Ignoring Agudah

R' Soloveitchik (seated next to him, (L-R) R' Aharon Kotler and Irving Bunim

‘I could not care less what’s going on in Agudah!’ This is more or less the translation of comment made in Yiddish by Rav Soloveitchick during an address to a group of Yeshiva University alumni. I believe it was back in the 70s. 

Sometimes Agudah will say something that makes me think that the Rav’s view is pretty good advice for all of us. Especially in light of the recent statement of principles issued by them. Agudah has implied that any connection to Zionism is a departure from the Torah. A statement that implicitly places Religious Zionism and the views of my Rebbe, Rav Ahron Soloveichik, beyond the pale of Orthodoxy.

Rav Ahron strongly believed that the return of the land of Israel into Jewish hands in May of 1948 was a miracle worthy of saying Hallel annually on that date (Yom Ha’atzmaut) - without a Bracha. Although he was not of the opinion that the establishment of the state was ‘Reshis Tzemichas Geulaseinu’  (the first flowering of our redemption from exile) he proudly supported the Religious Zionist Movement, had been the honorary president of the Chicago branch, and approved of reciting the blessing of the state composed by the Israeli Chief Rabbinate (sans that expression). 

Here is the reason Agudah issued this statement:

The Zionist movement have implied that Chareidi Jews have accepted the Jerusalem Program of the World Zionist Organization. This Program, which is a statement of the Zionist ideology, declares Zionism to be “the national liberation movement of the Jewish people” and avers to “the centrality of the State of Israel . . . in the life of the nation.”

Agudah says that this ideology rejects the Torah. This is the reason that Rav Aharon Feldman - one of their Moetzes members - objected to participation in the World Zionist Organization election a few months ago. In order to vote one had to pay a minimal fee and sign a declaration agreeing with their Zionist principles. Even though a huge turnout steered more of the very needed WZO funds in their direction, he believed that by signing that we would in essence be selling out for money - the principles of the Torah by which religious Jews live. 

But he was overruled by the vast majority of Poskim that did not feel that way. They believed it was a legitimate way of increasing needed funds. But now that the WZO has declared that by their participation the Charedi world now accepts their principles, it turns out Rav Feldman's fears were well founded. 

But I still disagree.  I do not understand WZO principles as necessarily conflicting with the Torah. It is the Torah that makes us a people. And not the state alone as a political entity. Religious Zionists believe that too. That one sees the State of Israel as the first flowering of the messianic era is not a contradiction. Whether one believes it is or not.

Even though Religious Zionists place a very high value on the existence of the State and its centrality, place a high value on making Aliyah (immigrating there), and believe that the return of Israel into Jewish hands will usher in the final redemption of the Jewish people - they nonetheless fully understand that it is not the state that makes us a people. The Torah does that.

I understand that Agudah disagrees with them about the centrality of the state. But to imply that it is heresy to partner with Zionism is both untrue and unfair. Instead of fostering unity, this statement is about as divisive as I can imagine at a time where we should be more united than ever as observant, believing Jews! 

Agudah accepts them lovingly as Jews? That’s nice. All Jews should be accepted lovingly. I’m sure Agudah would agree and say that even  secular Zionist Jews - most of whom are ignorant about the Torah. But they are placing Religious Zionist Jews in same category. Or worse – implying that those who believe in Religious Zionism should know better because they are not ignorant.

Agudah refers to themselves and their adherents as Charedi. Directing their words to Charedim as though they are the only Orthodox group whose beliefs are fully authentic. 

If that’s what they believe, then Rav Soloveitchik was right. They are truly worthy of being ignored.

It's Not His Fault!

CBS Morning News (Screenshot) 

I just gotta say that blaming Trump for the increased number of COVID patients is proving to be just as false as I said it was from the very beginning. 

He hasn’t done enough?! Sure. We can all do a ‘woulda, coulda, shoulda’ and dump the blame entirely on the President. Which the media is more than happy to do daily. Not to mention all Democrats and Never-Trumpers. It should therefore be no surprise that the public feels that way about him too.

When the airwaves are saturated with that message - and anyone paying the slightest bit of attention knows that we are now seeing more cases of COVID then ever before – with dire predictions by health officials that ‘We ain’t seen nothin yet’, the man at the top is understandably going to be blamed.

But does Trump actually deserve that blame? The facts say otherwise. What facts? The facts being reported by the anti Trump mainstream media themselves. Although never relating those exculpatory facts to Trump. 

Here are the facts. There has been an unprecedented spike of COVID cases all over the world. Mostly in Europe. Which accounts for more than half the cases of COVID worldwide. 

Europe! You know… the continent that hates Trump more than the mainstream American media in this country does. (And that’s being kind.) The leaders of Europe have been championed here by the left, the media, and all the Never-Trumpers for doing what Trump refused to do. Which is to take the pandemic more seriously, issue strict guidelines, and behave in a manner that reflected it. Which is what many European leaders did. In some European countries fines or worse were the consequences if those restrictions were violated.

A lot of good that has done!

One might ask, Why has the serious nature most European leaders had and the guidelines that generated - not worked? The answer is the same now as it was when I first gave it. The plain fact is that too many people just don’t care what their leaders say. They do what they want. 

Which means that they refuse to take the COVID virus seriously - if they believe it exists at all.  That is because the ‘enemy’ (the virus) is invisible. Most people don’t get infected by it. Life goes on. People are walking around maskless to no apparent ill effects. Many will erroneously conclude that the whole thing is a hoax. 

And even among those that do believe it is real, they don’t believe they are going to get it. Or if they do they will one of the majority of cases that do not get symptoms. Or that even if they do get symptoms, they won’t be serious. Worst case scenario - they will recover and get on with their lives. That is why so many people (especially young adults) are congregating indoors, reveling in bars and eating in retausrants without masks or social distancing. In some cases people are hosting groups of people (e.g. maskless extended family and friends) in their own homes. 

This attitude also explains the massive protests going on in in France right now in opposition to President Macron’s new lockdown order in his renewed attempt to reduce those numbers. They do not want to lose their businesses or income again. 

Of course no matter how obvious it is that the increased number of COVID cases in the US is not Trump’s fault - it will nonetheless fall on deaf ears in many cases. The left, the Never-Trumpers, and the media, will continue to point to all of the things Trump said or did wrong - or did not do that he should have - and ask with incredulity, How can anyone say it is not his fault! 

My answer is simple. Unless you think all the Europeans responsible for the massive COVID numbers are MAGA people - the facts speak for themselves. 

I will therefore repeat what I have been continuously been saying. It wouldn’t matter who the President is – or what he says or does. There would be no difference in the number of cases. 

I think that deep down the media, the left, and the Never-Trumpers know that. Or at least they should. But they are nonetheless capitalizing on the unprecedented number of COVID cases – using it to show just how inept the President has been. 

I firmly believe that Biden’s promises that he will do better in this regard is a promise that he will be unable to keep. No mater what he tries to do that is different from his predecessor.   

Did the President make mistakes? Of course he did.  But that would have been true in any administration. The mistakes may not be the same, but there surely would have been mistakes of one type or another. 

Finally, to once again be  absolutely clear about my motives here -  none of what I have just said should be taken as an endorsement of the President’s re-election. That is far from the case. I am neither a MAGA person nor a Never-Trumper. Just someone who likes to tell the truth. A truth that should be obvious to everyone - but will unfortunately be hidden to some by personal biases.

The Pandemic and Charedi Dropouts

Yeshiva students at the beach (VIN)

A few days ago, my assertion that there has been a major increase in the number of Charedim going OTD was challenged. I was asked on what this was based. I thought it was an odd question since there has been so much written about it in the Charedi media. Many programs have in fact been established in the Charedi world to deal with this exact issue. 

There is no possible way for me to know what another person is thinking. But my guess is that the person who challenged me was in the typical state of denial when confronting a reality that does not fit with their worldview. In his case it might mean that the Charedi of life of which he is a part - could not possibly be so detrimental that it would result in significant numbers of their young going OTD.

This is a subject that has given me a great deal of pain. Not because I am God forbid against Charedim. But precisely for the exact opposite reason. I care very much about a segment of Judaism that is so devoted to serving God.  

The vast majority of Charedim are among the most idealistic, refined, and caring people I know. And as a whole - have had the benefit of the most intensive religious education in of all Jewry. People whose lives are permeated with Torah. This is why I care. A lot. I can’t ignore them. I am my brother’s keeper!

Back to the issue at hand. Despite denials to the contrary, an article in VIN indicates the reality: 

Dr. Asaf Malchi of the Israel Democratic Institute (IDI) says in a new study that there is a “spiritual epidemic” of huge proportions in the Chareidi public and an unprecedented number of youths leaving both the yeshivas and chareidi society. 

In the past seven months, thousands of chareidi yeshiva students have found themselves without a framework and the dropout rate, which had always existed in a minor way, has soared as a result. Malchi has unofficial data of 15% hidden dropouts, meaning that they are only partially within a framework. 

The obvious question is, why? Why are so many Charedi young people going OTD?  Here is what some of the rabbis in Israel who are involved in religious education are saying: 

(Rabbi Shimon M): I have no doubt that the government and other elements have found the opportunity to disturb the normal regimen of the yeshivos. They simply want to cause the chareidi public to disintegrate. They know that the yeshivos are the central anchor of chareidi society and they are trying to harm this aspect... 

(Rabbi Shlomo B): …considers the smartphone the most dangerous foe of yeshiva students during coronavirus. “There’s no studies, kids are bored and they realize that it would be fun to meet at a cookout. There’s always one who doesn’t belong to the yeshiva students and brings a smartphone. The first time they see it they are shocked at what it contains, the second time they are less shocked and take a few peeks and by the third time they ask for it. Watching such content drags them inexorably towards other negative influences which could eventually lead them on to the streets... 

David, a chareidi registrar for yeshivos, also sees boredom as a cause of negative behaviors: “In the first week of the closure of yeshivos I came to the seaside. I met tens of students from one of the most prestigious Bnei Brak yeshivas. They were swimming and having fun on the separate beach. The second week they played with beach bats and by the third week they had professional beach bat kits. In the fourth week I was amazed to see them playing backgammon and smoking nargilas as if it was their home. They came  as sweet students and after a month they were street boys. 

As if to underscore the ‘insidious evil’ of the secular world Rabbi Shlomo B added the following:

“take me, for example. I never in my life listened to the radio. When did I have time for it? Since the pandemic started I find myself listening daily to the news. This is the bad influence of coronavirus.”

When being well informed about what is going on in the world during a national health crisis is considered a bad thing, you know there is a problem.  

I can’t get over just how detached from reality people entrusted with educating young people are. Not only do their explanations fall far short of the real problem, their suggestions about how to deal with it are equally detached from reality. Which in a nutshell seems to be doubling down on isolating their youth from the real world: 

Chareidi rosh yeshivas feel its time for mesiras nefesh (giving up one’s life). Rabbi Yisrael Landa, a Jerusalem rosh yeshiva, says that “corona is life-threatening but for a Jewish girl kidnapped by gentiles we can desecrate Shabbos to return her to religion. A situation where students are sitting at home is dangerous and one could desecrate shabbos to prevent it, it’s that dangerous.” 

It is almost as though they believe that if it doesn’t work, do it more. The thought of broadening their educational base, is anathema to them. Even the idea of getting a job that is not a Torah based one like a teacher, Sofer, or Mohel is frowned upon. 

They seem to believe that if they do not continue with business as usual, it will ruin yeshivas.

According to Dr. Malachi, Until the pandemic, OTD Charedim were mostly from the homes of Baalei Teshuva or Sephardim. But now with all the prolonged closures it’s hitting the mainstream.

The funny thing is that I agree that outside influences have been detrimental to the Charedi world. But that’s only because they have treated any outside influence as evil. No matter how innocuous or even beneficial it might be.  

When Limudei Chol (secular studies) is seen as a negative or at best a wasteful influence; when any recreational activity is seen the same way; when any job that is not in Torah is frowned upon... what do they expect would happen when their young suddenly find themselves outside of their cocoon and exposed to outside influences? Once their young see what the outside world is really all about, they also see that not all of it is evil. That begets confusion about what actually is evil. It is not a great leap from there to reject everything they have been taught.    

This is not the first time I have said this. And it won't be the last. But in my view the right approach is to broaden their educational base to include a decent secular studies curriculum in their schools through high school. And to allow extra curricular activities in their free time that do not contradict their values. Such as participating in sports.  

There are very few people capable of 24/7 Torah study to the exclusion of all else. And there are more than a few that would benefit themselves, their families, and Klal Yisroel by pursuing a career using whatever God given strengths and talents they have, rather then redirecting that energy into something that at best they will be mediocre at. 

This is not to say that they should give up Torah study. Of course they shouldn’t. Torah study should still be considered primary - even if they must spend many more hours where their individual natural talents lead them. This is what a Torah nation should be all about. 

It’s just too bad that very few Charedi leaders believe in that. Which may very well mean that the drop out rate will explode beyond anyone’s imagination. Which is why I will continue to talk about it no matter how unlikely it is for things to change. Because the truth matters.

A Bad Psak

I know he means well. Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef truly believes he has discovered a major problem plaguing the Jewish people. One which he feels he must warn us about lest massive numbers of women continue sinning albeit inadvertently so. But a sin still a sin regardless of intent. And once we become aware that it is a sin and continue doing it, it becomes deliberate and far more serious. 

What sin is he referring to that is so terrible? The cardinal sin of Avodah Zara – idol worship. A cardinal sin we are sooner to die for rather than commit. We are to choose death over idol worship. 

I’m sure not too many people know what I am talking about. But the truth is that this is not a new problem. If it is indeed a problem at all. I am here to tell you it is not. 

I am not a Posek. But others who are - have studied this issue and have long ago Paskined. It is what we might call ‘settled law’.  But according to this Posek that is far from the case. From Arutz Sheva: 

Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef, the Chief Sephardic Rabbi of Israel, denounced the custom of married women wearing wigs, saying during his weekly lecture Sunday that wearing wigs brings “idolatry” into the wearer’s home… claiming that the hair used to make virtually all wigs sold today are collected during “idolatrous” rituals. 

“I looked into the matter, and found that the hair used is almost always from idolatry. 

This is not a new issue as noted in the article:

In 2004, claims that most hair used to make wigs sold to the haredi public originated from “idolatrous” rituals led to mass public burnings of wigs deemed to be “non-kosher”.

The claims were sparked by an investigation by rabbis into the commercial collection of hair used for the wigs, most of which are made from hair cut in India as part of a ritual in honor of the Hindu deity Vishnu.

Upon further investigation at the time it was determined that the hair from India is not used for idol worship at all - despite appearances to the contrary. Apparently, Rabbi Yosef could not leave well enough alone. He had to see for himself what was happening and decided that it was used for idol worship after  all. Casting aspersions on the the Psak issued then as well as the thousands of women who have been wearing these wigs since then.

I said that he means well since his goal is to prevent the Jewish people from committing a serious sin. But I have to wonder if there wasn’t a little bit of subliminal bias behind this Psak. Here are some additional comments he made: 

The Chief Rabbi also criticized the practice of wearing wigs on the grounds of modesty.

“What does the Torah mean when it says ‘let the hair of the woman's head go loose’ ? We learn from here that a woman must wear a hair covering, for modesty. What kind of ‘modesty’ did the Torah refer to? With a wig? I’m not talking about Halacha [Jewish law], I’m talking about common sense. This is modesty? This is the madness of girls.” 

I suspect that his Psak might have had some sort of unconscious motivation. When an issue as serious as this has long ago been thoroughly investigated and determined not to be a problem, the fact that Rabbi Yosef decided to reinvestigate it is suspect. That he saw a problem is not a reason to negate the previous Psak. 

Does he think his investigation was more accurate? Or is it that he read into it things which were not there because of how he felt in general about using a wig to cover a married woman’s hair? It might also be the case that he has bias based  on the fact that Sephardi Poskim do  not allow wigs to be used for that purpose?

I am so tired of people who think they are saving Jewish souls by making life harder on them. In fact his Psak may very well do more harm than good. I believe that a lot fewer women would cover their hair had they not been permitted to use a high quality wig to do so. I believe that  instead - it would have fallen into almost complete disuse. That is in fact the direction it was going in prewar Lithuania, the epicenter of the Torah world in Europe. Married Orthodox Jewish women increasingly stopped covering their hair. As did secular women before them.

Which is understandable considering that the idea of a married woman covering her hair as a matter of modesty makes absolutely no sense since unmarried woman  have no such requirement. Is it possible that we allow our unmarried women to be immodest? I don’t think so. And yet married women that don't are considered immodest?! That contradiction is the kind of thing that can easily dissuade women from covering their hair - since the rest of society doesn’t and are considered quite modest (assuming they dress accordingly).

 I therefore strongly object to both Rabbi Yosef’s Psak against wigs and his attack against women who wear them. Instead of improving observance of this Mitzvah which may have been his conscious goal, he may have actually contributed to causing its abandonment by more than a few women.

The Letter and the Rally

It’s complicated. At least for someone like me.  But that is not the way most Orthodox Jews feel about the President. The vast majority support him (over 80% according to a recent poll undertaken by one of the Charedi magazines). In most cases enthusiastically. It is also not complicated for the relatively small minority of Orthodox Jews that do no support him at all. They consider him a disaster. His behavior and rhetoric the antithesis of our values as observant Jews.

As I have noted many times, I have mixed feelings about him. 

The lion's share of Orthodox support is among Charedim, the largest and fastest growing segment of Orthodoxy. Where Daas Torah rules. And yet there is rebellion in the ranks. I do not recall a time where a card carrying Charedi Jew dared to disagree with his Daas Torah. But it is happening even if those that disagree will twist themselves into a pretzel with explanations trying to deny it. Their disagreement is just too obvious. 

One such dissident is Mishpacha Magazine columnist Eitan Kobre.  He is so disgusted by the President that from the very start of his 2016 campaign Rabbi Kobre refused to mention his name in his column. And although he has recently begun to do so, it is almost exclusively in a negative context.

 At this point it is worth trying to define exactly what is meant by Daas Torah.  The simple meaning is ‘wisdom of the Torah. Which in essence  the wisdom of God. best expressed by those with the greatest amount of Torah knowledge. Daas Torah is not so much about Halacha. It is more about Hashkafa. In the Charedi world that wisdom is sought on a variety of personal matters. And it is offered by them on a variety of public policy matters. Those vested with that kind of authority are usually called Gedolim in the Yeshiva world. Chasidim do not refer to it as Daas Torah. But see their Chasidic Rebbes possessing it with even greater authority.

Daas  Torah is being expressed now about the next election.  

Mishpacha Magazine recently republished a letter written back in June. It was a letter of appreciation to the President issued by a group of rabbis deemed qualified to express Daas Torah. It included members of the Agudah Moetzes and many Chasidic Rebbes.  While it was not an endorsement of the President’s  re-election - a glowing letter like that makes it hard to imagine that they would not support him. 

The over 80% of Orthodox Jewry supporting the president don’t need Daas Torah on this one. As noted, most are enthusiastic supporters. As a rally by Orthodox Jews in New York yesterday must have demonstrated. Not that we didn’t already know that. But that rally publicized it more publicly than ever before.

The problem with that kind of enthusiasm by Orthodox Jews is that it makes us appear like we could not care less about the character of the man that leads the country. As long as we get our way on the things that matter specifically to us. It is almost as though the President could be a mass murderer for all we care. Of course none of us would support a mass murderer. But it almost seems that way to the casual observer. I can hear someone saying that.

Is this how we want the world to see us? Do we want to be seen as so self centered that we could not care less about other important issues.  Issues that matter a great deal to the entire country if not the world? What does this level of support say about us?  

This is not so say whether we should or should not vote for him. But even if you believe he is the right choice, the enthusiasm is a massive mistake.You cannot be a light unto the nations if you view this President as the next best thing to the Messiah. Which is what a letter like that and a  rally like the one in New York yesterday might indicate. 

Most people know that I support most of the Presdient’s polices – both domestic and foreign.  I am not going to go into detail. But even so, I am far from convinced that voting for him is the right thing to do. 

I therefore think Eytan Kobre has it right. He ends that column with a lament about that kind of support. Where instead of seeing his flaws which are major...

...it seems we will continue to engage in a feat of mental gymnastics whereby we proudly tout supposed solid frum support for the nation’s leader, while simultaneously shutting our eyes tight to the effect on our community of what he broadcasts in word and deed.

Is Orthodoxy in Danger?

In the beginning - Torah & science seem to agree - the Big Bang is Creatio ex Nihilo

 A fascinating question was asked on a Facebook forum to which I belong. 

Prior to the Holocaust, many Jews had succumbed to the influences of the enlightenment. They became skeptics and stopped being observant. For purposes of his post - the why and the how of that time is irrelevant. 

Since the Holocaust there has been a massive resurgence of Orthodoxy. Again – the why and how is irrelevant. The facts are there for everyone to see and analyze. 

Recently there has been a rise in the number of people going OTD in all segments of Orthodoxy. Once again raising the possibility that what happened in pre-war Europe will happen here.  It is not a significant number yet. (Although even one Jew losing his faith is a terrible loss.) But that doesn’t mean it can’t one day in the not too distant future become an uncontrollable crisis. I don’t think it will. More about that later. 

The reason this phenomenon is happening at all is because of the ease by which we can get information on any subject  these days. Those among us who are observant but have unanswered questions dealing with faith – such as contradictions seen between science and Torah or the arguments made by biblical scholarship – don’t have to go very far to find stratifying answers that they could not find in traditional sources. Sources that include parents, teachers and rabbis. 

(As an aside, I believe that the inability to answer these questions is a major flaw in how we educate our children. It is true that the literal explosion of Orthodoxy since the Holocaust  is due in large part to the creation of a  religious school system through at least high school. But what was missing in that education is the ability of parents, teachers, and rabbis to satisfactorily address the questions - answered better satisfaction by the ease of access to outside information.)

The question therefore becomes whether the answers these non traditional sources have to these questions will increasingly become more acceptable. Answers that tend to negate much of what our religious education had taught us. For example challenging some of the Torah narrative with scientific observations to the contrary. 

Will the increased access to these observations and logical conclusions offered that contradict the Torah’s validity eventually catch on with enough people to create a crisis of faith? Too great in number to ignore? That most of us were not properly prepared by our teachers to meet those challenges mean we are doomed? 

First, I believe that these challenges will not stop and that there will be more of us that will lose our faith. But I don’t believe that Orthodoxy is doomed. We are not all going to have some kind of epiphany and reject our beliefs. Even if those questions and challenges remain unanswered. 

That is because very nature of belief is not dependent on reason alone. Belief by definition is something that cannot be proven. If it could it would cease to be belief and become an observable scientific fact. Which is an impossibility when dealing with spiritual matters. And God is the ultimate Spiritual Being. 

This does not mean that all reason is to be rejected in favor of pure belief. Which Judaism refers to as Emunah Peshuta. Not ‘blind belief’ - a pejorative if I ever heard one. But pure belief. Pure belief is fine for some. But for me, belief is based on many factors. Many of which are rational but not all. Rationality cannot answer every question. That is when other factors come into play. Such as education, history, intuition and other intangibles. All of which add up to my being a believing Jew. 

Those of us who feel that explaining existence must be based on some sort of logical rational construct only, will be disappointed in any case. Logic itself can only go so far in explaining that. Ultimately it cannot really explain existence with complete certainty any more than pure belief can. 

Although a bit of an oversimplification, I believe this is how the subject should be approached from the very start of our educational lives. At least from that point when questions may first arise and discussion of them would be productive. If properly communicated, then when the almost inevitable contact with information challenging our beliefs, we will – as a people – be better prepared to find answers that will not disabuse us of our faith. 

Just my quick thoughts on the subject. 

Warning! This blog presumes belief in God and in His Torah. As always any attempt to debate these beliefs  is out of bounds and will be deleted when detected.

Selfish Deceptions

Photo for illustration purposes only (TOI)

I wish I could say that this kind of thing is an anomaly. I used to think so. But I see it again and again. It is not an anomaly at all. It is almost a way of life. Maybe not for all or even most. But for a heck of a lot of them.

The idea that a group of religious looking people will take matters into their own hands because they don’t like the rules they must live by, must be a religious doctrine for a lot of Chasidic people. It isn’t just Satmar. It isn’t just Belz. Or Vizhnitz, Or Skvere. Other Charedim have done it too. As have Religious Zionist Jews, secular Jews and non Jews. There are a lot of people that don’t like playing by the rules.

But it just seems that the lion’s share of violators are from large Chasidic groups like those I mentioned. It seems like almost every day a story like this from the Times of Israel pops up. I don't know for certain if they were Chasidim, But I would not be too surprised if they were: 

Police on Wednesday dispersed an ultra-Orthodox wedding held at an unexpected location — the Arab village of Kafr Qasim, east of Tel Aviv.

The reason for the choice in locale was because the bride and groom wanted to avoid detection while holding a wedding that violated coronavirus restrictions on mass gatherings

Under the partial lockdown in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19, weddings, like other outdoor events, are capped at 20 people. 

An eyewitness… said the revelers played Arabic music over the loudspeaker in an effort to blend into the surroundings… 

The wedding was reportedly held at a venue owned by a Kfar Qasim resident and video of the event showed dozens of guests not wearing masks or practicing social distancing. 

If they can get away with having a wedding with 10,000 guests, they are going to do it. If they can get away with opening up schools secretly by using side doors, they are going to do it. If they are prevented from having a wedding in Bnei Brak, they will go to an Arab city and have it there. 

I have no issue with Israeli Arabs. I have an issue with the dishonesty and deceptive lengths supposedly religious Jews will go to get what they want. Which now appears doing something like this 

Even if they don’t believe what health experts are telling them and consider government implementation of restrictive measures unnecessary and unfair, they are breaking the law. Which they apparently also do not much care about. Nor do they believe they may be spreading the virus to the more vulnerable among them. What about those of us that do care and believe the experts? They don’t care about us either. At least not as much as they do about themselves. 

Why are they like this? Why is it so easy for them to lie and deceive when it suits their purposes? 

Thankfully they were caught: 

The police announced in a statement that they broke up the wedding and fined the owner of the venue NIS 5,000 ($1,480) after accidentally coming across the gathering while in the area on an unrelated operation. 

I just hope no one gets sick or dies because of what they did.

The 'Absolute Morality' of Liberal Orthodoxy

*The pretense is gone! Liberal Orthodoxy is now the Torah of the left. It is a doctrine that is constantly being heard on campuses all over the land. A philosophy reflected by the media with little to no opposition. Mainstream America is becoming more liberal with each passing day. How can it not be?! ...being bombarded with a constant barrage of liberal thinking they hear on the airwaves each day.

To the orthodox liberal, conservative values are so terrible that if they raise their ugly head, it becomes necessary to beat those values down. By any means necessary.  Even if it means undermining the foundational democratic structure upon which this country was built - the three separate but equal branches of government. 

Which are the Executive (President), Legislative (Congress) and Judicial (The Court). The idea being that each branch should be a check and balance on the other two. Power is therefore supposed to be equally divided among those branches.

As this pertains to the Supreme Court they have the ability to rule on the constitutionality of any laws the Legislative branch passes. This is truly a great system. It has worked pretty well over these past 200 years. 

Not that the Judicial branch is entirely apolitical.  Members of the Supreme Court are chosen by a sitting President and then vetted and approved by the Senate. A liberal President will choose liberal justices and a conservative president will choose conservative justices. The Senate has for the most part approved quailifed candidates of either political persuasion. Even as ideologues on either side of the political aisle have tried to subvert nominees that they didn’t like. As was the case with the conservative, Robert Bork - who was successfully boycotted. 

Most of the time, that ploy doesn’t work. So that an Antonin Scalia will be approved just as a Ruth Bader Ginsburg would be. What often happens is that a court will have a majority of one political philosophy or the other. Although sometimes a justice will surprise you and not be the reliable conservative or liberal they were thought to be. 

That is the way it works. And as indicated our system of government has been working pretty well.  

Be that as it may, occasionally circumstances will produce a court heavily weighted politically to one side. When that happens the court will make decisions that reflect that philosophy. 

How does that happen? When a justice that dies or retires needs to be replaced, choosing a nominee belongs to the sitting President. Approving him or her belongs to the Senate. The nominee is pretty much of the same political philosophy of the President. Who was elected by the people. His choice in theory represents the will of the people that elected him. That seems fair to me. Very democratic in fact. When Democrats are in power you will get the Ginsburgs. When Republicans are in power you will get the Scalias. 

That is the way it should work. Our system of government should reflect the will of the people. And if elections are about anything, they are about that. When there is a change of power from one party to to other, the Justices remain as do their political perspectives. Until a vacancy opens up. Then the sitting President of that time chooses - again reflecting the will of the people that elected him. And so it goes.

That is about to change. And that is where Liberal Orthodoxy comes in. Those who are Orthodox that way are so convinced of their moral and ethical rectitude that only a Liberal Supreme Court will do. A Conservative Court is a blasphemy! An unconscionable  aberration that will undermine morality and decency itself. Liberalism is their Halacha... their immutable god. 

Undermining all the progress that has been made over the past few decades must not be allowed. It can not be undone by those 'godless' conservatives. They must do what's necessary to change it back to the sanity and basic decency that Liberalism so obviously is. If the court has six conservatives and 3 liberals, (as it soon will) well all you have to do is add 4 more liberal justices. And the Supreme Court stays pure and pristine. As it was before.

To cite one example that Liberal Orthodoxy champions, it is the right of a woman to have an abortion if she so chooses. Or to put it the sanitized way they do - they campion a woman's  reproductive rights. Which sounds so much more civilized... so much more ethical. Who would deny anyone the basic right to choose when to have a child? Except that what they really mean is the right to kill the fetus of an unwanted pregnancy. A potential life - destroyed because it would disrupt her life. That is the moral and ethical position of Liberal Orthodoxy. That is what they want to protect. That is worth undermining the independence of the court. Turning it into a rubber stamp of their agenda.  

The current Democratic Presidential nominee has basically admitted to the media that he is considering doing exactly that! Explaining that he will not let all the progress that has been made be destroyed. 

What about about that half of the country that does not agree with Liberal Orthodoxy - those of us that have a different kind of Orthodoxy? What about those of us that believe in the sanctity of life and are not willing to support abortion on demand? 

They might answer the question with a question: What do bible thumping, gun toting ignoramuses know about ethics and morality anyway?! 

(For the record, I am actually in favor of keeping the procedure legal. For religious reasons. I do not want a Halachic decision requiring abortion to be against the law. But I am ethically opposed to the way Liberal Orthodoxy sees it.  Which is assuring the a right of a woman to kill her fetus on demand.) 

*Updated - to correct an error about abortion rights

Acceptance of - or Changing One's Sexual Orientation

Rabbi Benny Lau (VIN)

Balance. That is one of the fundamental requirements of living in a world that is full of contradictions. I try to apply this concept in just about everything I do. No less on an issue like homosexuality. 

I have expressed my views on this subject many times. I will not go into detail here other than to say that I believe it is nearly impossible for someone who is attracted to members of the same sex (SSA) to change their sexual orientation.  Whether by nature or nurture trying to change that has proven to be a fool’s errand that could result in depression or suicide when unsuccessful. Which in the long term it almost always proves to be. 

That being the case, I have long ago advocated that people with SSA should be treated with dignity and should lovingly and warmly be accepted into our community - even if they end up committing the capital sin associated with homosexual behavior. 

Unless they publicly advocate such behavior and claim it to be normal, or pervert the Torah’s clear intent - claiming it to not be sinful at all – it is none of our business what goes on in the privacy of their own home. If a homosexual Jew wants to live an otherwise observant lifestyle he or she should be encouraged to do so regardless of who they are attracted to. And not be judged or summarily dismissed and rejected because of it. 

On the other hand if they treat their homosexuality as equal to heterosexuality and treat the sinful acts associated with it as completely normal and acceptable - that needs to be fully rejected. You cannot make something Kosher that is not Kosher. No matter how you feel about it. 

Which is one reason I am opposed to gay marriage.  Holy matrimony for a gay couple is an oxymoron. There is nothing holy about living together as husband and husband. Which is conducive to having a sinful sexual relationship. 

Balance. That is what I believe is the right approach here. Love the sinner. Hate the sin. You cannot love both. Nor should you hate both. 

Which brings me to Benny Lau, a prominent left wing modern Orthodox rabbi who recently made some controversial remarks on the subject. Here according to VIN is what he said: 

(P)eople with LGBTQ leanings should not be rejected by the orthodox world even if they choose to live with their spouse and do not try to change their sexual orientation. Lau claimed that if they are totally put off by normal marital status, they should not attempt to enter a regular marriage and added that he does not see a halachic issue in LGBTQ couples raising (children) together. 

I have been very critical of Rabbi Lau on other issues (such as the ordination of women). But I pretty much agree with him here. Except for the following. 

I have concerns about homosexual couples raising children. Since it would be practically impossible for a gay couple to transmit the idea that the sexual act most closely associated with gay men - is considered an abomination and a capital crime by the Torah. I would find it hypocritical to try and transmit that value to children (when they are old enough to understand it) - coming from parents that are likely engaging in that very behavior. 

Otherwise I have no problem with a gay couple raising a child. But the problem exists and I don’t know how a gay couple could possibly deal with it. Until that problem is solved, I would be against them raising children. 

I realize how painful it might be for a gay couple that wants to raise a child - to be denied that option. But sometimes life just isn’t fair. But it is not the end of the world. One can have a very productive and happy life even without children.  

That being said, I do have an issue with the anonymous writer in the VIN article. Here is what she opened with: 

“Today I thank G-d that I never met you, Rabbi Lau. You would definitely have told me that I can be orthodox and still flow with my feelings and leanings which “I was created with.” If I had taken your bad advice, all the wonderful things in my life would never have occurred. I read your letter with disgust and a feeling of frustration. 

First, it’s too bad that she feels so strongly about this that she was disgusted by Rabbi Lau. Which in my view indicates an unfair prejudice against a man whose only ‘crime’ here is a sympathetic view of gay people. But more importantly she expressed the idea that one’s sexual attractions can be changed. And she used herself as an example. 

I have to wonder, though, if she actually was gay. It appears that she only became ‘aware’ she was gay after a stint in the Israeli army. After slowly abandoning her religious Zionist upbringing she found herself sucked into the gay lifestyle. It was only then that she recognized her ‘true’ feelings. And apparently enjoyed being a part of that world. 

After awhile, at the urging of her parents she spoke to a Rebbetzin who eventually disabused her of her homosexual orientation. Fast forward today and she is happily married and lives with her husband, a Talmid Chacham, and her children. 

As indicated, I wonder if this young woman was ever really gay. Perhaps she was bisexual and was convinced by the arguments made by that Rebbetizin to focus only on the heterosexual side of her orientation. Or maybe she just tried out a  lifestyle that seemed to work for her at the time for a variety of reasons. Or maybe SSA for women is fundamentally different than it is for men. I honestly don’t know. 

In any case I highly doubt that this woman’s experience of being disabused from SSA would work for most gay people. On the contrary. Time and again conversion therapy has been proven to not be effective. In  has instead proven to be dangerous. I am very happy she found her true self. It’s just too bad that in the process someone like her that thought she was gay but was probably not - thinks she has proven that SSA can be changed. I don’t think she proved that at all.

How Can Religious People Support the President?

Among friends (Jerusalem Post)

This morning on the CBS Morning News, a 94 year old Evangelical Christian woman in Ohio (a battleground state where there is currently a statistical tie between Trump and Biden) was asked who she voted for in 2016 and who she will be voting for in 2020. She answered that in 2016 she held her nose and voted for Trump, the lesser of two evils. But this year she indicated that she is enthusiastically voting for Trump. 

Her response was not all that surprising to me. It is no secret that the majority of Evangelical Christians supported Trump in the last election and are supporting him now. It is also no secret that Orthodox Jews are in the same category. An astonishing 80% of them. That support crosses all Hashkafic lines. Although Charedi support is the lion’s share of that 80%, a smaller majority of Modern Orthodox Jews support him too. I should also mention that the 20% that oppose him are very strong in that opposition and pretty vocal about it. 

The phenomenon of religious people choosing a candidate whose behavior and rhetoric is practically the antithesis of religious values is the conundrum of our day. 

Those that oppose Trump cannot understand how religious people can vote for such a person. But the fact is that they do. Despite the obvious deep theological differences between Orthodox Jews and Evangelical Christians they do share many of the same values. Values that are based on shared biblical values. 

The answer given by that 94 year old Evangelical Christian was that ‘God works in mysterious ways’. Not sure how that answered his question but then added that Mike Pence, Trump’s trusted vice president, is very religious, proudly so and that she hopes that will rub off on Trump.  (That is obviously did not happen yet and is not going to happen.) 

But the question remains. How can religious people support a man like that? I think the answer is quite obvious. It is not what the President says or how he acts that they look at. It is what he does that matters to them. It is the polices he has implemented (and those he has yet to implement) that  are important to them. Not the least of which is placing 3 conservative members on the Supreme Court - who will surely protect religious rights more than a liberal court would. Although I am personally opposed to government restriction of abortion rights, it is clear that religious people value the life of a fetus over a mother’s right to abort it at her own discretion. Overturning Roe v Wade is one of their great causes.  Which is a stated goal of the President.   

Interestingly Joe Biden is a religious Catholic. Catholics are more opposed to abortion than Orthodox Jews are. But he is clearly on the side of being pro choice – separating his own personal views from that of the law of the land – which he of course supports despite what are surely his personal religious feelings about it. 

Most voters might feel this way, too. But religious people tend not to separate church from state when deciding who to vote for. They will support the candidate that most closely reflects their religious values. 

There is also the matter of support for Israel. Israel is an important theological issue for both Orthodox Jews and Evangelical Christians. We believe that all of biblical Israel belongs in Jewish hands. Which of course includes the West Bank.  Giving up a single inch of biblical Israel is not an option to Evangelical Christians  and the more strident elements among religious Zionists.  

Even though many Orthodox Jews, myself included, agree in principle that we have a God given right to all of biblical Israel, I believe that compromise for the sake of saving Jewish life supersedes that right. But Evangelical Christians and the more right wing elements of religious Zionists are not willing to give up an inch of territory under any circumstances.  

So when the President moved the US embassy to Jerusalem and declared Jerusalem to be the eternal capital of Israel, Orthodox Jews and Evangelical Christians celebrated. 

And then there was the incomparable support of Israel by Nikky Haley - Trump’s ambassador to the UN. 

Add to that the US recognition of Israel’s sovereignty of the Golan Heights, the abandonment of West Banks settlements as an issue, and getting two Arab nations to recognize Israel’s right to exist and getting them to establish diplomatic relations.. .well all of that is clearly a victory for those of us with biblical values who want to see Trump’s policies perpetuated. These policies fit very nicely into their  theological perspectives even though his character does not. 

And finally with respect specifically to Orthodox Jews, it doesn't hurt that so many of the people he has placed in important positions are themselves Orthodox Jews!

What about the President’s awful rhetoric and personal conduct ? Most religious Jews hate it. But see it as secondary to what is important to them – a policy that is generally far more favorable to our values. 

What about areas that are not necessarily tied religious values? And what about the relentless daily trashing he gets from the media? Orthodox Jews and Evangelical Christians are fully aware of it. But they do not see the President in the absolutely horrible terms in which the media consistently paints him. 

Just to mention one important non religious area. The media considers the President’s response to the pandemic a disaster - a total failure with no redeeming value. Almost as though he created the virus and could not care less how many people get infected or die. He is constantly portrayed at odds with his own COVID health team headed by the world class epidemiologist, Dr. Anthony Fauci. As though he does the exact opposite of their advice. Citing many examples of that.

That is a total falsehood. It is true that the President has been disagreeing with him a lot these days and even trashing him to some extent. But it is also true that at the very outset of the pandemic he has followed just about all of his COVID team’s recommendations.

When Dr. Fauci was asked if enough had been done with respect to the pandemic, he answered no. But then quickly added that his team had done everything they possible could. And that he didn't know what else they could have possibly done. Which of course the President had to sign off on and implement. 

It’s true that a Trump campaign ad misused that quote to imply that Dr. Fauci had approved of  everything the President has done. That too is false and he complained about it. The media doubles down on that and completely ignores the implication of Dr. Fauci’s comments that I just mentioned. 

They hang on Trump’s every negative word (and there are a lot of those) and report it without ever mentioning anything positive. 

This is how much of the religious world sees the media characterization of Trump. So they basically ignore it. As they do the President's rhetoric and personal conduct. Much of which has been pretty disgusting of late. They look only at the policies he’s implemented that reflect their religious values. And cheer. 

Orthodox Jews and Christians that oppose the President will argue that character matters much more than policy and that in any case Biden won’t be so bad. Or at least no worse than previous Presidents on both sides of the political aisle. Things were not so bad then and at least we had men of character leading the country.  

I’m not sure this fully explains why Evengelicals Christians and Orthodox Jews are so supportive of Trump. But the undeniable fact is - they do. 

One more thing. The way the media describes support for the candidates is that college educated voters tend to support Biden while voters without a college education support Trump. Which implies that Trump supporters are a bunch of ignorant fools while Biden supporters are well informed and intelligent. I think it would is a mistake to look at it that way. Unless you think 80% of Orthodox Jews are ignorant fools. Which is of course absurd. 

It is really a contest of values. As Evangelical Christian and Orthodox Jews see it - Biden’s character better reflects our values. But many of his polices do not. On the other hand Trump’s character does not reflect our values. It is the antithesis of those values. But many of his polices do. 

Which is more important? Depends who you ask.

None of this should be taken as support for President Trump. Whose re-election seems highly unlikely at this late date. It is meant only to explain the basis of the strong religious support for a man who is anything but!

The Man in the Mirror

New York State Assemblyman, Simcha Eichenstein (VIN)

My admittedly unsolicited advice to New York State Assemblyman, Simcha Eichenstein is to look in the mirror. He is but the latest prominent Orthodox Jew to hurl accusations of antisemitism against Governor Andrew Cuomo. To the best of my knwledge he is the first elected public official to do so. An official that is obviously Charedi. 

It is an accusation against a sitting governor who in the past has shown nothing but warmth to the very community from which assemblyman Eichenstein stems – and now represents. He implied that Governor Andrew Cuomo is an antisemite driven by hate. From VIN: 

Governor Cuomo has now used his national platform to spew his hate-driven messaging, going as far as to call Coronavirus an “orthodox jewish issue,” accusing the jewish community of not being willing to follow the rules, and entertaining anti-Semitic tropes such as calling the jewish community a “politically powerful community.” 

With such incendiary language, says Eichenstein, Cuomo is “shamelessly stoking the embers of anti-semitism.”

If anyone is stoking those embers, It is Eichenstein himself by imputing nefarious motives to Cuomo.  Although Cuomo could have been expressed it more delicately (if the language quoted by Eichenstein is accurate) Eichenstein surely knows those motives do not exist. Which means that Eichenstein is just another politician pandering to a constituency that actually believes they do exist. 

I generally have no quarrel with people that disagree with me. On the contrary, I like to hear opposing views on just about any subject. It tends to clarify and sharpen my own views. In some cases it actually inclines me to modify them. In rare cases it actually changes my views. 

But in this case, I find it hard to do that. Even though the issues that concern Eichenstein and his constituents are legitimate and deserve a fair hearing. It is hard because at the end of the day lives are at stake. 

This does not mean that those concerns should not be addressed. They absolutely should. Many of those concerns are important – even vital to their very real religious needs.  Needs that should not be summarily dismissed by government fiat. There is a delicate balance between health and education that needs to be addressed.

But the overriding concern should always be protecting the lives and health of the people he serves. When there is a conflict between health and - for example - religious education one must choose health. As vital as a religious education might be for a myriad of legitimate reasons, it is always secondary to protecting one's health. There should never be a compromise about that. Education can be delayed. Not protecting one's health is a dangerous proposition. From which - if postponed - one may not be able to fully recover if at all! 

To assume the governor and the health officials that guide his decisions do not understand the value of education is an assertion without an ounce of evidence. Nor is there evidence that even religious education is disregarded. That would imply a callousness that has never been shown by the governor or the people entrusted to protect our health. 

Being an educated professional does not automatically mean that one is a godless atheist. Even if that education is in the field of science or medicine. There are plenty of Orthodox Jewish scientists and plenty of Orthodox Jewish doctors. Most of them (at least those without a political agenda) tend to generally agree with the restrictions imposed on Orthodox communities in New York. They understand the science. They understand what is at stake. 

Now that the antisemitism card is being played - that may by itself spike an antisemitic backlash. It might be interpreted as a ploy by Orthodox Jews to get their way. Thereby endangering their neighbors with super-spreader events like the proposed (and now canceled) Satmar wedding of 10,000 invitees! Not an unreasonable fear. 

So as I said, if you want to know who is guilty of shamelessly stoking the embers of antisemitism, Simcha, you might want to look in the mirror.

Rechnitz, Tischler, Satmar, and Agudah

Shlomo Yehuda Rechnitz (YWN)

It is a mistake to say that the heated debate over COVID-19 is between the Charedi world and everyone else. Although sometimes it seems that way.

The debate is just as strident among Charedi leaders as it among other communities. 

Which is why I am so alarmed by it. It isn’t a respectful disagreement. It is almost a war! It is about how each side sees the epidemiologists and the government officials they advise. Should we listen to their advice even though it has caused unbelievable hardships on our way of life? Or are they closet antisemites whose covert  antisentism has now come out of the closet in the form of using a manageable virus to force undue hardships on us! Thus justifying protests and some really disgusting rhetoric among some of us.

This in part is what Shlomo Yehuda Rechnitz- a man with impeccable Charedi credentials - recently said about it: 

It is irrelevant that President Trump moved the American embassy to Jerusalem and helped Jews in other ways, we Yidden are putting ourselves in a bigger Makom Sakana every day. I doubt that there is even one Goy who saw or read about our current vile behavior and did not instantly forge an innate hatred for the Jews. They’re not evil, it’s called natural. Just remind yourself about some of your inner thoughts while watching the fatalities during the BLM “peaceful protests”.

The Goyim don’t necessarily have to care how many Jewish mortalities there will be in a specific shul, they are rightfully viewing this as a case where the Jews are being selfish, uncaring and above the law, which is causing an uptick in cases which will ultimately reach their own neighborhoods. “The Jews simply don’t care that we’re being killed”.

 This is and will remain direct causation of unadulterated anti-Semitism. To stir up anti-Semitism takes a lot less than this. We’re breaking records now. This behavior has never occurred by Jews in America.  

Wow! That is quite a comment coming from a Charedi Jew where many in that community are on the opposite side of this issue. A side that - through Agudah - sued the New York governor (unsuccessfully) for singling out Orthodox Jewish neighborhoods for increased restrictions. Claiming that those restrictions were unfair considering the actual data - among other reasons. 

And in a display of defiance there is the following from the Jerusalem Post: 

An estimated 10,000 people are expected to attend the wedding of the grandchild of the Satmar Rebbe in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn on Monday, CBS-affiliate WBCS reported Saturday. 

The wedding of the grandchild of Rabbi Zalman Leib Teitlebaum likely will have guests from Williamsburg and Rockland County, raising fears that coronavirus could spread in the area, the report said…

The New York City Sheriff’s Department has ordered the wedding be canceled or postponed if it is not limited to 50 people, WCBS reported. 

Heshey Tischler (NY Daily News)

Making matters worse is a fellow by the name of Heshy Tischler - a dangerous Buffon who is on the side of chaos and violence. And quite  clearly the catalyst for Charedi  journalist Jacob Kornbluh being attacked by the crowd he incited in an earlier Chasidic protest. He may believe he is on the right side of the issue and right to protest government restrictions. But that does not really matter. His recent behavior is so bad  Rechnitz called him an animal and Rodef. He also said the following about him:   

Unfortunately, Ltza’arenu harav, we have living amongst us a Behaima she’anenu tehora who is creating anarchy and chaos, which is being streamlined by the national media outlets. It shows indisputable proof that this self appointed, power hungry, inciter and demagogue Heshy Tischler who falsely claims that he represents us, is organizing demonstrations where we are to scream personal obscenities at the governmental authorities. “Dirty animals, Nazi’s, and Kapo’s” are just a few examples of this clowns overall limited vernacular.

If this seems like I’m taking this personally, it’s because I am. He’s putting my family and your families at risk, and he knows it. But that’s not reason enough for him to surrender his candidacy in a race where his support won’t even hit double digits. What changed our mindset so suddenly? How did we collectively all forget that we’re being closely watched? Who is prepared to give a Din V’cheshbon on this colossal CHILLUL HASHEM?  

This is not who we are. This is the antithesis of who we are!

I fully agree with his conclusion. Although I disagree with some of the things Rechnitz said in his YWN article I fully agree with his assessment of the Chill HaShem this type of behavior is causing: 

It isn’t just Tischler. It is those of us that are on the side of an issue that encourages the Heshy Tischlers of the world.  And by ‘encourage’ – I mean things like suing the New York governor as Agudah tried to do. 

Although Agudah executive vice president, Rabbi Chaim Dovid Zweibel was quoted in the New York Times calling Tischler an idiot and embarrassment, Agudah’s attempt to sue the governor implied that the protest was justified. And that is when the Heshy Tischlers of the world show up and take advantage of it. Now I am sure they will deny this with every fiber of their existence. But actions (the lawsuit) speak louder than words. Instead of suing - Agudah should have supported precautions the government urged upon their community.

I’m glad to see Tischler being called out by a highly respected Charedi activist who has a lot of influence in his community. And has been very generous in his support of it.  

Whatever valid considerations there might be to relax restrictions - they need to be put aside as the current level of COVID has spiked all over the world despite the best efforts of much of that world to prevent it. And virtually all epidemiological experts believe that this is only the beginning as the weather gets colder and we spend more time indoors. 

We ought not forget how many of us have already died because of COVID, some of whom were prominent Orthodox leaders and activists. Most of them would still be alive if not for that. How many more people need to die before ALL OF US take this pandemic more seriously?!

And the Chilul HaShem Keeps on Coming...

Satmar leader, Reb Meyer Rispler Z”L (YWN)

The ‘Who are you to tell us what to do?!’ crowd is once again causing a Chilul HaShem. At this point I have stopped worrying about the health hazard that this particular Chilul HaShem is surely causing. Not because I don’t care about the health and safety of my fellow Jews no matter how much I disagree with them. I do care. Very much! It’s just that it’s a ‘Bracha L’Vatalah’ - a wasted blessing. From JTA: 

A photo circulated on WhatsApp Tuesday showing a sign posted to the front of a business in Borough Park. “We are closed!” the sign said, listing a phone number for appointments and pickup. But in Yiddish, the sign gave another message: Enter through the side door.

Although the JTA is article was mostly about schools in certain neighborhoods defying New York State’s lockdown order because of a spike on COVID there, I wanted to focus on the attitude that is responsible for it. Which includes what that business did.

I wish I could say that this clear deception was a rare exception. But I have seen it too many times to believe that. Not that it is the rule either. But it is a lot more common than one might think. I recall one sign in the window clothing store in Williamsburg a few years ago that said Closed’ in English and ‘Open’ in Yiddish. At the time it made me laugh. But unfortunately it isn’t funny. Deception is a serious violation of Halacha. It is called ‘Geneivas  Daas’ which is considered stealing - forbidden by Halacha regardless of whether the victim is Jewish or not.

The fact is that some schools in certain mostly Chasidic neighborhoods are defying that order and keeping them open -  while pretending they are shut. Just like they did back when the pandemic first began.  

They think it’s worth the risk? Or perhaps they simply don't believe there is one. Making it sadly ironic because of what has been reported at YWN: 

The Satmar community was in mourning on Friday, when word spread of the Petira of their beloved Rosh Hakuhal in Williamsburg.

Reb Meyer Rispler Z”L (70), served as the Rosh Hakuhal (President) of the Satmar Kehillah in Williamsburg (Chassidim of Rav Aharon Teitelbaum Shlita). He contracted COVID-19 in late September, and was hospitalized. He was then placed on a ventilator, and R”L never recovered.

Needless to say - in my view they are seriously mistaken about the dangers of COVID (or more correctly their view of the lack of danger). But even if they were right about COVID, the idea of deceiving the government seems to be way too common. The mentality seems to be the following. If you can get away with it - go for it! Legal/Shmeegal. Who cares?! What’s more important - Feeding my family and paying the rent or giving it to a wasteful government? Why should I give up my hard earned cash to a system that spends it on people that have the values of an alleycat?!  

Lest anyone think I am making up this narrative. I am not. I have heard it all too often. 

Fortunately most Orthodox Jews do not feel this way. They feel the same way I do about it and condemn this attitude and the behavior it generates. But the only time the people that have this attitude regret it is when they get caught. I have no clue what the percentage of people like this is in those communities. But even if only one person does. It’s still causes a Chilul HaShem and is condemnable. And I can assure everyone that it is more than one person. Which the New York State Correctional Facility at Otisville will testify too. 

Just to be absolutely clear. This kind of thinking is not limited to Chasidim. It crosses all Hashkafic lines. As it does all of humanity. There have always been people that believe that if you can get away with something that is illegal but benefits you, why not? And then do so without any moral compunction. But I find the larger share of people like that live in Chasidic areas like Boro Park. As was the abovementioned case.

Unfortunately I don’t think anyone in the world of Orthodoxy will do about anything about it. Not even sure they can. Decades of indoctrination about how evil all gentile governments are is a hard thing to dissuade true believers of. Which leaves it up to the authorities And they will mete out justice as they see fit. 

If we don’t have the moral courage to  combat the potential Chilul HaShem that these archaic attitudes generate - with every thing we have, the entire Orthodox Jewish community will suffer. This kind of behavior has to stop. Or it will destroy us all.

So Much for Europe's Superior COVID Response

A Covid-19 rapid test facility at Fiumicino Airport in Rome  (CNN)

Well… the inevitable has happened. The vaunted protective measures against COVID infections in European countries that everyone was so convinced was superior to ours has not prevented a second wave there. Some of those countries are reporting even higher positivity rates than we are. 

So much for comparing what the Trump administration has done to Europe.

It turns out that at the end of the day, the entire world is in the same ‘infectious boat’. I have been maintaining all along that the President is getting a bum rap about his response to COVID. Not that it has been all that great. It hasn’t. But I firmly believe that it wouldn’t have mattered that much who was President. The results would be the same. 

But that hasn’t stopped the Presidents political opponents – not the least of which is the media from saying exactly that! It is the President! That is who is at fault for where we are with respect to the pandemic. 

I realize of course that all the Trump haters are apoplectic just about now - filled with incredulity. How can I not see what is so plainly obvious to them?! But their prejudice is getting in the way of their objectivity. It wouldn’t have mattered that much even had Trump done exactly what France or the UK did. They are in the midst of a huge spike in COVID positivity. Possibly even greater than ours! 

As noted that doesn’t mean that Trump’s policies were that great. But other than hearing how inept the Trump administration has been - I have yet to hear what exactly they would have done differently. The one thing that all heath experts agree on is that wearing masks is currently the best known method of protection. And that if everyone would wear them, the positivity rate would be significantly reduced. So the President is blamed for not making that the required national policy - instead of only saying the people SHOUD wear them. The problem is that the President does not have to power to enforce such a rule. As Biden himself admitted when asked if he would do it when he becomes President. 

It is also clearly not correct to say that Trump did little to nothing. When America’s top epidemiologist, Dr. Anthony Fauci was asked to agree to that comment by an obviously biased reporter - he retorted that as a member of the President's COVID task force - that was absolutely false. 

There was a lot done and he listed much of what that was. He agreed that it wasn’t enough. But added that it was not the administrations fault. Saying as well that there is just so much that can be humanly done in a short amount of time. He also praised the unprecedented speed with which the federal government is going to make vaccines available to the public – although admitting that only a few million doses will be available by the end of the year, not the over 300 million that are needed. That, he said, will likely be available by April – assuming the expected results of the 5 large  phase 3 clinical trials currently taking place. 

Just to be clear. This has nothing to do with how I feel about the President. He has been the worst possible role model for this pandemic I could ever imagine a leader to be. But that doesn’t matter since the people spreading the disease right now probably could not care less about what the President says or does. They pay little attention to him. That is certainly true of  young people that mostly responsible. They tend to be liberal and hate Trump. And surely the Europeans spreading the disease are not his fans either. 

I am just about trying to keep it real. Despite the incredulity it is surely breeding among those to my political left who can’t stand the man. (Can’t wait to hear - or more correctly – read all the pushback  about why all this isn’t so.)    

What is also spiking is COVID hospitalizations and death. And so is pandemic fatigue which is one of the reasons why COVID is spiking. 

One of the things that is truly inexplicable to me is how so many of the supposedly bright people among us are saying that they are ignoring the precautions advised by health experts because those experts ultimately don’t know what there are talking about – citing the constant changes in what they tell us to do. The favored example of which if their original claim that masks don’t help - but are now saying masks are the best method of protection. 

Instead of erring on the side of caution and doing even more than they suggest, their answer is to do less! If that isn’t the stupidest rationalization for ignoring the best available information about how to protect oneself, I don’t know what is. If you thinK health professionals don’t know enough, you protect yourself more. Not less! Certainly suing the governor for requiring observance of those measures is the wrong thing to do. But that is exactly what is happening. From Homodia: 

Three shuls in Rockland County have filed a lawsuit against New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s restrictions on houses of worship due to a COVID-19 uptick, alleging an unconstitutional violation of religious and other liberties. 

The suit was filed Wednesday evening by attorneys Ronald Coleman and Harmeet Dhillon, on behalf of Cong. Yeshuas Yaakov and Rabbi Moshe Rosner of Monsey; Cong. Oholei Shem D’Nitra and Rabbi Samuel Teitelbaum of Spring Valley; and Cong. Netzach Yisroel and Rabbi Chaim Leibish Rottenberg of Monsey. 

Religious liberty? Sure. But as Rabbi Gil Student noted in commenting on this article on his website:

This is important but even more important is stopping the big weddings, shul kiddushes, mask-optional shuls, etc.

What these foolish Shuls are really doing is suing for their right to get sick and die. I cannot imagine anything much more stupid than fighting measures designed to protect their health - and their very lives in some cases. 

Nor do I understand the selfishness of taking a chance on exposure under assumption that he vast majority of those that do get infected - recover with little to no negative after-effects and in a great many cases, no symptoms at all! They are oblivious to the reality of inadvertent transmission to others more vulnerable where the dangers of serious illness or death is far greater. That is the pattern taking place all over the country where gatherings are taking place.

I guess that the the best way to recognize these realities is if you have suffered through them yourself. Which explains the following from the Jerusalem Post:

In a sharp and unequivocal rebuke to large sectors of the ultra-Orthodox community, the Grand Rabbi of the Karlin-Stolin Hassidic community in Givat Ze’ev, Rabbi Baruch Meir Yaakov Shochet, has lambasted the failure to comply with health regulations for the COVID-19 [https://www.jpost.com/coronavirus] pandemic.The rabbi, who has been one of the only hassidic grand rabbis to instruct his community to strictly observe coronavirus health instructions since the beginning of the crisis, said that parts of the ultra-Orthodox community were ignoring the “simple” and “foundational” Jewish principle of saving lives, and said he was astonished at such “contempt” for the lives of others.

Other than what seems to be the rare exception of a survivor of COVID like the Grand Rabbi of the Karlin-Stolin - this is pure denial. Which may come at a very high cost. One they may regret having had to pay.