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| Charedi Soldier hung in effigy (Arutz Sheva) |
A step in the right direction. The Jerusalem Post
reports that the extremist Charedim behind ‘a vitriolic campaign of incitement
and harassment against Haredi IDF officers involved in recruiting Haredi
conscripts, as well as against enlisted Haredi soldiers’ - have been found. A
Charedi IDF officer hired detectives to find them. They were sued by
him in court. The suit was successful and the court awarded him over 500,000 Shekel.
I said it was a step. But it is a baby step. One
that could use a lot of nourishment. One of the more unfortunate circumstances in
right wing circles is that even though the majority of their mainstream rabbis
don’t approve of that kind of behavior, and have even condemned it, they have
not gone far enough. They still consider the people that harbor and inspire these extremists to be a part of their right wing religious community. They have refused to call them out in ways that are
similar to the way they have called out the extreme left.
In part I believe that their justification for a more tolerant view of right wing extremists this is that they are fighting for the same religious principles. Their disagreement
is only with their tactics. Which end up becoming a Chilul HaShem. They refuse,
however, to take the next step and reject them from Orthodoxy the way they have
with the extreme left.
I realize of course that the problem the right wing
leadership has with each extreme is different. They see the extreme left crossing
lines of Halacha in the sense of tolerating heretical beliefs and, among other things, advocating inappropriate roles for women in Judaism.
The extreme right is seen as observant of Halacha.
They do not tolerate heretical beliefs and do not advocate inappropriate roles for
women. Not only that, but they even see their stringent way of life as most
admirable. I have seen more than one
article in Charedi publications about the world in which these extremists
reside (either physically or spiritually) - painting their way of life in the
most glowing of terms. It is almost as if when someone has a beard and peyos
and dresses a certain way they are automatically part of our group.
What the right wing leadership seems to fail to
acknowledge is that their religiosity extends only in the realm of Bein Adam
LaMakom (BALM). Their Bein Adam L’Chavero (BALC) is extremely limited to those
people with their own narrow Hashkafos. Those that have a different Hashkafa
are rejected by these extremists groups. They consider them unworthy of any respect. Instead they see them worthy their disdain. Even if those others are right wing themselves. Which is why they
can harass in the most grievous of ways fellow Charedim that have joined the
army. And why they can stage mass protests or a ‘Day of Rage’ at the expense of
everyone else. Including other Charedim.
They are zealots in that cause to the point of some of their more violent among them inflicting physical harm on Charedi soldiers. This is a clear violation of
BALC.
Violating BALC is a far greater departure from God’s
will than BALM since violating BALC includes a violation of BALM as well. And
yet the right wing extremists are still considered within the fold. Saying that
their behavior is a Chilul HaShem while praising their way of life is a contradiction.
True, not all of them are zealots. But they are all of the same opinion about
Charedi soldiers or how to address those grievances.
Why is there greater tolerance of right wing
extremists over left wing extremists? Despite their strong criticism of the Chilul
HaShem they cannot get themselves to reject these
people from Ortodoxy itself. Apparently their BALM is just too admirable. Their
BALC may be defective. But their BALM is so great that they cannot be rejected. They also look ‘Frum’. Charedi leaders look at
them and see themselves. It is almost as if they are looking in the mirror. How
can they expel from Orthodoxy people that are so Medakdek in Shmiras Shabbos, and Kashrus, and matters of Tznius? ...people that are ‘Moser Nefesh’ for that way of life? They just can’t do it. Besides they are really fighting the same fight albeit in misguided ways.
Right wing leaders lavish praise on BALM and
rarely deal with BALC. Chalav Yisroel, Yashan, Tznius, Torah study, rejection of the outside world… these
are the virtues most often extolled. Treating a fellow religious Jew whose Hashkafa is different than yours with respect – not so much.
One doesn’t have to look too far to see examples of this. When Satmar had a rally supporting the Charedim in Israel that
refused to register for the draft, it included at least one mainstream Charedi Rabbinic
leader. When Rav Matisyahu Solomon organized an Assifa (gathering) at Citifield
a few years ago he invited Satmar to participate and agreed to whatever demand
they made just to have them there. And
yet when it comes to honoring a Talmid Chacham from Yeshiva University… No way.
The ‘Grand Rabbi’ of a minor Chasidic sect
can sit on their main dais at the Siyum Hashas held every 7 ½ years right along
with members of the Moetzes. But not Rosh Yeshiva form YU. Despite the fact
that there are many moderate right wing rabbis that will tell you privately
that they don’t agree with this policy.
Therein lies the problem. Rejecting the extremists
of the right may not change the facts on the ground. The terrible behavior
taking place in Israel by right wing extremists will likely continue. But so too will the behavior of the extremists
on the left. The right wing leadership reacted to the left by throwing them out
of Orthodoxy. Isn’t it time for them to do the same thing to the right? Not because
it will change anything. But because it is the right thing to do.
