Lose/Lose

Israel is a dumb ‘hic’ country that will never amount to anything because it is run by a bunch of Morons.

Oh. Wait a minute. It has been around for over 60 years and is a world power with nuclear capabilities. I guess they can’t be that stupid then. In fact they are the opposite of stupid and have been so successful at so many different levels their accomplishments are astounding. The hand of God is as obvious here as it was during the holocaust. Only the most jaded skeptics would deny that.

The Middle East miracle called the ‘State of Israel’ was not the result of open miracles. Nor was it the the result of the ‘devil’s work’ as described by the Satmar Rebbe. God in his Infinite wisdom and for his own purpose put the fate of Israel in the hands of secular leaders and gave them the tools to do it endowing them with high intelligence and military prowess. They have done a superb job.

Israel’s strategic defense decisions have made it the envy of governments. The victory of the six day war was studied by military strategists around the world – including the United States. Israel is feared by their hostile Arab neighbors who I believe outnumber them 40 to 1. Most Arabs would (if they could) just as soon annihilate the Jewish state as eat a piece of cake.

Which is why they have resorted to terrorism. They have no other weapon against Israel. Making peace never even occurred to any of them until late into the 20th century. Those few who were willing to sign a peace treaty and be done with it all - were more than undermined by rejectionist terror organizations like Hezbollah and Hamas. The minute they smell peace – they do everything they can to sabotage it. So far they have succeeded. And the devout among the general Muslim populace support that rejectionist attitude treating suicide bombers like martyrs. Mothers who lose their sons that way cry tears of joy!

Which leads me to the current crisis. From the New York Times:

Israel’s deadly naval commando raid Monday morning on a flotilla carrying thousands of tons of supplies for Gaza is generating widespread international condemnation and diplomatic repercussions far beyond the waters where the confrontation occurred.

Unfortunately in the topsy turvy world of the left Israel cannot win. They are in a lose/lose situation. Israel had to know that an attack like this risked condemnation – even by her friends. And that is pretty much what happened. I have not heard one word of defense in any of the media except from pro Israel groups like AIPAC.

And yet Israel did it anyway. Why?

Anyone with half a brain has to know that Israel is not so stupid as to ask for even more criticism from the world than it already gets – even from the United States. They had to know that this was going to be a PR disaster. They must have determined that it was the lesser of two evils to attack this flotilla. Obviously from the perspective of the left – this was a PR victory of major proportions. Israel is made to look like a bully who cares little about the human misery and degradation of the impoverished residents of Gaza.

The flotilla is being made out to be a purely humanitarian enterprise with no intent to harm Israel in any way. But the facts belie that contention. 10 people aboard that boat were killed. But the IDF does not fire unless they are fired upon or are in other ways in mortal danger. These people were not going to lose an opportunity to make Israel look bad. They knew that the world would see this as an attack on good Samaritans whose only goal was to feed the hungry. Great image! So they tried to break the blockade on this basis.

But Israel set up the blockade not to hurt innocent Gazans but to protect itself from mortal danger by preventing weapons from being smuggled in that are used to kill Jews. That boat was perfect for that purpose. It was filled with fools and Jew haters some of which are self hating Jews whose purpose was as much to embarrass Israel as it was to distribute food.

Even if not a single weapon was found Israel did the right thing. They had no way of knowing that if they were or weren't. Israel had no choice but to board that boat and see what was on it. Had they stopped at the port in Ashdod as they were asked to they could have avoided confrontation. But that was turned down for the sole purpose of embarrassing Israel. They have succeeded.

The Israeli Defense Forces said more than 10 people were killed when naval personnel boarding the six ships in the aid convoy met with “live fire and light weaponry including knives and clubs.” The naval forces then “employed riot dispersal means, including live fire,” the military said in a statement.

I believe that. But that is not what the left, their sympathizers in the media, and European governments believe. For Israel looking at these antagonists - it was a lose/lose proposition. They could let it go and take the chance that arms were being smuggled or they could raid the boat and be seen as oppressing the impoverished by denying them entry. They choose safety over PR. And on cue the left buys hook line and sinker the spin of the ‘Greta Berlins’ of the world. Again - from the New York Times:

Greta Berlin, a leader of the pro-Palestinian Free Gaza Movement, speaking by telephone from Cyprus, rejected the military’s version.

“That is a lie,” she said, adding that it was inconceivable that the civilian passengers on board would have been “waiting up to fire on the Israeli military, with all its might.” “We never thought there would be any violence,” she said.

She may fool the left but she does not fool me for a minute. All right thinking people – Jew or Gentile -should be able to see right through this. Israel did not get to be the military power it is by making stupid mistakes. Knowing that it was a lose/lose situation their intelligence people probably thought this was the lesser of two evils – that letting an un-inspected flotilla full of supplies through the blockade was simply too dangerous. They knew it would be a PR disaster and did it anyway. Now they are going to take their lumps.

I only hope that clearer heads prevail where it counts – in the halls of congress and in the White House. I have no hope that Europe will see it in any other way than an unprovoked attack against innocent human life whose only purpose was to feed the hungry. As of yet the Obama administration has only commented about the regretful loss of life. The President has not commented on the propriety of Israel’s action. We will see how he proceeds from here.

Prime Minster Benjamin Netanyahu is in Canada right now and scheduled to meet with the President tomorrow. Let’s hope that it is not another tongue lashing behind closed doors and that the President realizes that Israel had no choice. It is long past time for him to realize that pandering to the European left by tilting in their direction with respect to Israel is immoral.

The Incompatibility of Emes and Compromise

One of the true hallmarks of leadership is doing the right thing no matter what the fallout. One should always strive to live by one’s principles no matter how it affects them. Most people find it difficult not to compromise once in a while. Sometimes it is actually appropriate to do so. But if one is a leader one must never compromise on one’s principles especially when it affects Klal Yisroel.

If it causes personal anguish to the leader it should not matter. That is the mark of leadership. Which is why an off handed comment made by Jonathan Rosenblum sticks in my craw. It was made in an article explaining why Gedolim do not respond to the bullying of some of their zealous Baalei Baatim. The response was made by an unidentified Gadol to the effect that the Gedolim would do it but they didn’t want to be called ‘fake Gedolim’.

Much of the Charedi world considers the Moetzes Geodlei HaTorah of Agudath Israel to be the Gedolei HaDor. Not that they don’t concede there are other Gedolim. But that this particular group has a special standing in making pronouncements on matters that effect Klal Yisroel as a group. As I understand it the Moetzes is self constructed and the attempt is made to have a cross section of leadership from various right wing segments of Klal Yisroel.

They thus work together on issues facing Jewry and arrive at a consensus together about how to proceed. They will often come out with a unified statement about one issue or another. They view such pronouncements as having more ‘teeth’ than if each one made their own pronouncement. If there is any disagreement among them privately it is not made public.

What is an even more serious problem is when one member is in some way seen to have more authority than the others. Out of deference his view can easily end up being the one presented by the group as their unified view. It doesn’t matter that his view is L’Shem Shamyim. It is unfair and even dishonest to represent it as the unified view if there is in actuality disagreement.

To me this makes any authority claimed by the Agudah Moetzes questionable. The idea that an organization that arrives a decisions - or fails to make them - based on compromise, deference to others, concerns for the group’s prestige is not my idea of leadership at all.

Sometimes ‘strength in numbers’ is really a weakness.

I want to make perfectly clear (as I always do when this subject comes up) that I do not wish to disparage any single rabbinic leader. I in fact honor the members of the Moetzes as individual Poskim and Roshei Yeshiva who are tireless workers for Klal Yisroel. I firmly believe they deserve our respect as individuals and deserve to be treated with the Kavod – honor - that they have earned.

But as a group, for the reasons I just stated I have to question their authority. Principles should come first. Not compromise or consensus. If there is honest disagreement among great people they should make those positions known and not hide them. Hiding behind a façade of unity does not serve the cause of Emes. And certainly acquiescence to the views of another based on deference when one actually disagrees does not inspire any confidence in their leadership as a group.

Contrast that with my Rebbe, Rav Ahron Soloveichik. He was uncompromising and fearless. Many people feel that his fearlessness in fighting for what he believed cost him his health. The stories about his fight against the Traditional Movement and their rabbis are legendary. As was his fight to stop the sale of the Mizrachi building in Chicago to literal idol worshippers. Those two fights cost him his job as Rosh HaYeshiva in Skokie.

He did not make decisions based on what was popular. He made them on what he believed was right. And often he was on the minority side of an issue. Sometimes he was even alone. There are many examples of that even after his tenure at HTC. Just to mention a few:

He opposed the Eruv in Chicago because he firmly believed that Rav Moshe Feinstein would have assured it based on the way Rav Ahron understood R’ Moshe’s definition of Reshus HaRabim D’Oriasa. He did not insist on the Brisker definion which would make citywide Eruvin almost impossible. Had that been the issue he would not have protested. Based on the Psak of Rav Moshe - he saw the the Chicago Eruv as a cause for violation of biblical level laws of Shabbos.

So he fought against it for many years until he was over-whelmed by Baalei Baatim with a major push toward building it. They claimed that Rav Aron was wrong and R’ Moshe would not have assured it - quoting R’ Moshe’s son R’ Dovid Feinstein in agreement with them.

But Rav Ahron was not deterred. I will never forget what he said in a public Shiur shortly before he died – long after the Eruv was established and widely used even by many Charedim. Rav Ahron said that those who use the Eruv in Chicago are Mechalel Shabbos D’Oraisa - B’Shogeg. And the Rabbanim who built it are Chotim U’Machti Es HaRabim– they sin and cause others to sin.

It was that same fearlessness that led him to promote the idea of saying Hallel on Yom Ha’atzmaut. This went against the grain of the entire Charedi rabbinic establishment. I believe even his brother, the Rav, disagreed. But Rav Ahron was not deterred. He said Hallel every Yom Ha’atzmaut himself as did his yeshiva. He was not concerned about being called a fake Gadol and did not seek consensus.

Then there was the Chicago Mikva Association. In order for that committee of Baalei Battim to get Jewish Federation funding for a new Mikva being built, they had to allow the Conservative Movement to use the Mikva for their conversions. Rav Ahron - whom they chose to be Mikva Association Posek - Paskined that they could not allow Conservative conversions and to forego the money. The Mikva Association was determined to get those Federation dollars so they went to Rav Moshe who paskined they could take money on Federation terms. This meant allowing the Mikva to be used for Conservative conversions but that they should just avoid in any way being involved with those conversions.

Based on this Heter which they got after Rav Ahron Paskined against them - the Mikva Association got the Federation money, the Mikva was built and Conservative conversion took place there. Rav Ahron who recognized Rav Moshe as the Posek HaDor did not relent and continued to oppose them. Years later Rav Ahron had to defend a Jew who by himself protested whenever a Conservative conversion took place by picketing the Mikva. The Mikva association had him arrested after several attempts to dissuade him from picketing.

Like I said – each member of the Moetzes are by themselves truly great people – whether one agrees with them or not. And as individuals their advice is a valuable resource which should be factored into all public policy decisions. But as a group, I think they have not lived up to their potential. It is almost inevitable whenever they speak as one that their decisions are diluted by compromise - and Emes suffers.

Even Great People Can Err

HaGaon HaRav Yosef Soloveichik is a brilliant Talmid Chacham. That is not arguable. He may in fact be a genius. Together with his two older brothers, Rav Yosef and I attended their father, Rav Ahron Soloveichik’s Shiur at HTC for four straight years. We all received Semicha at the same time – along with the rest of our class.

But I freely admit my knowledge in comparison to his is practically negligible. Compared to him I am an Am Ha’aretz. I recall that whenever I had a question about something we learned in Shiur from his father, no matter how difficult it was, I would ask him for Peshat. He casually and nonchalantly explained it immediately in the clearest of fashion. I was in awe of his brilliance - and still am.

Later in life, after he had gotten married his Eherlchkeit led him to make a decision in life that few others would make in a similar position. While registering in the University of Chicago Law School he asked himself the question “What am I doing here?” He dropped out immediately and made Aliyah to become a Rebbe in a Yeshiva in Jerusalem, where he still lives today and continues to disseminate Torah. His Ehrilchkeit is thus closely matched to his father’s Ehrlichkeit.

He is a man who - like his father - is not afraid to tell it like it is. One can count on his views to be untainted by personal bias. Unless he is fed lies and distortions by those with their own personal biases. When that happens to anyone – even people of high caliber - tragic mistakes can be made.

I firmly believe that one such mistake was made by him in an unbelievably egregious way. Based on some bad information he has besmirched two of his father’s closest Talmidim in print several times. I have personal knowledge of how devoted and close these two individuals were to our Rebbe. In the case of one Rav Ahron told me this himself. And I have absolutely no doubt the same is true about the other.

I believe their devotion to our Rebbe is matched by very few others, including me. They have continued to be loyal to his memory and his legacy to this very day in too many ways to mention including tremendous financial support to his Yeshiva - Yeshivas Brisk - over the entire course of its existence. These two men were tremendously hurt by the words of Rav Yosef and I would urge him to re-examine the facts, re-evaluate his position, and apologize to these two Talmidim. They deserve al lot better than what he has given them. I personally do not believe that his father would have approved of Rav Yosef’s attitude at all, nor do I believe the rest of his family does.

As much as I respect and honor him, I cannot stand idly by and allow this to go un-protested. Ever since I saw his condemning words in print for the first time it has not left my consciousness. I can only guess at the pain this has caused these two individuals and their wonderful families. Nonetheless I had originally decided not to address this issue because I am always reluctant to publicly criticize anyone in my Rebbe’s family – especially someone whom I so admire.

But I have finally decided to do it now. It is long past time that I did. His views on issues of the day which he expresses on a weekly basis on a Parsha sheet called Kol Brisk are very similar to mine. In fact he is even stronger in them than I am. I have in the past wanted to quote from him but could not do so in good conscience without addressing this issue first. I have done so now.

What follows is from this week’s Kol Brisk Parsha sheet and although I agree - he puts things in a lot stronger fashion than I did. The difference is that he is a much bigger Talmid Chacham than I am. Here is the pertinent unedited excerpt:

The litvishe community today is navigated largely by the jealousies and the concerted quest for power of rabbonim and askanim and wealthy baalei batim who are in control. The result of this is chaos that gets expressed at all levels.

The leadership pretends to always be involved in advancing Torah and Yiddishkeit in the community. But in many critical and crucial issues they are viciously and insidiously beaming ayin ra’ah at different groups (baalei teshuva , working people, sefardim etc.) and distinguished individuals (rabbonim and lomdim who are greater in Torah and Yiras Shamayim than the rabbonim in power) in the community because these groups and individuals threaten their quest for power.

It is very difficult to contend with such corruption because they always conceal their jealousies and their hunger for power with the claim that they are battling with great mesiras nefesh to protect and preserve Torah and Yiddishkeit. And they declare pretentiously with great arrogance and characteristic ayin ra’ah that only they are the authentic representatives of Torah and Yiddishkeit in the world.

How does one deal with such ludicrous and nonsensical claims of a corrupt leadership that for reasons of self-interest and in a very hypocritical fashion acquiesces to problems that rack the community? Problems of child abuse, sexual abuse, the deliberate breaking-up of families, outright stealing and fraud and deception, permissive life styles and adulterous relationships etc.

But this leadership declares so pretentiously that only they – to the exclusion of great rabbonim and great talmidei chachamim - are the authentic representatives of Torah and Yiddishkeit in the world. How does one deal with such illusions and fantasies of ayin ra’ah and negativity that acquire their own vitality but are energized by concealed jealousies and a concerted clandestine quest for power?

The War between the Jews

Some people would call them Jews. But I’m not so sure they deserve that lofty title. Oh… they are Jews by blood. They are Halachic Jews. But they are the kind of Jews who bring tragedy upon tragedy on their own people and unworthy of the name.

Neturei Karta and many other Meah Shearim type Jews who sympathize with them are on a virtual wall to wall campaign of protest in Israel - raising hell for its residents. Many of those residents are religious Jews and might themselves sympathize with their cause. But they unwillingly suffer the toxic fumes of garbage dumpsters burning on what seems like a daily basis of late.

The monsters of Meah Shearim (and their ideological brethren in other parts of Israel) don’t care. What’s a little toxic smoke in your lungs compared to riding the land of Israel of its evil? The ends justify the means. They have their eyes on the prize.

The prize? The destruction of the Jewish State. Lest anyone say that I exaggerate - I do not. They fully admit that this is their goal. They are very open about it. Whether it is Neturei Karta, Toldos Ahron, the Edah HaCharedis, or even Satmar – nothing would make them happier than the State of Israel’s downfall.

They all claim that Israel’s existence is against the will of God. The late Satmar Rebbe, R’ Yoel Teitelbaum, actually put it in writing. Without getting into his theological reasons he stated that the Jewish people have no right to govern in the land of Israel until the arrival of Moshiach. Until then it violates Halacha to do so.

To illustrate just how serious the Satmar Rebbe was about this - when asked about the miracles of the 6 day war and the miraculously quick victory - he said that there were no miracles and that the victory was a Maaseh Satan – the work of the devil!

Of course Satmar Chasidim – who have a right to hold an opinion even as repugnant as this – do not act on it. They live with the existence of the state – cursing it all the while - and even reside in it benefitting from the the state’s protection. But we all know where their sympathies lie. They lie with the protesters.

And protest they do – at the drop of a hat! They look for any excuse to curse the government and protest it. Their most recent protest was over the removal of graves in the construction area for a new state of the art fortified emergency room at Barzilai Hospital.

Barzilai is located in Ashkelon which is not far from the border with Gaza. The need for a facility that can withstand rocket attacks and be state of the art is as obvious as the sun. Any delay can cost lives. And yet when graves were found a Charedi Knesset member, Yaakov Litzman (who is a Chasid of Ger) halted construction for two years saying that it was forbidden to move the graves found there. He demanded that the construction site be moved – at great expense – to a site less beneficial to potential patients.

In the meantime the Israeli rabbinate - based on scientific archaeological findings - determined that those graves did not contain Jewish bones but rather the bones of idol worshippers. They thus permitted the removal of those ancient bones to another site. Sephardi Gadol, Rav Ovadia Yosef, Paskined the same way. But Charedi opposition continued insisting that those buried there were Jewish. After much protest after violent protest by haters of the Jewish State - the graves were finally moved.

Somehow Meah Shearim activists took over the mission of reburying those remains. They tried to bury them in Jewish cemeteries. But those remains were refused as not being Jewish corpses and eventually buried in a cemetery designed for corpses of questionable Jewish lineage.

Meanwhile the protests go on. In the most recent event, Interior Minister, Eli Yishai of Shas was pelted with stones by extremist members of Neturei Karta as he was on his way to pay a condolence call in Jerusalem.

It should be clear by now that the Jewish graves issue is just an excuse. The protest of graves is secondary to the real goal of destroying the State. They will protest anything they can get away with to make trouble for the state and then blame it for police brutality when the police enter the scene trying to restore law and order.

These people should be seen not only as criminal thugs. They should be seen as subversives and treated no better than anyone whose goal it is to destroy the country. They have that in common with Hamas. Both want the same thing. The only difference is in the means.

If the government of Israel doesn’t get serious about dealing with these people (and I used the term ‘people’ loosely) they are going to win the war!

Message to Agudah

Hirhurim has a post today about Agudah and the Internet that is illustrative of the contradiction between their opposition to the internet and their mission to spread their worldview to the masses.

Agudah was founded almost a hundred years ago as a response to the free thinking spirit of the times. The Age of Enlightenment eventually reached Jewish quarters and Jews started taking advantage of those freedoms leading many of them to go astray, abandon Mitzvah observance, and even embrace heretical ideas. Many rabbinic leaders of that generation - including Roshei Yeshiva and Admorim – Chasidic Rebbes - banded together to form the Agudah as a united front against it. Based on that and the wish to create an umbrella organization for all of Orthodox Jewry Agudah was formed. Although Orthodox unity was almost impossible to achieve I don’t believe they ever ceased having that as a goal.

In order to achieve that goal they had to reach the masses. The best way to do that from the time of its founding all the way to the near end of the 20th century was thru the print media. Various publications were created to enable that. The Jewish Observer was their English language magazine for many decades including most of the first decade of the 21st century. But about a year or so ago that publication folded – becoming an economic liability for them. Readership was lost to newer and frankly more appealing publications like Mishpacha Magazine. Although I had at times been upset by a few articles I nevertheless appreciated that publication for it gave its readers Agudah’s ideological perspective on important issues of the day written by serious Charedi thinkers.

But in truth it was more than just a better magazine that caused the Jewish Observer’s demise. It was the internet. The same internet that is causing virtually all print media to try and figure out ways to stay alive. Readership is substantially down in virtually all the major print media, including once venerable publications like The New York Times and Time Magazine. Why would anyone pay to read the Times if they can get it free on-line?

The point is that the internet is now a primary source for information for huge numbers of people. It is more immediate, up to date, and varied. You can find just about any perspective you want on any subject. As it concerns Agudah religious subjects including Halacha and Hashkafa are disseminated by all manner of participants from the very religious to the heretical. Virtually all segments of society including the Torah world have websites, virtual newspapers and blogs that disseminate information and opinion. Agudah – among others has resisted spreading their message on-line because of the great danger it poses.

Aside from the easy access to pornography of every imaginable sort and the ability to hide it from others - a danger to both children and adults – there is also the danger posed by just about anyone with a keyboard to influence even the most religious of Jews away from Torah.

In the case of one blogger who professes his former Charedi beliefs, his exposure to Kefirah has turned him into a skeptic who questions the very existence of God and now doubts that the events of the Torah ever took place. He even tries to convince others of his views via his very successful blog. One can only guess how many people he has influenced!

And then there is the sheer time that is consumed that could arguably be better spent.

I have always conceded to the argument about the dangers of the internet. My problem has always been in how Agudah chose to deal with it. And the fact is that their method of choice is hurting them.

As I understand their position they are opposed to using it as a general principle for all the reasons I stated. But they allow it for businesses and have not outright banned it – realizing that most of their constituency uses it anyway. But they also realize that most of their constituency uses it responsibly. With that in mind they allowed their now defunct publication, the Jewish Oberver to be published by others in PDF. Their approach is to tell people not to use it if they don’t have to but if they do to use it to do so in the safest way possible with filters, oversight in the home, etc.

Agudah’s rabbinic leaders rarely miss an opportunity to disparage it but still utilize it in a sort of backdoor way. The problem for them is that they do not have any direct access to their public other than conventions, and media announcements, or press coverage of their activities. Their message is - by current standards - stifled. It is overwhelmed by the message of others not necessarily sympathetic to their views and sometimes overtly hostile to them.

The biggest damage to their cause is not however from the more vitriolic enemies or even from heretical blogs. Most of their constituents reject those out of hand. Their biggest danger is from serious critics on the internet who respectfully challenge their views and activities. The audience for those kinds of critics is as vast and broad based including many of their own supporters.

Agudah cannot respond in kind. The best they can do is talk about it at one of their conventions or through a public announcement in the print media. Those announcement are always picked up by sympathetic Charedi websites that will publish it. Thus they can kind of have their cake – and eat it. But I think they are selling themselves short by refusing to participate directly.

I count myself among both their critics and supporters. I have not hesitated to question, agree, or disagree with their positions. I have always tried to do that respectfully. But there are many others - many of them Orthodox - that are not so kind and gentle. They have hammered away unmercifully on issues of great concern to the Jewish people. They do so in a manner not befitting Orthodox Judaism sometimes even using profanity. Even if their complaints are valid their responses end up being a Bizyon HaTorah - a denigration of Torah.

There are some sincere and well meaning Orthodox Jews who may be happy about this situation and even hope for Agudah’s demise. I am not one of them. I think they provide a tremendous service to Klal Yisroel and represent an important perspective on Torah. They should not be silenced. They deserve - and ought to be heard.

Agudah’s lack of presence on the internet has reduced rather than increased their influence. Yes - many Charedi writers who generally sympathize with Agudah will represent and defend them on-line. But this is not the same as having their own website - and any number of other methods available on-line to spread their message.

Aside from that even some of the very Charedi writers that defend Agudah have criticism of their own. I therefore feel very strongly that they ought to reevaluate their position with respect to the internet along the lines of other Orthodox institutions like the OU.

As bad as the internet is, it is also that good. It is a medium that can be used for extreme good as well as extreme bad. It can save lives and take them. It can save souls and lose them. It can take decent people and destroy their families and ruin their lives. It can inspire people to reach the greatest heights of Torah observance and it can turn people into heretics. In short, the internet is virtual reality, Just about anything that can be found in real life can be found on the internet. It is all about responsible use, knowing yourself, and taking precautions for yourself and your children to avoid its many pitfalls. There will always be people who will be harmed by exposure to some elements of virtual reality – just like there will always be people that will be harmed by some elements of reality.

True the internet makes it easier and that ought to be factored into one’s use. But just like there is good in the real world there is good on the internet. Part of that good as it pertains to Agudah is in using it as a medium for its message. By refusing to use the internet in all but indirect ways Agudah misses out on providing the kind of influence they could have. In effect they have ceded that territory to others.

Agudah might answer that in having a website they would be selling out their principles. They might even use a phrase like ‘Yotzah Scharo B’Hefseido. That is - the advantages of hosting their own website is more than absorbed by the disadvantages of tacit approval of internet use that an Agudah website would imply.

I believe the opposite is true. Any gain they have by not using it is absorbed by the loss of not utilizing the most effective tool of communication in our day. I would therefore urge them to reconsider. The fact that they use it in a back door way undermines their position of strong objections anyway. They have a lot to offer in the way of educating the religious as well as the irreligious public and countering their opponents and enemies. They have some pretty brilliant writers available to do that. Why not maximize exposure and join the 21st century?

Rav Elchanan Wasserman - An Unlikely Ally

Is there anyone among Charedi Gedolim of yesteryear who thinks along the same lines I do with respect to the current generation of rabbinic leaders? I think there might just be one. His name is Rav Elchanan Wasserman, HY’D (pictured).

Rav Elchanan is one of the most uncompromising Charedi Gedolim of the generation prior to the Holocaust. He was in fact the only Gadol invited but refused to give a Shiur at Yeshiva University (Yeshiva College in those days) on theological grounds. Rav Aharon Kotler gave Shiur there. As did Rav Shimon Shkop –who in fact became Rosh Yeshiva there for a year before Rav Chaim Ozer Grodensky asked him to return to his Yeshiva in Europe.

But Rav Elchanan did not want to set foot into YU. He said he was not going to compromise his ideals. He strongly held that a Yeshiva Gedolah may not offer any secular studies and YU clearly violated that principle. I think it was not only YU’s loss but Rav Elchanan’s as well. I agree with the other Gedolim who did give a Shiur at YU when they were invited to do so. Be that as it may, I bring it up only to show just how Charedi he was. He unfortunately lost his life at the hand of the Nazis during the Holocaust.

Rav Elchanan is also known for his theory that we are currently living in pre-Messianic times. He wrote about it in something he called Ikvasa D’Mishicha – In the Footsteps of the Messiah. This is not the same thing as the Aschalta D’Geulah of religious Zionism. Religious Zionism holds that we are in the first flowering of our redemption - Reishis Tzmichas Geulatenu. They believe that our Messianic era redemption has already begun – albeit in the very earliest of stages. Ikavasah D’ Meshicha does not see us in that time yet. But it does see our era (or more correctly his era which probably still includes our own) as being shortly before it.

In learning the daily Daf today (Sanhedrin 97a Perek Chelek -our group is a bit behind) we dealt with Messianic issues. The Gemarah talks about what it will be like in the era just before Moshaich’s arrival. Many descriptions are mentioned about what those pre-messianic times will be like. One very famous phrase mentioned in a Braisah – and one that has been repeated in many comments here - is the following: U’Pnei HaDor K’Pnei HaKelev – and the face of the generation will be like the face of a dog!

There are many interpretations of this phrase. Rashi takes it literally. People during the times of Moshiach will have faces that look like dog faces or alternatively will act like dogs who have no embarrassment one from another.

ArtScroll provides a few additional interpretations. The Mahrasha says that it means that people will act hypocritically and like dogs. They will only seem to be loyal to others when truthfully they will be loyal only to themselves.

The most common interpretation however is the one offered by the Chida and Yad Ramah. The Chida interprets it to mean: insolence - and Yad Ramah: brazenness. I am often accused of having those traits by my detractors. Especially when I speak about today’s rabbinic leadership.

One of the recurring themes here is indeed that in our day there is a precious lack of any leadership. I keep coming back to something mentioned by Jonathan Rosenblum when he tried to explain why leaders fail to respond to certain serious issues of the day. Jonathan mentioned that the response of one unidentified Gadol was that he feared being called a fake Gadol! Many issues have thus been ceded to Askanim – lay activists who now control much of the religious agenda of the Charedi world.

That kind of statement is indicative of what I mean when I say that our generation of rabbinic leaders are so lacking of leadership. It turns out that Rav Wasserman agrees. Apparently he believed that we are in pre-Messianic times. As such we are in a time where “U’Pnei HaDor K’Pnei HaKelev” applies.

How does he interpret that? He stated his explanation in the name of R’ Yisroel Salanter (Lipkin) The phrase refers to the leaders of the generation. In pre-Messianic times leaders will be like dogs that trot ahead of their masters and seem to lead but in reality always look back to their master who chooses where to go.

Need I say more?

Bringing People Closer to God

Mention the Conservative Movement in certain Orthodox circles and you will get howls of derision and condemnation. There is of course good reason for that. The Conservative Movement as it stands today is a shadow of its former self and has descended into a movement with no direction that has in large part abandoned Halacha and promotes modern scholarship - a literary analysis of the Torah that undermines some of our fundamental theological beliefs.

But it wasn’t always like that. I have always found the Conservative Movement to be one of the most fascinating developments in Jewish history. Its founders were all Orthodox Jews with the best of intentions. It was founded at a time when Reform Judaism was taking root in America and threatened to destroy Judaism as we know it by completely abandoning Mitzvah observance.

It was in part a reaction to this that observant Jews started the movement. They chose the name Conservative because they wanted to conserve and preserve its traditions. They started a school -The Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS)- in order to produce American trained rabbis who could better relate to the American raised Jew. They insisted that Halacha be followed and used principles of Psak and Hora’as Shah to come up with some of their early ‘Kulos’. One of the founding fathers, HaGaon R’ Levi (Louis) Ginsburg (referred to as such by Telshe Rosh HaYeshiva Rav Eliya Meyer Bloch) was a Talmid Chacham par excellence and Paskined many Shailos for them.

But among the founding fathers was Mordechai Kaplan who, although observant of Mitzvos, redefined God in heretical terms. Ginsburg and Kaplan were ideological opponents who tried to influence the direction of the school. Among the founding fathers were others who were not particularly observant. Louis Finklestein, JTS chancellor at the time favored Rabbi Ginsburg’s approach and kept the movement Halachic (by Conservative standards).

While it is commonly believed in Orthodox circles that they erred grievously in eliminating the Mechitza and eventually in allowing people who were already driving on Shabbos - to drive to shul – their intent was to keep these people in the fold somehow by at least getting them into a Shul, once a week. They at first succeeded and grew exponentially to become Judaism largest movement.

But members were rarely observant and their children were less so – becoming completely assimilated and immersed in the culture to the exclusion of anything Jewish. Ultimately they have failed and are now groping for ideas on how to stop the hemorrhaging and stay viable. Their numbers are now dwindling despite efforts like creating a parochial school system very late in the game.

Arnold Eisen - current chancellor of JTS - is a realist and a pragmatist. In a recent article in the Jewish Week he has acknowledged that his movement is in trouble as is his seminary. He has even acknowledged that his movement has made some historical mistakes not the least of which is permitting driving to Shul on Shabbos. But in one of the more fascinating moments of truth, Arnold Eisen had some very candid observation about the dangers his movement faces. But one thing stuck out. This was not the first time I heard it nor was he the only one in his camp to say so. In reference to one the movement’s greatest success stories, Camp Ramah, he said the following:

“it is not a failure if Ramah alumni become Orthodox, because it means we help make live, committed Jews. That’s a success.”

Camp Ramah is indeed a success story. I personally know four people from Conservative backgrounds who became Orthodox through it. They are among the most sincere and committed Jews I have ever known. They saw the inconsistencies in their own movement and the dearth of any viable observant Conservative communities and gravitated to Orthodoxy where they now make their home.

Although he had nothing to do with them -Rabbi Avi Shafran’s plea in Moment Magazine of a few years ago for Conservative Jewry to ‘come home’ to Orthodoxy was not lost on these people. They saw the wisdom of that thought many years before he wrote those words and indeed came home.

This is why Conservative Judaism is so fascinating to me. As most people know the religious pendulum has swung strongly to the right in recent years. For Orthodoxy this is a problem. But for Conservative Judaism it is a blessing. There are more people in that movement ready to ‘come home’ now than ever before.

I now offer testimonials from two formerly Conservative Jews who are now Orthodox.

About three years Neil Harris was involved as an event coordinator for the Kof-K at caterer who fed the Conservative Movement’s ‘Federation of Jewish Men's Club officers and their most die-hard members’. Here in part are his observations:

Many Men's club members I met told me that for all the work they do in getting people to commit to minyan (even once a week) and Teffilin (they have a worldwide campaign) they lose some of their best to the local Orthodox shuls, whose educational classes "blow their members away". In addition, many of their lay leadership are friendly with local Chabad rabbis.

Most of the topics of their educational sessions (based on my schmoozing with participants) lacked any discussion one’s relationship with Hashem. I, myself, grew up in a 'traditional' shul in Wichita, KS, but it was pretty much a hard line conservative cong. My education (until exposure to NCSY) pretty much also had no mention of God.

The weekend took place during the Three Weeks and one participant walked out of services on Shabbos night, not because there was someone playing a guitar and singing Carlebach, but because of “the prohibition of not listening to music and being joyful during the Three Weeks” (his words to me).

There were at least 6 times that someone brought me over to their friends and said "this is what my son or son-in-law looks like" (I have a trimmed beard and was wearing my Shabbos hat).

As a general statement, I will say that even the most educated of the people I met were "in the dark" in terms of the basic day to day life of an orthodox Jew. I got many questions from topic ranging from tearing toilet paper on Shabbos to what kind of coffee to drink while driving cross-country. There was a general thirst for information and reason why we do what we do.

They are (the Men’s Club, that is) very interested in Orthodox outreach techniques, why Discovery Seminars work, NJOP events, and the word 'kiruv' came up in several conversations I had.

It was an eye opening weekend for me. I got a view of the conservative movement that even some of the most experienced 'kiruv professionals' could only dream of.

Daniel Bukingolts who comes from a Conservative Jewish background he speaks about his trek towards Orthodoxy.

I grew up in the Schechter/Ramah system and today my few closest friends, all very Frum, are the ones that I went to elementary school and camp with.

My grade in Chicago, typical of most grades at least back then (8-10 yrs ago) had about 15/60 kids who came from moderate MO homes who just wanted a good secular education for their children. When we went on to high school (Ida Crown Jewish Academy) some kids judged how smart they were by how many of us Schechter kids they had in their classes. One if not THE MOST important things we received from Schechter compared to the Orthodox school is a deep understanding of the spoken/written Hebrew language. It is a shame that most Orthodox kids grow up not knowing Hebrew or at best just knowing what I call Siddur Hebrew.

(Of late Solomon Schechter is victim to the pull of its left wing.) Camp Ramah in Wisconsin however, still supports a strong non egalitarian Minyan of which my friends and I were proud members.

The bottom line, my life would not be the same without Schechter/Ramah. My friends and I have major Hakaras Hatov to these institutions.

One of the Good Guys

I’m speechless. Shimon Waronker is a Chasid. A Lubavitcher Chasid. I remember reading about him before. Every once in a while when you least expect it someone like this comes along and truly inspires. What a Kiddush HaShem he is! A walking talking Kiddush HaShem. The following video was broadcast on NBC’s Today Show.

Scapegoat Politics

Believe it! There is really no two ways about it. Pat Buchanan is an anti-Semite. He will vehemently deny it. But he is - and he knows he is.

As a proud American Jew I state here once again that most Americans repudiate this man and his views about the Jewish people. I need not bring up all those arguments again. Been there and done that. Many times. Pat Buchanan is the exception that proves the rule about American attitudes vis-vis the Jewish people. But exception or not make no mistake. He is a clever and dangerous man who can manipulate public attitudes.

He never says anything that is explicitly anti-Semitic. But his views are so transparent only the most naïve of his supporters would deny it.

This became evident yet again in his most recent tirade. This time it was in the guise of calling for diversity on the Supreme Court. His problem is Jewish Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan. If she gets confirmed there will be too many Jews on the court. 3 to be exact. That is 33% of the court. Jews make up less than 2% of the population. His claim is that the religion of the 3 Jewish Justices will unduly influence their decisions. The fact that 66% of the court is Catholic while Catholics are less than 25% of the population is not a problem for him. It is all about the Jews.

He makes his complaint very craftily. He laments the fact there will be no Protestants on the court. But does he truly care about that? Had Ms. Kagan been Catholic would he be lamenting that there are no Protestants on the court? The answer to that is pretty clear.

Jews are like any segment of the American populace. Their political views run the gamut from liberal to conservative – although the vast majority of Jews tend to be liberal. But that is more of a reflection of their secular humanistic values than it is of their Jewish ones. The irony is that Mr. Buchanan’s supposedly conservative political philosophy would be furthered by more religiously observant Orthodox Jewish Justices. Orthodox Jews tend to be far more in line with the conservatives on many issues. Like being pro life or pro voucher. And yet he says that Jewish Justices - because of their religious beliefs - will impair their impartiality and thus forward a more liberal (Jewish) agenda.

I would have no problem if he opposed these Jewish Justices because of their liberal leanings. In fact many conservatives I respect have made that accusation and are vehemently opposed to Ms. Kagan. But their opposition is to their liberal views and has absolutely nothing to do with religion, any more than it did the with opposition to liberal retiring Justice John Paul Stevens whom Ms. Kagan will replace. But Buchanan said Jews. And his Amen chorus among racists like David Duke and various groups of neo-Nazis stand there and cheer.

I’d be willing to bet that the vast majority of decent Americans - even those that agree with the Obama’s policies on Israel would rather stand with Israel’s Amen chorus in congress (Buchanan’s term for congressional supporters of Israel) than with Buchanan’s amen chorus of neo-Nazis.

Oh he will publicly repudiate them. But we know exactly who he is pandering to. And by avoiding being explicit he attracts innocents who support his brand of ‘America First’ conservatism. They will come to see the Jewish citizens exactly as he does - as a cabal of traitors whose secret aims are to build up Israel at America’s expense!

Mr. Buchanan is an anti-Semite. I don’t think that’s even arguable. His conservative ideals seem to have taken a back seat to his current obsession with the Jewish people. No one said it better than the Jewish Press did in a column by its editor Jason Moaz. While he was reticent to actually label Mr. Buchanan for the anti Semite he is -it is quite clear that he believes that to be the case - and that it has been the case for many years. Here are excerpts from his excellent article replete with examples that demonstrate it:

Buchanan's strange concern for accused Nazi war criminals, coupled with his disdain for Holocaust survivors, whom he's described as suffering from "group fantasies of martyrdom and heroics," led Alan A. Ryan, Jr., a former Justice Department prosecutor, to characterize Buchanan as "the spokesman for Nazi war criminals in America."

And Buchanan's deep-seated resentment of what he's described as "the caustic, cutting cracks about my church and my popes from both Israel and its amen corner in the United States" exploded to the surface in the late 1980s over the controversial move by Carmelite nuns to erect a permanent convent at Auschwitz.

Upset with conciliatory statements made by the late Cardinal John O'Connor and other church leaders, he sneered: "If U.S. Jewry takes the clucking appeasement of the Catholic cardinalate as indicative of our submission, it is mistaken. When Cardinal O'Connor of New York declares this 'is not a fight between Catholics and Jews,' he speaks for himself. Be not afraid, Your Eminence; just step aside, there are bishops and priests ready to assume the role of defender of the faith."

In 1982, Buchanan referred to the mass killing of Palestinians by Lebanese Christians in the Sabra and Shatila refugee camps as the "Rosh Hashanah massacre," and opined that "the Israeli army is looking toward a blackening of its name to rival what happened to the French army in the Dreyfus Affair."

So Buchanan already had something of a history when he gained notoriety, shortly before the 1991 Gulf War, by describing the U.S. Congress as "Israeli-occupied territory" and claiming that "There are only two groups that are beating the drums for war in the Middle East: the Israeli Defense Ministry and its amen corner in the United States."

If anything, Buchanan has become even more outspoken about Jews and Israel over the past two decades. He's authored books and columns arguing that the U.S. should not have fought Nazi Germany in World War II and has been in the forefront of those charging that the war in Iraq was dreamed up by a cabal of neoconservative Jews and their Knesset handlers.

In 2004, he accused President Bush of "outsourcing American Middle East policy to Ariel Sharon."

In 2005, he asked, "Who would benefit from a war of civilizations between the West and Islam? Answer: one nation, one leader, one party. Israel, Sharon, Likud."

Also in 2005 he wrote, "Neocons say we attack them because they are Jewish. We do not. We attack them because their warmongering threatens our country, even as it finds a reliable echo in Ariel Sharon."

In 2007 he observed, "If you want to know ethnicity and power in the United States Senate, 13 members of the Senate are Jewish folks who are from 2 percent of the population. That is where real power is at ."

And then just last year, in a column that appeared on Good Friday, a seemingly demented Buchanan wrote that the Justice Department's determination to deport John Demjanjuk to Germany was reminiscent of "the same satanic brew of hate and revenge that drove another innocent Man up Calvary that first Good Friday 2,000 years ago."

In other words, Buchanan likened the plight of an accused Nazi war criminal to that of Jesus Christ, the very object of his - Buchanan's - religious veneration.

For every comment noted above, there are at least four or five others in the Buchanan oeuvre - dozens and dozens of statements oozing hostility and vitriol. A simple Google search using words like "Buchanan" and "Jews" will keep anyone busy for quite some time.

Brooklyn and Bnei Brak

There was an article in the Jewish Chronicle that caught my eye. It involves a recurrent theme here – the Charedi educational system. Former Charedim are trying to inject some sanity into the Charedi educational system in Israel by insisting that core subjects in Limudei Chol – secular studies be taught. Much like the Charedi schools in America do. My views on this issue are clear. I am on their side.

Unfortunately the Charedi rabbinic establishment has consistently opposed any attempt at doing that. They cry government interference ala Czarist Russia. They accuse the secular government of trying to undermine Judaism by weaning them away from Torah observance in this 'not so innocent' way toward an end of complete secularization and non observance.

They proclaim their right of run their schools as they see fit. Well they should have that right in a democracy. But the government should have the right to insist that certain basic standards of education be met for the general welfare of their society – before they fund any of it.

It is really a simple democratic idea. Freedom does not mean that a government is required to fund a system they consider harmful to the country.

Charedim will counter that that its the opposite of harmful. They will say it is the Torah learned in their Yeshivos that is saving the country. And that Torah study is by far the biggest contributor to Israel’s welfare and to its safety. Without the spiritual benefit Torah learning provides - the entire country will crumble. Along those lines - they have asked that Charedim boycott a new American style Yeshiva high school in Ramat Bet Shemesh because it offers Limudei Chol.

Frankly I have no problem with the attitude that Torah study is important. It is very important to the welfare of the Jewish state. But it is not the only thing that is important. That’s where the Charedi rabbinic leadership and I part company. Man may not live on bread alone. But without any bread – living is a non starter.

This brings me to the following post. I have cross-posted it here from Marty Bluke’s blog. This is something I rarely do but I think he truly hits the nail on the head and his post is too important to miss. So here it is in its entirety.

Charedim and working in Israel by Marty Bluke

The Mishpacha newspaper had pages upon pages of articles about Charedim working. The gist of the articles was that Charedim want to work and that the chilonim/government don't want them.

I would like to give my take on this.

One of the more effective claims that the Chiloni politicians and media have made in the past few weeks is why in Brooklyn can Charedim be doctors, lawyers, accountants etc. but not in Bnei Brak. The Charedi representatives only answer has been discrimination.

There is no question that there is discrimination against Charedim but the fact is Charedim can't get jobs for other reasons. Here are some of the differences that I see between Brooklyn and Bnei Brak.

1. In Brooklyn, Charedim go to real Universities whether it is Touro, Brooklyn College, Queens, etc. These are regular accredited universities with decent reputations. In Israel, Charedim will not go to University. They go to to all kinds of special Charedi programs that offer some kind of degree, the equivalent in NY of going to a place like Devry's. Many employers in Israel want a degree from a recognized University which the Charedim don't have.

2. In Brooklyn Charedim are much more open to the world. Guys who learn in the Mir, Chaim Berlin, etc. follow sports and generally know what is going on. Chafetz Chaim Yeshiva in Queens (certainly considered a Charedi Yeshiva), when they built their new building included a beautiful gym, that would never be done in Israel.They see non-Jews in the neighborhood and interact them. They see women dressed not so tzniusly. Therefore when they go to work, they have something in common with their co-workers. They can talk about sports, politics, technology, or whatever. In Israel, Charedim are very very sheltered. If you live in Bnei Brak, Kiryat Sefer, Beitar, many neighborhoods in Yerushalayim, RBS, etc. you basically hardly ever see a non-Charedi person let alone a woman dressed non-tzniusly. Their also is no openness to sports or anything else in the general culture. Therefore, it is very hard for a Charedi person to fit in, they have absolutely nothing in common with the other people and have no idea how to interact with them.

3. Jews in America are stereotyped as smart and non-violent. This helps in the job market. Charedim in Israel are thought of as violent (rioting all the time) and ignorant.

4. In Israel, the Charedi parties are constantly pushing for religious coercion, whether it is not selling chometz on Pesach, no public buses on Shabbos, mehadrin buses etc. This causes the general public to worry that the Charedim are trying to take over and create a Taliban like state. In Brooklyn, there are no worries about religious coercion.

The bottom line is that the Charedim want to have their cake and eat it too. On one hand, they want to have the freedom to educate their children however they want, but then when it comes to getting a job, they want their education to be considered. It doesn't work that way. If you want to join the world you need to play by the rules and one of the rules is education.

Just Another Thug!

Baruch Marzel is a criminal thug who has been convicted of assault, incitement, and supporting terror. There is in fact little difference in my mind between him and the Charedi gangs of Meah Shearim. It doesn’t really matter that their causes are radically different… that their goals are polar opposites. Their means of achieving them are the same. Violence. If it were up to me I’d expel them all from the country as subversives. But it isn’t up to me. The Israeli government is far more tolerant of these terrorist thugs than I would ever be.

According to an article in the Jewish Chronicle - Marzel and a fellow thug - Itamar Ben Gvir - have promised to harass an American Jew if he holds his son’s Bar Mitzvah at the Kotel. That Jew is a rather prominent one. His name is Rahm Emanuel, former IDF member and perhaps the 2nd most powerful person in the free world… right after the President of the United States.

That may be a bit of an exaggeration but not by much. Rahm Emanuel does not have any official power but as the White House Chief of Staff he controls access to the President. You do not get to see the President without going through Mr. Emanuel. That’s a lot of power.

In the current climate of strained relations between Israel and the Obama administration – it was refreshing to hear that a key member was actually going to go to celebrate a personal Simcha in a portion of Jerusalem that is under dispute. The Kotel is in East Jerusalem.

Many people have called Rahm Emanual a traitor because of the treatment by the President of Israel in recent months. Because of a poorly timed announcement about construction in Ramat Shlomo which is not in the old city but technically under dispute as part of East Jerusalem, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been treated practically like a third world dictator.

That is indicative of a long list of slights toward Israel since Mr. Obama took office. I believe that the President thinks this attitude will produce 'peace in our time' which is at best a naive position that ignores history. It is a form of appeasement that hearkens back to British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain's appeasement of Adolf Hitler by ceding Czechoslovakia to Germany for promises of peace.

But I digress. Rahm Emanuel has been tainted by all this. Guilt by association. I guess the thinking goes that if the President has this policy, then his chief of staff must agree with it.

That is not necessarily the case. Members of an administration often disagree with a President’s decisions but never say so publicly. Members of the team are expected to keep their personal opinions to themselves and simply state the administration position when asked about it. This is not to say that he does or does not agree. Mr. Emanuel might actually believe that playing hardball with Israel will best serve Israel’s purpose in the long run. We simply don’t know.

But I suspect that his desire to have his son’s bar Mitzvah at the Kotel might signal personal disagreement with the President. An opinion that he might have shared with him privately. If that is the case, it’s nice to have someone like that on the team… especially someone with direct access to him.

Be that as it may, Baruch Marzel doesn’t care. He is going to make sure that the President’s man is going to be ‘protested’. We have all now come to understand what that word means in Frum terrorspeak. It means violence. Someone will get hurt.

Baruch Marzel sickens me - and he should sicken everyone who loves God, Torah, and the Jewish people!

The Man Behind the Myth

Once again the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneersohn, has become the subject of historical scholarship. Two books have been written about him recently and others await completion - presumably to be published in the not too distant future.

The one that interests me the most is the one by Samuel Heilman of City University of New York and Menachem Friedman of Bar-Ilan University entitled The Rebbe: The Life and Afterlife of Menachem Mendel Schneerson. It examines the 14 years the Rebbe spent in comparative oblivion - living in Berlin and Paris.

Let me state at the outset, that I believe that the Rebbe was a genius. And that he probably had a photographic memory. He is perhaps the most published Jewish figure in history. Virutally all his words - mostly on Chabad Chasidism - have been recorded in book form.

I should also state that he built an unprecedented dynasty of Chasidic followers who practically deified him when he was alive. So charismatic was he that the bonds between him and individual Chasidim was in many cases closer than bonds with their own fathers. Lubavitch Chasidim became so devoted that it enabled the Rebbe to send emissaries to the most remote areas of the world to spread observant Judaism via Chabad Chasidus.

That said it is interesting to note that his entire thrust of his Chasidus was as much messianic as it was in spreading observance. It is certainly no secret that at the end of his life he focused almost exclusively on the coming of Moshiach. So much so that practically all of his Chasidim believed that he would soon reveal himself to be the actual Moshiach Ben David.

So strong was the Rebbe’s influence on his Chasidim that upon his passing, this belief continues to fester in the form of a resurrected Messiah in various interpretations.

But this post is not about that. It is about the contention of the book that the Rebbe himself was not always focused on Chabad – even though it was certainly always close to his heart. The authors apparently have done some painstaking research to determine that fact.

One fascinating fact is that it is quite obvious from an early picture of the Lubavitcher Rebbe (see above) that he at one time trimmed his beard. Although there is a counter claim by Chabad Chasidim that he didn’t trim but that he rolled it – a common custom among many Lubavitch Chasidim - it is pretty clear from the photo that the beard was not rolled. It was trimmed. This is interesting in the sense that unlike most of the rest of Orthodoxy - Chabad considers that trimming one’s beard is forbidden as per the Psak of the Tzemach Tzedek - one of the earlier Lubavitcher Rebbes.

Heilman and Freidman’s book points to evidence that the Rebbe originally had no intention of becoming the Rebbe. He went to college to study engineering and wanted to make a career out of that. There is in fact no dispute about that. The Rebbe had an engineering degree. But Lubavitch disregards any form of proof that his goal was not completely focused on becoming the 7th and final Rebbe of Lubavitch.

I personally find it hard to believe that he didn’t at least consider engineering as a career. Engineering school is not exactly where one trains to become a Chasidic Rebbe. And why are those years lost? Why is there is little information about those years? According to the book, the Rebbe lived outside of Chabad’s sphere. He therefore was ‘off the radar’ so to speak. He apparently was not interested at first in leading Chabad. From a JTA article:

While not explicitly claiming that Schneerson and his young wife fell away from their Chasidic roots, the authors return again and again to the short beard and secular dress Schneerson favored until his arrival in New York, along with other similar details, as evidence of an Orthodox but not haredi lifestyle.

“There is no question he was an observant Jew, but he lived in places where Chasidim didn’t live, and he did things they wouldn’t do,” Heilman told JTA.

Lubavitchers take strong issue with all of this. Shumley Boteach's critique in the Jewish Week is a good example of that. They claim that the Rebbe always had his eye on the ball. He always saw himself as taking the mantle of leadership in Lubavitch as heir to his father-in-law’s dynasty.

I’m not sure one can bring conclusive proof either way. But if I were a Lubavitcher I would consider it a compliment to my Rebbe that he became such an inspirational leader despite his youthful intentions to do otherwise. I guess Chabad Chasidim too are of the anti ‘Making of a Gadol’ philosophy. They simply cannot tolerate any truth that detracts from their ‘holy from birth’ approach to their leader.

There is probably heavy denial of any of this with all kinds of ‘explanations and proofs’ that the Rebbe was indeed born holy from the womb. That’s the problem with the kind of loyalty that the Rebbe inspired. It was a double edged sword. On the one hand it enabled him to build an empire that continues to flourish well past his death. That kind of loyalty is rare an very difficult for anyone to achieve.

On the other hand the problem with that kind of loyatly is that it breeds a near deification. And that has been Lubavitch’s Achilles heel. Because of that loyalty they have taken the Rebbe’s focus on Moshaich and cast him in that roll himself. Both before his death and well past it. That more than other any other issue separates them from the rest of Orthodoxy. It has caused them to even be shunned in some Orthodox circles.

It would go a long way to reconciliation with the rest of mainstream Orthodoxy if the Chabad masses would stop seeing their Rebbe in this way. Let them see the Rebbe as others do. A great man to be sure. A great leader to be sure. But a great leader who was an imperfect human being and made mistakes. This is the nature of all human beings – including the greatest men of every single generation.

Torah and Freedom

‘Freedom’s just another word for nothing left to lose.’

So go the words to a famous Janis Joplin song. But is that truly what freedom is? I suppose from a perspective of deprivation one can characterize freedom that way. But this is an extremely unfortunate perspective: To be ‘free’ to do what one wants because one no longer cares about the consequences is not freedom at all. It is resignation to a fate whose consequences are so awful that the consequences of whatever one does after that don’t matter anymore.

This is not freedom at all. But what is freedom then? Is it the freedom to do whatever one wants in life? Of course not. That would imply that one does not care about the consequences to others. That hurts society and ultimately the very individual who cherishes his freedom.

I suppose that one can look at the American bill of rights. There one will find guarantees about freedom of religion and freedom of the press. As long as one’s freedom does not impinge the rights of others, Americans are free to follow their hearts.

Is the constitutional guarantee of "liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" what freedom is all about? Is it about the pursuit of happiness?

I think the answer to that can be found in the Torah. Freedom is a constant theme in the Exodus Story. But the freedom that God grants the Jewish people is the freedom to observe Torah and Mitzvos. Without that happiness is an elusive and perhaps even an empty pursuit. As anyone who achieved great material success will tell you once one achieves it the materialism by itself is pretty meaningless. What happiness does a luxury automobile like a Lexus truly bring except for a few initial moments of pleasure. After a while a Lexus becomes just a car.

So what then is true freedom and what is its purpose? Rav Ahron Soloveichik describes it in the context of Maamad Har Sinai.

There is an apparent contradiction about how our ancestors received the Torah.

On the one hand the Torah (Shemos 24:7) tells us that our forefathers accepted the Torah at Sinai with the phrase Na’aseh V’Nishma – we will do and we will listen. The point being that they were so enamored with the Torah that they were willing to promise to do everything it demanded before they even knew what that was!

On the other hand there is another phrase in the Torah (Shemos 19:17) which indicates that they were forced to accept the Torah upon threat of annihilation. ‘VaYisyatzvu B’Tachtis HaHar’ – ‘And they stood at the foot of the mountain. The Gemarah in Shabbos (88a) relates that Rav Avdimi Bar Chama Bar Chasa said this teaches us that God held the mountain over them like a cask and declared, ‘If you accept the Torah, fine. If not – THERE will be your burial place!

Rav Ahron tells us that these two verses are not a contradiction at all. Our ancestors did not really at first hesitate which subjected them to a Divine threat of annihilation and then immediately become so enamored of God’sproximity that they said Na’aseh V’Nishma.
A Midrash on Shir HaShirim can help explain the discrepancy.

According to this Midrash when God offered the Torah to our forefathers He asked for guarantees that the Torah would be observed. At first they offered the patriarchs and the prophets but God rejected both proposals. Only when the nation said ‘Our children will be sureties’ - a promise that future generations will keep the Torah - did God accept their offer. The Torah was too precious to be given only to a single generation.

The Bnei Yisroel stood at the foot of the mountain and were in such close proximity to God - they felt adapted to the principles of the Torah. Consequently they sincerely proclaimed ‘Na’aseh V’Nishma’. But with respect to future generations they opined that they could not make any such commitment. How could they promise anything for the as of yet unborn children who did not experience the miracles of the Exodus and would be faced with strong temptations to transgress? At this point God coerced the Bnei Yisroel to pledge that future generations would also be devoted to Him.

That is why the word ‘there’ is used instead of ‘here’ when God threatened to bury them. The burial place will be there – where ever the Jewish people are if they neglected the Torah.

The Talmud’s simile that God ‘held the mountain over them like a cask’ is also an exact expression. Freedom is the most important gift bestowed upon man, but it is also the most abused and misunderstood among all moral values. From the Torah’s perspective, freedom is not to be treated like an opportunity to realize one’s potential; it is not an end in and of itself.

The last Mishneh in all of Shas states: R’ Shimon ben Chalafta said, God did not find any better cask in which blessing can be kept than peace. For it is written: ‘God will give strength to His people; God will bless His people with peace’ (Tehilim 29:11)

Shalom – peace means the absence of conflict and abuse of power. This is synonymous not only with peace but also with freedom. Freedom is declared to be cask wherein the ‘wine of Torah’ is kept. It is merely the ‘container’ of opportunity by which the fulfillment of man’s moral and spiritual potential can be realized in the physical universe. So long as the cask is held with its opening on top, the wine can be preserved.

But if it is overturned the wine will spill out onto the ground. So long as the Jewish people treat freedom as a cask – as an opportunity whereby the unique image of God that inheres in their souls can be realized, then freedom is to be a source of blessing. If freedom is to be overturned – meaning to be treated like an end in and of itself, the ‘wine’ will spill out and freedom will be lost to the grave of absorption.

Only by utilizing freedom properly, by realizing the image of God within us, by committing and dedicating ourselves and our children to the Torah, can we preserve the blessing for our generation and all future ones.

Based on ‘The Warmth and the Light’ by Rav Ahron Soloveichik.

It’s about Poverty - Not Statistics

I usually don’t bother responding to Yechezkel Hirshman ’s blog posts. They are what one would call Leitzanus. He prides himself on a humorous approach to defending Charedism. But it is nothing more than ridicule of another Torah viewpoint with which he disagrees.

He commented on a recent post of mine in that way. He completely dismisses a poll that showed 65% of Charedi men don’t work. He does so by showing how polls like this cannot possibly be accurate – and concludes that that statistic is false.

Although I don’t usually respond, I decided to do so in this case because his view is largely based in denial. Denial of a serious problem like the perpetuation of poverty does no one any good, not his Charedi community or the Torah true community. Here is my response to him:

You think the problem is statistics? You think if we get more accurate statistics the huge and growing poverty that permeates your 'perfect' Charedi society in Israel will be eliminated? You think that the masses of Charedim who sit too long in Kollel and then can't get decent jobs for lack of training will suddenly be better off if we get more accurate statistics?!

This is the problem with die hard Charedim like Mr. Hirshman - or whatever his real name is. Especially those like him from modern Orthodox backgrounds who have done ‘Teshuva’ and become Charedim! There is no Charedi Kanoi like a reformed MO.

It is apparently the Hirshman way to just discard the facts as a bunch of lies when they don't suit you. But let’s go with his revisionism - and look at the real problem – which is Charedi poverty. The poverty among Charedim in Israel is massive. I don’t think even he would dispute that. And it isn't because they choose to be poor for some made up 'Torah true' idealistic reason. It is because they can't get good jobs. Poverty causes Shalom Bayis problems which often leads to children going off the Derech. The excuse about the army no longer washes since Charedim can now serve in Nachal Charedi or do a Charedi version of Sherut Leumi in place of army service.

Once they 'get up' from learning - not every Charedi can 'speed learn' the job skills required in the market place (although some can). The skills needed in the work place are different than the skills learned in the Beis HaMedrash. They are two different skill sets. And while there is overlap which is beneficial to a Yeshiva student if one is relatively bright - there is still a lot to be learned. The bright ones can and do learn them very quickly.

The fact happens to be that not all Yeshiva students are geniuses. Many are actually of average or slightly above average intelligence. A few are actually below average. Not all that different from the rest of society. Many Yeshiva students can therefore not learn those skills so quickly if at all without a proper education in Limudei Chol that Charedim like to vilify.

That's why there is so much poverty - which is the real issue, not whether the actual statistics are accurate or not. Does it really matter if the unemployment rate is 65%? Let’s even turn it around and say that it is ‘only’ 35% of Charedi men that don’t work. That sits well with him? How many Charedim are there in Israel? A half million? That's 175,000 Charedim that do not earn a dollar. Let’s even cut that in half and say there are 87,000 Charedi men who don’t work. That's fine with him? The Charedi system works? All is right with the world? This is what God wants for his people? …to not work and be poor? Torah Jews are expected to sacrifice their children's future in that kind of system?

I don't think so. You want your child in this system, Mr. Hirshman? That's fine. I'm sure they are all brilliant and will do quite well. But what about the rest of Klal Yisroel? Where is the responsibilty of your Charedi leaders? How can they just continue to perpetuate a system that produces a mediocre Torah scholarship class of impoverished Charedi Jews? Why support a system that provides no financial preparation for the future?

You might be tempted to challenge my assertion about mediocre Torah scholarship but that happens to be the case. If one is not brilliant, highly motivated, and very dedicated – with a family willing to sacrifice their own material well being, one will not ‘shteig’ and end up with a mediocre level of Torah knowledge. Most people in the Charedi yeshiva system cannot follow the model for achieving greatness in Torah. There are very few that can. They are the elite. The vast majority are simply going to end up trying to find jobs and most of those will be unprepared.

This is the system that you, Mr. Hirshman defend. But you and your fellow travelers are deluded. Time will eventually prove that. It is only a question of how badly the system will crash before it begins to see the handwriting on the wall. Statistics or no.

A Drastic Step

I really did not want to write about this again. It seems like I have been writing about it every other day recently. I do not want to be perceived as obsessed by it. But How can I not address it?!

On Sunday - just short of 48 hours before Shevuos yet another Chilul HaShem has occured in the streets of Jerusalem. According to an article in Ha’aretz some 700 Charedim participated in a violent protest on Kikkar Shabbat, the intersection between the Charedi section of Geula and Meah Shearim.

There is no question about who instigated it. It was the Edah HaCharedis. They called for a protest against the government removal of graves at a construction site in the city of Ashkelon where they are building a state of the art emergency room in a hospital for the benefit of its citizens. Asheklon is within range of the Hamas rocket attacks from Gaza and has experienced a few such attacks.

If there was ever a city who needed such a facility in a hurry it is Ashkelon. But there has been a 2 year delay because of this gravesite issue. The Rabbanut has cleared the way for removal of these graves claiming that the graves are not Jewish and may be removed to another location.

But the Charedi rabbinic leadership has disputed that and via one of their Knesset members, Yaakov Litzman, they have delayed construction and have demanded that the emergency room be built in another location that would be less ideal for the patients. Construction was a standstill until now. The graves have finally been moved.

The Edah HaCharedis will have none of that. So they have once again set Jerusalem on fire – just short of a couple of days before Yom Tov. Burning dumpsters are in the streets and toxic fumes permeate the air there now. That will no doubt create a noxious environment for Jerusalem’s Charedi residents over Chag HaShevuos – Zeman Mattan Toroseinu. These are not the flames of Sinai. These are the flames of Reshaim.

Then there is the little matter of the cost of these so called protests. According to an article in Ynet the estimated damage from Sunday’s protest is valued at over 1 million Shekel! Who is going to pay for that damage? Not the Edah, that's for sure.

Can there be any doubt about where the real responsibility lies for these violent outbursts? Is there any excuse for it? Is there any – even tepid condemnation of it by The Edah Leadership?

Here is what the head of the Edah HaCharedis Rabbi Yitzhak Tuvia Weiss said about the demonstrations:

"They are arresting righteous Yeshiva students for protesting the desecration of graves. "It is they [the police] who should be arrested."

Perhaps he should be the one arrested - for incitement to riot!

It is a drastic step but maybe a necessary one. And the rest of the Charedi world ought to support it! Perhaps Rav Weiss and his Edah will get the message if other Charedi leaders approve of such an arrest instead of condemning it. The Torah world cannot allow this kind of thing to continue. They ought to be opposing this continuous Chilul HaShem with everything they’ve got!

The Trouble with Chasidus

I am a direct descendant of the great Chasidic Master, Rav Shimon MiYaroslav. People who are not immersed in Chasidic folklore probably never heard of him. But for those ‘in the know’ I am told that it is quite a prestigious Yichus. I mention this fact as a preface to what I am about to write in order to emphasize how far I have traveled from this philosophy.

This coming Shavuos is apparently the 250th Yahrzeit of the founder of Chasidus, Israel Baal Shem Tov (illustrated above). I am only aware of this fact because of an article written by Dr. Alan Nadler in the Forward. He writes there a glowing tribute to the Baal Shem Tov’s legacy. It is truly a remarkable one. Chasidism is in fact ‘winning’.

They are probably the fastest growing segment in all of Orthodoxy. As Dr. Nadler points out their birth rate is probably the highest among all segments of Jewry and their attrition rate is apparently negligible. Even though there are plenty of Chasidic ‘dropouts’ it doesn’t seem to be in any significant percentage.

This fact is not only remarkable. It is also quite contrary to what one might expect. I simply cannot understand why people would adopt a philosophy which is based so little on the rational and so much on the emotional… with so little biographical knowledge about the founder nor any written legacy at all.

I understand the appeal of Chasidus. Chasidim are perhaps the warmest and most welcoming segment of the entire Jewish people. They do not discriminate when it comes to any fellow Jew as an individual. Their hospitality is legendary. Their acts of kindness are incomparable. Once you become a part of any type of Chasidus you are surrounded by a lifetime cocoon of love and warmth. A warmth that is enhanced by their insular ways.

In rejecting so much of the outside world it increases the internal bonds. Bonds based entirely on their own values. That insularity is enforced psychologically in their manner of dress which contributes to their separation. Although insularity certainly has its problems as I have so often pointed out - there is no doubt in my mind about this positive side of it.

But it completely escapes me as to how the emotional draw can overcome so many of the problems raised by the emphasis on the metaphysical . Here is an example of this from Dr. Nadler’s article. It is a quote from an authenticated hand-written letter of the Baal Shem Tov:

Finally I rose and arrived at the actual Palace of the King Messiah and I actually saw [him] face to face, and great untold mysteries were revealed to me…. and there was in heaven much happiness and rejoicing; so I decided to ask him, ‘When, my Lord, will you be arriving?’ But the answer from his Eminence was, ‘This cannot be revealed, but by this shall you know: When your [the Besht’s] learning becomes publicly known and your teachings shall be spread across the world… then shall evil be broken and it will be the time of favor and salvation. And I worried about this and it greatly pained me on account of the very long time this would take.

The founder of Chasidim actually went to the Palace of the King Messiah? Is there a rational person alive that believes this? There are apparently many more legends about the Baal Shem Tov ascending into the heavenly sphere. As unbelievable as this story is to believe - to the best of my knowledge this is an accepted fact by all Chasidim. How can something like this be believed?

The Mezritcher Magid who was the chief disciple of the Baal ShemTov has spread these stories. He is the one who actually created this movement. He was the one who spread the word about the Baal Shem Tov’s wonderous deeds. It was under him that the concept of the Chasidic Rebbe came into being as the supreme leader of the movement. The orignal Chasidus eventually had many offshoots and many different Rebbes over the generations. The Rebbe was seen as the ultimate human source of God’s blessing and was seen as the best the mediator between man here on earth and God in Heaven. It is a near Deification in some cases – stopping just short of it.

And yet this level of respect is a result of Yichus and not merit. Chasisdic Rebbes are almost always the offspring of the previous Rebbe. Most often it is a son who is groomed by the father to take over upon the death of the father. There is never any thought about someone outside the family becoming the spiritual leader of the movement – even if that individual is empirically wiser and more brilliant. The thinking is that no one can be wiser or closer to God than the Rebbe or his hand chosen successor son.

I certainly can understand the peace of mind a Chasid feels by simply relying on the Rebbe for all major decisions in life. It absolves one of responsibility for errors in choosing a path of action. One can simply say that the Rebbe told him what to do and be satisfied that the Rebbe’s wisdom is greater than his own perhaps even directly emanating from God through the Rebbe! This is the mimetic tradition passed down to each generation.

But how can any rational human being get past these inherent problems? Little direct knowledge about the founder. No written word aside from some perosnal letters. Yichus as the primary requirement for leadership?! But most troubling is the belief in his constant ascension to Heaven while still alive! How can one take emotional comfort in a lifestyle based on this? It is almost as though they attribute prophecy to the Rebbe. Something that we know has not existed since the days of biblical times! And yet this is the fastest growing segment in all of Jewry.

There are additional difficulties with Chasidus such as the importance of Kabbalah - or Nistar. Nistar is Torah which is hidden from human understanding. Studying metaphysical issues that have no basis in the physical universe seems like such an irrational and therefore fruitless exercise in enhancing one’s Emunah. Perhaps that is why - with the exception of Chabad – Kabbalah is no longer so emphasized for study. But I don’t think it has been completely abandoned either.

And then there is the inexplicable break from the Meorah of Teffilah. Adopting the revisions of Rabbi Isaac Luria, The Arizal on the Nusach HaTeffila – a Nuasch that had remain unchanged for centuries to this day. The Baal Shem Tov and his disciples decided that ths Arizal’s revisions were a holier version of Teffilah and adopted it. Nusach Sefard was born. Who gave them permission to change the Mesorah?

I should note that when Chasidus was founded many of the greatest Rabbinic figures of the generation – mostly of Lithuanian persuasion. They were called Misnagdim. The most famous opponent was the greatest rabbinic figure of his day - the Gra. He vehemently opposed Chasidus until the end of his life fearing that the Baal Shem Tov and his followers were just another potential false messianic movement. Shabbsai Tzvi was a false Messiah of the Gra’s immediate past that swept up many great rabbinic figures of his time until he was exposed as a fraud.

Opposition to Chasidus continued after the Gra died. But as Haskalah and its offshoot - the Reform Movement - became more of a threat to Judaism - Misnagdic opposition waned and eventually Chasidim and Misnagdim combined. This relationship was solidified in the creation of Agudath Israel where great Lithuanian Rabbinic leaders and Chasidic leaders joined in common cause opposition to Reform.

As important as unity among Jews is I cannot get past these problems. They are still there. They did not go away. In part this is the reason I have rejected my Chasidic roots so thoroughly.

My ancestor, R’ Shimon embraced it and made a break from his Mesorah. His father, Rav Yisroel Leib Elbaum was an ardent Misnaged. He was very upset at his son. As he lay on his death bed R’ Yisroel Leib commanded his son that if he changes the Nusach of of Kaddish to include the Nusach Sefard addition of V’Yatzmach Purkoneh V’ Korev Meshichei - he should not recite Kaddish for him at all. Nonethless R’ Shimon remained a Chasid and produced generations of Chasidic Rebbes after him. To show that he still revered his father R' Shimon changed his name from Elbaum to Maryles which is a Hebrew acronym for “Mei Reb Yisroel Leib’s” (meaning that all future generations were descendant from his father) - as an eternal tribute to him.

I carry that name which my father changed from Shapiro during the holocaust. His mother was a Maryles and a direct descendant of R’ Shimon. Long story – not for now.

I have reverted to the wishes of R’ Shimon’s father. The question remains, why do these fundamental issues not bother today’s Chasidim?