The following post was submitted by a Charedi Rebbe in a
Yeshiva high school for over 20 years in a small town. I know his identity but
he asked for anonymity for personal reasons which I accepted.
Considering his circumstances and the fact that he identifies
as Charedi, I believe he presents an important perspective on issues I
frequently discuss. His words follow.
This post is adapted from my online book called
"Getting Torah Right" (https://gettingtorahright.org/)
A Jewish community - representing the Jewish nation as a
whole - is expected to be an inspiration and guide to its members and to anyone
it encounters. It's not enough to quietly and privately observe God's Torah:
the
Jewish people's example must elevate the entire world
(Yeshaya 49:6).
We must live lives of morality and justice whose wisdom
enlightens and warms all around us (Devarim 4:6). We are instructed to take an
active interest in the health and well being of all our neighbors, Jew and
non-Jew (Yirmiya 29:5-7). Individuals who don't actively work for the general
good of society (אין עוסקין בישובו של עולם) are deeply mistrusted.
How closely does your community fit that vision?
# Isolationism
I understand why Jews might want to cut themselves off from
the secular world. There's plenty out there we'd be wise to avoid. But as with
anything in life, it's important to weigh a possible solution against its
consequences. Cigarettes might help you manage stress, but there's a very good
chance they'll also kill you.
What's the negative side of isolation?
Consider this. If you're raised to believe that you can't
engage with the world around you because the people who live there are טמאים ומושחתים
how likely is it that you'll grow up treating them with respect? Isn't it more
likely that you'll look at "goyim," "freiya," and
"modernisha" as subhuman "untouchables"?
Here's another thought. If you're raised to believe that
they're all טמאים ומושחתים who unjustly impose their unholy laws and taxes on
us (and prosecute "tzadikim" who they think are criminals), then how
likely is it you'll grow up to respect your country's laws and practices? Isn't
it more likely that you'll instead choose to live in a shadow economy where
"goyishe" laws and safety standards are ignored and various flavors
of theft and fraud are rationalized?
One more thought. No community gets everything perfect. We
can all improve. And in a world that's constantly changing, the need to
intelligently address new challenges becomes all the more urgent. But if you're
convinced that you're surrounded by טמאים ומושחתים and that you've got a
permanent monopoly on the truth, then you will probably lack the basic
psychological capacity to change and grow.
All this happens. Not everyone living in isolated
communities is involved of course, but far too many are. Stories describing the
proliferation of violence, crime, and corruption in many Charedi communities
regularly reach me. In disbelief, I often ask friends and relatives who live in
Israel whether those stories are exaggerated and they all sadly tell me
"No. This is the way it really is."
Millions of dollars are regularly stolen from both American
and Israeli government programs to fund non-existent or non-compliant yeshivos.
Charedi politicians and public officials are frequently arrested, tried, and
imprisoned for serious crimes. Public riots involving violence and shocking
disregard for the rights and needs of others are common.
I'm well aware of the many wonderful things that go on in
even the most isolated kehillos. And since every group has its criminals it
should hardly surprise us to learn that Orthodox Jews have them, too. But that
doesn't excuse bad behavior. Should being "no worse than anyone else"
be enough for a nation that's supposed to be nurtured by God's Torah? And
besides, some of the crimes we're seeing here require the cooperation - or at
least complicit silence - of hundreds or even thousands of neighbors. To some
degree, the crime seems to be embedded within the culture itself.
There is in many communities a stench not only of burning
garbage dumpsters and diaper-strewn streets, but of disgusting moral
corruption. And of a society where many have lost their moral bearings and
others are too frightened to say anything. Where's the kiddush Hashem in all
that ugliness?
# Where do you stand?
Whether you like it or not, you do actively benefit by
living within your country, state, and city. Each time you take public transit
or drive along a safe, well-lit highway, you're enjoying the fruits of
taxation. (Subway fares, you might be surprised to learn, don't fully cover the
actual cost of your ride: the service is subsidized.) And who can say he's not
protected from some pretty nasty enemies by his country's military and police
forces?
The fact that you willingly accept benefits acquired through
taxpayer-provided funds means you acknowledge your government has the legal and
halachic right to collect those taxes. After all, if they didn't have that
right, you'd be benefiting from stolen goods (שו"ע חו"מ שס"ט ב).
And the fact that you accept a country's currency as payment for goods and
services, means that you recognize its legal status (רמב"ם גזילה ואבידה פ"ה
הל' י"ח).
The government, representing its citizens, provides you with
valuable services. In return, your fellow citizens have the right to expect
you'll behave responsibly. At a bare minimum that would require you to observe
the law and protect the common good. Ideally, you'll do all this freely and
with a generous spirit. Your attitude, in fact, may count for more than your
actions.
So building a healthy relationship with the people around
you is definitely something worth working on. Given the fact that governments
and secular institutions are themselves no strangers to corruption and crime,
there's nothing to be gained by pretending this will be easy. In the face of
often justified cynicism of the public sector, maintaining a healthy idealism
in your communal activities can be a challenge.
# Finding a balance
How should things work? Torah values and halachic behavior
must always dominate our lives. If we ever find ourselves forced to choose
between the Torah and a clearly conflicting social requirement, then we'll
unquestionably stand firmly on the side of Torah. But seriously: how often is
that going to happen? Remember, the conflict has to be clear.
Most of the time, thinking through the issue objectively
will show you that you'll be better off keeping your head down and avoiding a
confrontation altogether. Sometimes halacha will allow - or even require - you
to "compromise" just a bit. And sometimes you've just misunderstood
the conflict...or the true halacha.
The bottom line: you must always be a ben Torah. But who
said ostentatiously flaunting it in
public will lead to kiddush Hashem?
