Assuming God’s Motives

Here we go again. Yet another religious figure telling us that he knows the mind of God. This time it is Rabbi David Twersky, leader of the Rachmastrivka Chasidic dynasty (pictured here is their Purim Tish). I never heard of them but apparently they are a very large Chasidic group. Here is what he said according to Ynet:

"The Japanese don’t understand why they keep on receiving blow after blow, and it never ends. If they want it to stop, they must release the two guys jailed in their prison immediately, and then experience salvation"

I’m glad there is someone here that can explain why God does the things he does. Maybe he can finally tell me why 6 million Jews died during the Holocaust (or any of the myriad other tragedies Jews suffer until this day – individually or as a group). And does this mean that the US is in for a disaster of equal proportion for imprisoning Sholom Rubashkin?

How people like this are seen as rabbinic leaders completely escapes me.

But this pales in comparison to a song making the rounds now on YouTube. As of this writing there have been over 26,000 hits.

It features two popular Jewish singers, Shloime Daskal and Avraham Fried. The song is a plea to help those young Chasidic Jews who are on trial in Japan for trying to smuggle illegal drugs (ecstasy) into that country. Although one can quibble about their innocence or guilt; or whether they were simply unknowing drug mules (they claim to have been duped) - I can understand the desire on the part of many of our brethren to try spare them from a very harsh prison term. Japan has no sense of humor about illegal drugs. But this video is not the way to do it. It is instead a very cruel use of a tragic event.

By the time the video reaches its conclusion we see images of the tsunami sweeping across the Japanese plain. The words sung during those images imply that the reason thousands of innocent people died in its wake is because these young Chasidic Jews are in their captivity.
I love Avraham Fried’s music and have many of his albums. He is a true talent with few peers in my view. But I’m sorry. How could he and his singing cohort do something like this? How stupid! How is this song going to help those accused young smugglers?

What’s worse - how on earth can we be telling the world in a YouTube video that thousands of innocent people died because their country put two suspected smugglers who are Jewish on trial? How is that even remotely helpful? How do the producers of - and performers in - that video know that this disaster is connected to a legal trial in country that abides by the rule of law. The rule of law is one of the Shiva Mitzvos Bnei Noach – the 7 Noahide laws of mankind.

Two young Chasidim are accused of a serious crime. They were found with evidence of it and are on trial. If they are found not guilty they will be released. That is not being in captivity. This is not some blood libel made up by an anti Semitic regime ala Czarist Russia. This is a fair trial by a civilized country with strict laws about drug smuggling.

I realize that many people think these young Chasidim have been railroaded by Japanese authorities and that the evidence of their innocence is overwhelming. Perhaps. But I truly doubt that the Japanese intent is simply to persecute Jews. There are plenty of Jews in that country living free. Jews from all over the world are free to come and go as they please – for business or pleasure.

And let us not forget that Japan was instrumental in the transfer of Mir Yeshiva students to China at the height of World War II – at a time they were aligned with the Axis and at war with the United States!

Let us also not forget the result of an earlier trial where another one of those young Chasidim was convicted. Israel asked for and was granted permission to transfer him to Israel to serve out his sentence there. Shortly thereafter he was pardoned by President Shimon Peres and released. To the best of my knowledge Japan did not even comment upon what they must have seen as a perversion of justice.

For this they deserve an earthquake, tsunami, and a nuclear disaster?! Really?! Is this a Godly message to a country whose government mistreats a Jew? If that’s true what about Germany’s ‘Final Solution’ to annihilate all of European Jewry 60 years ago?

They had no trial. They simply had a meeting of their top leadership (the Wannsee Conference) to find the most efficient way to do that. Which was by building gas chambers and ovens in their death camps. Where was Germany’s tsunami?! They certainly should have incurred God’s wrath enough to have a similar message.

It’s not like the Jews had it good up until the Wannsee Conference. They were already being systematically murdered and tortured long before those gas chambers and crematoria were built. Just not as efficiently. Was Germany’s situation then secondary to that of the two young Chasidim on trial in Japan now?

I can’t imagine the reaction of the Japanese people upon seeing this video. The fact that it is on YouTube makes it very likely that many of them will. All one has to do is Google Japan and Tsunami and one will get this video in the list of responses. And how long will it take for Japanese officials to have the Yiddish lyrics translated?

Sometimes I really wonder about our vaunted Jewish intelligence.

Itamar

Is Itamar a dangerous place to live? Is it a Makom Sakana that is worse than Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, or even Chicago? I believe it is and have criticized religious Zionist leaders for insisting its people populate such areas.

For them it is all about Yishuv Ha’aretz. Danger be damned! I am angered by that attitude and when I wrote about it – I was severely criticized. My view is that had the Fogels lived in a safer area, they would all still be alive today.

The retort was that no place in Israel is safe and that statistically more people die from Arab attacks in Tel Aviv or Jerusalem than they do in places like Itamar.

My response to that was to quote Mark Twain. There are three kinds of lies: Lies, damn lies and statistics.

The question remains, is Itamar more dangerous than Tel Aviv or even Chicago? Here is what Itamar’s own religious Zionist mayor, Rabbi Moshe Goldsmith (pictured) had to say about it:

To be the mayor of Itamar is to be the mayor of a yishuv, a settlement of about 160 homes deep in the rocky Samarian highlands, where more Jews have died from Palestinian bullets, knives and bombs than have died of old age; 22 murdered Jews in the last 10 years, including five members of the Fogel family on March 11.

I rest my case.

It’s Time for Rabbinic Leaders to Get Angry

I can’t stop thinking about it. The Chilul HaShem is enormous! I actually regret my earlier tepid reaction to it.

This was brought home to me after reading a more expanded article on Rabbi Saul Kassin’s guilty plea for laundering money through his charities. Only this time it was in ‘The Republic’ - a Columbus, Indiana news website.

Columbus, Indiana… My, my, my! How far flung our reputation extends... I’m sure the good people of Columbus now better understand what we Jews are all about: Using charities to commit financial crimes against our country. From the article:

"Few financial crimes offend our sensibilities like those that hide illegal activities behind the curtain of charity," U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman said in a statement. "Rabbi Kassin admitted that he misused his charity to operate an illegal money remitting business, allowing himself and others to criminally profit through the society's supposed legitimacy."

I can’t imagine too many things that are a bigger Chilul HaShem than what this story says about us. Here we have a picture of an elderly Rabbi who is revered by his community admitting that he took a fee for laundering a charitable contribution. And doing so through an elaborate scheme that involved kicking back most of it to the ‘donor’- for his own personal tax free use . The fee for this service: ten percent of the ‘donated’ funds.

Kassin, as part of his plea deal, admitted Monday that he accepted thousands of dollars in checks from Dwek made out to the Magen Israel Society, a charitable organization Kassin controlled. Kassin then issued checks from the account to other organizations, taking 10 percent commissions from the transactions. Kassin admitted he knew the checks made out to the fund were not used for charitable purposes.

Don Corleone would be proud.

This wasn’t just some renegade rabbi who tried to get away with something under the table. This is the leader of his community. Just like the Spinka Rebbe was the leader of his. He apparently knew exactly what he was doing. He may not have devised this scam but he had no problem utilizing it.

One cannot blame informant Solomon Dwek for Rabbi Kassin’s behavior. Yes, Dwek agreed to entrap him in his own plea agreement with federal authorities in order to lighten his sentence for a $50 million bank fraud. But Dwek is not the issue here. The issue is that an elderly rabbi who is supposed to be a model of honesty and integrity thinks there is nothing wrong with G’neiva!

This is the kind of thing that really enrages me! It is a Chilul HaShem and it fuels anti-Semitism. But there is another aspect to this which is more subtle and yet just as damaging to us as a people.

When religious Jews see an elderly respected Rabbi admitting that he cheated the government willingly they assume that he must not have been doing anything Halachicly wrong - except for the Chilul HaShem. Why else did he do it?

So instead of being motivated to never try anything like this because of the Issur involved the focus is on preventing a Chilul HaShem. By devising a fool proof plan the next time its tried one will eliminate that. In other words the real problem was that he got caught. Not that he did anything wrong.

Will there be an outcry and strong condemnation by religious leaders - like the members of the Moetzes - specifically against what he did? I hope so but I doubt it. They will follow the same pattern and for the same reasons that they followed with the Spinka Rebbe.

Yes... I know that they speak out now about being honest in our dealings and not allowing greed to lead us down a criminal path. But there is no outrage about things like this. True - for the past few years there have been various seminars and lectures by Agudah using religious accountants and legal experts - all in an attempt to prevent this kind of thing from ever happening again. I have no problem with adult education on how to be honest in our dealings. But that isn’t enough.

Generic discussion about how it is wrong to steal from the government will only take you so far. Without outrage nothing will change. Those who want to continue stealing from their government – whether it is by hiding income on a tax return or laundering money via elaborate tax evasion schemes - will continue to do so as long as they think they will get away with it!

What do we get instead of outrage? A Rebbe that was convicted of a another tax evasion scheme being honored by sitting on a Dais at an Agudah Assifa (gathering). Yes the purpose was for the Spinka Rebbe to apologize and say how wrong his actions were. Which he tearfully did.

He was sorry for the Chilul HaShem he caused through his non compliance with the law. And he urged that we always be in compliance the law and that we use our best legal minds to help us accomplish it. That is not an apology. It is regret over the Chilul HaShem that came out of it. He otherwise made it sound like he didn’t realize that his elaborate international money laundering scheme was anything more than an honest legal mistake that his expert lawyers could have prevented had they been involved.

Agudah let it happen without comment. Not a word of condemnation. Not a peep about the length and breadth of a scheme devised to encourage wealthy Jews to launder their ill gotten gains through his charities for a 10% fee!

Many have tried to answer for rabbinic leaders by rhetorically asking: What good would it do to blast the Rebbe at this point? He went to jail. His family is suffering. He was already shamed in public by all this… It would just be pouring salt on an open wound and serve no purpose.

Well pouring salt on his open wound is a by product but there is a purpose. Maybe if they had ‘poured a little salt on his wound’ it will register on those who might consider doing anything like this again. And to have second thoughts about it. Not because it may result in a Chilul HaShem but because it violates Torah law no less than does Chilul Shabbos and eating Treif.

We now have the specter of another religious leader who is perhaps even more honored than is the Spinka Rebbe… the frail 89 year old leader of Syrian Jewry in America.

Will this too be glossed over? Is the elderly rabbi going to be spared getting ‘salt in his wounds’ too?

It’s not that I don’t have any compassion for Rabbi Kassin. I do. I think this event will impact negatively on him and his family for the rest of his life. I have no desire to hurt him any more than he has already been hurt. But I don’t think we have any choice. All rabbinic leaders in every segment of Orthodoxy needs to spell out the crime in specific terms and sharply condemn it.

There can be no softening the blows here - as painful as that may be to Rabbi Kassin, his family, his supporters, and indeed to all of us.

Miral

I don’t know what it is with some Jews. They end up being their own worst enemies. I am talking here about two very prominent and very successful Jews. One is Julian Schnabel and the other is Harvey Weinstein. 59 year old Schnabel has just made Miral- a film about his new girlfriend, 37 year old Palestinian Rula Jebreal (pictured here in her youth as portrayed by actress Freida Pinto).

The other is movie producer Harvey Weinstein. He is the mega successful producer of tons of award winning films including last year’s Oscar winning best picture, ‘The King’s Speech’. His production company is distributing the film.

It premiered at the United Nations to much fanfare and celebrity attendance. Although I have done so in the past I am nonetheless reluctant to comment on the films I haven’t seen. But it is quite obvious from all the buzz it’s getting that Miral is a very unflattering film about the State of Israel.

The storyline involves the title character’s travails and those of her people at the hands of the Israeli occupiers. In the black and white ‘good guy versus bad guy’ world of movies, the Palestinians are the good guy helpless victims of the bad guy Israelis.

The one clip I saw form the movie was during an interview of Harvey Weinstein. It showed Miral being harshly treated by Israeli interrogators - reminiscent of the way Nazis are portrayed treating their Jewish victims in Holocaust films. It thoroughly turned my stomach.

It is somewhat gratifying that at least one reviewer described this movie for what it is:

(It is about) loud and strident sloganeering, and dishonest portrayal of conflict without context, it only drowns out any real and quiet pleas for peace.

I have said this many times. Palestinians do suffer. And it is often at the hands of Israeli authorities. But their suffering should never be seen in a vacuum or from a one sided perspective without context. Anyone will have sympathy for an authority figure using harsh interrogations techniques when seen in a vacuum.

But context makes all the difference in the world. Nazis tortured Jews during the Holocaust for no other reason than that they were Jews. That is massively different from when security services needs information to avert a terrorist attack upon innocent civilians. The tactics may be similar. They may even be controversial. But they are not morally the same. This movie does not make any such distinction.

I realize that a Palestinian who is for example harshly treated at an Israeli checkpoint might feel that his treatment is grossly unfair - next to the way an Israeli traveling through that same checkpoint is waved right through. That Palestinian is not a terrorist. And yet he is almost being treated like one. Is it fair? No. But it is unfortunately necessary because of the many people who were killed, maimed, or in other ways injured in one of the many terrorist attacks carried out by Palestinian terrorists in the past.

Of course they are upset. I don’t blame them. The problem is that they blame they wrong people for their treatment. Israelis have no wish to impose harsh conditions upon an indigenous people just because they are Arabs. They are only doing so out of the need to protect themselves. They simply have no choice. It is required of them based on the experiences of past.

That is the kind of context that is missing from the film. That Mr. Schnabel doesn’t see that is not surprising. He seems to care more about his 37 year old girlfriend than he does about the Jewish people.

But Mr. Weinstein has no such distraction. He has no excuse other than to say that he want’s to present the other side of the story.

As if there was no one else doing it. Has he not read the mainstream media? The foreign press? Does he not listen to NPR? Or pay attention to how the UN has sought to completely delegitimize the State of Israel as racist oppressors? Does he not see how the anti Israel left in Academia fills the heads of their students with pure venom?

Is he not aware of the rise of anti Semitism all over the world under the guise of anti Zionism? Is he not aware of all the boycotts by leftist Academicians and performing artists? Is he blind to the kind of terror perpetrated in Jerusalem last week and Itamar the week before?

Has he no clue about the differences between what Arab goals are and the Islamic fundamentalist means of achieving them versus Israeli goals and their means of achieving it? Does he really believe that the events portrayed in this film accurately portray that?

Does he not see the fundamentalist Muslim mothers in Burkas handing out candies to children every time a Jew is successfully killed in a terrorist attack? This film apparently goes well beyond simple moral equivalency. It clearly makes Israel look brutal and the Palestinians look like innocent victims.

I have no problem with films portraying Palestinian suffering. But not with a film like this. By leaving out context this film can only be described as anti Semitic. And that two Jews are involved in the production and distribution of this film makes them either Jewish anti Semites – or very stupid.

As the ratings notice says at the bottom of this review:

The film contains drinking, violence and sexual abuse.

Like I said I haven’t seen the film, but I’ll bet that only portrays Israelis doing violence and abuse to the Palestinians. As this reviewer says:

Israel’s founding is dramatized through acts of Jewish aggression against innocent Arabs. The Six-Day War is similarly recounted. The Yom Kippur War, though, is pretty much skipped. So is Entebbe. So are the ’72 Olympics.

The entire intifada is seem as a simple David vs. Goliath story. No armed Arab is ever shown. Neither is any Jewish corpse. There are two terrorist bombings in the entire film. In the first, the bomb’s a dud; in the second, it’s a symbolic act that hurts no one.

Yet if Arab acts of violence don’t exist here, Israeli injustices are dwelt on.

How can a Jew do this to his own people? How can he justify adding more fuel to the anti Semitic fire that is sweeping the world now? How can he justify trying to change the way people perceive Israel as no better than Nazis? Does he really think this movie does truth any justice? Or that it will contribute to bring peace to the region? I don’t think so.

All he is doing is giving the next terrorist an excuse to blow up more Jews. And maybe the next time we will see not only Muslim mothers in Gaza handing out candy to little children in the streets but Americans! At least the ones who saw this movie.

The movie ads show a picture of the beautiful young girl who is portrays Miral, and asks is this the face of a terrorist?

How simplistic! How stupid! I would counter with a picture of the faces of latest terror victims, a family which include a baby and ask is this the picture of your oppressors?

Guilty!

What a sad day in history for our people when - as reported by the Wall Street Journal - an 89 old year respected rabbi who is apparently the spiritual leader of the Syrian Jewish community in the United States enters a guilty plea in a Trenton, New Jersey federal courtroom in a massive federal corruption case.

It was for one count of unauthorized money transmitting. I’m sure there are many of his supporters that will say that he is innocent of any wrong doing and that he simply chose a wise path in entering a guilty plea in light of what has happened to those who insisted on going to trial to prove their innocence. Shalom Rubashkin tried that and he ended up with 27 years - a virtual life sentence in prison.

I recall when this story broke he was vigorously defended by his community as someone of unimpeachable integrity. A man who has spent a lifetime serving his people. No doubt he did. But just as certain is the fact that there is enough evidence of guilt to have persuaded his attorney to not take a chance on entering a not guilty plea and then going to trial.

I don’t know exactly what transpired in this case for him to be arrested and then plead guilty. I’m sure he otherwise is an honorable person. One does not become a respected leader of an entire community without being honorable. But at the same time if he were truly innocent he would not have been victim of the trap set for him by informant Solomon Dwek and there would be no evidence for him to take a chance on.

I’m sure that that this rabbi’s part in the money laundering scheme was minimal – perhaps even incidental. Maybe those who were deeply involved in the money laundering somehow duped the 89 year old rabbi to get involved in some peripheral yet damning level, I don’t know.

My hope is that he gets no jail time. The shame and embarrassment that a man like this must feel is probably a far greater punishment than any time he might spend in prison. It’s too bad that he didn’t think of that before getting involved with those who created and organized and carried out this massive scam.

This is one case where instead of being angry, I am sad for this man. It is the others I’m angry at. They ought to get the book thrown at them!

A Charedi Perspective on Charedi Chinuch

I was sent a recent Mishpacha Magazine article by Rabbi Yisroel Besser - grandson of Rav Haskel Besser and currently one of Mishpacha’s contributing editors. He asked asked if I would comment upon it – agree or disagree.

I’m not sure who wrote the article as there is no by-line but it could have been written by me. I completely agree with all of it.

Mishpacha Magazine is very unique in the sense that it is a decidedly Charedi publication and adheres to Charedi standards. It does not for example contain any pictures of women. But to its great credit, it does not fear publishing articles that other Charedi media consider too controversial for their pages. The greatest example of this was their cover story on Rav Hershel Schachter of Yeshiva University and his description of Rav Soloveitchik.

It was a very positive story about both of these great men – the student and his mentor - that puts into sharp contrast what the Jewish Observer wrote about the Rav upon his death. That ignoble obituary will forever stain what might have otherwise been a fine legacy for a Charedi magazine that had its own obituary written a few years ago. (Poetic justice?) Not only did they do a hatchet job on the Rav - Rav Schachter was at best a non entity to them.

Once again Mishpacha has the courage to tell it like it is about its own community – the very readership is serves.

There are three issues it deals with and they are right on the money with each of them.

The first issue is how the current values of the Charedi system of Chinuch contributes mightily to the numbers of Mishulachim. A Mishulach is someone who comes from another area – usually Israel – to collect funds for one reason or another – often just to support themselves and their families. From the article:

I do have a sense that there are too many people in our community who are being denied the chance to ever succeed in anything by societal norms that may be very different from Torah values. One example is the flurry of “collectors” who pour through every minyan, in every halfway solvent community in America. While some of them have been propelled by circumstances beyond their control, for many collecting for children’s chasanos was the game plan from the beginning.

How well - and succinctly put. The societal norms of this community deny them the opportunity to learn anything but Torah 24/7. In doing so they cannot possibly prepare themselves to make a decent living. If anyone of them ever does, they are considered outcasts. It is far more acceptable therefore to go through their system and end up as charity cases than to even have a thought of learning a trade or profession. As Mishpacha puts it:

Being a nitzrach min habrios (depending on others for financial support) should not be any Torah Jew’s preferred life plan.

Although Mishpacha lists the next item separately, the second issue is directly related to the first. And – as is the first - it is one of my recurring themes.

It is my firm belief that those who are not cut out to learn Torah full time would better off learning a trade or a profession. Nonetheless because of the type of Chincuh they get they are virtually forced to stay in learning full time even while they contemplate marriage. They are indoctrinated to continue sitting in the Beis Hamedarsh and refuse to even consider preparing to make a living in any way.

Why? They realize that no young woman (or her parents - or any decent Shadchan) would ever consider a working man as marriage material in the Charedi world. What a sad irony for so many of the young men like this that are trapped into this system. Again from Mishpacha:

Nor does pretending to be a full-time yeshiva student help his marital chances much, since the Dun and Bradstreet type checking performed in Israel will usually uncover his true status in learning. If his parents lack resources to contribute to an apartment somewhere, he will find himself offered only girls who themselves are considered “less successful” in one way or another.

The third point that Mishpacha makes I have made before – although less frequently. It is however just as valid as the first two.

There are problems in the current Charedi approach to even developing the truly talented Torah students into fulfilling their own potential. There is no training for these brilliant young men to become true Marbitzei Torah (those who spread Torah by attracting many students to their Shiurim or their Seforim). There is no development of pedagogical or writing skills. Once again from Mishpacha:

Though his rosh yeshiva likes him very much, his guidance is largely confined to helping his “star” find a rich shidduch from among the fathers who come to talk to him.

These young men are the ones with the potential to become Gedolim and yet the way the Charedi system handles them is counterproductive to producing one. One does not become a Gadol in Torah by simply sitting and learning while being supported by a rich father-in-law.

Of course pedagogical training or developing writing skills are but two facets of many required for Gadlus in Torah. But without at least one of them he might as well be sitting in a closet with an open Gemarah for the rest of his life for he will contribute nothing to Judaism.

This is what worries the writer of this article. And he is right to worry. As the population in the Charedi world increases exponentially over the next few generations; and if the current trend does not change, there will be enough Meshulchim in the world who along with their families will be able to populate entire cities.

Update: I have just been informed by Rabbi Besser that the Mishpacha article was written by Jonathan Rosenblum.

Did Satmar Knowingly Launder Money?

Once again we have religious Jews in the news in negative ways. This time it is Satmar. According to an article in the Wall Street Journal a civil-fraud lawsuit was filed against their Yeshiva, the United Talmudical Academy of Satmar (UTA) is nearing trial. They are accused of laundering money for the now bankrupt Allou Health Care, Inc. From the WSJ:

To pay the bills, UTA solicits and accepts donations and interest-free loans and holds an annual fundraising dinner.

According to the trustee’s suit, that structure provided Arthur Meisels, one of UTA’s leaders, with cover to let Allou and the Jacobses “park” money with UTA and launder funds through UTA. The government claimed the brothers siphoned millions of dollars from Allou for their own enrichment by laundering funds through affiliated companies controlled by the family and Meisels.

UTA of course denies any knowledge of the fraud to which (in 2005) Allou’s one time CEO pled guilty to. Of course in this country one must assume innocence unless proven guilty. I hope in fact that they are innocent. But Satmar does not have a good track record on defrauding the government.

I am reminded of events that took place in 1994 in Kiryas Joel. That is a city founded 60 miles out of New York City that enables its citizens to lead compeletly insular lives. What happened there 17 years ago is a lesson still unlearned.

The city had applied for government funding to renovate a medical facility designed for their disabled children. They got those funds after filing what seems to have been a fraudulent application. The problem was that the facility did not exist.

They did however begin building after receiving fedral funding for a facility but siphoned off money to help pay expenses for various religious schools. Like a swimming pool and sidewalks at the UTA Yeshiva. Also,receipts for various expenditures were falsified and the money used for the UTA bakery.

After federal investigators asked for detailed receipts - the medical center was torched. Arson was never in doubt – but no one was ever charged with the crime.

I have noted in the past that Chasidim in particular have brought with them intact their fears of being persecuted by anti Semitic governments. In Europe the persecution was so severe that many people could only survive via a black market illegal economy.

Satmar still sees the world through its European eyes. ‘The Goyim are out to get us!’ ‘We therefore have every right to operate illegal scams against the Goyishe government in order to survive.’ Their insularity continues to reinforce that mindset.

The troubling thing is that even they must know things are not the same here as they were in Europe. Politicians galore visit Chasidic enclaves seeking their votes since they generally vote as a bloc based on what their Daas Torah (the Rebbe) tells them. This is not lost on government officials who bend over backwards to give them what they want in order to get re-elected.

No government in the history of the world had been as kind to the Jewish people as has the United States. They must know this even if measured purely in terms of dollars and cents. And yet they still operate as though they were living in Czarist Russia waiting for the next pogrom .

The question is why? And what will it take to stop the kind of thinking that is the source for so much Chilul HaShem?

Playing God?

It might seem that I have become obsessed with posts on Beyond Teshuva lately. I’m not. I read many blog posts every day including Beyond Teshuva and comment on topics that I feel need commenting upon. It just happens that there has been much written there of late that has moved me to do so. This is true once again today.

Rabbi Ben Tzion Shafier has written a post (actually it is an excerpt from his forthcoming book: Shmuz on Life: Stop Surviving and Start Living) that challenges our notions about how we view God’s intervention in our lives. His basic premise is that we do not properly understand when God’s refuses our prayerful requests. Even those requests that seem religiously meritorious. The following typical reaction to the apparent negative response by God illustrates this point.

I’ve talked to HASHEM about it. I’ve explained it Him. I’ve even brokered deals with Him. “If You grant me this, I’ll …”

Yet for some reason, He just won’t listen.

“HASHEM, what’s the deal? Are you angry with me? Are You punishing me? Why do You insist in making my life so difficult? This is what I need. It’s so clear. Why won’t You just grant it to me?”

And I go on asking questions. “It’s not fair. It doesn’t make sense! HASHEM, what do You want from me?”

Rabbi Shafier explains why he feels that this is an improper reaction. By having it we are playing God. What does he mean? He means that we aren’t seeing the whole picture the way God does. What we see as a negative response from our limited human perspective - is not what God sees. His perspective is much greater and in the end what we thought was a ‘bad’ answer is ultimately a good one from a caring and loving God.

He uses himself as an example. He had prayed that he would get a certain job that would have enabled him to serve God better (e.g. better supporting his family; more time for learning Torah etc.). Another time he prayed that he would marry a certain woman that would have been ideal wife for him and mother for his chlidren… and a few other examples. Prayers were not answered positively (as he saw it at the time) in each case. But in each case it worked out better for him in the end eventhough he had no way of knowing it at the time.

Obviously - he notes - God did. And that’s why He did it that way. He concludes that we should always view even the negative answers from God – that it is the will of a loving God who knows infinitely better than we do what is ultimately in our best interests.

He calls our frustration at not being answered positively - ‘playing God’. As if we are the ones – not God – who know exactly what is good for us. But that he explains is obviously not true. God is all knowing and all seeing. He created us. He chose us as His people. He loves us. He therefore knows what is in our best interests and always acts accordingly. Whether we understand it at the time or not.

Rabbi Shafier advises the following.

When you look back on the events that have shaped your life, you see the hand of HASHEM. You see HASHEM orchestrating the occurrences that shaped your life. And now in hindsight, you see that HASHEM was taking care of you, guiding you, leading you. While you were living through it, it looked “bad” It appeared that HASHEM didn’t care. However, after the fact, you understand that it was done out of love, and concern for your ultimate good.

This is all well and good in theory. And even in practice as applied to circumstances described by Rabbi Shafier. But there are two words that turn this entire approach on its head: The Holocaust.

I have always had difficulty with the Holocaust. There are questions there that makes his approach look ridiculous. To say that the prayers of 6 million Jews to stay alive – many of whom were God fearing and religious - were in a larger Godly sense answered in their best interests by being gassed to death is an impossibility. How was it good for them? It is inexplicable by any human dimension of thought. His approach falls far short here. Six million times. And the same is true about many survivors of the Holocaust.

My wife’s uncle, a devoutly religious Gerer Chasid lost his entire family in the Holocaust. His wife and all of his children were murdered by the Nazis. He was spared only because Josef Mengele used him in an experiment that involved his being sterilized.

I am 100% certain that he prayed that his wife and children should be spared. And that he should not be harmed in any way by Mengele. He was answered negatively in all instances. He remained a devout Jew all of his life but died childless with no heirs. How was this good for him? What possible explanation can be found to see this for the good? How would have examining his life brought him to a greater understanding of why he wasn’t answered?

I have no answers for this - least of all saying that God did this for his benefit.

Tzadik V’Ra Lo. Theodicy. No human mind can comprehend it. Trying to do so can make an Apikores out of you. As believers all we can say is that it was God’s will. But to say anything else about God in these circumstances - certainly along the lines that Rabbi Shafier does is to my mind pure nonsense.

Dealing with Child Molesters

Rabbi Yakov Horowitz has forwarded the following announcement for immediate release.I am happy to post it here in its entirety. I would highlight the following key points.

1) there is no "shanda" (shame) in admitting that we have the same problems that plague all members of the human race.

2) untrained people are powerless to protect children.

3) a child molester has the Halachic status of a rodef and one is obligated to do everything in his or her power to prevent a predator from harming future victims.

4) to view the authorities who police and prosecute pedophiles to be our allies in our sacred obligation to keep our children safe and secure.

What follows are Rabbi Horowitz’s words:

I am attending the hearing of Meir Dascalowitz to support the child he allegedly molested, to support his family members who are helping protect the children of our community from future abuse by reporting the alleged pedophile to the authorities, and to stand in solidarity with all survivors of abuse and molestation.

I have in my possession printed copies of more than 250 emails and blog posts from my readers worldwide who eloquently and passionately wrote messages of support, solidarity and love to this survivor and I will be handing the messages to the family members in court.

It is my hope and prayer that this painful episode will mark a turning point in our community's reaction to abuse survivors and provide a modicum of comfort to adult survivors who were abused in their childhood -- when they lacked the support structure that current and future survivors will hopefully have.

Throughout much of our history, our people have been an oppressed minority in countries where they were made to feel unwelcome at best, and where being reported to the authorities meant imprisonment, torture or even death. This cultural phenomenon has greatly contributed to the underreporting of child abusers in our community.

It is my hope and prayer, though, that all members of our community will develop the comfort level in this wonderful malchus shel chesed (benevolent country), to view the authorities who police and prosecute pedophiles to be our allies in our sacred obligation to keep our children safe and secure.

Time and experience have proven beyond the shadow of a doubt that well-meaning, untrained people (like this writer) are powerless to protect children. Our sages (Avos 3:4) wisely stated that we must pray for the stability of our government for, "If not for the fear it holds over its citizens [who commit crimes], a person would swallow his neighbor."

It is my hope and prayer that all members of our community will come to understand that according to Jewish law a child molester has the Halachic status of a rodef (one who poses a credible, life-threatening danger to others) and one is obligated to do everything in his or her power to prevent a predator from harming future victims. Rabbinic responsa, including a psak(rabbinic ruling) from the esteemed Rabbi Eliyashuv, perhaps the preeminent posek of our generation, have supported this notion.


Reporting molesters to the authorities exposes the silent, overwhelming majority of law-abiding, camera-shy members of our community to public shame when people who are dressed in the garb of observant Jews are arrested, prosecuted and are prominently featured in media coverage on charges of abuse and molestation.

It is my hope and prayer, though, that we all come to understand that there is no "shanda" (shame) in admitting that we have the same problems that plague all members of the human race. Rather, that it is a terrible and tragic "shanda" to not do everything in our power to rid our communities of pedophiles.

Rabbi Yakov Horowitz
Dean, Yeshiva Darchei Noam of Monsey
Director, Project YES
www.rabbihorowitz.com
yhprojectyes@GMAIL.com

Update: I have just been informed by Rabbi Horowitz that these views are his own and do not necessarily reflect those of the Agudah Moetzes as originally stated in the post. The post has been corrected to reflect that. Sorry for the misunderstanding.

Elizabeth Taylor (1932 - 2011)

With all that’s going on in the world now, the death of actress Elizabeth Taylor may seem unimportant in the overall scale of things. Not that the news media hasn’t spent an inordinate amount of time on it. It kind of bothered me in fact that her death took up so much of the media’s time while the horrific events in Israel hardly merit a whisper.

Not only have the events in Israel been virtually ignored, even the unbelievable changes taking place - toppling dictatorships all over the Middle East are receiving short shrift by comparison. Not to mention the still unfolding tragic events resulting from the earthquake in Japan.

Nonetheless even with all that going on in the world I do not think Elizabeth Taylor’s death should go unnoticed by the Jewish people. Why? Watch the following speech she gave in 1980 accepting the first Simon Wiesenthal Humanitarian Award.

He Dreads Going to Shul

Daniel Schwartz has written a very intelligent and insightful article lamenting the loss of Chazanus – the cantorial chanting of the liturgy - in the Orthodox world. He’s right about that. Chazanus has all but been conceded to the Conservative movement. One would be hard pressed to find any Orthodox Shul where a trained Chazan (cantor) leads the service. He goes on to explain what Chazanus is supposed to do for prayer and why we should re-invigorate that tradition.

I must confess, however, I do not miss it. Not because I don’t value the ‘high church’ interpretative value of singing the liturgy. I do. But I don’t seek it or need it to inspire me. Furthermore I don’t like when it is botched. Which is most often the case whenever it’s tried.

Nor do I like the tedium that often accompanies Chazzanus even if it’s done well. In his attempt to invest it with meaning - a liturgical piece will be sung by a cantor for what seems like forever. Instead of inspiring me to more fully understand the meaning of the prayer, I will be looking at my watch wondering when it will all finally end.

In fact I often feel trapped on those rare occasions when I am Davening in a Shul with a Chazzan - even a half way decent one. Which like I said is rare. More often than not, these people have no clue about what they are doing musically or otherwise. They do not have anywhere near the talent of the great Chazanim of yesteryear – like the Koussevitzky brothers, Pinchik or Rosenblatt. Yes there are exceptions today that come close, but they are rare.

In my own case - I see prayer as communication with God. The most important thing about that is to know the meaning of the words and to clearly intend their meaning when pronouncing them in prayer. Any musical interlude for me by way of a Chazan who drags out his portion of the prayer is a distraction I do not appreciate.

It’s not that I mind the occasional Carlebach or Ben David Nigun applied to a specific prayer. I’m OK with it, although I don’t seek it out. But to me a Shul is about Davening, not cantorial music.

Even the great Chazanim of today do not appeal to me. Chicago recently hosted some Chazanim at a modern Orthodox Shul. My friends begged me to come. I was not interested in the slightest. It ended up taking an hour longer to finish the service than any other shul in town. I am however told by those who were there that it was well attended and that they were inspired by it.

Yes, their interpretation of prayer can be an inspiring emotional experience for some. But how many truly came to enjoy the concert? For most of the world – it is a show - a form of opera. Opera too is an inspiring and emotional thing for a listener to experience. Personally, I have no patience to wait for the cantor to finish his piece. When I find myself in these circumstances I usually can’t wait for the performance to be over.

I say all of this as the son of someone who comes from a long line of cantors. My father was a professional cantor all of his life. And my oldest brother was a cantor for many years. Perhaps this is a form of rebellion for me I don’t know. But I doubt it. I think I am probably more of a victim of the Yeshiva education I received that eschewed Chazanus.

The truth is that I loved my father’s Davening. He was unique – with unique cantorial pieces handed down generationally from his father. I still hear him in my mind every Rosh HaShanna and Yom Kippur during Nesneh Tokef - perhaps the most inspiring piece of liturgy on those days. I usually hear him singing it in my mind while mentally drowning out the Chazan. My father’s cantorial interpretation of the liturgy has never been duplicated. Listening to him on the high holidays was uniquely inspiring. But for me he was the exception.

Unlike me, my father loved Chazanus. He equated it with Torah. He had all the records (the scratchy old 78s) of the great Chazanim of yesteryear. And he loved to hear a good Chazan. But like me he could not stand incompetence – which was more often the case than not. Listening to an incompetent Chazan is worse than listening to chalk squeak on a blackboard. Whenever an incompetent Chazan ascended to the Amud he would walk away angry that the Shul would ask anyone like that to Daven for the Amud.

With but a few exceptions the art of Chazanus has indeed been lost to Orthodoxy. The Conservative Movement has picked up the gauntlet on this and has advanced its cause. I tend to believe that for the vast majority of the Conservative congregants it is a show. During the 3 days a year that most of them attend the synogouge – the 2 days of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur - how many of them truly hear the message of the prayer as interpreted by their cantor? It is nothing more than an operatic concert of sorts – with little understanding of the Teshuva it is supposed to evoke in us.

I must confess that one time several years ago on my way back from visiting someone in the hospital on Erev Rosh Hashanah I turned on the radio to a station that plays classical music. They were playing a recording of a cantor singing one of the liturgical pieces heard on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kipur. I don’t remember the particular piece. But I do remember being extremely inspired by it. I could not get over it.

I had never heard anything like it before. Part of what made it so inspiring for me was the female choir that accompanied him. I remember thinking how angelic it all sounded - and thinking afterwards what a great loss it is that Kol Isha (among other reasons) prevents that experience from happening in an Orthodox Shul.

But that was a rare occurrence which will never be repeated for me on an actual day of Rosh Hashanah or Yom Kipur since I would never attend a service that has a female choir.

So I am back to davening without cantors. This is what I choose and what is most inspiring to me now. Less is more. The less ‘draying’ there is – the more I can concentrate on the words of the prayer.

The Yeshivos have indeed destroyed Chazanus. Perhaps intentionally because of the fact that many cantors of the past were not religious. Perhaps because they feel that ‘the show’ detracts from the actual purpose of prayer –communicating with God. Perhaps out of ignorance of its glorious religious past that predates the modern era. Or maybe because they see it as now belonging to the Conservative movement with which they want no association. I don’t know.

But it is a loss for people like Daniel Schwartz. And to my father who lamented its loss long before his death almost 20 years ago. He realized then that Chazanus was co-opted by the Conservative movement and it bothered him. But for me – well let’s just say that I’m not saying Kaddish over it.

The Parents of a Baal Teshuva

I often praise the Baal Teshuva for much the same reason I praise the Ger (convert). I see them as choosing the difficult lifestyle of an observant Jew because of the truth they find in Judaism.

Indeed Chazal tell us that in the place where a Baal Teshuva stands, even the most righteous Jew cannot stand. The Klei Yakar comments on last week’s Parsha (Tzav) and makes reference to that. He explains why the Torah considers the Korban Chatos among the holiest of sacrificial offerings - Kodesh Kodashim. (A Korban Chatas is an animal sacrifice required as penance during Temple era for unintentionally violating a Lav SheYesh Bo Kores -a severe negative commandment.)

Voluntary offerings given by even the greatest Tzadik are Kodshim Kalim - not as holy as this sin offering. God loves and values a Baal Teshuva who has sinned and does Teshuva more than He does a Tzadik who never sinned. God places great value on a sincere penitent who repents out of love - and therefore God turns all of his past sin into merit. Something that a complete Tzadik can never achieve.

The trek a Baal Teshuva need take has many pitfalls that test their sincerity and commitment. One of the most common problems encountered is with parents who do not understand and in some cases reject them for doing this.

Even though many parents do accept their children’s new lifestyle and in some cases become more observant themselves often that is not the case. Sometimes there is severe resistance and even complete rejection – cutting off any relationship with their newly observant child.

Bearing this in mind I am troubled by a post on Beyond Teshuva entitled: Why Are BTs Willing to Blow Up Familial Relationships? Here it is in its entirety:

Based on some recent posts and comments on BT Martyrdom, it seems that many BTs get tremendous spiritual pleasure from blowing up familial relationships.

What are the reasons for this willingness to cut oneself off from their families with these acts?

a) They feel it’s comparable to giving up your life, which when appropriate is the ultimate Kiddush Hashem.

b) Their Rebbeim tell them it’s the right course of action and they rarely enter a question and answer dialog with their Rebbeim to probe/understand the reasoning behind a ruling.

c) Many families explicitly or implicitly reject a BTs life choices causing pain, which sets the stage for the act of familial martyrdom.

d) Other reasons

Reason c) is understandable. It is one thing to react to rejection by one’s family by severing the relationship to it. And that explains reason a).

But the implication of reason b) is something that surprises and troubles me. It is in fact counter to what – in my view - is right and proper in the eyes of God. And more importantly it actively contradicts one of the most important Mitzvos in the Torah – written in stone (in the Ten Commandments): Kibud Av V’Em – honoring one’s father and mother.

This is wrong and any Rav that works in outreach should know that. My impression has always been that Baalei Teshuva are encouraged to maintain close ties with the family. I think that is largely the case.

That any Rav encourages the opposite smacks of cultism. I would be wary of such rabbis and advise that if at any time they encourage you to blow up a family relationship – you should run as far and as fast as you can away from them. And if they have a following - to report him to the authorities. This is not Mesirah. It in fact may be saving lives.

Kibud Av V’Em is a hard Mitzvah sometimes. While it is true that following Halacha over-rides a parent who tells you not to follow Halacha - this does not absolve anyone of the requirement to honor their parents. Blowing up the relationship is certainly not the way to fulfill that requirement. One may distance themselves if necessary but one may not completely cut them off in my view. The lines of communication should always remain open.

If trying to maintain a relationship fails and it is the parent that blows it up - that is another matter. If they completely reject having anything to do with you because you are now religious, then it’s not your fault and there is probably nothing you can do about it. But as long as there is any connection with a parent - all measures must be taken not to alienate them even further - as long as you do not violate Halacha in the process.

Angry and Frustrated

A terrorist bomb just blew up in the heart of Jerusalem apparently at a bus-stop. According to Ha'artez 25 people have been injured. 4 of them seriously. No deaths have been reported so far. It’s been years since an incident like this has happened. Israel’s security seemed to have been working. Somehow someone managed to get by security and plant a bomb (or blow himself up) in a crowded area of Israel’s holiest city.

It is becoming increasingly difficult for me to hold back my emotions. The emotion I feel here is – once again –anger! I am angry that we are powerless to do anything about this. My gut reaction is to retaliate in kind... to plant a bomb somewhere in a crowded Gaza street.

But as always my head over-rules over my heart and as difficult as an incident like this is for me, I realize that killing innocent people indiscriminately is as much a crime for us as it is for them.

That’s why I feel so powerless. Those who wish to do us in have the upper hand. Their morality sees killing Jews as a Mitzvah Min HaMuvchar. In that cause - martyring oneself guarantees an eternity in heaven. That’s why they say they love death more than we love life.

Israel is truly stuck here. Retaliations where innocent Palestinians are killed or injured as collateral damage to a military strike will be seen as State terror by a supposedly civilized Israeli people. The terrorists who commit these mass murders are seen at worst as uncivilized savages that react to Israeli oppression - and at best as evil but dead (if by suicide bombing) and in any case as not representing the masses of Palestinians. Either way any retaliation will be judged by the world (and possibly even the US) as collective punishment of people that had nothing to do with the terrorist act.

As I keep saying the vast majority of Arabs, not just Palestinians, have been indoctrinated to hate Israel and the Jewish people. The hatred is constantly being reinforced in their mosques, schools, and in all their media. Acts like the one that just happened cause Israel to be hard on the typical Palestinian in the cause of security. That just adds to the hatred as does their view that every new house built anywhere – especially in the West Bank means that the Jews are usurping more ‘Arab land’.

Meanwhile the world sees the conflict through Arab eyes. And the US being our best friend nevertheless sympathizes with that view in some respects. At least as far as building homes in the West Bank is concerned.

Like it or not - Israel needs America. Without it, Israel would have no air force. Which would make the army almost powerless. And no support means there will be nothing to counter a world all too eager to put the kind of boycott and sanctions against it that a would make the sanctions against Iran look like a walk in the park.

I am angry and frustrated. Angry that this kind of thing cannot be fully prevented. And frustrated that I see nothing that can be done about it.

One thing is certain. Israel must be continue to be vigilant and strong. They cannot afford to let up on any of their security measures. If that increases hardship to the Palestinians, that can’t be helped. The number one priority of the Israeli government must be to secure the safety of its people. Whatever that takes. Nothing else comes even remotely close to that.

Update: (11:56 AM CST) I am saddened to report that according to Arutz Sheva, there has been one casualty. They also report the number of people injured at 50 - 2 seriously.

Standardizing Conversions – Good Idea or Bad?

Yet another reason why politics and religion should not mix. Even in Israel.

What I am talking about is the refusal of the Israel’s Interior Ministry to recognize a conversion by the Orthodox Vaad HaRabonim of Queens. This does not seem to be a sham conversion. The convert in question lives an Orthodox lifestyle and wants to make Aliyah to Israel so that she and her family can live more fully as Jews.

Why has the Interior Ministry done such a horrible thing? It’s because of Charedi control over all Orthodox conversions. And it is the irony of ironies that Conservative and Reform conversions are recognized by the Israeli government and yet when it comes to Orthodox conversions they abdicate all power and hand it over exclusively to the Israeli Chief Rabbinate - now controlled by Charedi rabbis.

The Rabbinate’s intentions were good. They wanted to eliminate sham conversions. Unfortunately there have been too many of those in recent history even among Orthodox rabbis. Chicago certainly has had its share in the past. Without getting into too much detail (been there and done that) many conversions were done where converts had no intention to follow Halacha at all.

The vast majority of Poskim hold such conversions to be invalid. In order to stop this practice the Israeli Chief Rabbinate in consultation with American Charedi rabbis and the Rabbinical Council of America (RCA) has standardized Orthodox conversions. They now only accept those conversions outside Israel that were done by an approved list of religious courts that agreed to comply with those standards.

The goal is to keep the Jewish people free of any doubt about their status as Jews. These actions were precipitated by mass conversions performed upon Russian immigrants that were seen as not being properly converted, thus tainting the gene pool. There are many instances where in order to observe Halacha properly one must know who is a Jew and who isn’t. Like the prohibition against a Jew marrying a non Jew.

This is a good illustration of why the best of intentions can sometimes pave the road to Hell. And in this case I mean literal Hell as well as proverbial Hell. Hell is where the souls of unrepentant sinners end up after they die. The sin here is Lo Sanu HaGer. The Torah mentions the prohibition against mistreatment of the convert 24 separate times. (Example - Shemos 22:20)

There are those who cite the Gemarah in Kidushin (70b) which says that a convert is difficult burden upon the Jewish people which seems to contradict the prohibition against mistreatment and would imply that one should avoid converting anyone.

Rashi explains that the reason the Gemarah states that converts are difficult for us is because they bring negative baggage of their past with them from which born Jews will inadvertently learn.

But Tosephos rejects that explanation and offers another one. The reason for saying that converts are a difficult burden for us is because of their extra meticulousness in Mitzvah observance. They make a born Jew look bad by comparison. Furthermore the prohibition against mistreating a Ger is so severe that born Jews will be severely punished when they mistreat them. And mistreat them we do. This has become painfully obvious in our day.

So while the intentions of the religious courts in Israel are good, they end up hurting the very people they are supposed to be serving – those among us who are the most meticulous in Mitzvah observance – the convert. And to what end?

If Reform and Conservative conversions are already recognized by the State, what is gained by rejecting Orthodox conversions just because they were done by a court not on a pre-approved list? And how does that even help keep the gene pool pure if there are Conservative and Reform converts in Israel that are fully recognized by the government? How can anyone really know who is and isn’t a Jew when there is no registry indicating who was converted by whom? Are we going to investigate every single couple who applies for marriage?

What kind of Pandora ’s Box will that open? This is a problem even for Charedim. It is very possible that a woman who is a Reform convert had children who became Orthodox via the multitude of outreach organizations and somehow their mother’s or grandmother’s improper conversion slipped by notice. It is very possible that many of these young men are learning in places like the Mir or Brisk.

In the process of weeding out bad Orthodox conversions the prohibition against oppressing a convert is violated many times over. Is this really how God wants us to act? I think the clear answer is no. And He tells us so 24 separate times.

What Do We Look Like to Others?

There is an interesting article in a new blog that began last week in the Algemeiner. Orthodox Jewish author Chava Tombosky tites her article in how she sees herself: ‘Unorthodoxically Orthodox’.

In researching the word ‘orthodox’ she came across 2 definitions of the word: 1) Seeker of truth and 2) normal. She likes the idea of being defined as a seeker of truth but is surprised at the description of Orthodoxy as normal.

Are Orthodox Jews considered normal? The answer is yes by their own standards. I suppose her surprise is from the fact that most of the world does not in fact see us as normal.

One of the distinguishing features of Orthodox Judaism is to not completely assimilate with our non Jewish neighbors. By not assimilating completely we maintain our identity as Jews. That has contributed to our continuity as Jews over the centuries.

We are different. And being different hardly argues for being perceived as normal. I guess that’s why she is surprised at Orthodoxy being defined as normal. It is ironic that the dictionary defines ‘Orthodox’ as normal since our religious customs practices require us to be somewhat outside the norm.

In looking at the word ‘orthodox’ in a thesaurus she sees some of the following alternative words: conventional, mainstream, traditionalist, popular, unoriginal, devout, strict.

She can handle traditional, devout, and popular. But she hates the idea of being unoriginal- conventional- mainstream and strict. Yes she is observant but she is not Machmir. Does not being strict take someone outside the definition of Orthodox?

Of course not. But here again I suppose ‘strict’ is a relative term. To non observant Jews and Gentiles we Orthodox are considered strict no matter how Mekil (lenient) some of us are in our observances.

Ms. Tombosky sees herself as a sort of non-conformist rebel within the constraints of Orthodox Judaism. I kind of see myself in the same way. Although we may express ourselves differently.

But a more important question in my mind is not so much how we see ourselves, but how others see us. Are we seen as a light unto the nations? When someone says ‘Orthodox Jew’, what image is conjured up in the mind of the person who hears it? I was taken aback by what Ms. Tombosky said in answering that question:

Even I can’t help but conjure up some image of an overbearing, judgmental, in the box, strict, dogmatic human being who smells of chicken fat. Or maybe I immediately think of a poor quiet female who never gets to go swimming or sing or speak in public, ever. Or maybe I think about some poor yutz wearing strings and a kippa who can’t make a living and spends his days “schnorring”. Either way, these are the “blink” images that can come to mind when I hear the term Orthodox Jew. Add the term “Ultra” to the phrase and you got a whole new group of negative blinks. I don’t even want to think about the “Ultra-ultra orthodox”.

This was obviously said somewhat in jest. But in truthful jest as far as Ms. Tombosky is concerned. Is this really the image our fellow man has of us? Are we overbearing and judgmental? Are we really all seen as ‘Yutzes’ because we wear Kipot and some of us wear their Tzitzis out? Are we all perceived as ‘Schnorrers’ (asking for handouts of cash from fellow Jews) instead of being able to make a living?

I’m sure that’s true in some circles. But it is a grossly inaccurate caricature of Orthodox Jews. Yes, a ‘Schnorrer’ type of Jew exists. But this is an unfair caricature with which to paint all Orthodox Jews. It is even an unfair description of those people who need charity to live and support their families. Being poor is not a crime and not a sin. It ought not to be disparaged. Not every person who asks for charity is a lowlife. Many of our poor are fine and decent people who have fallen on hard times and need to support their families.

And certainly wearing a Kipa or wearing one’s Tzitzis out should not be seen in the pejorative context she puts them.

In separating herself from the crowd she leaves behind the impression that most Orthodox Jews are indeed conformists and much like the stereotype she describes. That is the furthest thing from the truth. The truth is that no matter what kind of Orthodoxy one practices – from modern Orthodoxy all the way to Charedi or even Chasidic Judaism – we all have our exemplars and our embarrassments. One thing is certain - ‘smelling of chicken fat’ is not a description that fits any of us as a group.

Ms.Tombosky says that the image she described is changing somewhat due to – of all people – Orthodox Reggae singing star Matisyahu. She calls him ‘cool’. He may be a fine person and very popular singer but I don’t see him in any way as a the quintessential model of an Orthodox Jew. He is an entertainer - period.

She goes on to describe what she sees as the Jewish mission in life - and that’s fine. I have no real quarrel with anything she says. But this doesn’t really speak to the perception she conjured up. Which is more about behavior that about mission.

What is the model for an Orthodox Jew today? How are we really perceived in the world? How should we be perceived? And what can we do to forward that perception?

To me it isn’t about the style of clothing we wear. Nor is it about the Kipa on our heads or whether we wear Tzitzis in or out. It is how we comport ourselves in public. It is about our integrity as a people. What we do in public is how the public will judge us – and thereby Judaism itself. If Orthodox Judaism is seen as the most authentic form of Judaism then it is incumbent upon all of us to constantly behave in ways that will be a Kiddush HaShem rather than a Chilul HaShem. The more outwardly Orthodox one is, the more important that behavior becomes.

Appearance does matter - whether it is in the clothing we wear or in how we interact with others. It doesn’t matter what style of clothing one wears or how expensive or inexpensive it is – as long as you are not perceived as a slob. For this - a person who wears a Kapote is on the same level as a person who wears a suit.

And of even greater importance is whether we are perceived as honest people or as crooks and criminals. Unfortunately of late Orthodox Jews have not been faring so well in this department. Not because most of us aren’t honest. We are. But because when any one of us is dishonest – especially those seen in one type of leadership position or another, it reinforces the negative stereotype of Jews as people who cheat and steal from their neighbors if the price is right or the cause great enough.

If one doesn’t think that is an important factor in how all Orthodox Jews are perceived - all one need do is see the cover of a new book – The Jersey Sting. The image there is the way Orthodox Jews are increasingly being perceived - unfair as that may be to the vast majority of us who try and live our lives ethically. And treat our fellow man as being created in the image of God. It is human nature to see a book like that and paint us all with the same brush.

These points are too important to be left unsaid by Ms. Tombosky They ought to be on the front burner for every single one of us before we ever embark on our mission as Jews.

Killers Caught!

I was not going to write anything today except for my Purim post. But this breaking news is too important to delay.

I have just been informed by Rabbi Yair Hoffman that the butchers who slaughtered the Fogel family have been caught. Rabbi Hoffman directed me to an article in the 5 Towns Jewish Times. Two brothers were identified by a third after an interrogation by the Shin Bet (Israeli equivalent of the FBI). He also led investigators to the knives used in the slayings. The blood on the knives matched the blood at the murder scene. Two intelligence officers of the Palestinian Authority were also arrested for aiding and abetting these mass murderers.

If they are tried and convicted of the crime, it is the obligation of the Jewish State to execute them for this crime. I know that Israel does not have capital punishment except in certain circumstances – like captured Nazi war criminals. But if these animals don’t qualify for the death penalty, then no one does. They are no better than Adloph Eichman and deserve the same fate.

Brisk - the Learning Experince of a Lifetime!

Yom HaKipurim. A day which is like Purim. Chazal explain that Yom Kipur really plays second fiddle to Purim. That is how important the holiday we celebrate today is. It is therefore a wonderful opportunity to have a beer and to do Teshuva - ad d’lo yada yada yada.

Of late I have been reflecting on my Hashkafos and have had a profound epiphany! I am here today to apolgize. Yes my friends I sincerely regret promoting false ideologies. I have seen the light. I am doing Teshuva and returning to my Chasidic roots.

Torah U’mada? What’s that?! Feh! Centrist Orthodoxy? Only if your soft in the Kishkes.

What kind of Chasidus have I chosen? There’s only one. The Chasidus of love - Breslov.

Na Nach Nachma Nachman MeUman! (I’ve always wanted to say that - I've been grafitti-ing it all over Chicago.)

As many of you know my ancestor is the famed Chasidic Rebbe - R’ Shimon Yaroslover. He was a Talmid Muvhak of the Noam Elimelech and later the Chozeh. But what people don’t know is that he was also a Yankees fan.

People also don’t know R’ Shimon’s great grandmother’s second cousin’s great niece on her mother’s side was married to the nephew of the fourth cousin three times removed from Rebbe Nachman’s twin brother’s wife. So I guess were related. At least through marraige.

Yes, I said twin brother. Rebbe Nachman had an identical twin named Rebbe Nachman. Very few people know about him except for my friend Abie. He knows everything!

Why did their parents name both sons Nachman? Silly question. What’s the matter with you?! They were identical twins! Of course - they should have identical names!

That’s why I’m here. To make you think.

Anyway they also had a brother named Daryl another brother named Larry. The family doesn’t really like to talk about them much though.

The Breslov boys lived in a red brick building at 770 Eastern Parkway in Crown Heights section of Uman.

Little known fact: Uman is the original home of Smucker’s Jelly. Or is it R. Kelly? I forget which. But that doesn’t matter right now.

Speaking of being happy - a precocious Bachur in Kletzk once said: Mitzvah Gedolah Lehiyos B’Simcha? (Translation: What - Me worry?!) To which his Rebbe responded: Don't worry - Be happy! ...and smile for Pete’s sake. He’s been smiling ever since and is B’Simcha Tamid.

Although many people think Rebbe Nachman actually originated that phrase - he actually stole it from that Bachur in Kletzk.

Here is another little known but very interesting fact about Uman. 73% of the people in Uman have the name Nachman. Many of them women. And every single one of them lives in Uman!

Wow! How many people can say that today?!

Anyway, where was I...? Oh, yeah. Breslov is famous for two things. Don’t ask me what they are because I don’t know. I am however partial to their music. That is something I do know about.

Every time I hear one of their famous Nigunim I start jumping up and down like a kangaroo. This makes my wife crazy! She hates when I do that. But I can’t help it. It is a sublime supernal experience reserved only for those who are drunk on the Chasidus of Breslov. Or at least just plain drunk.

What most people also don’t know is that all of the Breslover Nigunim were composed by Rebbe Nachman’s lesser known twin brother, Rebbe Nachman. It is said that Rebbe Nachman was one of the best singer-songwriters of his era. It is a marvel of modern technology that all of his songs have survived intact to this day. (I think they used a combination of embalming fluid and ketchup to preserve the original vinyls. It least that's what I read in Ynet.)

Rebbe Nachman (the other one) is - by the way - the role model for popular singing star and performance artist ‘Lady Nana’.

And it is Breslov that gave baseball the expression: Na na na na, na na na na, hey hey, goodbye! In fact is was the other Breslover Rebbe’s great great great great grandchildren who recorded the more popular ‘cover’ version of the original Breslover tune. It topped the charts in 1970 and is now a staple at Sox games.

It is a little known but amazing fact that Breslover music is also the inspiration for many of today’s brightest singing stars. And they don’t even know it. And probably never will. Even if you tell them. Many times.

I believe (and I could be mistaken) that the Nigun for R’ Abish Brodt’s famous Od Yeshoma was taken directly from Breslov’s happy Zemira ‘Oy Gevalt’ sung every year at the Rebbe’s Tish on Tisha B’Av right after Eicha. (This is yet another clever innovation of Breslov - to have a Tish on Tisha B’Av. Makes sense - no?)

Breslover music is so very powerful. It was in fact the Rebbe’s other brother, Larry that coined the phrase ‘Music hath powers to soothe the savage Bres… lover’. But I digress.

Now that I am a proud Breslover Chasid, I was asked by the current Rebbe, Reb Daryl, to participate in a Breslov music video. How could I say no to the Rebbe, may he live Biz ah Hundert Und Tzvantzig Yahr! Pooh pooh pooh.

I could not resist. The video can be seen above in its entirety. I am the one with the handlebar mustache - wearing bright red pants and holding a lit firecracker. (Don't ask.) Sit back relax and enjoy.

If after watching this inspirational video you are moved to become a Chasid of the Breslover Rebbe (the other one) – think again because you probably have another ‘think’ coming. And then perhaps another one after that. And then one more.

Then call me. I can be reached at (718)555-Larry. Please state your name, rank, and serial number when you call… and hold on to your hat! You are in for an experience you will soon forget!

And don’t forget to say Asher Yatzar.

A Yeshiva Based on Torah Im Derech Eretz

Guest Post by Rabbi Yosef Gavriel Bechhofer

(The following post written by Rabbi Bechhofer has been slightly edited – HM)

My personal hero, R' Avrohom Eliyahu Kaplan zt”l, writes in one of his essays:

Oh Hashem Elokim! Who would grant that we would for a moment forget this oppressing thought: That everything has happened before, thousands upon thousands of time. That the great ones have already spoken, and that the small ones have already closed their ears. That all was without benefit, without blessing... that nothing can fix distorted hearts, that there is no escape from twisted concepts. Who would grant that we would for a moment forget this!...

In forgetting this smallness we would suddenly remember greatness. In destroying this despair we would suddenly renew souls. Evil would dissipate. Stupidity would dissipate. Surely a bridge would be built between man and his brother, a ladder would rise between Earth and Heaven.

A moment... Yes, that is what I said: “That they would forget for a moment!” For greater is the glory of one short moment than vast stretches of time enwrapped in desolation. What a moment can achieve years cannot...

Let us not wait [for this moment] till we come to shame... If it does not exist, let us create it...“If the tzaddikim desire, they can create worlds” - if they desire...

But when will this moment come? When will it be sought? When will it be found? In every generation they ask this same question, and every generation answers with greater despair than its predecessors: “Who knows?”Can (we) respond any other way to the question “when?” - than with the reply of Hillel: “If not now... when?”

Now. Immediately. For now - and for all generations...great ones have already spoken, and that the small ones have already closed their ears. That all was without benefit, without blessing... that nothing can fix distorted hearts, that there is no escape from twisted concepts. Who would grant that we would for a moment forget this!...

In forgetting this smallness we would suddenly remember greatness. In destroying this despair we would suddenly renew souls. Evil would dissipate. Stupidity would dissipate. Surely a bridge would be built between man and his brother, a ladder would rise between Earth and Heaven.

A moment... Yes, that is what I said: “That they would forget for a moment!” For greater is the glory of one short moment than vast stretches of time enwrapped in desolation. What a moment can achieve years cannot...

Let us not wait [for this moment] till we come to shame... If it does not exist, let us create it...“If the tzaddikim desire, they can create worlds” - if they desire...

Now. Immediately. For now - and for all generations...

Beautiful sentiments. But are they applicable to the “real” world?

There is a need for a new yeshiva high school for boys. One with the learning that is ostensibly exclusive to the “Charedi” world and with the breadth that is ostensibly exclusive to the “Modern” world. One in which talmidim will be empowered to actively pursue a truly well rounded approach to learning. In short, a Torah Im Derech Eretz (TIDE) yeshiva high school.

(Note, that since Rav Mantel shlita, the Rav of German-Jewish (Yekke) community and head of Yeshivat Rabbenu Shamshon Raphael Hirsch renounced TIDE last year, there no longer is – even officially – a yeshiva in America that proudly flies the TIDE banner.)

There are definite populations that would love such a yeshiva for their children: The more “yeshivish” Yeshiva University alumnus who wants his son to enjoy intensive Gemara; the “Charedi” yeshiva alumnus desperately seeking “braitkeit,” the “Ba'al Teshuvah” seeking a holistic, positive educational environment.

Now, I happened to know of an individual who had attempted within the past year to found a yeshiva high school with a similar perspective, philosophy and program – and with the moral support of some “big names” in the both the rabbinic and human the development communities. I had not formally heard, but nevertheless understood, that the attempt proved abortive, so I asked him why:

YGB: Forgive me if this is intrusive, but I had heard your name mentioned in connection with the evidently stillborn new... high school, which certainly sounded like it was along the same lines as the [new yeshiva described above], and which sounded wonderful. May I ask what happened?

Response: We were not going to do go ahead with it unless we had the money to do it right, and we couldn't get the amount of money needed. To do it without being well funded up front will inevitably result in compromises that will render the school not fundamentally better than all the other b'di'eveds that are already out there, and lots of time and resources of Klal Yisroel will have been wasted to just create another b'di'eved.

YGB: I don't want to sound frum, but if we perceive this to be Ratzon Hashem, shouldn't we proceed with some measure of Bitachon? Moreover, if the ideals of the parents and of the faculty are in sync, why should the school not work, even if its resources might be somewhat limited?

Response:
1) See Chazon Ish Emunah U'Bitachon

2) Bitachon doesn't mean that we assume things work out as we want them to.

2a) In any economy, kal vachomer the current economy, a small group of interested parents don't have the resources to pay for a new school without serious backing of a very big gvir philanthropist).

2b) One would have to be a fool to send his child to a brand new school that lacks serious backing and no track record.

Perhaps this exchange is but a furtherance of my education, and a further chipping away at my childish naivete, but I always believed what R' Avrohom Elya wrote. Was I wrong? Evidently.

Although the thought depresses me, it is also oddly comforting. I tend to think of myself as a coward – that it was my fault that a dream that I had for many years, of opening my own yeshiva, never came to fruition. That if I had the “right stuff” I would cry out Me laHashem Elai! and do what I thought right regardless of lack of finances. But, if I was wrong, and without a gvir – preferably gvirim – one cannot found a yeshiva, then I have been justified in not pursuing dreams I once had – it was just fate, since none of my friends have become gvirim (yet)!

Of course, I still hope this is not true. Because if it is, it means that the geulah is really in the hands of the gvirim. Not the rabbonim, not the nashim tzidkaniyos, and certainly not you and me. The “moment” for which R' Avrohom Elya yearns is very expensive, and can only be produced with the cooperation of the wealthiest individuals.

I would have loved to have a Yeshivas like this around for my kids. I would love to have it around for the kids I still have in the system. I think it would be an extraordinary to'eles for vast number of boys. I am sure many readers would agree with me.

Can we prove this pessimistic view wrong?

Why Did They Do It?

The murderers who massacred the Fogel family are savage butchers. Mass murderers deserving the same fate they gave to the Fogel family. Poetic justice would be to slit their throats right along with the throats of their wives and children.

But I don’t advocate this (much though I’d like to) because I am not a savage and it would in the end be unjust. Their wives and children did not commit the atrocity. What I do advocate is that the killers be caught, tried, convicted, and executed publicly for the entire world to witness.

Why did they do that? There is only one reason. They hate Jews. No matter how they would try to explain it – that’s the reason.

If the people (and I use that term loosely) who did this claim that this was done because Israeli oppression of the Palestinians, or any other reason, it is only an excuse for their blood lust. They simply wanted to kill some Jews – indiscriminately or otherwise. It gives them pleasure.

Some people might equivocate and say that Israelis killed innocent Arab children too when they attacked Gaza. Maybe. But it was not out of a blood lust. Nor was it on purpose. If it happened it was unintentional. Unintentional but sometimes unavoidable casualties of war. Casualties that Arab leaders and pundits never fail to exploit.

That is not what happened here. The Fogels were not unintentional casualties of war. They were sought out as convenient targets of terror.

The number of suicide attacks against the Jewish people in Israel has unfortunately taught me not to be surprised when something like this happens. But what really outrages me is the Arab reaction in the street. Not that I haven’t come to expect that too. I do. The events of 9/11 had the same Arab reaction. Nothing new here. But it still outrages me every time I see it.

What kind of people reacts to the slaughter of innocent children by celebrating in the street handing out candy to children? The answer is unfortunately all too simple. There is hatred of the Jewish people that is so vehement that the mass murder of an innocent Jews is something to celebrate.

Do all Arabs feel this way deep inside – even the so called civilized enlightened ones? I don’t know. I somehow can’t believe that they all think slitting Jewish throats is something to celebrate. But it is getting harder and harder for me to believe that. For once I’d like to hear an Arab leader condemn not only an atrocity like this, but to do it without any equivocation. There is always a ‘yeah… but’ when any Arab politician or pundit expresses his condemnation of a terror attack against Israeli civilians.

What I would like to see is not only a clear and unequivocal condemnation of this attack and the people who did it – I’d like to see the same condemnation of the celebration in the streets.

That they don’t do this and instead try to explain it away as some sort of pent up release of frustration with the occupation - makes me suspect they are just playing for the western camera. And that they couldn’t care less about an innocent Jew being slaughtered that way.

It is part and parcel of the Arab culture to hate Jews. It is part of their very being. It is in their blood. They are taught about Jews much the same way we are taught about Amalek. They believe that if they can’t get rid of us, then they have to wipe us out - erase us from even the last vestiges of their memory. To paraphrase the Torah portion we read this coming Shabbos Parshas Zachor they might say: Timcha Es Zecher HaYehudi! They have had over a century of the kind of indoctrination to hate the Jew that would make Hitler proud.

But even if Arab leaders started expressing genuine sympathy for the victims of terror and fully condemning the terror, terrorists and the celebrations of it – it would not solve the underlying problem. In fact nothing that is going on now will solve the problem. There can be no peace when the hatred of the Arabs for the Jews is so great that they celebrate mass murder of Jews.

I know what the solution is. But I don’t know how to implement it or if it is even possible to implement it. It has nothing to do with settlements or occupation. It has to do with teaching Arabs not to hate Jews. The Mosques, the schools, the media, entertainment programs, books, magazines all preach hatred of the Jew. To Arabs we are all following the Protocols of the Elders of Zion. We are the ones who orchestrated 9/11. We are the vermin described in the popular Mein Kampf. Until they stop thinking like this nothing will change.

What are the odds of anything like that ever happening? In my view – zero! At least not in my lifetime. How do you un-teach hate? It seems that the more religious you are in Islam the more you celebrate killing Jews. Even innocent children. Islam is apparently the fastest growing religion. And the more religious (fundamental) you become in Islam, the more it seems that you celebrate mass murdering Jews.

Rabbi Meir Kahane - Was He Right?

Every Jew – a 22. That is one of Rabbi Meir Kahane’s more famous phrases. The idea being that if every Jew in the world was armed there would never again be a Holocaust. I believe he was the head of the Jewish Defense League (JDL) when he coined that phrase. The JDL was founded by him as a response to attacks against elderly and otherwise vulnerable and defenseless Jews by gangs and muggers – kind of a Jewish version of Curtis Sliwa’s Guardian Angels.

As one might guess from all that - Rabbi Kahane was one of the most controversial Jewish figures of our time. His list of accomplishments are as legendary as they are controversial. Before he was assassinated he was in his most controversial period, having been banned from being a member of the Israeli Knesset as a racist – an appellation he and his followers vehemently denied. I have my own views of Rabbi Kahane which I have from time to time expressed here both in comments and in posts. But instead of repeating them again I wonder what the views of people who read my blog are about this man.

Was he an iconic hero to be worshipped as a visionary? … that if only his views and proposals had been implemented - Israel would have been far better off – stronger, safer, and bigger having annexed all of the West Bank and Gaza? …a fully Jewish Israel free of any Arab that did not accept Ger Toshav status which amounts to a sort of second class citizenship without voting rights? …a Jewish State where Halacha rather than a Jeffersonian style democracy reigned supreme?

Or was he a dangerous and misguided man whose views and actions would have led Israel down the path to destruction with Holocaust like consequences …and arguably has been responsible for some tragic consequences in the past – including both he and his son being assassinated?

It seems that now more than ever people – even many who doubted him in the past - have come around to believing that he was indeed a hero to be worshipped. I can’t tell you how many times I have seen signs that say ‘Kahane was right’ – both in Hebrew and English.

I wonder what the consensus of my readership is? Was he an iconic hero, a dangerous fanatic, or somewhere in-between? How do we view him now? How should we view him? How will history judge him? Are his views acceptable Halachic Jewish ones or are they a skewed interpretation of Halacha? What if anything do other religious Jewish leaders think about him… on both the right and left of the religious Jewish spectrum? What is the Orthodox consensus? Conservative? Reform? Secular? Indeed how does even the non Jewish world of the left or right view him?

Are his views more relevant now than ever or should they be once and for all discarded into the ash-bin of history?

This is an informal and unscientific poll but I am nevertheless curious what my readership thinks. If anyone is inclined to share their views about him, you need not identify yourself other than using an alias – although as always - I think one should stand by his views and not hide behind them. I would also ask - if you are so inclined - to tell us a bit about your background so we know where you are coming from.