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| Protesting Charedim - Photo credit: Jewish Press |
In last week’s
Parsha (Shemos – 3:13) we have the
unlikely scenario of Moshe Rabbenu asking his father in law, Yisro permission (as
Rashi explains) to go to Egypt and fulfill the word of God. The obvious question is, why would Moshe do
that? Why not go immediately to the task at hand? Is he not delaying the word of
God thereby disobeying Him to a certain extent? The answer is given by the
Alter of Slabodka, Rav Nosson Tzvi Finkel (…not the late Rosh Yeshiva of the
Mir but his ancestor, for whom he was named). It was precisely for this character
trait that Moshe was selected to be the leader of his people. The chacter trait
of Hakoras HaTov (expressing gratitude). Says, the Alter, without this trait, he would not have been
worthy of being the leader the people of Israel.
We are told
that Yisro was an idol worshipper. One of his many names was Putiel, which Rashi tells us indicated his ‘job’ (so to speak) was to fatten cattle for idol sacrifices.
This name is mentioned in this week’s Parsha (Va’erah- 6:25) in the context of describing lineages. Putiel
was not only Moshe’s father in law, he was also Elazar’s (Aaron’s son) father
in law.
When I saw
this Dvar Torah yesterday, it reminded me of a Siyum on Shas I attended last
year. It was given by one of my Mechutanim - the father in law of one of my daughters.
During his Drasha, he mentioned the old joke about people who prayed to God
to save them from a rising flood. It goes something like this:
Some people found themselves on the top of a house during a flood. A series of 3 rescue attempts ensued. And with each attempt they rejected the help saying
that they were waiting for salvation form the Lord. Of course they ended up
drowning when the flood reached the roof they were on. When they approached God in the next word, they asked Him why He didn’t
answer their prayers for salvation. He answered. I sent you help three times
and you refused it!
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| Theodor Herzl |
My Mechutan compared that joke to God sending us Herzl to found modern Zionism. Herzl, he said, was sent by God to save
the Jewish people - persecuted throughout the ages since the second Temple era - by giving them back their land. He followed that up by
asking why is there no recognition in certain
religious circles of that help? Yes, Herzl was not religious in the traditional
sense of the word. But that does not absolve them of both recognizing him as
God’s messenger and expressing Hakoras Hatov to both Herzl and God for sending
him. We don't know why God chose this secular Jew as His messenger. But we do know that it was God who sent him.
The Torah
teaches that without acknowledging gratitude to those who have helped you – you
are not worthy of leadership… even if the individual that helps you is an idol
worshiper!
The attitude
of the Charedi rabbinic leadership in Israel – not only does not express
gratitude for what Herzl created, they condemn him as an evil man whose mission was to destroy the Torah. The same thing is true in how they treat his spiritual heirs, the
current Israeli political leadership. Until relatively recently, this government funded
their schools, and exempted all of them from the draft. They have also provided
protection of their lives via the IDF. They have also provided the
infrastructure that gives them modern conveniences they might otherwise not
have. Roads, super-highways, bridges, tunnels, clean water, a sewer system, sidewalks,
affordable health care, a 21st century communications network… I
could go on. But you get the idea.
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| Poster declaring the draft to be 'Gzeiras HaShmad' - Photo credit: Jewish Press |
What was
their response to all that? Aside from a few very positive statements from
Gedolim like Rav Chaim Shumlevitz and Rav Nosson Tzvi Finkel, there was - and is - mostly
condemnation. They have taken all that Israel has done for them in the past for
granted with the attitude of, “What have you done for me lately?!”
I understand
that they now feel under siege. I completely disagree with their perspective on
this. But I guess if you get used to being treated a certain way, it is not going to
sit well with you if some of those expected things get taken away.
But that
does not take away the responsibility of a leader in Klal Yisroel to express
Hakaros HaTov for what they have always done for them. The fact is that for a great number of these
leaders, there is no HaKoras HaTov. Instead they are fighting Israel as though
they were living in 1492 Spain. One
fellow, Moshe A., got himself arrested
as a martyr for the cause. From the Jewish Press:
Moshe A. was following the command of Rabbi Shmuel Auerbach, leader of the Jerusalem Lithuanian Haredim, who declared the effort to recruit yeshiva students “gzeirat shmad,” tantamount to the medieval church’s attempts to convert Jews by force.
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| Rav Shmuel Auerbach |
They called it a kidnapping by the government into a military prison! I do not
believe that Rav Auerbach is in any way living up to his father’s legacy. I don’t know how Rav Shlomo Zalman, his
father, would have reacted to the current situation. He probably would have
been on board with opposing what the government is doing here. But one thing I
am sure of. He would certainly not have
reacted the way his son did.
Charedim:
Heed the words of the Alter. Without Hakoras HaTov, there is no leadership in Israel. Be
keenly aware that what is happening today is the opposite of that.
