Publicizing Chanukah

One of the most ubiquitous items seen during this time of year is the Menorah. By time of year -I’m not talking about Chanukah. I’m talking about the period between Thanksgiving and New Year usually referred to as the Christmas season.

The reason for this symbol being so prominent is Lubavitch. They use this season as an opportunity to spread the word about the Mitzvah and in the process do some outreach. There are signs all over saying ‘Miracles happen! – Celebrate Chanukah’. There are Menorahs on the tops of cars and vans… and Menorahs erected in public places all over the place – all over the world. If I understand correctly the Lubavitcher Rebbe urged his Chasidim to ‘spread the word’ in this way - as means of Pirsumei Nissa.

Pirsumei Nissa is an Aramaic term loosely meaning ‘publicizing the miracle’. This - the Gemarah tells us - is one of the primary puposes of fulfilling the Mitzvah of lighting the Menorah on Chanukah. In fact one should if possible try and light the Menorah immediately upon nightfall since that is when most people are in the street – coming home from work. The optimal time lasts for about a half an hour. Lighting it then maximizes the numbers of those who will see it. And it is why the Menorah should be placed by a window that faces the street.

Chabad has taken the idea of Pirsumei Nissa and extended it to promoting Chanukah anywhere and everywhere during this time of year. Once we start hearing Christmas music over the radio airwaves – we start seeing Chanukah signs and Menorahs. The crowning feature of this Lubavitch campaign is the public Menorah lighting ceremony. They often feature celebrities or politicians lighting these giant Menorahs usually on public property and in front of many people that are gathered there. These images often even make the local nightly TV newscasts.

I have mixed feelings about this phenomenon. Should Chanukah be an ‘also ran’ to Christmas?

On the one hand it definitely publicizes Chanukah. I can see how an assimilated secular Jew who might not otherwise be Jewishly involved - now has an opportunity to take pride in something Jewish. These stirred feelings can awaken Jewish consciousness followed by a desire to investigate one’s Jewish heritage. It may even instill pride among the more committed Jew who might otherwise feel a bit over-whelmed by the barrage of Christmas ‘cheer’ in the air this time of year.

How many times have I heard a fellow Jew say that they hate this time of year because it reminds them of just how different they are and how ‘American’ Christmas really is. It can easily make one feel a bit less American because they do not celebrate Christmas.

One can say that Chanukah’s coincidental timing with Christmas makes it a wonderful outreach opportunity and we should do everything we can to take advantage of that. As I said - the pride generated by a public Menorah lighting can wake up those dormant Jewish feelings and lead one towards a more committed Jewish life.

Public displays of Jewish religious symbols can also serve to demonstrate the level of religious tolerance in this country.

So I can’t blame Lubavitch for going all out in this project.

But there is another side to this that is not so flattering. There have been backlashes by some Americans – both Jew and gentile - that see public Menorah lightings as an unacceptable mixture of church and State. In some cases it brings out the otherwise dormant anti-Semitic feelings. That can lead to vandalism as was the case recently at a Hillel House and a Chabad house in a Bloomington Indiana. While one should never cower in the face of such threats, one need not necessarily do the kinds of things that give rise to it.

Fortunately incidents like this have also brought out the good that exists in our country. A few years ago on Chanukah in a small American town someone took a baseball bat and broke the front window of a house with a lit Menorah in it. The response of the non Jewish neighbors was heartwarming. Virtually all of the neighbors bought Menorahs and placed them in their windows and lit them. Which is yet another reason why I am so proud to be an American.

How far should Chabad go with these public displays? Is it worth fighting for when there is community opposition? Does it still qualify for outreach when such an event is off-putting to the community in which it is planned?

This happened a few years ago in Seattle’s International airport. Nine Christmas trees were already up when Chabad asked if they could erect a Menorah there. They threatened a lawsuit if they weren’t allowed to do so. Rather than accede to this request airport officials took the Christmas trees down. I'm sure this ‘thrilled’ Seattle citizens!

Was threatening a lawsuit not a Chilul HaShem? Just because we have the constitutional right to ‘free exercise of religion’ in this country doesn’t mean it’s a good idea to pursue it at all costs. Is that how we want to portray ourselves? Asserting ourselves where we are not wanted?

Was there any anti-Semitism involved on the part of Seattle’s airport officials? I don’t know. But certainly the antagonistic approach taken by Chabad there was counter-productive - perhaps even turning an intended Kiddush HaShem into a Chilul HaShem.

Is outreach in this way worth the price? Do we really need all those public Menorah lightings to accomplish it? Shouldn’t Chabad at least be more selective as to where they do it and certainly not ‘force’ it upon a community that is opposed?

And finally - is it really fair to call it Pirsumei Nissa when there is absolutely no connection to the real meaning of the term? The Laws of Chanukah are very clear. Public spectacles like this have nothing to do with any of the Mitzvos of Chanukah.

Like I said - I have mixed feelings about it. I do think that it can instill pride in some Jews. But in others it might seem like an opportunistic and vulgar assertion of one of our minor holidays upon a general public who in most cases could not be less interested. And in some cases they might even be resentful of our intrusion into their holiday spirit.

Is it worth it? Does it generate pride or animosity? Do our gentile neighbors resent it as an intrusion or applaud it as part of our American heritage of diversity? I honestly don’t know.

Hashkafic Fairness and Balance

I have been having an e-mail debate with a right wing modern Orthodox friend about the value of my blog. I have in the past explained and defended what I do here and do not feel the need to do it again now. But one of the challenges he posed to me is why I do not have any criticism of my own community – which for the most part is the right wing modern Orthodox world.

I must concede that I have not specifically criticized this world. Not because I wouldn’t criticize what’s going on in my own backyard but because I truly do not see anything there of sufficient merit to comment upon.

Cynics might say that I am too blinded by my own Hashkafos to see any problems.

OK. I challenged my friend to come up with issues that are truly a problem in right wing modern Orthodoxy that I have neglected. He mentioned a few. The problem is that many of his issues are not really specific to right wing modern Orthodox circles. They are problems of the greater MO world.

As I have often said - modern Orthodoxy has a large segment comprised of what I call MO-Lite. They are the ones who are Orthodox more for social reasons than for religious or ideological ones. And while one can find ‘Lites’ in all strata of Orthodoxy, I concede that there is probably a greater proportion of Lites in the MO world than in the Charedi world.

Laxity in Mitzvah observance can be seen among Lites via observance of various of the Halachos of Erva (e.g. being Shomer Nigiya – touching the opposite sex). These Halachos are often ignored by many young MOs, but in almost all instances these are MO Lites, not serious MOs.

That such things do occur even in some RWMO circles or even among Charedim just means that the sex drive is very strong and given the opportunity - some people will succumb to temptation. Ain Apitropus L’Aaryos. But they are the exception that proves the rule in both communities.

Other areas in modern Orthodoxy that my friend pointed to are just as problematic in Charedi circles as they are in RWMO circles. Going OTD which can lead to Illegal drug use and other anti-social behavior is a problem with no Hashkafic label - having more to do with family dysfunction or a childhood sexual molestation.

He mentioned the RWMO failure to adequately address the problems with internet use. That may be true but it is equally true of the Charedi world. Neither community has successfully dealt with the problem. Both have their own ideas of which trek to take. And each idea has its pluses and minuses. But it seem that at least in America, the two sides seem to be coming together in how to deal with it. The Charedi mainstream no longer insists banning it and has instead suggested the same kind of safeguards that the RWMO suggests (and just about anyone else who cares about what their child encounters on the internet). Instead of a ban - safeguards are suggested which include but are not limited to filters, monitoring, keeping computers out in the open and out of bedrooms.

There were a few other issues he mentioned but all had similar answers.

So in the interests of fairness and balance ( not to co-opt Fox news - but the expression fits) is there any serious failing with respect to right wing modern Orthodoxy that I have neglected and needs to be addressed?

Sex Abuse in the Orthodox World

A little more than a month ago there was a meeting held in Chicago by the Jewish Board for Advocacy for Children dealing with sex abuse in the Orthodox world. By most measures it was deemed a success. There were many important speakers at the event including Rav Gedalia Schwartz Av Beis Din of both the CRC and the RCA’s Beth Din of America. Also there were victims of sex abuse who spoke of their experiences. But by all accounts the most electrifying moment of that event was the address given by Rabbi Moshe Soloveichik. He truly captures his father’s passion for doing the right thing. It is now available on video. R’ Moshe is Rav Ahron Soloveichik’s oldest son and a major Talmid Chacham in his own right. And I believe this is one of his finest moments. His father would be proud! Hat tip to UOJ where I first saw it.

Charedim, Heresy, and Amalek

A few days ago I lauded a Charedi Knesset member of Sephardi extraction for his courage in telling it like it is. Rabbi Haim Amsalem publicly promoted ideas often promoted on this blog, among them the idea that not everyone should be learning Torah full time, Limudei Chol subjects should be part and parcel of the curriculum in most Charedi schools, and that only a limited number of students should be encouraged to study full time indefinitely.

The rest should learn a trade or profession, serve in the army and go to work. This is also my view. But more importantly it is the view of Rav Samson Raphael Hirsch and the view of my Rebbe, Rav Ahron Soloveichik as outlined in his book, Logic of the Heart, Logic of the Mind.

For espousing this view, Rabbi Amsalem was hammered by the Sephardi Gadol HaDor, Rav Ovadia Yosef. His council of Torah sages later came out with the following statement. From VIN:

“The Council of Torah Sages met with great sorrow [to discuss] the words of Haim Amsalem, who opened his mouth about our dear yeshiva students who…save the whole world with their Torah,” read the most recent letter, signed by the Council of Torah Sages, reads.

“He cooked this dish in public in order to find favor in the eyes of those who hate Torah,” it continues. “He, as a teacher, is kicking his rabbis. He is added to our troubles - peasants and haters of Torah sages - and caused a desecration of G-d’s name.”

The Jerusalem Post reports that Shas Party Chairman Eli Yishai asked R’ Amsalem to resign from the Knesset (return his mandate to Shas). He ‘spent an hour on the radio Thursday lashing out against the lawmaker’. Adding that R’ Amsalem’s claims that R’ Yosef would not meet with him and allow him to explain his positions - was false. Which is kind of strange since he followed it up with the following:

“Yosef himself told his secretary he doesn’t want to meet with Amsalem, since he doesn’t listen to him and distorts his opinion.”

Shades of Rabbi Slifkin and Rav Elyashiv. But I digress.

Nothing however matches what was said by the Shas Newspaper Yom Leyom. They called him a heretic and compared him to Amalek. From the Jerusalem Post:

The front page of the weekly paper, as well as much of a supplement, were dedicated to Amsalem, the Shas Council of Torah Sages’s Monday decision, and elaborations on the “sinful ways” of the MK.

“We demand of Mr. Haim Amsalem by the law of Torah to return his mandate to Shas,” the four-man body of senior Sephardi rabbis had written in their edict. “If he doesn’t do so, he is a thief in broad daylight... And we call on all of those who care about the Torah to keep far away from him and his strange and heretical opinions.”

A wealth of quotes from the council’s decision condemning Amsalem, strongly worded by council head Yosef, were quoted and analyzed by various writers throughout the newspaper.

But Ron Halevy, writing in the supplement, outdid all others in comparing Amsalem to a biblical-era foe whom Jews are ordered to eradicate.

Writing about the “vast damage” that Amsalem’s “empty claims” have caused, Halevy wrote that “with arrogance and boastfulness, that man did the deed of Amalek who the Torah orders us to wipe out his memory, ‘who met thee by the way.’”

There is the no room for respectful disagreement… even where that disagreement is firmly rooted in our Mesorah and espoused by Gedolim of previous generations – most notably by Rav Samson Raphael Hirsch. Not only that they have cast virtually the entire American Charedi community in the same boat at least partially. Charedi schools in America do offer core curriculum subjects.

Furthermore they cast American Charedi rabbinic leaders like Rav Avraham Chaim Levin as heretics. He too advocates a secular studies program in Yeshivos. Is he to be compared to Amalek as well? ...worthy of wiping off of the face of the earth and erasing his memory?

These aren’t some crazy renegades who have taken Rav Yosef’s words out of context and posted their views on a wall poster in Meah Shearim or a Charedi blog anonymously. This is supposedly a respectable Shas Newspaper.

Rav Amsalem has been assigned body guards by the K’nesset.

I cannot explain R’ Yosef’s attitude - nor that of other Charei leaders in Israel - other than to say that they must fear that any statement that undermines the status quo has the potential to undermine Torah education completely.

Why might they feel that way? Perhaps this is based on historical attempts by anti religious forces to undermine observant Judaism in the very same way. They do not buy the argument that this is no longer the case. They see any attempt to change the educational paradigm– no matter how sincere - motivated by a desire to destroy Torah observance. That it is no longer the case is not even considered a possibility. Thus their intransigent positions and the outrageous reaction from their ‘foot soldiers’.

One can easily see why we are where are we are today. There is absolutely no tolerance for other views no matter what their source and no matter how much sense they make. Dissenting views are considered heresy… and those who espouse them are at least figuratively condemned them to death!

On a practical level things may be changing among the Charedi masses both in Israel and in America along the lines of R Amsalem’s views. More Charedin than ever in America are becoming moderate. But in Israel the pace of change is slow. In the meantime Charedi poverty continues to grow as does the animosity against Charedim by Chilonim and Datim.

When will a recognized rabbinic leader rise up and say enough?! Why must a courageous politician in Israel be left swinging in the wind? Instead of fearing the consequences there ought to be a united effort by as many rabbinic leaders as possible to stand and say once and for all that the Israeli model of Torah education is failing. The emperor has been naked long enough.

KrumBagel’s Video

I happen to enjoy reading Sefarim that offer various insights on the Parhsas HaShavua (weekly Torah portion) by Chazal, Rishonim, and Achronim about people, events, and Mitzvos of the Torah. I believe the popular term is Parshanut. I often find Achronim (usually of recent vintage) who give clever explanations of why one of the Avos did something in a certain way because they were observing a certain Halacha.

Such insights often have a beautiful internal logic. But I find them to be farfetched and wonder if these Achroinim are just using their brilliant minds and encyclopedic knowledge of Torah to say a nice Vort. I take these kinds of insights with a grain of salt.

Did Ya’akov Avinu eat Matzah and Maror on Pesach? What about Gebrokts? Did he only drink Chalav Yisroel? Did he light a Menorah on Chanukah? Did he read the Megilah on Purim? Did he fast on Taanis Esther?

There is a fascinating but controversial YouTube video that has gone viral (at least as far as the Orthodox Jewish community is concerned) - that deals with this issue. When I first viewed it last week... I thought it was cute and that it raised these questions in a challenging way. But I also thought it seemed to be a bit too irreverent. And that some viewers could mistakenly see it as making light of the Avos, Rashi, and the firmly held traditional views the Yeshiva world has about the Avos. So I passed on commenting on it.

Upon further reflection - and after reading some of the published responses I have come to the conclusion that this video cannot be ignored. It encapsulates one of the biggest theological controversies in Orthodoxy in our day. One that was generated by the right wing ban of Rabbi Natan Slifkin’s books on Torah and science: How do we view Rishonim who disagree with the views of the favored Rishonim of today’s right wing rabbinic leaders and a great many of previous generations of rabbinic leaders?

The video has apparently been deemed unacceptable by the some rabbinic leaders on the right who felt the need to publicly protest it. After consultations with them Rabbi Yair Hoffman published a response in the 5 Towns Jewish Times and VIN.

Rabbi Hoffman is one of the good guys. He is a Charedi Mechanech who has always been on the right side of any issue that he publicly expressed an opinion on. Not only that - he has actually acted on many pof them. But on this issue I believe he is mistaken.

The underlying premise of this video questions the proposition that the Avos literally observed the entire Torah including rabbinic commandments. Rabbi Hofffman calls it the maximalist approach. This is the one preferred by the right to the exclusion of other Rishonim who disagree.

The idea that Avos observed all of the Torah is mentioned by Rashi in explanation of Genesis (26:4-5). The Torah tells us that Abraham was blessed by God because he listened to Him - keeping all ‘His edicts, Mitzvos, statutes and laws’. In a nutshell Rashi explains that these words mean that all the Mitzvos in the Torah, both written and oral. Even those of later rabbinic origin designed as ‘fences’ to prevent transgression of biblical law.

Other Rishonim like the Ramban give different explanations implying that these words do not refer to either biblical or rabbinic law.

The maximalist approach is an easy sell to those who have been indoctrinated to be Mevatel Daas – deny their own thinking in favor of those greater in Torah knowledge than themselves. They will typically say: ‘If the Gedolim and other recent Meforshim say so - who are we to go look elsewhere for interpretations that may contradict them?’

So if they are told that the Avos observed the entire Torah – they do not question it. That other Rishonim may dispute this doesn’t matter to them. They have been told to ignore those views and some may not even be aware of them.

But those of us who are used to critical thinking find these Rishonim far more reasonable and therefore more compelling.

The debate about this video is essentially the same debate about whether Chazal occasionally made mistakes in matters of science. That is the (now famous) view of Avaraham Ben HaRambam. Until a few years ago it was egitimate to say that in matters of science Chazal made occasional errors. Although they were well versed in the science of their era they were lacking tremendously in data and the technology to study it that is available in our day.

The right wing Yeshiva world seems to always take the maximalist option. They say that if it made it into the Gemarah it is not an error. Either we do not understand the Gemarah - or the Gemarah is using science in allegorical ways and in reality referring to spiritual things.

I believe both views are legitimate. But the right wing has now deemed all statements of Chazal to be infallible – including matters of science – implying that those who say that Chazal erred in matters of science are stating Kefira - heresy!

Back to the video. As I said - my own view is that it is a bit too irreverent. It goes too far in ridiculing those who take the maximalist approach that the Avos observed all of the Mitzvos. They should not be ridiculed. But as I also said - I do think the video makes some great points about the problems with maximalist views.

The Yeshiva world completely ignores these views. That’s wrong. They have a right to choose which view they prefer but to ignore the Rishonim who disagree- treating them as unacceptable is insulting to some of the very Rishonim that are so revered by them.

I more or less agree with Rabbi Yitzchok Adlerstein’s take on this. He posted his views on Cross-Currents. The Avos require our maximum awe and respect. These founding fathers of Judaism were Godly people the likes of which have not existed since biblical times. Saying that they did not necessarily observe Kol HaTorah Kula does not contradict that. It is not denigrating. It merely offers an alternative explanation to the Pasuk thna that of Rashi.

Rabbi Addlerstein’s essay is quite brilliant and is worth reading in its entirety. Here is an excerpt:

I don’t believe that the video denigrated either the Avos or those who take the “maximalist” approach to Chazal in general. The target of the video was people who do not stop and think. If I were asked for input into planned additions to the cardinal sins of Torah Judaism, I too would put disengaging the brain on the short list…

The yeshiva bochur in the video, however, meets every question with – silence. He shows a triumphalist attitude towards his interlocutor, but he has never thought of the questions, and is left speechless. The video, I believe, mocks those who uncritically absorb without stopping to think of the implications and the difficulties. Torah is too complex and too precious to treat that way.Rabbi Hoffman does concede that the alternate views by Rishonim are legitimate so they can be used for purposes of Kiruv. I have problems with limiting it in that way. Intelligent minds deserve intelligent answers. The words of the Rishonim should be open to all.

Is the video irreverent? Does it ridicule? Or does it challenge? I present it here for your consideration. Take a look and judge for yourself.

Judaism and Confessionals Don't Mix

Guest Post by: Rabbi Motty Finkel

This post was written before I posted Rabbi Coffman’s response. Rabbi Finkel is responding to the original post written by Rabbi Coffman. Rabbi Finkel's words are always worth reading. I apologize to the author for the delay in getting it posted. It was an inadvertent error on my part.

The post “Beyond Troubling” taking Rabbi Coffman to task for seeking to glorify Orthodox Jewish criminals who ‘admit’ guilt and publicly ‘apologize’ following their conviction was a very important point to make.

If you recall this was not the first article written by an Orthodox rabbi seeking to glorify a criminal who ‘apologized’. Following the heroic landing of a USAir jumbo jet by Captain Sully into the Hudson River, another rabbi said that Sully was merely doing his job, but Bernie Madoff who ‘admitted’ to fraud is a true Jewish hero. That Orthodox rabbi later admitted his error.

Both of these Orthodox rabbis seem to miss very crucial points:

• Admitting guilt after you are already caught is called ‘copping a plea’ and is meaningless lip service recommended by a slick lawyer to get pity from a judge.
• The Jewish definition of Teshuva goes far beyond mere lip service. One must take action to undo the crime committed.
• Most importantly, some crimes fall beyond the brush of being able to do Teshuva in this world. Judaism do not have confessionals and some sins are final. Making a public Chillul Hashem or murder don’t have a quick fix no matter how hard a person tries.

This entire notion of Judaism accepting confessionals appears to be taking hold in the Yeshiva World too. One of the popular Yeshivish websites recently had a discussion entitled, “Teshuva for Retzicha”.

If this wasn’t bizarre enough this is one suggestion given: “Retzicha is not just ‘any’ aveirah. You can’t just read a sefer and say Okay I’m doing teshuva. I suggest you go to not just any local Orthodox rabbi but rather to an accepted godol such as a rosh yeshiva, mashgiach, chassidish rabbi, and one who is the top of the category. Like Rabbi Moshe Wolfson or Rabbi Mattisyahu Solomon”.

The Torah has this to say about one who commits cold-blooded intentional murder: “Even from my altar you can remove him to put him to death”. Regardless of status, stature, rank, or leadership role, a murderer is a murderer. They must pay the price. No mention of a confessional! Even a Cohen or Rabbi would face the same fate for their own actions.

Rabbi Coffman while meaning well is in the ‘conversion’ business. His speech is simply a ‘bait and switch’ tactic and traditional Orthodox Jews must understand this. Teshuva is not lip service, is not coping plea, nor can all sins be rectified in this world. Actions speak louder than words.

Pirkei Avos (Ethics of our Fathers) codifies how a judge must look at a criminal accused both at the time he is standing before them for justice as well as after the adjudication of the matter. Orthodox Judaism’s response to the question Rabbi Coffman answered is “Respect but Suspect”.

This means that when a Jew is accused of wrongdoing no matter how long the beard or how black the hat, we as a community must be vigilant to avoid two foreign concepts to Judaism: Confessionals and Crucifixion.

We as a community cannot crucify a suspected person until conviction (though reasonable steps to prevent further victimization should be implemented) while at the same time should not fall for and rally to a person who enters a confessional following conviction or prior to being put to death. Then all it is - is lip service.

Rabbi Chaim Coffman Responds

Guest Post by Rabbi Chaim Coffman

A few days ago I wrote about my objections to a post written by Rabbi Chaim Coffman on Beyond BT. I thought he took the concept of being Dan L’Kaf Zechus in matters of public Chilul HaShem too far. And that taking it too far can be completely counter-productive. I also objected to his applying the concept of Gadlus to the mere fact that a Rabbinic figure took responsibility for his criminal actions and urged people to be honest in their fundraising. Rabbi Coffman responds here and I think him for this submission. What follows are his words:

I thank you for your comments to my post.

First of all, there is a virtue to dan l'chaf zechus. There is no mitzvah, at least that I am aware of that when we see something in the paper, internet or whatever I have to believe it like the word of G-d. For sure if the person is guilty, there is nothing to talk about and there is no need to dan l'chaf zechus. The issue that was addressed is what happens when it is out there, how do we react, not that if he is proven guilty we should whitewash it.

But if too many people end up violating the same precept, how can anyone be expected not to judge Judaism by it?

Even if people violate whatever the halacha is doesn't make it right and other people who follow are just as stupid. Ever hear the joke, how do you know when a baal teshuvah has made it to integrate into the community, when he talks during krias ha'Torah. What I should do should be based on Shulchan Aruch and poskim, not by what other people do.

There is a 614th commandment and that is DON’T BE STUPID! Just because I see people transgress and do things wrong, I should also do them? Well, what should I do, this guy cheats and this guy cheats so if they are frum and I am frum, then I should be stupid enough to make a kal v’chomer and say it is ok?

People who talk one way and act another certainly does not make one a gadol by any stretch of the imagination. People on a higher level have more of an acharyus to the klal and how they act. After all, every Orthodox Jew is an ambassador to the world, whether we like it not and if someone sees an Orthodox Jew push in line, cheat on their taxes…it doesn’t make it right and it is for sure a chilul Hashem.

We don’t whitewash aveiros! I never said we should whitewash them. The question presented to the panel was how do you react when you hear about it. That means it hasn’t been proven, lots of conjecture….even if the situation looks so bad, who says I should believe it. That was my point. Never did I say or try and infer that it was a mitzvah to look the other way at someone’s aveirah.

The point was that a lot of times we believe everything we hear just because it is on the internet or in the paper. Conjecture is just that, conjecture. When something has been proven that is a totally different point.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Today is one of those legal holidays where it is appropriate to reflect on the great good God has bestowed upon the Jewish people in our day. We live in unprecedented times. As I have pointed out many times - the freedom we enjoy to fully practice our faith – which encompasses every aspect of our lives and at the same time fully enjoy the benefits this great country offers – not the least of which is its support of the State of Israel -is worthy of a reflection and thought. And it deserving of giving thanks - Hakoras HaTov to both God and country on this day - and every day.

There are various opinions about whether it is appropriate for us to celebrate this day by having a big family meal and serving the traditional turkey. Some frown upon the custom, some approve, and some even participate in such a meal themselves.

My Rebbe Rav Ahron used to eat turkey on Thanksgiving. And there is a wonderful anecdote about his brother, the Rav, who used to attend his own family’s Thanksgiving Day dinner. But no matter whether one agrees with this custom or not - to the best of my knowledge – no one forbids it. And certainly no one should denigrate Thanksgiving or its traditional festive meal! Being a devoutly religious Jew does not preclude being an American.

I have gone to many Thanksgiving Day dinners in my lifetime and will be doing so again this year. So to all Americans - Jews and non Jews alike - Happy Thanksgiving!

A Lonely Position on Jerusalem

Im Eshkachech Yerushalayim – Tishkach Yimini!

I am so tired of the ‘world’ telling me that Jerusalem is not my home and is up for grabs. That’s what this AP ‘editorial’ says. Israel has every right to claim ‘East’ Jerusalem as its eternal capital. That Palestinians contest it is their business. That the ‘world’ sides with them on this issue just mean they are wrong.

Do we judge truth only by what ‘the world’ thinks? Whether Israel should allow construction there as part of the ‘settlement freeze’ is a separate issue. But how on earth can anyone with any sense of history – Jewish or otherwise - say that the Jewish people have no special claim or right to live in Jerusalem and call it their capital?! …especially if they respect the bible?

That said I agree with the fact that there are certain people that have contributed to this attitude by stirring up resentment via their actions asserting themselves into Arab neighborhoods in the old city - as the end of this editorial points out. But that doesn’t justify the view that Jerusalem isn’t ours. And I don’t care if it is a lonely position.

The article is here. It can also be read here… and Yes. It makes me angry. (And I am a ‘land for peace’ guy!)

Beyond Troubling

I’m not in the habit of criticizing Beyond BT, the blog dedicated to the Baal Teshuva. I generally find the articles there quite enlightening, often inspiring, and rarely if ever controversial. But not this time. Although well intentioned Rabbi Chaim Coffman wrote a guest post yesterday that is ‘beyond’ troubling.

It’s not that I totally disagree with him. I don’t. Much of what he says is just fine and matches my own beliefs and attitudes.

The subject is scandal in the Jewish community. He was a panelist at a Shabbaton that was apparently organized for Baalei Teshuva where the following question was posed:

What happens when there is a scandal by a rabbinical figure in our community? How should we react? Did we really change our lives, sometimes alienate our families and not feel welcomed in the frum community to see a religious spiritual leader not acting in line with the Torah’s ideals?

This question in and of itself demonstrates the reach of a public Chilul HaShem by a rabbinic figure. It not only desecrates the name of God… and embarrasses and shames His people. It is perhaps even worse as it can also make the best among us - the Baal Teshuva – second guess his difficult and courageous decision to embrace Torah and Mitzvos.

Rabbi Coffman’s response to this question was less than inspiring.

First he said that one should never believe what they read in the paper and should always judge a person innocent. Just because something is written in a newspaper – that doesn’t make it true. While that statement is in and of itself true, it is beside the point. The question was not whether we should believe everything we read. The question was about how to react to a scandal!

Of course we have to be Dan L’Kaf Zechus and give people the benefit of the doubt. But that is only if there is any doubt. Not if guilt has been established. Rabbi Coffman goes way too far with the idea of being Dan L’Kaf Zechus.

Judging all unfavorable reports as untrue unless proven otherwise is an unrealistic approach when there is massive evidence to the contrary. Yes we should still be careful about assigning guilt to people until all the facts are in. But that doesn’t mean we suspend belief and bend over backwards to assume innocence in the face of massive evidence. When confronted with this circumstance – a wait and see attitude should prevail. Foolish defenses are just as harmful with respect to Chilul HaShem as is the rush to judgment of guilt.

If I were a Baal Teshuva, Rabbi Coffman’s answer would leave me with a less than inspiring feeling. It might even do the opposite and strengthen my question about what exactly I gained by embracing an Orthodoxy that gives the benefit of the doubt to rabbis who commit crimes and Chilul HaShems. Here is how he puts it:

There is a mitzvah to judge someone favorably even if the circumstances may appear to be incredibly incriminating.

The problem with this attitude is that it minimizes the crime and aggrandizes the criminal. You can’t explain away crime - and you can’t explain away Chilul HaShem. When it happens the Mitzvah is to do the opposite and condemn it. One can perhaps try and explain why an individual resorted to a crime –out of desperation or for a good cause. But in no way should one ever excuse the crime or minimize the Chilul HaShem. When a rabbinic figure purposely schemes to defraud the government in any way – sugar coating it only makes the Chilul HaShem worse. It has to be called out and labeled for what it is.

Rabbi Coffman then posits that when a rabbinic leader is caught in a crime it really says nothing about the community. In other words, ‘Don’t judge Judaism by its Jews’. I agree. I also agree with the following statement said in the name of Rav Yechezkel Levenstein, famed Mashgiach of the Yeshivas Mir and Ponezveh:

(Do) not… get too concerned with ‘frumkeit’. This means that just because we see a person dressed in a certain way or has a certain title, doesn’t necessarily mean anything.

Just because one can walk the walk and talk and the talk in frumkeit, doesn’t mean that the person is necessarily frum. It just means that they know the lingo. We have to be careful not to mix-up Jews and Judaism.

Our leaders have an obligation and should live up to the highest spiritual standards that they can. After all, if they act in a way that contradicts Torah and people learn from their crooked ways, then that is a chillul Hashem at the highest level!

Rabbi Coffman is absolutely correct here. But if only it were that simple. Of course Judaism should never be judged by those who violate its precepts. But if too many people end up violating the same precept, how can anyone be expected not to judge Judaism by it? Isn’t that precisely what a Chilul HaShem does? That is how we end up being stereotyped!

But then Rabbi Coffman comes up with the most ridiculous statement of his post. It was in obvious reference to the Spinka Rebbe. He was convicted of a scheme to launder illegally gotten gains of donors through an elaborate scheme via his charitable organizations both here and in Israel. Many may recall an Agudah gathering that was called before the Spinka Rebbe started serving his sentence where with full emotion he ‘beat his breast’ saying how sorry he was for what he called a ‘mistake’.

It was as if to say that he didn’t think that planning and executing an elaborate and detailed money laundering was anything more than a mistake. Yes, he was sorry. I would be sorry too if I were facing a stint in prison. But I do not recall him saying that he violated Halacha. Only that he regretted the Chilul HaShem. It is almost as though his real regret was being caught. He off course urged everyone there not to make his ‘mistake’ and to raise money in compliance with the law (…big Chiddush!) This - claims Rabbi Coffman - makes him a Gadol …a great sage!

If I were a Baal Teshuva who recently came to observance and was told that a rabbi who merely admits guilt after his conviction is a Gadol - it would make me seriously wonder why I ever thought Orthodox Judaism was in any way ethical! My hope is that those were present at that panel discussion or who read his post on ‘Beyond BT’ realize that this view is only that of Rabbi Coffman. And although there may be others who think like this there are plenty of Orthodox Jews of all stripes who do not. Including me.

The IDF – Halacha and Disobeying Orders

There is an interesting story in Newsweek that gives me great pride and at the same time causes me to have a certain amount of apprehension. The IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) are increasingly becoming religious. This includes their officer corps. Now more than ever this becomes a factor when it comes to obeying orders. Of course when orders conflict with Halacha – Halacha comes first. No one disputes that. But what if it is only Halacha according to some Poskim and not others?

The Israeli military is not necessarily run according to Halacha. In theory that could create a conflict for an observant Jew. Disobeying orders undermines the entire Israeli army. And it is the army that God has thus far used as His instrument to protect the Jewish people in Israel. The army cannot afford to allow soldiers to pick and choose which orders to obey and which orders to disobey.

And yet Halacha comes first. This is God’s will. How does one overcome this conundrum?

The truth is that until recently this has not been a problem. The army has always had religious soldiers and they have always been accommodated. And that has paid off very nicely for all. Religious soldiers are among the most valiant of all soldiers and volunteer in huge numbers – much higher than their proportion - for dangerous combat missions. That’s because of the ideology of their religious beliefs. They are Religious Zionists. They consider it their sacred duty to participate in the Zionist enterprise to build up, defend, and protect the State of Israel. Many see it is the first flowering of our ultimate redemption into the messianic era.

Religious fervor is a great motivator. It encourages people to risk their lives for the sake God. Because of this, there is a corresponding higher level of death and injury to this group of valiant soldiers. The Israeli government knows this and is eager to accommodate them. Religious Zionist rabbis are integrally involved in matters dealing with religious observance in the army and have seen to it that the army provide for the religious needs of its soldiers.

In short it is a marriage made in heaven between the secular Zionist government and the Religious Zionist soldiers. The government gets highly motivated soldiers and the soldiers get their full religious rights.

The Hesder Yeshiva program is the best example of how this system works. Instead of a three year army stint which is required of all eligible men and women - Hesder is a six year program whereby young men alternately serve and learn in specially designed Yeshivos (I believe in 6 month intervals). It is from Hesder that a high percentage of volunteers for dangerous duty come. There is no better soldier than a religious Zionist soldier.

But in recent years there has been a fly in the ointment. That fly is the increased pressure to evacuate settlements. This happened a few years ago in Gaza and since then in a few other settlements. This is one area where Halacha and duty come into conflict which is problematic and unresolved. The one thing religious Zionists are not willing to do is participate in settlement evacuations. They believe it is a religious imperative to settle the all of Eretz Yisroel which includes Yehuda and Shomron located in the Palestinian contested West Bank of the Jordan River.

As such they hold it is Halachicly forbidden to give up land that it posses. That of course includes any part of Eretz Yisroel that was recaptured in the 6 day war. In isolation they are right. It is forbidden.

But it is not always forbidden by all Poskim. There are great Poskim - among them Rav Shach and Rav Soloveitchk - that have permitted land to be relinquished if will lead to a peace. It may not be the case now since giving up land will not assure peace and may in fact lead to great harm. But in principle it is a legitimate debate between Religious Zionist Poskim and non Religious Zionist Poskim as to whether one may or may not give up any land in Eretz Yisroel to non Jews.

This came to a head in recent years when some religious Zionist Poskim told religious soldiers that they must refuse orders to evacuate Jews from any Jewish settlements. Pragmatism dictated an obvious solution. When it came to evacuating settlements, non religious soldiers were used.

But now that many of the officers are from the ranks of religious Zionists - the whole situation has the potential to blow up and seriously undermine the army and thereby the safety of the Jewish people. It is one thing if a soldier refuses to follow an order. But when officers refuse to even give the order to do it – that can destroy the entire army. And when an order is not universally seen as violating Halacha – undermining God’s instrument for securing the safety of the Jewish people becomes a real problem.

What is God’s true will here? Does He want us to give up land in situations where true peace prevails or does He forbid us to give up land under any circumstances? That’s where Halachic deabte lies. It’s all too easy to say that a soldier must follow the Psak of His Posek. But in matters of Pikuach Nefesh where the Psak is controversial I’m not so sure that is the right thing to do. What if by refusing to follow orders to evacuate a settlement causes great death and destruction to the Jewish people?

Of course the reverse question may be asked. If following the Psak to give up land turns out to be a mistake as it was in Gaza - that could result in death and destruction too. But let us say for the sake of argument that we are certain about it… that there is no doubt that a real peace will prevail in Israel if land is given up and that bloodshed will result if it isn’t. Is following your own Posek God’s will in that case?

I’m not so sure. This is not like violating Shabbos or Kashrus. This is a matter of Pikuach Nefash! Following Psak of a Posek that is not the universal Psak in cases of Pikuach Nefesh is not a simple thing.

This is the dilemma Israel now faces. Although making a peace deal with the Palestinians and the rest of the Arab world is pretty far fetched at this point - that may not always be the case. Should there ever come a time that a real peace deal is executed whereby Israeli leaders (via intelligence and other sources) are absolutely convinced that all hostilities by will cease - this could be a problem.

I personally do not want to see any of the settlements disbanded. They are all part of Eretz Yisroel. And the Mitzvah of Yishuv Eretz Yisroel applies in Yehuda, Shmoron, and Chevron - as much as it does in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, and Haifa. And uprooting Jewsih families from their long held homes is a terrible thing to do to them. I can just imagine if my government told me that I had to give up the home I have lived in for over 30 years.

But if we could see a real end to all hostilities against Israel and a peace that would mean no more war – no more bloodshed… I would support giving up my home in a heartbeat! Pikuach Nefesh supersedes all in my view. The problem is that the Religious Zionist element will not do that under any circumstances. And as their presence in the army grows, it could undermine any such peace deal. And that would be tragic.

A Righteous Rebel

There is a Frum MK (member of the Israeli Kenesset) that must read my blog. His name is Haim Amsalem (pictured). He is a member of the Shas party that is run under the direction of Sephardi Gadol, Rav Ovadia Yosef. According to an editorial in the Jerusalem Post he is the only Shas party member serving in the Knesset who actually has Semicha. Apparently Rav Yosef is very upset with him for what he said at a press conference. Something I could have easily said. From the Jerusalem Post:

Amsalem’s message is straightforward and enlightened: Aside from an elite group of truly gifted scholars, most haredi men should serve in the IDF and seek gainful employment; haredi school children should be taught to respect the State of Israel and its institutions; they should also be taught math, sciences, languages and general knowledge that will prepare them for a productive life of self-sufficiency and dignity; conversions to Judaism for new immigrants from the former Soviet Union who came to Israel under the Law of Return and who serve in the IDF should be performed in a friendly, open, encouraging atmosphere; discrimination against Sephardi schoolchildren enrolled in Ashkenazi haredi schools must stop.

Rav Yosef responded. Again – from the Jerusalem Post:

Rabbi Ovadia Yosef slammed MK Rabbi Haim Amsalem (Shas) in his weekly Saturday night sermon, in his first public reference to the maverick lawmaker…“There are those who speak about yeshivot, as though they were created solely for great Torah scholars who will become rabbis and rabbinical judges, and if that doesn’t suit the person, he should go to work,” Yosef said of Amsalem’s doctrine, without naming him…

“These are not the voices of Torah, but against it; Torah learners sustain the world,” Yosef said.“Whoever tells yeshiva boys to go to work is lacking faith in our Torah,” he said later in the talk.

I believe this attitude epitomizes what is wrong with Charedi education. R’ Yosef is of course not alone in this approach. This is the same view as that of Ashkenazi Gadol R’ Elyashiv and other Israeli rabbinic leaders. And it is the philosophy that underlies all attempts to install even a modicum of Limudei Chol into their educational system. Rabbinic leaders in Israel fight tooth and nail to keep the system ‘pure’. But the purity they seek is quickly becoming eroded.

It is ironic that this made news at the same time as did news of Kollel fraud against the Israeli government. This attitude - which is expressed by R’ Yosef, R’ Elyashiv, and others - is exactly why such problems exist.

It has been reported that R’ Elyashiv has condemned those who perpetrated this fraud and called them Ganovim – thieves. He even called them Rodfim – plural of Rodef - a term that means someone who chases after another person with the intent to kill them! That’s because by perpetrating this fraud they harm the reputation of the Charedi Kollel system and thus endanger its financing. That is a fact.

But what R’ Elyashiv and R’ Yosef refuse to do is make any connection to the economic conditions that cause it. Good people wanted to help Avreichim by increasing their stipends. But by R’ Yosef’s comments it seems as though he is oblivious to that. He and other rabbinic leaders - both Ashkenazi or Sephard - of course see the poverty and see the crime. But they refuse to see that the crime is connected to the desperation that poverty breeds.

R’ Amsalem on the other hand does see the connection. His eyes are wide open. And as a card carrying Charedi, he nonetheless had the courage to say so - and recommend a remedy. And for that he will probably be written out of Charedism.

To say that R’ Amsalem’s views are anti Torah - as does R’ Yosef - is to say that Rav Samson Raphael Hirsch’s TIDE (Torah Im Derech Eretz) is anti Torah. By saying that one who has such views lacks faith is an insult to tens of thousands of sincere Jews who believe in TIDE – not to mention Torah U’Madda.

I salute this Charedi hero. That is what R’ Amsalem is – a hero. He can see the handwriting on the wall. He knows what will result if the current system is perpetuated. You do not have to be a Navi to see it. You only have to read the newspaper and realize that it is already happening.

Unfortunately R’ Amsalem will probably in some way be disciplined by Shas. He may even be forced to give up his Kenesset seat. And that is very unfortunate. But it demonstrates just how difficult a task it is to change the paradigm of Torah study in Israel – and to a lesser extent even in America since the trend is away from secular studies here too in Charedi circles.

I can’t make any predictions. I am not a Navi. But I believe that at some point the paradigm will change. Not by dint of rabbinic fiat but by dint of economic necessity. Change will at first be slow but will probably accelerate as economic conditions worsen. Poverty breeds crime. And as is obvious from the Kollel fraud, Charedim are not immune to it.

The only question is how long will it take to change the paradigm and how many more Chilul HaShems there will be until it does.

Is it Beginning to Crumble?

It was inevitable. That it has taken this long to happen is the greater surprise than the fact that it’s actually happening and that it has been discovered.

According to YWN report, Kollelim have been caught is a scam whereby they have been taking money from the government illegally. From YWN:

Kollelim in Eretz Yisroel receive money for every Yungerman enrolled in Kollel. Apparently, many of them tell the government that they have many more members in their Kollel then they really do. An investigation has been ongoing for quite some time, and police were given orders on Sunday to make the arrests for what seems to be “large scale fraud”.

They either had people not really enrolled in their Kollel, sign the papers, or had individuals posses numerous fake ID cards, and signed up repeatedly.

Police forces have so far raided seven Kollelim belonging to the “Masmidim” Mosdos in Yerushalayim, Beitar, Modiin Illit, and Beit Shemesh. The Kollelim have been sealed shut, and police have arrested six people as of this posting.

Additionally, a high-ranking official at the Ministry of Education has been arrested in connection to the fraud.

More police raids and arrests are expected.

Unfortunately I’m not surprised at this because the need is so great. Kollelim are desperate for funds. Times are tough. Desperate times breed desperate measures. And there is far too much precedent for this kind of behavior. Ask the Spinka Rebbe or Milton Balkany. They had no qualms about stealing from the rich (or the government) to give to the ‘poor’. Why should Israeli Kollelim be any different?

Is there any greater evidence than this that the system is broken? Is there any better reason to destroy it in its present form? We are not only producing a poverty class in the name of Torah, we are producing a criminal class.

What makes matters worse - Avreichim are indoctrinated to believe that they do nothing wrong with cheating the government in this way! Not only that but it seems a high level education ministry official is involved. I don't know who was arrrested. But the Deputy Minister is Charedi. It is clear that his loyalties are first to the welfare of the Charedi educational system. I’m not imputing guilt. Just stating a fact about possible motive.

The point is – it seems there are far too many Roshei Kollel who see nothing wrong with fraud - if it is to further the cause of pure and unadulterated Torah study. Their motto - to paraphrase Barry Goldwater’s famous line about extremism in the defense of liberty - ‘Fraud in the name of Torah is no Vice’.

Before I’m accused of painting all Kollelim - and by association all Charedim – with a broad brush. I’m not. I’m sure that the vast majority of them don’t do this. At least I hope they don’t. But that any do at a significant level is proof positive that the stubborn refusal by rabbinic leaders in Israel to change the paradigm is leading us down the path to hell.

Never in the history of Judaism has there been a paradigm requiring every Jewish single male to pursue full time learning for the rest of his life at almost any cost. Make no mistake about it. That is the paradigm.

Charedi leaders in Israel believe their Hashkafos are the only Torah True Hashkafos. This means that ideally every Jew should have them. In their perfect world everyone would be Charedi and all men would be trying to learn Torah full time and not spend any time learning a profession until they simply can’t make it in Kollel anymore. Often this happens with men well into their 40s.

And in the current economic climate when donations are down, the situation can only get worse.

The result of this attitude? It is turning good people into crooks!

I feel sorry for those whowere arrested. They may very well have the ‘book thrown at them’. I can certainly understand why. The government is tired of being blackmailed by Charedi politicians into supporting their financial demands with money they don’t have and this is just a further ‘salting their wounds’.

But government support is still not enough. Avrechim remain in a poverty that is increasing. I can understand why an Avreich who cannot feed his family any other way might think that what his Kollel is doing is not so bad.

I have no choice but to blame this Chilul HaShem on the system and those who perpetuate it.

It is the same mentality that allows Kupat Ha’ir to target desperate religious Jews –‘stealing’ money from them by selling Segulos. The fact that they use images of rabbinic leaders, like R’ Chaim Kanievsky on their ads as endorsing it makes this even more egregious! That R’ Chaim has not repudiated this form of raising funds is in itself part of the problem.

On the other hand that R’ Matisyahu Salomon has finally seen fit to condemn such practices is a good sign. But his criticism is limited to Kupat Ha’ir and does not address what happened here – a situation that is far worse. And this fraud was allowed to go on without protest by anyone as far as I know!

Someone with the stature ought to stand up and say once and for all that the system as currently structured is causing an increasing Chilul HaShem and that once and for all – the paradigm has to be changed. If that doesn’t happen soon, it will happen on its own. It will crumble right before our eyes and the Chilul HaShem will be unlike anything we have ever seen.

The Truth about Lubavitch Messianic Beliefs?

There is a post at Mystical Paths - which is hosted by a Lubavitcher that lists the breakdown of their various messianic views about the late Lubavitcher Rebbe. I found it very revealing.

Here is an abbreviated version of it:

Chabad Position #1 - The Rebbe was "chezkat Moshiach", the generation's candidate Moshiach as described in the Rambam’s Mishneh Torah Hilchos Melachim uMilchatonim 11. Since his passing from this world he remains a strong influence… (but presumably is not Moshiach).

Chabad Position #2 - The Rebbe was "chezkat Moshiach", the generation's candidate Moshiach, and remains so even after his physical departure …his statements on Moshiach and geulah must be treated as navua (biblical prophecy) - prophecies of a kosher prophet that have not yet been fulfilled.

Chabad Position #3 - The Rebbe was Moshiach tzidkaynu (our righteous redeemer) as confirmed by rulings of hundreds of rabbis and his demonstrations of navua (prophecy), as well as fulfilling most of Rambam's rulings on the actions Moshiach must fulfill (Mishneh Torah Hilchos Malachim uMilchatonim 11).

Chabad Position #4 - The Rebbe is Moshiach tzidkaynu who is hidden from us at this time. Since Moshiach ben Dovid does not die, the Rebbe is not dead.

Chabad Position #5 - The Rebbe is Moshiach tzidkaynu who is hidden from us at this time. The Rebbe wrote in his prophecies that we have entered the time of the Geulah and "people must only see it and recognize it". Geulah is here changing Rabbinic fast days to feast days.

Chabad Position #6 - The Rebbe, Moshiach and Prophet, wrote about the levels of connection between the soul of Moshiach and Hashem… Therefore, the Rebbe Moshiach, who is here although hidden at the moment, is not just the agent of Hashem (…he) is Hashem.

He goes on to say that position 1 one is held by most of their mainstream; position; 2 is the remainder of their mainstream - manifested mostly in Israel. Positions 3 and 4 are what they call Meshichists; position 5 is problematic even for Lubavitch; and position 6 is heresy.

I understand his perspective and I believe it is probably an accurate breakdown. But I do not share his view that even position 1 is ‘completely kosher’.

Position 1 – on its surface is acceptable even if is absurd to the rest of Orthodoxy. The idea that the Rebbe was the B’Chezkas Moshiach (the presumptive Messiah) during his life goes way beyond the simple idea that he was just a candidate.

Although I never thought so and thought such beliefs were counter-productive, I can accept that his followers believed it – especially since the Rebbe was so focused on the subject. Lubavitchers interpreted the Rebbe’s accomplishments as fulfilling the Rambam’s conditions for being Messiah and thus simply were waiting for a signal from God.

I had great trouble with the way they arrived at their conclusions about the Rebbe’s fulfillment of the Rambam’s requirements …and the fact that the Rebbe - while yet alive - did not forcefully and fully disabuse them of this notion. The Rebbe instead focused on the Moshiach and kept insisting that his arrival was imminent.

I’m not sure how ‘kosher’ it is to interpret the Rambam in self serving ways that are at odds with how the rest of the broad spectrum of mainstream Orthodoxy does. But I will concede that it does not disqualify them from acceptance as full-fledged believing Jews.

If only the Rebbe’s death would have ended the issue – all would be well. But it didn’t.

Position 1 is the only one that even comes close to acceptability. The other positions are increasingly non acceptable and completely rejected by all of Orthodoxy. I also wonder how accurate it is to omit from position 1 allowance for the belief that the Rebbe may indeed resurrected at Techias HaMeisim to fulfill his mission and become the Messiah then? None of the positions he lists mention that fact. He conveniently ignores it.

Position 2 is which is acceptable to Lubavitch even though admittedly not preferred – is not an acceptable position to the rest of Orthodoxy. It is in fact identical to the early Christian view about a Messiah who died and will have a 2nd coming. The only difference today is the later Christian deification of their Messiah.

There is also evidence that position 3 is pretty widely held. The proclamations signed by hundreds of Chabad Rabbis have to the best of my knowledge - never been repudiated.

It is hard to say how many in Lubavitch hold Position 4 - that he is still alive lying in wait to come out at the right moment and reveal that he is Moshiach. But I have heard this stated more than once.

Position 5 has some adherents as demonstrated in various videos online that show them making a feast on various fast days. How many are there? Who knows?

And though there are only a handful of those who believe the Rebbe is God they definitely exist.

What does all this mean? I think it means that Meshichism is still a problem despite all their protestations to the contrary – no matter what the breakdown is or what the percentages are of each.

The Ger, the Baal Teshuva, and Shiduchim

Two of the most difficult problems in Orthodoxy are acceptance of Jews whose backgrounds are different from our own and Shiduchim.

Intolerance of diversity is most acute when one goes from being nonobservant to observant or when one converts to Judaism. Combine that with the current ‘crisis’ in finding a Shiddach and you’ve got a real problem. If you are a woman and factor in age... every year beyond age 23 becomes a further impediment. Over 30? Pretty bad. Over 40? Just about hopeless.

Though it is not always the case – many people in their 30s, 40s, and even older do get married – it does seem to be a generally sad fact of life that the older one is, the more difficult it becomes to get married. Exponentially so upon decade changes in age! This is true for both men and women although I think it is even truer for women than for men.

Which brings me to an article in Aish.com. It is in a column that offers dating advice and contains a letter from a 34 year of woman who recently converted to Judaism. She lists the qualities she is looking for in a husband – which in my view are very reasonable – and laments the fact that she has not met anyone who even comes close.

As a result she is beginning to feel her situation is hopeless. She wonders if she should ‘lower her standards’. She is also feeling increasingly lonely without her family who lives in a foreign country and has not been supportive of her conversion.

The two professionals who run that column gave her some pretty sound advice consisting mostly of not lowering her standards in the values she seeks. But they do say she should broaden the scope of her search by including divorced men who may very well have the qualities she’s looking for.

They also recommend putting off dating for a while (a few months or even a few years if necessary). She has now devolved into a pattern of negative thinking which she can easily project on to her potential dates and ruin any possibility of marriage.

They recommend she evaluate how she wants to live her life as an observant Jew (e.g. Charedi, MO, Chasidic, etc) and immerse herself into the community that is compatible with that. But at the same time they advise that she not change who she really is and be true to herself. Once comfortable with herself and her community and becoming well integrated into it -she can start dating with a fresh new and realistic perspective about what she wants and what is available.

For the most part I agree with that advice – although at age 34 I don’t think she should take a few years to figure it all out. But what they fail to address is the prejudice that is working against her. It is enormous and grossly unfair. Despite all our lip-service to the contrary the Ger is not well treated in the Jewish world. And to a lesser extent neither is the Baal Teshuva.

I often speak of my own admiration for them and the trek they have taken. I feel awe for someone who becomes a Jew by choice - or religious by choice. I cannot even stand in their shadows. I don’t see how one can see such people in any other light.

And yet there are far too many people who have negative feelings about converts and Baalei Teshuva . They may not say so out loud. But they ‘think it’! On more than one occasion I have heard people whisper about a Ger, Giyores, or a Baal Teshuva: ‘I wouldn’t get involved in Shiduchim with them.’ Think what it will be like to have non Jewish in-laws (or non religious in-laws in the case of a BT)!’ Or: ‘Do you want the values from their past – that must in some way influence them – to be a part of your life? And how will that affect the children?

Shadchanim know that this kind of thinking exists and they will often recommend only other Baalei Teshuva or Gerim for Shiduchim. Or perhaps divorcees. Not that any of these are bad people. But it is very limiting and more importantly insulting to a human being to be considered a second class citizen because of their background.

The irony is that the situation should be looked at in the exact opposite fashion. A Ger and a Baal Teshuva have thought about their Judaism and have chosen a path that the rest of us have been born into. We did not make any choices. It was automatic for us. To me that means they have a far greater sense of value attached to Judaism than most of the rest of us do. We do things mostly by rote and don’t think about it much.

By contrast a Ger and a Baal Teshuva have spent many hours of serious thought about it and have dramatically changed their lives because of it. No one who has been indoctrinated from birth to be religious can make that claim. None of us have had to change our lives. We have not sought truth from the perspective of not being Jewish or religious only to find in Orthodox Judaism. We’re already there. We have been there from the start.

The Ger and Baal Teshuva on the other hand have a far greater sense about the value of their Judaism and appreciation of its expression through Halacha than most of the rest of us do. They tend to be far more committed to those ideals. What better role model can there be for a child than a parent who is that committed.

But that is rarely given any weight when thinking of Shiddach prospects. Instead the differing backgrounds are. Not that backgrounds shouldn't be a factor. They should be. But they are way over-weighted.

The Giyores in this article may not be fully aware of this sad fact of reality and she should be. But more importantly the rest of us need to be better at how we treat our fellow Jews. Diversity should be embraced – not shunned. We have much to learn from them – and they from us. They want to become fully integrated to Orthodoxy and we should be more than accommodating.

And just like the letter writer needs to broaden the scope of her Shiddach search we should broaden the scope of Shidduchim we recommend to include all of us. They should be made to feel like the first class citizens that they truly are. We need to make the Ger and the Baal Teshuva feel at home with us. Anything less would in my view be insulting in the eyes of God and a Chilul HaShem.

A Wonderful World

Bright blessed days – Dark sacred nights... words from a song apropos for a young couple whose wedding I attended last night. It truly was a wonderful experience to see a beautiful Kala with a beautiful mind, the multi talented Chana marry the ‘choice of her soul’ Heshy.

It was quite an unusual and unique wedding. And that’s what made it so wonderful. The Kala is a product of modern Orthodoxy having graduated Yeshiva University’s Stern College for Women. The Chasan is a Shtreimel wearing Chasid who has been accepted to law school. And yet as this excerpt from Chana ‘s prayer written 2 days before her wedding clearly demonstrates, she has found her true soul-mate:

Dear God… I love that You matched us so perfectly well. I love that he comes from a background utterly different from mine, that I can walk new vistas and new worlds with him. I love his stubbornness and pride and commitment to truth. I love that he found me on his own. I love that he loves You.

Chana is truly a tribute to her parents. Two of the most clear thinking, truth seeking people I know… both of whom are quite brilliant and yet very humble – all traits obviously inherited by Chana.

The diversity of this beautiful young couple was reflected in the wedding itself. There were two distinct type of guests in attendance. Family and friends from the Chasan’s side were Chasidic; the men mostly sporting long beards and Peyos - and dressed in Chasidic garb. Family and friends from the Kala’s side were mostly clean shaven, wearing modern clothing - some with Kipot Serugot. Some wore tuxedos as this was a ‘black tie optional’ affair.

The Chasan’s best man was a friend who is clearly a Chasid. He was the first one to walk down the aisle. Other men who walked down the aisle wore either full Chasidic garb or tuxes. All the women that walked down the aisle were fashionably dressed and very Tznius.

Each was independently announced by an MC. Internationally renowned Cantor Benzion Miller, an uncle of the Chasan, sang Baruch HaBah and Mi Bon Siach accompanied by an orchestra and his very talented 2 sons acting as a choir. I have never seen anything like this.

Except for a few tables the seating at the Seudah was mixed.

Chana spoke at the seudah. And as one would expect she was quite brilliant! She used examples from Tanach to show the beauty of diversity - how diverse people can came together to form the closest of relationships. One example Chana mentioned was the friendship of David and Jonathan. Jonathan was royalty. His father was Saul, king of Israel. David was a shepherd. And yet their relationship is used by the sages to define what true love really is.

More diversity was to come. Cantor Miller and his two sons sang ‘Carlebach. That was followed by a Louis Armstrong rendition of ‘What a Wonderful World’ sung by Chana’s uncle.

This wedding was truly a memorable experience for me. I know that I am not alone in saying that. My wish for Chana and Heshy is that they live out their dream and continue to have the feelings for each other that brought them together and made them soul-mates.

May they continue to seek and discover truth. I know that their diverse backgrounds will add immeasurably toward that goal. And may they build a true house in Israel. I know that their combined and strong faith will do the same. And may they both continue to be a source of Nachas to their parents, their family, their friends, and to all of Klal Yisroel.

Finally may the Achdus that the embrace of diversity that this wedding saw be an example to all. That would truly make Judaism - a wonderful world.

Reform's New Direction and Orthodoxy

First it was the Siddur. Now it is Kashrus.

An amazing thing is happening with the Reform Movement. They are returning to Mitzvah observance. This is not to say that they are anywhere near becoming Orthodox. Far from it. But they are returning to an increasing number of traditional practices. The latest example of that is in the form of a book: The Sacred Table: Creating a Jewish Food Ethic”. As reported in a JTA article it promotes the idea of keeping Kosher.

Not that they say keeping Kosher is a binding Mitzvah nor that Kashrus is the only way to observe this ethic. That would undermine the very foundation of their theology. But they now see keeping Kosher as a strong means of identifying oneself as a Jew. Make no mistake about it. Traditional observace is re-entering the way Reform leaders look at their movement.

There are of course countervailing developments in Reform Judaism that are far more significant and problematic. Like patrilineal descent. This means that one can be a Jew in good standing by simply being born of a Jewish father even if the mother is not Jewish. According to Halacha this doesn’t work. If the mother is not Jewish the child born to her won’t be either – even if the father is the Gadol HaDor.

That makes the issue of how to deal with Reform Jews very complicated. But it doesn’t make it impossible. My guess is that - at least for now -the vast number o Reform Jews are Jewish. Most alive today were born of a Jewish mother. And it is a sad fact of reality that the largest denomination in Judaism is Reform.

Reform Judaism is rooted the rejection of all ritual – considering it incompatible with modern existence. They have always insisted the Judaism is not about ritual but about the underlying ethics that the Torah inspires.

But as they have now seen – after over a century of preaching this principle Reform Jews have all but disappeared as an identifiable entity. There is absolutely no practical difference between a Reform Jew and a non Jew. Not in any aspect of their lives. Assimilation at that level has practically made a virtue of intermarriage. That’s why Reform leaders now accept patrilineal descent.

This lack of Jewish identity has caused them to re-think the idea of ritual observance. They have finally come to realize that which most Orthodox Jews innately understand. That Mitzvah observance is what has kept us alive throughout millennia of persecution.

We are - as the Torah tells us - a Mamleches Kohanim V’Goy Kodosh – a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. We are chosen by God to be different. To obey His commandments. Commandments that are specifically designed for Jews and no one else. Although Reform leaders do not accept this idea - at least they are beginning to understand the mechanics of our long survival in the Diaspora. Without Mitzvah observance we would have disappeared pretty quickly into assimilationist oblivion. So they now encourage it.

This new track by Reform Judaism is a positive development and hopefully - yet another step in the ultimate return of many Reform Jews to the authentic Judaism of the Torah and Halacha.

It is true that there is ‘pushback’ by some reform rabbis and laity as the JTA article points out. That is understandable. Those who enjoy the freedom of ignoring all Mitzvah observance do not want to give that up. They continue to insist that Judaism is all about ethics – not ritual. But many Reform Jews who seek to embrace their Judaism are looking for better – more identifiable ways to do that. I think that helps drive their push to the right. And it seems to be taking hold.

I am reminded of a speech I heard from an older l Reform Rabbi who was from the old ‘liberal’ guard lamenting this move to the right - away from the liberal Judaism espoused by Reform’s founding fathers. He has since retired, is now in a nursing home. I have been told by someone who knows him that he has become observant himself. If I recall correctly he even leads the Orthodox religious services in that nursing home! And at least one of his children have become Orthodox and made Aliyah to Israel.

Why should any of us care what is happening in Reform Judaism? They comprise the largest segment of all Jews in America. And unlike their founding fathers who rebelled - most of them are Tinokos SheNishbu – captured children. They have no clue what Judaism really is. Many of them hunger for it - and yet have very little exposure or contact with Orthodoxy – other than the occasional negative story about us in the media.

Attempts at making inroads with them have been thwarted by some of our rabbinic leaders. Witness what happened to Rabbi Yosef Reinman. He collaborated with a prominent Reform rabbi on a book. After making one joint appearance together, Rabbi Reinman was censured by his right wing rabbinic leaders. He was ‘ordered’ to cease and desist from any further promotion of his book and to refrain from any further joint appearances with that Reform rabbi. He agreed.

Ultimately Rabbi Reinman took the same position as those leaders and publicly thanked them for ‘setting him straight’. But he admitted regretting not being able to interact and influence a segment of Jewry (Reform) with which he would otherwise never have had any contact. He felt that he had actually made inroads with them from just that one joint appearance. Imagine the influence he might have had if he continued doing it. And others had joined him in similar projects.

I believe it was a mistake for the rabbinic leadership to pull him out of that project and said so at the time. But although avoiding contact like this slows down the process. It is still taking place. Many Reform Jews are moving to the right and are slowly becoming educated about what Judaism really is. Some have even made the leap to Orthodoxy. I have no statistics but my guess is that this is happening in greater number than ever. I just hope the slow pace of it is not over ridden by the increasing damage of patrilineal descent.

Of course the rejectionists among them will over the next few generations probably marry out and their children will in many cases not even be Jewish. But the trend is not with the rejectionists.

Who knows? Someday maybe – just maybe - there will be a massive return to Torah by vast numbers of Jews who will see the value of observance as more than just a means of self identification. Maybe they will embrace Judaism the way it should be embraced with complete observance to Torah and Mitzvos.

Exploitation as a Fund Raising Tactic

It doesn’t seem possible but it was over two and a half years ago that I first wrote about this. I am talking about the fundraising tactic of Kupat Ha’ir - selling Segulos. Especially to those who suffer the pangs of infertility. To say that this is disgusting is an understatement.

Kupat Ha’ir is the primary charity that collects funds for poverty stricken Charedim in Bnei Brak.Why such poverty exists in Bnei Brak and other Charedi enclaves in Israel is beyond the scope of this post. I am focusing only on Kupat Ha-ir.

There is absolutely no excuse for what this organization does. But don’t just take my word for it. I am gratified to know that one of the most respected Charedi rabbinic leaders in the world feels the same way. In fact he used harsher words than I did. He called it Gezel Gamur - forcible confiscation of property! Which leader said this? It was none other than Rav Matisyahu Salomon, the Mashgiach of Lakewood.

I was reluctant to post about this since there was no published report about it other than a 2nd hand report on a blog or two. But this is no longer the case. It has been verified by Rabbi Yitzchok Adlerstein and posted on Cross Currents.

Those who read this blog regularly know that Rav Salomon and I are not always exactly on the same page on various issues . But those same people should also know that I still respect him as a rabbinic leader – despite my disagreements with him. This is one of those times that we are in complete agreement.

My only criticism is: ‘What took him so long?’ How many people were taken advantage of over the last 2 and ½ years? Is this the first he has heard of it? And what about other rabbinic figures? Where have they been? Especially those in Israel whose names were used in those ads? In fact where are they now? Is Rav Salomon the only one who feels this way?

Kupat Ha’ir has been hawking Segulos –preying on the misfortune of other Jews - for years. And they’ve been getting away with it. And because prominent Israeli rabbinic leaders - most notably R’ Chaim Kanievsky - have been associated with it, people were not only reluctant to criticize it some were defending it! They claimed that tact was justified… and used R’ Kanievsky’s association with it as proof! Besides how can anyone criticize an institution that Rav Kanievsky is associated with? It would be like criticizing Rav Kanievsky himself!

What about Rav Kanievsky’s association with it? Was there any? From Cross-Currents:

R. Mattisyahu took his objections straight to R Chaim Kanievsky, shlit”a. The latter argued that he clearly did not offer any guarantees, and that his statements about the efficacy of donating to KH were nothing more than a reiteration of the statements of Chazal about the power of tzedaka – not any special prognostication on his part. Despite this reassuring clarification, R. Mattisyahu apparently did not change his mind about the impression that KH’s advertising aimed for, and clearly succeeded in achieving in many cases.

Nonetheless some might still claim to have an ethical problem with criticizing Kupat Ha’ir. After all such criticism would cause a loss of revenue which would in turn hurt the poor in Bnei Brak that Kupat Ha’ir serve. And they desperately need the help.

Kupat Ha’ir would say that ‘the ends justify the means’. But if one thinks about it, this is how so much Chilul HaShem is created. Whether it is Kupat Ha’ir, Oorah, the Spinka Rebbe, the New Jersey (Deal) money launderers, or Milton Balkany… it was all done for the greater good of funding institutions that desperately needed the money to fulfill their mission. (Although there may be some dispute about just how true that is and that some of that money was siphoned off for personal use - let us be Dan L’Kaf Zechus about that and give them all the benefit of the doubt.) Certainly Kupat Ha’ir’s purpose was noble. Its sole purpose was to feed the needy. No one ever accused them of pocketing the money.

But their ends do not justify their means. Their fundraising tactics trifle with people’s lives. They exploit desperate people eager to find solutions to serious problems like infertility. By implying instant cures via the Segulos they sell - they are forcibly stealing money from them. To quote Rav Salomon – It’s Gezel Gamur!

One may not perform armed robbery to feed the needy. If I were Rav Kanievsky I would approach Kupat Ha’ir and ask them to fire anyone associated with this ad campaign. Better yet I would destroy the very entity itself by calling for a full boycott of it. I would then take their infrastructure and start a new Tzedaka with a new name. I would find new leadership who understood that exploitation of fellow Jews is an unacceptable fundraising tactic.

Judaism, Achdus, and Lubavitch

I am of late very reluctant to post anything about Chabad/Lubavitch. This is not only because of my respect for their accomplishments; it is also because on a personal level, they are among the finest people I know and I am loathe to hurt them. Their accomplishments are legendary. Although they are not alone in doing outreach - they have certainly been responsible more than any other group for bringing Jews closer to Judaism.

When I have in the past posted about them it has been about their Messianism. I am obviously very upset by that and still believe the problem exists even though it has quieted down. Except for a few very loud extremists who still shout it from the mountain tops, most Lubavitchers no longer talk about it. They have internalized whatever level of belief they have about the late Lubavitcher Rebbe’s coming resurrection to become the Messiah. Talk like that has all but disappeared in mainstream Lubavitch. At least here in Chicago – in public.

Just to be clear on this point – I stand with what my Rebbe Rav Ahron Soloveichik said. Lubavitch’s Messianic beliefs about the Rebbe are Shtus - foolish nonsense. But those beliefs are not heresy. Although there is a small group who have crossed that line – I believe they are a small handful that Lubavitch has clearly repudiated and rejected.

But not all my criticisms of Lubavitch has been about their troubling Messianic beliefs. Shumley Boteach’s latest article in the Jerusalem Post prompts me to write about a different problem. It is about the sense of self importance they have vis-à-vis the rest of Orthodoxy. I think Shumley’s article gives us a glimpse into this mindset. They believe that Lubavitch is not just a movement within Judaism - but Judaism itself.

Those who read Rabbi Boteach’s columns know that many years ago he was expelled by Lubavitch for – among other things - departing from their norms by reaching out to non Jews. But he has never rejected Lubavitch. He has been as loyal to them as ever and often lavished praise about Lubavitch and the Rebbe.

He has also in the past expressed profound regret about his expulsion.

But he has been given a second life. He was invited to their recent annual international Chabad emissary conference – the Kinus Hashluchim Ha’olami. I guess that means he is back in their good graces. That has resulted in perhaps the most fawning article he has ever written about them.

In truth I have no issues about what he said that they do. It is to Lubavitch’s credit that they continue to do their good works in greater number than ever.

He writes about how as a child of modern Orthodoxy, Lubavitch – and more precisely the Rebbe - came to win him over to Chabad Chasidus. He talks about the level of commitment to Judaism Chabad instills into its members.

And he writes about their reach. They have established outposts in the furthest reaches of the world. Where ever there are Jews, one will find a Chabad House run by a Lubavitch emissary. This should be obvious to anyone who travels to places where Jews are not prominent. If you’re going to Timbuktu, you will very likely find a Chabad House run by a Shaliach who bends over backwards to help you out.

But then Shmuley takes a leap that undermines all of his legitimate praise. He makes the astonishing claim that Lubavitch is not just a strong and powerful movement with Judaism – but Judaism itself. Here is the pertinent excerpt from the his Jeruslam Post article:

WITNESSING THE fulfillment of that promise at the conference was an awakening. Chabad is no longer merely a Jewish movement. It is Judaism. I find it astonishing that Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu flew in to attend the Jewish federations’ annual General Assembly but bypassed the Chabad conference. If an Israeli prime minister wants to be part of the unfolding of modern Jewish history, he has to address Chabad. No other organization even comes close to its global reach or grassroots impact. And it is growing exponentially.

With this statement he loses all credibility – and even undermines the very movement he is so justifiably proud of. Does he really think that the Yeshiva world is not Judaism? Does he not think that Yeshiva world is not increasing geometrically too? Does he also discount the massive and geometrically increasing numbers of other Chasidic movements like Satmar and Ger? Or perhaps he thinks all of this will somehow fold into Lubavitch. I don’t know but this is obviously the most misguided belief anyone can have about their own movement.

It completely ignores the reality of Orthodox Judaism. Lubavitch is only a small percentage of an ever growing Orthodoxy. Chabad's exponential growth is matched by many other Orthodox segments. And they are no longer the only ones doing outreach. They are certainly the most prolific, but to lay claim that they are Judaism itself is self deluding, counterproductive, and even destructive.

I don’t think this view is Shmuley’s alone. I believe this is true of most Lubavitchers. This is how they think of themselves.

I also believe this is one of the reasons they have no interest in joining with other Orthodox groups in any joint projects - and rarely do. They don’t even like to refer to themselves as Orthodox and often list themselves a separate denomination in communal publications that list denominations. This - despite the fact that they are as scrupulous in observances as are the most Orthodox among us.

I think this ‘stand-offishness’ demonstrates their sense of self importance vis-a-vis the rest of Orthodoxy viewing it as insignificant relative to themselves. This promotes and perpetuates the idea that they are not only a movement but Judaism itself. That attitude is why there is so much antagonism against them by some of the other Orthodox segments of Judaism dating back to long before their Messianism became manifest.

I say all this not to bash Lubavitch but to offer constructive criticism. I believe that Lubavitch is a tremendous and key asset to Klal Yisroel. But they are only one such asset. Not the sum and substance of it.

I’ve said this before. Instead of standing off wearing blinders to the rest of the Orthodox world they ought to become a part of it. They should stop listing themselves as a separate denomination and realize that they are only a part of the greater whole rather than the entirety of it. This is what Achdus is all about.