name.

The truth is that none of these things are extant in Rabbi Eckstein’s IFCJ donations. It is my firm belief that Rav Elyashiv has once again been misinformed by Askanim who have mis-characterized the motives of these Evangelicals based on archaic knowledge of missionary activities of the past. I doubt that his Askanim have the slightest idea about what motivates them now. Nor do they have a clue as to what Rabbi Eckstein does. They rely on information supplied by others with their own agendas and with little real knowledge of the present.

It is sad that such an edict has comes out now when the financial need in the Charedi world in Israel is so great. Rabbi Eckstein’s organization has been quietly funding many of these Charedi institutions.

If they want to stop taking his money - it is their choice. But it will be for erroneous reasons. And those whose needs are the greatest are the ones who will be paying the price.

Rabbi Eckstein is going to publicize the list of the many Charedi institutions he quietly funds. It will be interesting to see what happens. It is my belief that the antagonism towards Rabbi Eckstein is motivated by politics as much as anything else. And that Rav Elyashiv is once again being used by those with their own agenda!

Many people do not know that animals were accepted for sacrifice in the Beis HaMikdash from idolaters as long as it was determined that it was not in service of Avodah Zara and that they were offering these sacrifices to God. I can’t say this is an exact parallel - but it would seem to beg the question as to why accepting charity from Christians whose belief system many hold is not even considered idolatry for them - is of greater concern.

Daas Torah Revisited

During my stay in Israel I had occasion to have a conversation with a Charedi Mechanech about Daas Torah. Without my soliciting anything from him he volunteered the following.

The only real Daas Torah is that of an individual whose education was not tainted by outside influences of any sort. Only one whose education was Kulo Torah -exclusively Torah - could claim to represent Daas Torah. If on the other hand one had any secular education at all – especially a university education – his views are tainted. The more educated - the more tainted, no matter how intelligent… or Frum …or Ehrlich.

To bolster his argument he pointed to Dr. Abraham Twersky who has said that about himself in print. Dr. Twersky said that during the course of his education he accepted certain things that were not Torah based. And that tainted his view. He therefore could never fully trust that his own views expressed real Daas Torah – no matter how much he tried. Only someone like … say Rav Moshe Feinstein had this capability. According to this view Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik could not be trusted to express Daas Torah at all.

This view is of course counter to the Torah U’Mada Hashkafa. We do not view the study of Mada as inimical Torah at all. We see it as an enhancement of Torah. This is one reason we value someone like Rav Soloveitchik whose level of Torah knowledge goes unchallenged even by his biggest critics. And yet his Hashakafos are considered Krum - not straight up - by Charedi standards. If I am not mistaken Charedim generally do not consider it in any way Daas Torah.

The Mechnaech I spoke to held this to be gospel. I think once one understands this difference one can better understand the Charedi Hashkafa.

So what is Daas Torah - really? Read on.

One of the brightest lights in Orthodoxy today is Professor Lawrence Kaplan. Perhaps the most influential book I have ever read (or better said – studied) is Rav Soloveitchik’s Halakhic Man. The version I read is that of Professor Kaplan. He translated it from the original Hebrew (Ish HaHalacha) in collaboration with the Rav. I believe it stands as the only authoritative translation. I am therefore quite honored to mention that he is a reader and an occasional commeter here.

Needless to say, I am a big fan and it is my pleasure to refer my readers to the Seforim blog, where there is a lengthy interview of Professor Kaplan by Baruch Pelta. The subject is Daas Torah. This important subject has been discussed here many times in various different contexts. I believe Professor Kaplan pretty much nails the subject.

Daas Torah is used as a hammer by the right to insist that their views of Torah are the most authoritative in every sphere of life. When questioned about a specific Hashkafa of theirs they might respond that this is what Daas Torah says about it. End of discussion.

What they mean is that their Gedolim - who they believe know the most Torah - have expressed the quintessential views of the Torah on any subject on which they have expressed an opinion. The rest of us - no matter how well versed we are in Torah knowledge - do not come anywhere near their Gedolim in Torah knowledge. So our views don’t mean much. In some cases our own differences of opinion with their Daas Torah may even be looked at as Kefira – heresy! This became obvious during the Rabbi Natan Slifkin controversy.

But is this truly the end of the discussion? I have repeatedly said that it is not. There is a lot more to the story. Professor Kaplan does an excellent job in explaining why that is so.

I have expressed views similar to his but not as well or as extensively as he does. I believe that this is essential reading for those who firmly belive in Daas Torah as well as those who have issues with it. It is important to know exactly what Daas Torah is and how it is used by those who use the term most before one can actually criticize it. I think Professor Kaplan does a magnificent job in doing both.

Here is a pertinent excerpt:

The idea of Daas Torah, as a charismatic notion of rabbinic authority, is something different. It doesn’t come out of nowhere, so it’s not yeish me-ayin. But, as I and others see it, it is an expanded view of traditional conceptions of rabbinic authority, precisely because of greater challenges in the modern period to rabbinic authority. And the classical sources which have been cited as support for it don’t seem to prove the larger claims made on its behalf.

One such source is the notion of Emunas Chachamim. But it must be said that the phrase is very general; what it means is not so clear. The meaning attributed to it by the exponents of Daas Torah seems to be a late nineteenth century development, imported from the Hasidic view of the Rebbe.

The source cited most often in support of the notion of Daas Torah, and which I focused on most in my article, is Lo Sasur. As I pointed out, according to most authorities it applies only to the Beis Din Hagadol. I further pointed out that the view of Afilu omrin lekha al yemin shehu semol is that of the Sifre. The Yerushalmi is the other way, that only if they say yemin is yemin and semol is semol do you have to listen to them. In my article, particularly the Hebrew version, I went through all the different ways how different scholars try to reconcile the two sources.

The authority who seems to be the key figure for the exponents of Daas Torah is the Sefer HaChinuch -- he’s the one who applies the Sifre generally to Chachmei HaDor. But the Sefer HaChinuch’s view is more of a practical view; you have to submit to the authority of Chachmei HaDor not because they necessarily have such great understanding, but just because otherwise you’re going to have chaos and anarchy. So it’s a more practical view.

So what I suggested is that the modern view of Daas Torah – again, I’m not saying it was made out of whole cloth – is arrived at by taking the idea of the Sefer HaChinuch applying Lo Sasur to all Chachmei HaDor and combining that with the view of the Ramban who talks about the Beis Din Hagadol’s great understanding and how God will protect them from error, etc [7].

Part of the problem in writing a critique of the concept of Daas Torah is that it is a moving target; people keep on defining it differently. When people are oftentimes defending it, they define it more modestly: it’s a limited notion, we’re not saying the "gedolim" are infallible, maybe there’s a plurality of views that are Daas Torah, but obviously rabbis should have some say on broader communal issues, etc.

There was an exchange in The Journal of Halacha and Contemporary Society between me and Rabbi Alfred Cohen -- where if I understood him correctly, he proposed this type of scaled-down notion of Daas Torah [8]. And if that is all that is meant by it, I’m not sure if I would necessarily disagree that much.

But what I find is that when it’s actually used in the rhetoric of the Haredi world, it’s used to make rather extreme claims. First of all, despite the idea of the plurality of Daas Torah, it’s pretty clear to me that originally within the Agudah circles, it was used to legitimate the Haredi world and to delegitimate the Modern Orthodox.

Updated: Sunday - October 25, 2009 8:47 AM CDT

World Wide Prayers?

There is something unsettling about this. The following is a post in its entirety from YWN:

Worldwide tefillos are expected on Sunday and Sunday night as the trial of one of the bochrim imprisoned in Japan gets underway. A number of months ago, one of the three was sentenced and next week, the trial of yet another defendant is scheduled to begin.

The trial begins on Monday in Japan, Sunday night in Eretz Yisrael and Sunday evening in the United States. The trial is expected to continue for three consecutive days. The justices will hear the case against suspect Yosef ben Reizal.

The Eida Chareidis on Wednesday night called for an increased adherence to acts between man and fellow man and to increase tefillos as the trial take place. Tefilla gatherings are reportedly going to take place in New York and London as well.

The tzibur is requested to continue including Yosef ben Ita Rivka, Yoel Zev ben Mirel Reesa Chava and Yaakov Yosef ben Raizel in tefillos.

I’ve addressed this issue in the past. To review - three adolescent Chasidim were caught as drug mules in Japan. A drug mule is someone who is used to transport drugs from one location to another. In this case it was from Israel to Japan. The boys were caught by Japanese customs officials and have been detained for trial. One has already been sentenced.

They have cried innocence and claim to have been duped into taking a suitcase with some ‘harmless materials’ to Japan in exchange for a fully paid excursion to visit some ancestral gravesites in Europe. It was offered by a ‘Heimishe’ Chasid who happened to be a major drug dealer. The boys apparently did not know this.

My own inclination is to believe that these boys didn’t know they were carrying drugs. But that they had to know they were breaking the law by trying to smuggle something past customs. This makes them criminals – albeit not serious ones.

Long story short - There has been a major effort to get these boys back to Israel. There have been extraordinary efforts on their behalf by various dedicated individuals who seem to have dropped everything else in order to accomplish that. These efforts were detailed not long ago in a Mishpacha Magazine article - which I wrote about. I support their efforts.

So why does this world wide prayer service bother me?

Because it makes the entire episode seem like a total injustice to innocent young boys who were just minding their own business. Pidyan Shevuyim. It makes it seem like they have been captured by an anti-Semtic enemy out to do the Jewish people harm …that these boys were arrested only because they were Jewish.

I don’t think any of that is true. As have said many times, I believe they knew they were doing something wrong. But they had no clue how serious it was. To call this Pidyan Shevuyim is in my mind a questionable appellation. Nor are their lives in any real danger. If found guilty they will be sentenced to hard labor as are all Japanese prisoners convicted of crimes like this. Eventually they will be released.

In my view the punishment for what they actually did – or believed they did – is excessive. Based on descriptions by former inmates it sounds really horrible. These boys made a mistake and will pay a huge price for it. Too huge – unless it can be proven they actually knew they were carrying drugs.

So we should try and get them back. But please let us not make virtual heroes out of them. Let us not treat them as victims of an unjust anti-Semtic government. Let us not call for a world-wide prayer service as though they will die if we don’t. Yes we should perhaps pray for justice in this case and work towards getting them back in our jurisdiction. But not in some sort of world wide prayer spectacle!

To make it seem like they were the purest of souls- innocent victims of a harsh anti-Semitic government - is just plain stupid. That is what this worldwide prayer service seems to imply. It is the nature of such events to make those we pray about seem pure as the driven snow. I don’t think they are. Claiming that on a worldwide stage makes Jews seem self-centered and tolerant of crime. And in the current climate of public attention on Jews and financial wrong doing - we ought to be doing the opposite. At the very least we ought not to be drawing attention to ourselves.

In an interesting footnote - the Edah HaCharedis has called for an increase in positive behavior towards their fellow man– Mitzvos Bein Adam L’Chavero. Perhaps they should look in the mirror first.

Eyes on the Prize - Getting Married

I have no clue who they are. I’m not sure I want to know. But Rabbi Chananya Weissman - who I believe is himslef still single -reports in an op-ed in the Jerusalem Post that 60 rabbis have signed onto the notion that one of the problems that young people encounter in trying to find a mate is that matchmakers – Shadchanim – are not open enough to varying age gaps between potential couples.

They say that young men look for young women that are a specific number of years younger than them - 1 to 3 years younger I would guess. These rabbis argue that age gaps can be wider or in either direction. Older women should be considered by younger men. This - these rabbis say - will truly help solve the problem.

Rabbi Weissman then goes on to argue that there have been in the past many things to blame for the so-called Shidduch crisis and that this new ‘insight’ will not by itself do anything to solve it. All of the things he’s written about in the past are still problems. I sympathize with his position.

But I do not dismiss the fact that this is indeed one of the many problems. And there are many. But I also believe that there is a core problem – that of seeking the ideal mate. And when one seeks the ideal it’s hard to settle for less.

That said there are a lot of weddings happening all the time here in Chicago. I would assume there are multiple times as many weddings happening in New York. Young people do get married all the time. I know. I attend many of them. My guess is that the majority of young people manage to find a mate somehow. This Shidduch problem is only a problem for those who are not married – yet. For such a person it might seem they will never get married.

As is often the case, singles experience the following. They have been dating long and hard for many years and have not had any luck. I often hear the following. They will date people who they like but do not develop mutual feelings. The relationship ends. Or they date people who might develop interest in them but do not develop mutual feelings for. The relationship ends.

Of course there are other issues that prevent one from finding a mate but I think this phenomenon is a more common issue. In other words. neither side wants ‘to settle’.

I believe that this idea – of not settling – is one of the truly serious impediments to marriage. I believe that what they are really looking for is perfection. Or near perfection. Oh - these young people may pay lip service to the fact that they are not. They will say that they only want minimal standards and aren’t asking for that much.

But when one begins to question what it is they are really looking for one finds some truly unimportant criteria which can easily impede a potentially very good excellent life partner. So they date and date – looking for Mr. or Mrs. ‘Right’ and never quite find it.

I can well imagine what goes on in the mind of a young man or woman who has been dating for some time and not found their mate yet. It can be a debilitating experience to keep dating and not find the ‘one’ you are looking for. With each successive failure the anxiety and depression increases – sometimes to the point of despair. I have read letters by near despondent singles to columnists dealing with these matters in the Jewish media many times.

There is a very insightful article on the Aish.com website by Silvia Miner, a 68 year old woman who has never been married. She ended up despairing so much during her ‘dating career’ that she withdrew herself from that circumstance at age 30. And now at age 68 she is left alone.

She offers some words of wisdom. I truly think that much of the problem that some people face in finding a mate boils down to what she says here. Listen to her. Age brings wisdom. And I do not just say that because I am 62 years old. I say it because it’s true. She is not married and I think she might have figured out why. And she shares her wisdom with her readers. Here are some excerpts:

I suspect that it is one manifestation of an underlying attitude about what makes for happiness -- the idea that I will be happy if I get just what is perfectly suited to Me. Our society constantly promotes the idea that, among the available options, I owe it to Myself to obtain the optimal option.

This plays out at its ugliest in dating. Since, especially for young men, there are a dizzying number of options available, this makes it very difficult to be certain at any point when one has found "the best person for Me."

The traditional belief that for every person there is a match who is "bashert" for them, has somehow uncannily morphed into this quest for the optimal mate. People forget that there is such a thing as destiny, that your ideal match may not be the person you fantasize about, but may become attached to your soul through any set of circumstances.

Looking for perfection is futile, because you will not find it. Nobody is perfect. The only way is to go for percentages, and with commitment you will find true happiness.

Being happy and getting what you want are not synonymous. Rather, happiness comes from taking what comes to you and making the best of it. It means recognizing external constraints as expressions of the will of God, and trying to live well within them. And external constraints include the wishes and needs of others. A young man who dates a young woman, gets to know her, enjoys her company, raises her hopes, and then shears off because he thinks he might be able to do a little better, is surely living in a selfish-filled illusion.

Those of you who are reading this and are having trouble finding a mate – listen to her. She is a wise woman.

…And Justice for All

The issue of sex abuse in the Orthodox Jewish community is a complex one. I wish it weren’t so. I wish it were as easy as a victim going immediately to the authorities and reporting sex abuse. But life is not that simple.

I have agonized about balancing the rights of the victim and the rights of the accused. When in doubt, I have always come down on the side of the victim. But as has been pointed out right here on this blog, sometimes innocent people are accused. If they are immediately reported to the police justice is not served.

The question arises, how are we to protect the innocent? Most advocates of victims of child abuse rightfully say that the interests of the victims are paramount. I agree. Since false accusations are rarely made – especially in cases of child sex abuse – the greater good is served by reporting all accusations to the police. In the rare event of a false accusation the police will sort it out.

Perhaps. But as I said it isn’t that simple. Once the feathers are out of the pillow and the wind spreads them around they are almost impossible to put back. A media report about an accusation of a rabbi molesting a child will make headlines. But a future exoneration will barely make the news.

I have said in the past that every accusation should be reported the police. But only if it is credible. And it is worth taking some time to ascertain that. Not a lot of time. But at least a few days. This does not mean that an accused molester will not be reported unless there is hard evidence against him.

But it does mean that if there is conclusive evidence found of the accused’s innocence, it won’t be. A rush to report an accusation to the police can in effect be a rush to judgment in the public eye. When it comes to sex abuse – there is so much disgust that the common attitude is guilty until proven innocent. But justice demands a higher standard.

An article in the Forward about the role of a religious court – a Beis Din - in sex abuse cases makes that point. The arguments in favor of it are made by Rabbi Moshe Kletenik, president of the RCA (pictured above) and David Zweibel, executive vice president of Agudah. They both say that a Beis Din is a useful tool in ferreting out the merit of a case. Both agree that the authorities should be contacted. But both also say that a Beis Din if appropriately trained can and should be involved.

Frankly, I think this is a reasonable position. But only if the Beis Din is duly trained and works with professionals. And it realizes its own investigative limitations. A letter by Rabbi Kletenik to the Forward (published on Hirhurim) - explains his position. It was in response to what he felt was a possible misimpression of his remarks reported in the Forward article. I think his position is an eminently reasonable one:

I also spoke of special Batei Din or Rabbinical Courts, which exist in some communities such as Chicago and Los Angeles, in which rabbis work together with appropriate professionals, including psychologists, social workers and legal counsel, who are equipped to deal with such cases.

That said - I would forbid any Bet Din that was not so equipped to deal with reports of abuse. And I would advise both the RCA and Agudah to implement sanctions to that effect. I think this is the real source of any problem with religious courts. Too often they are ill equipped and yet arrogant about their Halachic authority in these matters. But even if they are not arrogant and quite sincere, they are still not adequately equipped to handle it.

We do not have to go back too far in history to see how the most ethical of rabbis on such a court erred grievously. Rabbi Yosef Blau points this out in the Forward article. Both Rabbi Blau and Rabbi Mordechai Willig – two of the most honorable and ethical people I know - were involved in a Beis Din that exonerated Rabbi Baruch Lanner. 13 years later Rabbi Lanner was later convicted of sexually abusing two teenage girls.

So the bottom line as I see it is this. If one has the kind of Baatei Din that are properly equipped to handle preliminary investigations as those in Chicago and Los Angeles are (as mentioned by Rabbi Kletenik) - and if caution is used to err on the side of the victim – I am inclined to support them. In other words if there is even the slightest possibility that the accusations are true, the police must be contacted. But short of that, I am inclined to report all cases of abuse to the authorities immediately.

They’re Out to Get Us!

There are some people in Judaism that just don’t get it. Either that or they are lying. I’m not sure which one of those is the case with Chabad Rabbi Shea Hecht but I will give him the benefit of the doubt and assume he really believes what he is saying. This is what he said during a recent interview on a New York radio program. From VIN:

Rabbi Hecht strongly argued that the Rubashkin case puts all Orthodox Jews on trial, claiming that the U.S. justice system needs improvement. As an example, the rabbi cited the recent New Jersey arrests in which every defendant with a Jewish last name had bail raised to double or triple that of their non-Jewish counterparts.

It’s unbelievable that a rabbi in America of the 21st century can accuse the US government of what amounts to anti-Semitism. This is a country where there is unprecedented freedom for Jews to live in any manner they choose without the slightest interference from authorities of any kind. And I can think of no better beneficiaries of the system than Lubavitch where Rabbi Hecht is a member. They know how to work the system better than anyone.

No Orthodox organization compares in public relations abilities to Lubavitch. They are everwhere. Access to the public square belongs to them. They put up giant Menorahs all over the country and get major politicians to join them in candle lighting ceremonies. And they are adept at working congress too. How anti Semitic can a country be whose legislators declare ‘Education Day’ in congress - in honor of the Lubavitcher Rebbe?’ And yet Rabbi Hecht has no shame strongly implying that the government is anti Semitic… as though they only go after Jews - especially religious Jews.

And it isn’t only him. There is a whole host of religious Jews out there that thinks like this. It’s always anti-Semitism that is at fault. It’s never ‘us’.

Well I have some news for these people. They are no better than those wacky conspiracy theorists. You know... the kind of people who see a government conspiracy behind every event. JFK was assassinated by the CIA and/or the Mafia. And 9/11 was a joint venture between the Israeli Mossad and the CIA.

Here is my message to Rabbi Hecht: Get a clue. Jews can and do commit crimes. Even religious ones. If they don’t break the law they will not be prosecuted. Your outspoken paranoia only adds to the Chilul HaShem!

Perfidy

One of the most controversial chapters in modern Jewish history is what has become known as the Kastner affair - named after its central character - Rudolf Kastner. Hollywood playwright Ben Hecht wrote about it in the sixties in a book called Perfidy. While he admitted to being completely biased, he nevertheless proceeded to paint both Kastner and early Zionist pioneers like David Ben-Gurion and Chaim Weitzman as monsters - unconcerned with the fate of Holocaust victims at the height of their slaughter.

Kastner was painted as a self centered villain who as a functionary of the Jewish Agency sold out Hungarian Jewry to save the lives of his own family members among 1600 Jews which included the Satmar Rebbe. In short he was accused of collaborating with the Nazis by Malchiel Gruenwald who was then sued for libel by the Israeli government. The trial ended up making Kastner look guilty however - and he was eventually assassinated.

Perfidy is often cited as a source by anti State Charedim as part of their justification for despising the Israeli government. They point to it and say that even a secular Jew like Ben Hecht knew how disgusting those people were – and by philosophical inheritance -the current leaders as well. There are other incidents cited in the book to demonstrate that - but a major portion of the book is devoted to Kastner.

But even after reading his book - I never saw it the way Hecht did. I saw the possibility that Kastner did his best to save as many Jews as he could. To characterize a fellow Jew during the Holocaust who saved many Jewish lives as a Nazi collaborator because so few were saved or because he choose to include his own family is completely unfair. It smacks of a preconceived bias. - a bias by people with an agenda to bash the State.

For Hecht who was a devotee of Ben Gurion’s opposition - that bias was made clear. For certain Charedim whose agenda it is to bash the State Perfidy is a convenient ‘proof’ to their position. Whenever such people can find information to make the State look bad they will glorify and exult in it with an unmitigated sense of self-righteousness. Any facts available to ameliorate circumstances or to see them in other possible contexts will be ignored or purposely omitted.

Thankfully with due diligence the truth generally will come out in the end. Or at least the certainty of previously held assumptions will be strongly questioned. This is what appears to be happening now as a new documentary on the subject suggests. Kastner it turns out may very well have been the hero he was originally thought to be before Malchiel Grünwald accused him of being a Nazi collaborator - which led to his trial . A new documentary re-examines the man and the events that cost him his life.

I tend to think that Kastner did his best under the most extreme of circumstances -a Jew in Europe during the height of the Holocaust dealing with the Nazis - to save Jewish lives. And his demise can probably be attributed to ‘opposition politics’ as much as anything else.

In my mind this brings into question just about all the other accusations against the early Israel pioneers. Accusations like murder, assassination attempts, selling out Holocaust victims, and forced assimilation of religious Jewish children from Yemen and Tehran. One needs to be very careful about the bias of the reporters before coming to any real conclusions.

Now I am sure that a lot unflattering information of what was reported about them at the time is true. But one needs to also recognize that perspective and scale makes all the difference. Two different biases can easily result in two different - even opposite- versions of events. So when an anti Zionist Jews report about Zionist malevolence - one needs to take that with a huge grain of salt. Even if they truly believe what they are saying is true one must realize that there may have been a bigger picture than what they think is the case. This is true not just for religious opponents but non religious political opponents like Ben Hecht as well.

I read Perfidy a long time ago. If and when this documentary makes it to Chicago – I plan to see it and re-read the book.

Not in My Shul!

During my stay in Ramat Bet Shemesh I had the opportunity to go to the shopping center there many times. One store I passed by had a sign asking people to not enter it unless dressed according to the Tznius standards of the community. And they listed a couple of specific requirements.

Now people may do as they please when it comes to their own property. So these people had every right to make that request. I have no idea however how they respond to customers that violate those rules. My guess is that they do nothing and service them as they would any other customer. They simply are trying to maintain a standard they consider important.

People have a right to have community standards and request that outsiders honor them. The question is how far may we go to enforce those standards?

What if someone comes along and violates them? What should the response be – if any? What if a Reform Jew drives into Kiryas Joel - a Satmar enclave in New York- on Shabbos? Or a secular woman walks into Meah Shearim neighborhood wearing sleeveless shirt and a pair of blue jeans? Or a modern Orthodox woman in Jerusalem decides to sit in the relatively empty men’s section of a Mehadrin bus where the women’s section is over-crowded?

Do we have a right to protest? And if so to what extent do we have that right? And in what manner may we do so? Should possible negative fallout be considered or do we just insist on maintaining our standards at all costs? How much of a protest do we make to outsiders when they enter our domain and violate our standards?

In my view - the answer to this and similar questions is that we should not protest it at all unless we are absolutely certain that the violator is doing it on purpose to cause problems. Sometimes people just don’t know or understand and need to be educated. And sometimes even if they do know the community standards they may have some justification in violating them anyway.

The one thing no one should do is react the way individuals in a New York Shul did – as demonstrated in the following true story sent to me by Yossi Ginzburg. This story paints a picture and this picture is worth a thousand words. Here it is in its entirety:

We need to learn and to teach "Yesh koneh Olamo" and the opposite.

I teach Baalei Teshuva at MJE on Wednesday evenings. After yesterdays learning, Brian (a BT in-process & adjunct professor at the New School) told me the following, which he witnessed:

Astoria, Queens, has a small synagogue led by a Rabbi Shaulson. The congregation is quite small, including several Baalei Teshuva, some converts, an Israeli or two, and at least one self-righteous black-hat probable alcoholic.

A few weeks ago on a Shabbat morning during services, an unfamiliar face walked in - a woman, carrying a large pocketbook on her shoulder. She quietly sat down near the back.

The "very frum" guy took umbrage at her sporting a bag on Shabbat, and started to make an issue of it at once. He claimed- loudly- that it was an outrage and disrespectful to enter an Orthodox shul in an area without an Eiruv carrying anything, and certainly not a pocketbook which presumably had "muktze" in it. He made a bit of noise over the issue, until two men in the shul started to try to quiet him down, leading to even more fuss.

Eventually the rabbi interfered and stopped the discussion.

At this point, the woman stood up and made the following announcement: I am not religious, and never have been. My husband died last night, and he requested that he be cremated. I recall hearing that Judaism doesn't allow this, and came here to ask the Rabbi about it, being his desire conflicts with Judaism as I have heard. But you guys have answered my question already with your behavior, so never mind.

And she walked out.

What a lost opportunity! Let's all at least learn from it!

Two Women

There was a story broadcast on the Fox channel in New York about a young 36 year old Jewish woman who was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 28. Unfortunately the cancer - which doctors believed was caught early - has metastasized and has spread thoughout her body. She is now considered terminal.

When one watches the above video however one does not see a moribund person at all. One sees a woman who has an unbelievable attitude about both life and death. And despite her prognosis there is an aura of hope exuding from her. The above video is about 8 minutes long but it is definitely worth watching for its sobering and yet inspiring message.

I can all too easily relate to her predicament. A very close relative - someone near and dear to me - was diagnosed with breast cancer over 20 years ago. She had a mastectomy at the time and has had many productive years since - until about a year ago. Cancer ultimately returned in a different form and we just learned yesterday that there is nothing more doctors can do for her.

The family is devastated by the news which for me has dampened an otherwise wonder Sukkos vacation here is Israel. May God grant them both a reprieve from this terrible decree!

Hat tip: MiMedinat HaYam

The Belzer Rebbe and the Internet

One of the things I noticed during my current stay in Ramat Bet Shemesh is that just about everyone is connected. Not to each other. But to the internet. Not everyone is of course. My son does not have an internet connection for one. And I’m sure there are quite a few others without one as well.

But In trying to find some wireless connection here in Ramat Bet Shemesh I discovered that at just about any point in the city one can find a wireless connection. Looking at the list of wireless connection was a real education for me. There were as many as a dozen of them available at any given point.

Most of them were secure so they didn’t really help me much. But it was a real eye opener to see so many in this virtually 100% religious suburb not only connected to the internet but with wireless connections. That means they probably have at least two computers.

Last time I checked the city was about 60/40 Charedi to Dati. One would think that perhaps those connected are mostly from the Dati community. Perhaps. But the people who generously allowed me to use their wireless connections were Charedi. That is how I am able to post anything during my stay here. I thank them for it.

That there are Charedim in Israel that use the internet is not a surprise. But that it is apparently so pervasive is. It is as though it was a perfectly kosher and uncontroversial enterprise.

But we all know that isn’t true. The internet has been branded as the most evil influence of our day by Charedi Poskim.

The latest pronouncement to that effect were made by the Belzer Rebbe. From YWN:

In his motzei Simchas Torah address, the Belzer Rebbe Shlita came out in no uncertain terms against the internet, citing the many hazards to it brings to the Jewish home.

In the Belzer tradition, the Rebbe Shlita delivers an address on motzei Simchas Torah, a type of summation of the Tishrei yomim tovim. This year’s address focused on the dangers to “ones home and children” as a result of bringing the internet into one’s home.

He of course was not the first one to speak out so forcefully. As I recall the Lakewood Yeshiva community schools will not accept children whose parents have the internet in their home. But based on my experience here in Ramat Bet Shemesh - Charedim completely reject that attitude and use the internet at their convenience as they wish.

This is apparently true of Belzer Chasidim too. Why else would the Belzer Rebbe choose to make his admonition now?

It also seems to be that there are enough Belzer Chasidm that use the internet improperly for the Rebbe to be concerned:

The Rebbe spoke of those who circumvent well-intended measures, explaining today there are ‘kosher’ cellular telephones. In addition, today there are internet connections that are filtered, to exclude unwanted material. The Rebbe however made it clear, warning he is well-aware of the many who have two cellular telephones, the kosher one and the ‘non-kosher’ one to satisfy their needs, and others who wisely bypass internet restrictions.

Doesn’t the Belzer Rebbe realize that treating the internet as evil makes it a forbidden fruit? And that forbidden fruit is sweet? Doesn’t he realize that the internet can be used as much for good as it can for bad? And that it is a useful tool in the lives of the vast majority of those who use it? And that is indeed why they do use it? And add routers so they can use remote wireless computers.

I have said it before and I say it again. The dangers of the internet are real. But the advantages are just as real. Those of us who have it and use it know its benefits and risks. But like many things worthwhile in life one needs to take great care to avoid its pitfalls. The internet keeps increasing in value as an important resource with vast amounts information available at your fingertips in a flash.

Most people know that and take the proper precautions. And if one has children one must take additional precautions to keep them safe. As they do with other dangerous but useful materials. Should one throw out a stove because his children might get burned and eat only cold food?

There are exceptions that should avoid internet use. For example if someone has a predilection to porn, he should not use the internet and get professional help. For those who can’t help themselves –they can find other ways to satisfy their needs. If they don’t get it online they will get it elsewhere. Where there is a will there I s a way. Banning the internet because of such individuals is just plain wrong. And will probably have the opposite effect.

I reiterate my call to rabbinic leaders like the Belzer Rebbe to stop treating the internet like it was a hot coal and treat it for what it is: a useful tool that requires due diligence and good parenting. Because going around saying the sky is falling will just make them lose credibility.

The Noble Peace Prize

The Nobel committee announced a few days ago that the Peace Prize was being awarded to President Barack Obama.

If there was ever any question about the honor and validity of this prize this announcement should fully answer that question. The final nail is in the coffin of that prize. It is now completely meaningless. Not that it needed another nail. There are plenty of nails in that coffin already. When a world class terrorist like Yassir Arafat won that prize – that was enough right there to discredit it.

The Peace Prize does have a controversial history if one looks at previous recipients. But some of them were quite deserving. Albert Schweitzer, Teddy Roosevelt, and Ghandi - just to name a few.

Now - Barack Obama is not a terrorist. But neither is he an Albert Schweitzer. He is neither villain nor hero. He is in fact a non entity as a peace maker. He has done absolutely nothing to in any way to advance the cause of peace. Zero.

All he has done is make some controversial speeches and emphasize America’s long held policy against Israeli settlements on the west bank of the Jordan River. Even as he has inched closer to the Arab position on the peace process he has inched away from the Israeli position. That is a zero sum game that equals no progress at all. The trick is to move both parties in the direction of peace. He has not done that at all. Not even close!

That people exist on this earth that have advanced the cause of peace and deserve to be rewarded is appropriate. But one needs to have in some way earned it. There has to be something concrete to show for it. I do not believe that even the President’s biggest supporters can point to anything to make that claim.

This is not to say that he might not someday achieve peace in the Middle East. Although I seriously doubt he will - anything is possible. But he is no closer to achieving peace today than any of his predecessors. And many of them put far greater efforts into it - and spent a lot more time trying.

It is certainly understandable that the President has no achievements. He has been in office less than a year. He has been a national figure for less than 5 years. It would have been prudent for the Nobel committee to wait at least until the end of his first term to see if there was any significant progress.

Instead they decided to give an award to a man who just a few year ago was a Illinois State Senator - with little or no accomplishments there - a prize that should represent a lifetime of achievement or at least a dramatic one time achievement. This proves to me once and for all that the Nobel Peace prize is meaningless.

President Obama is yet another unworthy recipient. The more unworthy recipients there are - the more it truly dishonors previous worthy recipients. What a shame!

What If He Were Your Son?

It is the eve of Shimini Atzeres and Simchas Torah. For the vast majority of Orthodox Jews this day (or 2 days for most Orthodox Jews who do not live in Israel) this is one of the most joyous times of the year. Dancing is the order of the day on Simchas Torah as we celebrate the completion of the yearly Torah reading cycle.

But there is one Jew who I cannot get off of my mind on this day who will not be able to celebrate anything with his brethren. His name is Gilad Shalit.

There is a lot of news floating around the various media about his imminent release by Hamas terrorists in exchange for the release by Israel of masses of Hamas criminals being held in Israeli prisons. This has resulted in a vigorous debate between those who are for and against it.

There are those who though very concerned for Shalit’s welfare say that giving up terrorists for Shalit will just encourage more kidnappings. And what’s worse - those terrorists who are released will possibly wreak havoc upon us in the future – possibly killing many more Jews in various ways including suicide missions. So they are opposed. This includes various Roshei Yeshivos. From YWN:

Many roshei yeshiva affiliated with the pre-army Mechinot yeshivot in Israel have signed a letter that was sent to Defense Minister Ehud Barak, expressing their opposition to the release of terrorists to bring Gilad Shalit home.

33 rabbonim and secular directors of the pre-IDF yeshivot have signed the letter which was sent to Barak about ten days ago…

I suppose this is the prudent course of action to take. But I am not one for prudence here. I want Shalit out! His life is in danger. We know what these people are capable of. Think Daniel Pearl.

I realize the dangers of mrelaesing so many terrorists in such a situation. But they are only potential dangers. Refusal to deal for Shalit means certain death for him. This is a Bari V’Shema – a certainty versus uncertainty. The Gemarah tells us that Bari Adif Certainly has the upper hand in the deciding what to do. To me this is a case of Pikuach Nefesh -certain death for one man versus possible future deaths.

I therefore disagree with those Roshei Yeshiva. In my view – if Israel cannot rescue Shalit in a clandestine operation than they ought to negotiate the best deal they can and let this young IDF soldier go home to his parents. He has been held captive long enough!

It would be my preference to then carpet bomb Gaza after those terrorists are returned there (with the appropriate leaflet warnings to civilians). I think Israel ought to flatten it.

But since that is not going to happen Israel will just have to be more vigilant in protecting its citizens after such a deal is made.

I know this solution is not perfect. Nor is it very popular. But I made it with the following thought in mind. What if it were my son? I answered that one pretty quickly. I cannot be a hypocrite and say that I would allow my son to be brutally murdered by terrorists if there was any way we could get him out alive. Gilad Shalit should not be treated any differently.

I believe that in the end Israel will make the same decision. And as difficult as it is to make – in my view it is the right one.

Stranger Danger… or Uncle Moe?

With a sinister smile lurking behind the bushes an unkempt desheveled low life of a pedophile lurks - waiting for his prey. He sees him and pounces grabbing a young boy. He covers the mouth of the child to stifle his screams and cries and after looking to see that ‘the coast is clear’ he carries him into a beat-up old van - drives to his dingy basement apartment and has his way with him gratifying his disgusting sexual impulses. He lets the child go and tells him that if he tells anyone - he will kill him … or his parents. This activity is repeated every night with a new victim. During the day he is a loner who works as a day laborer picking up menial work.

Is this the description of your typical pedophile? I would not be surprised if many people picture pedophiles in pretty much this way.

According to experts many pedophiles are often respected family members, sometimes people of prominence and individuals who are well integrated into the community. They are people who generally have good jobs and do them well. Often they are married with children of their own. Their families may not even be aware of the problem.

Apparently they are ‘Jekyll and Hydes’. Most of the time they are like everyone else – good citizens going about their lives - with many friends and loving families. But when the urge strikes them and the opportunity presents itself (which they often manage to manipulate) they gratify their sexual urges using innocent victims in secluded locations. They cultivate their victims as friends or protégés. Their victims may not realize they are even victims at first if they are young enough.

Pedophiles are very often integral and even beloved members of a community. That’s what makes pedophilia so sinister. It is so hard to believe it about such people. Nowhere is this point made more clearly than in an article in the Jewish Week. Here is the pertinent excerpt:

…a courtroom packed with supporters of the 31-year-old Weinberg - among them, according to his defense attorney, school principals, two rabbis and civic leaders - the judge spoke of receiving more than 90 letters attesting to Weinberg's character and innocence.

The judge was appalled that an individual convicted in his courtroom of pedohilia was so highly spoken of while the victims were ignored. Practically the entire community testified that ‘It just ain’t so!’ ‘Can’t be! Not this man. He is innocent!’ ‘The victims? They must be mistaken about this man’.

Of course good people do care about victims. But as this case illustrates - the level of disbelief about respected members of the community overwhelms them and that supersedes any thought they might have for the victims.

I have absolutely no doubt that the people who testified on behalf of the convicted pedophile are good people. They abhor sex abuse as much as any decent human being would. But they simply do not beleive it.

And that is a problem that is hard to overcome. It is easy for those of us who are not familiar with a given convicted pedophile to see and do the right thing. If we don’t know them personally we can be objective. But what if a convicted sex-abuser was someone you know? A beloved uncle or a grandfather? A respected Rebbe or a principal? Or a popular Bar Mitzvah tutor? Or a talented Kiruv worker?What if it was the long term Rav of your Shul? What would your reaction be?

Not possible? I’m sure the members of Moses Montefiore Anshe Emunah Hebrew Congregation in Baltimore felt the same way about their long term Rav. From an article in The Baltimore Sun:

For more than half a century, Rabbi Jacob A. Max was a dominant figure in Baltimore's Jewish community, founder of one of its most important synagogues, an influential leader who officiated at countless cycle-of-life rituals of the faith. A man, it seemed from afar, above reproach.But Max's reputation disintegrated earlier this year after he was convicted of sexually molesting a woman half his age in a Reisterstown funeral home.

Exception? Maybe. But need I mention the cases of respected Mechanchim and Kiruv workers who have been convicted of sex abuse? Or are clearly guilty but have somehow evaded justice?

I am not here to ascertain the guilt or innocence of anyone. It is certainly possible that someone can be wrongly convicted. My point is not to ‘pile on’ to this convicted pedophile. I’m sure that in the aforementioned case - all of those character whiteness believe he was wrongly convicted. But if pedophilia is to be stopped we need realize that sometimes even the best among us may have these kinds of abnormal urges that can and do overwhelm them. They may very well be the typical Jekyll and Hyde personality.

I’m not sure how to properly deal with this situation. But what experts do say is that most often sex abusers were themselves once abused sexually. By not facing the truth and trying to deal with it effectively we are in essence part of the problem. For every molester who abuses two victims – he may very well be ‘giving birth’ to two molesters. And they will produce 4… who will produce 8… who will produce 16… a geometric progression! If this has been going on for any length of time we already have huge numbers of molesters in our midst that we are unaware of.

There ought to be a way to deal with this problem effectively and stop abuse completely. I’m not an expert at how to do this. But such experts do exist and ought to be paid heed. It is they who should be relied upon to devise measures to effectively deal with any and all cases of abuse. We ought to not let our own emotions carry the day. That is what happened until now. And that has resulted in destroying far too many lives.