Introspection? Yes! But by Whom?

Israeli MKs Litzman, Deri, and Gafni (TOI)

Rabbi Reuven Leuchter’s usually insightful column in Mishpacha Magazine is something that I often agree with. But his latest column is not one of them. In that column, he said the following: 

The Jewish world is reeling from the wave of tragedies that began on Lag B’omer. Even the biggest apikorus would have a hard time blaming it all on chance. Hashem is sending us a wake-up call. We all know that.  

He then goes about trying to figure out what that message might be and what we should do about it.

It isn’t so much whether God is or isn’t sending us a message. Nor do I have a problem with trying to improve ourselves. That is always a good idea. 

But I do have a problem calling someone an Apikores if they don’t see it that way. And even if there is a message - the most obvious one would be that the Charedi political leadership needs to do Teshuva. Teshuva for leaving security in the hands of a group of minor religious leaders that organized a massively attended event without the slightest clue about safety precautions. People that refused to consult with any safety experts or allow anyone interfere with their poor decisions. Teshuva for putting organizers first and and the safety of their own people second. 

That Rabbi Leuchter ignored this as a possible message is very disappointing. Frankly I am sick and tired of constantly blaming everyone else for something that clearly was not their fault. And refusing to recognize who very well might be!

Making matters a lot worse is the following. Not only are  Charedi political leaders refusing to recognize their own part in this. They are actively seeking to prevent any attempt to ascertain who is responsible - lest the blame falls upon them. From the Times of Israel: 

It was the worst civilian disaster in Israel’s history. Yet 30 days on, as the traditional shloshim mourning period draws to a close, all attempts to establish a formal state investigation into what went wrong have failed.

Perhaps most shocking of all: Though the dead are almost all Haredi, it is the Haredi political parties who have resisted most fiercely a formal probe…

On May 24, in a vote in the Knesset brought by the secularist Yesh Atid party to establish a state investigation commission, the right-wing bloc walked out of the plenum at the behest of the Haredi factions Shas and United Torah Judaism. The proposal failed. 

They even rejected a commission that included their own Charedi representatives:

MK Betzalel Smotrich, head of the Religious Zionism party, a social conservative who shares the Haredi distrust of the civil judiciary, drafted a proposal for a parliamentary commission of inquiry instead. It would be made up of Knesset members, including the religious parties.

The Haredi factions nixed that proposal as well.       

This has shocked a lot of people. How can the Charedi political leadership whose constituents were most affected by this disaster be the ones to block finding out exactly what happened; who was responsible; and how to prevent it from ever happening again?! 

There was a lot of handwringing by a number of Charedi spokesman who offered a variety of explanations about why they are opposed to a fact finding inquiry - while offering alternative suggestions. One of which I think is the most honest: 

These proposals share one unifying theme, best uttered, according to Hebrew media reports, by MK Uri Maklev at a UTJ faction meeting: “We have to make sure our people aren’t hurt.” (emphasis mine)

There you have it! I think that says it all. Charedi politicians care more about their own hides than they do about the truth. A truth that would very likely implicate their own responsibility in this disaster. It is hard to miss their  know-it-all but ignorant attitude about the safety (or lack thereof ) of that event. And their complete rejection of any outside interference. Why are they like that? Here’s why: 

…the heart of Haredi culture, (is) its sense that it has achieved a kind of purity and superiority over the surrounding society through its separatism and isolationism. 

It appears that there is a bit of Charedi rebellion going on. It isn’t only little old me asking these questions. It is their own constituents: 

The sense that the Haredi political elite has spent the 30 days since the catastrophe desperately fending off any inquiry that might see it blamed for the tragedy is driving a new outpouring of rage at the Haredi leadership from within its own community. 

If there was ever any reason for introspection by the Charedi politicians - this is it. It is time to stop blaming everyone else. It’s time to look in the mirror and ask some hard questions about the way they view the word outside of themselves. And to stop looking at everyone outside of themselves as the enemy. Because in doing that they surely share the responsibility for what happened in both tragedies. 

One may ask, ‘Who am I to make these kind of suggestions’? ‘What right do I have to make these demands on  people whose thinking  is guided by people many consider to be the greatest rabbinic leaders of our generation’? 

Maybe I don’t have that right. But that doesn’t make that kind of introspection any less needed. Just ask the families of the victims. 

Politics Makes Strange Bedfellows

Naftali Bennett - the next prime minster of Israel? (TOI)

For the first time in many years, it seems like Benjamin Netanyahu may soon be out of a job. From the Jerusalem Post: 

Barring last-minute unforeseen circumstances, Yamina leader Naftali Bennett will announce in a meeting with his faction on Sunday that he has agreed to form a coalition government with Yesh Atid head Yair Lapid, sources in the faction who spoke to Bennett told The Jerusalem Post on Saturday night.

Bennett informed Lapid of his decision on Friday. They agreed that Bennett would serve first as prime minister until September 2023, after which Lapid would take over until the term ends in November 2025. But sources in Yamina said there are still some disputes with Yesh Atid that remain unresolved.

Final coalition deals will be signed by Monday and submitted to the Knesset. The swearing-in ceremony could take place as early as Wednesday... 

Ethics mean very little to Israeli politicians it seems. at least not as much as political power. That is the only way this unholy potential coalition can be explained.  It is more than obvious that principles have little to do with this pact with the devil. (Who that devil is in this deal depends o which side of the political aisle one is on.) But clearly this coalition would never happen if it were based on political ideology.  The 2 principle coalition partners could not be too much farther apart. The sole purpose of this coalition  to get rid of Netanyahu. 

Naftali Bennett’s right wig party stands for settling all parts of Israel - including all of the West Bank. Lapid’s left of center party believes in a two state solution.  That Lapid is willing to make Bennett the Prime Minister first in a rotation agreement tells you just how much they hate Netanyahu. And how much they crave power.  

Ethics? What ethics?! Hatred of Netanyahu apparently transcends ethics. Which is ironically why they claim Netanyahu is unfit to lead the country. They say he is unethical. (Takes one to know one, I guess.) 

It is true that Netanyahu has lied to his colleagues so many times that no one trusts him anymore. That is what unites them. 

But what about the voters? I’m not so sure they are on the same page with respect to Netanyahu. At least not enough to remove him from office.

Clearly a lot of voters do hate him. But just as clearly- not all. More people voted for his party than for any other party.  Those who hate him - hate him more for his politics than his ethics - or lack of them. All the cries about his corruption is just a cover for why they really hate him. 

The left hates him because he is a right winger. And many on the right hate him because he is not right wing enough. But that hated has not filtered down to the typical voter. That is demonstrated by his consistent success at the polls where he gets a plurality of votes. 

I believe that a lot of Israeli voters will vote for a party because of who they want to see as their Prime Minister. If that is true, Netanyahu got nearly double the amount of votes in the last election than his closest rival. There is a reason for that. A reason that overlooks Netanyahu’s politically ‘double-crossing’ ways. 

I think I understand why that is. 

Like him or not - he has had a steady hand running the country for a long time. I know that there are a lot of people on both sides of the political aisle (and on both side of the Atlantic) that will vehemently disagree with that and absolutely can’t sand him. But as I said, I think that is for a variety of reasons that are mostly political or just plain dislike of his arrogant style of leadership. The point is that he got to be PM because he got more votes by far then anyone else and was always in the best position to form a coalition with like minded smaller parties. 

He may have technically violated Israeli law by accepting gifts as prime minster. But I believe it is exceedingly rare to find someone so ethically pure that no dirt can be found on them. It’s nice to be ethically pure and support only ethically pure candidates. But in the world of real politics if the ethical lapses are relatively small you choose your leaders based on the best interests of the country. 

Netanyahu may have been a liar who never kept his word to his colleagues. But to the best of my knowledge he didn’t lie to the public when it came to polices that mattered to them. Meanwhile he led his country out of socialism into a free market economy; kept Israel strong both militarily, and economically; and had a foreign policy that made peace with four Muslim countries. All of that is why he lasted this long.  

I for one will be sorry to see Netanyahu go.  I cannot imagine a bigger policy shift than what will happen when Bennet gives up power to Lapid at the end of that first year. Whatever his flaws - you knew what you got with Netanyahu. Who knows what Bennett and Lapid will be like?! Better the devil you know than the devil you don’t know.

Justice, Justice You Shall Seek

Charedi MK, Ya'akov Litzman (Jerusalem Post)

Is it finally happening? Is there a breach in the wall of unified support by the Charedi populace in Israel of Daas Torah?  Although there seems to be is evidence that it is, I tend to doubt it.

Charedim have not lost respect for the their Rabbinic leaders. Nor should they. But what many Charedim seem to be doing is at least questioning the wisdom of some of their recent decisions. Which is unprecedented. (At least in any public way. Privately this has long been the case among many Charedim.) 

The reason for that is quite simple if one understands the concept of Daas Torah. Which is more or less the following: Who can better express the Torah’s wisdom than the rabbinic leaders that are steeped in its knowledge?! Questioning their decisions is tantamount to questioning God Himself. Doing so publicly is considered near blasphemous! And a major Chilul HaShem. The attitude is best expressed in Tennyson’s Charge of the Light Brigade: ‘Theirs is not to question why.’ ‘Theirs but to do and die!’ 

Has this attitude lost its luster? It might seem that way in light of a coupe of recent events. An increasing number of Charedim are now openly disagreeing with what Charedi politicians are doing in the name of their rabbinic leaders.  

These are the thoughts I had when reading a post by Rabbi Natan Slifkin. The following is what he said in the context of the controversy surrounding a commission of inquiry about the Meron tragedy: 

What's interesting is the charedi MKs, who are presented as emissaries of the Daas Torah of the Gedolim, are out of step with the charedi street. Surveys show that the majority of charedim want a state commission of inquiry. On charedi websites, while some are opposing a state commission, there is no shortage of people blasting the MKs transparent efforts to avoid responsibility (see the comments on the article at this link). And most of the bereaved families appealed for a state commission of inquiry - though, appallingly, they were pressured by associates of charedi MKs to retract this appeal.   

The Meron tragedy has placed the decisions of Charedi politicians in Israel (who ostensibly represent the Daas Torah of their rabbinic leaders) into stark relief! Exposing an attitude of self preservation at the cost of the truth sought be the families of the victims. Some Charedi politicians have all but admitted it (which has probably been  sanctioned by their leaders): 

As noted in a previous post, there was a shocking report about a meeting of United Torah Judaism MKs, in which most of them actively opposed a state commission of inquiry. Some of them claimed that they feared "reformers" would get involved and harm the sanctity of Meron (the exact trivial fears which allegedly motivated them to fight the government takeover to begin with). Others were astonishingly honest in their reasons for opposing such an inquiry. Uri Maklev explained that "there are people we know who will be harmed by it, people in the Ministry for Religious Services, people responsible for the event at Meron." 

 There is also this by Rafi: 

The Attorney General this evening announced and told Minister Yaakov Litzman that he is going to be indicted (dependent on a  disciplinary hearing) for breach of trust and obstruction of justice… 

One of the cases for which Litzman is going to be tried is his involvement in the Malka Leifer case in which he allegedly pressured doctors to change their diagnosis in order to deem her mentally unfit for trial so that she would not be deported (there are other cases as well). 

Innocent until proven guilty is the standard used in most democracies. But there is little doubt that Litzman did this. The evidence is overwhelming. Why did he do it? My guess is that he believed that a Jew accused of even a heinous crime by numerous victims should still not be subject to the judgments of non Jewish courts. Especially when the victims do not have a Chezkas Kashrus since they are no longer observant. The irony of that should not be lost on anyone. Survivors of abuse often lose their faith – having been disappointed in such egregious ways by both their abusers (who are often religious figures themselves; and disappointed by the way religious authorities  reacted to their claims of abuse. Which is often with disbelief or skepticism, and instructions to keep things quiet. 

The question remains as to whether there will be any sort of grass roots rebellion. My guess is that there will not be. That's because- even though rabbinic leaders deserve the respect they get for their high level  of Torah knowledge. But this respect has has morphed into an attitude of infallibility. Those that have the audacity to rebel or say that these leaders may be wrong will be see as outcasts by their peers. No one wants to be considered an outcast. So I fear allt his umbrage will die down and things will get back to normal. 

But at the same time, I hope that justice will in the end prevail. What Litzman did must never allowed to be done again.  And with respect to the Meron tragedy - somehow the truth must come out. It should not be denied or kept secret. Because if the truth is swept under the rug, this will surely happen again.

Uniting in Support of Ignorance

Andrew Yang meeting with Chasidic leaders in Boro Park (VIN)

It is long past the time for Satmar Chasidim to realize they no longer live in pre-Holocaust Europe. That they live in 21^st America. (For purposes of simplicity, I will be using the term ‘Satmar’ in this post to include all like minded Chasidim. There are of course many different types of Chasidim - many whose Hashkafos are not like Satmar. They are not included in my critique.) 

I have no issue with Satmar’s Chasidic beliefs and traditions. I say this even though I could not disagree more with a lifestyle based on them. They have a right to live the way they choose. That is what America is all about. What they do not have a right to do is short change their children. 

Of course Satmar would agree with that statement. But they would however strongly disagree that they in any way short change them. That disagreement is profound. It revolves around how they educate their children. Satmar values only a lifestyle based on the study of Torah, Chasidus, and Satmar Minhagim (customs). 

Secular education means little if anything to them. Certainly not enough to have any type of formal secular curriculum in their schools. This has been the way they have run their schools for decades – ever since the vast majority of them immigrated here post Holocaust. It is now over 70 years since then. And they have increased their numbers exponentially. Their education is however pretty much the same as it was back in pre-Holocaust Europe. 

To the best of my knowledge there are three reasons for that. One is as noted - they place little or no value in it. Two - they believe a secular curriculum exposes their children to values they perceive as a threat to their beliefs and lifestyles. And three - it would increase the cost of education making it unaffordable to most Chasidim. So they have fought any attempts to install one. 

That  their children are not educated enough to enable them to better support their families is not important enough to Satmar. They will argue that their people do just fine getting jobs that do not require a secular curriculum. And that many Chasidim have become very wealthy via a variety of business ventures despite not having had any secular education at all. 

In their struggle to keep their educational status quo Satmar has enlisted Agudah to help them in that fight. Which is pretty ironic if you think about it. They are relying on religious Jews that have had the education they deny their own people. 

One problem is that by minimizing opportunity - they are maximizing reliance on welfare as a primary source of income. Another problem is that wealthy Satmar Chasidim are a very small percentage of the whole. Leaving the rest to the kind of low paying jobs that do not require a high school education. And yet another problem is that without being educated in basic civics, the proper use of the English language, and at least a minimal acculturation to the country in which they live - then by virtue of their virtual isolation – it can lead to behavior that is unbecoming at best and illegal at worst. 

None of this is new. I have made these observations many times. What is new is the extent they will go to in order to prevent that from happening. 

That there is a war in Satmar is also not new. There are 2 Satmar Rebbes - brothers each with their own turf. The war is over who the ‘real’ Satmar Rebbe is. Each claims to be the heir to the ‘throne’. Their father – the previous Samar Rebbe never made it clear which one of his sons would succeed him. Leaving them to fight it out. A fight that had become quite physical early on in that debate having come to blows between Chasidim from each camp. Each side considers the other illegitimate. The 2 brothers do not even go to the gravesite of their father together on his Yahrzeit. Each picking a time when the other will not be there. 

But on this one issue they have united:

In a rare display of unity, Satmar’s two rival factions are said to be coming together for a common cause – choosing the Democratic candidate in the upcoming New York City mayoral election. 

With the upcoming June 22nd Democratic primary less than a month away, Politico reported that an ad signed more than a dozen rabbis representing both the followers of Grand Rabbi Aaron Teitelbaum and Grand Rabbi Zalman Teitelbaum will appear in the Wednesday editions of multiple Yiddish newspapers. 

Sources said that the ad will have the rabbis calling on their respective communities to mark Andrew Yang as their first choice in the primary race and listing Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams as their second choice and Comptroller Scott Stringer as their third pick…

United Jewish Organizations of Williamsburg’s Rabbi David Niederman said that concerns over the fallout of the yeshiva education probe, which found that some yeshivas were not meeting Board of Education requirements for secular studies, brought the two competing Satmar groups together in support of Yang…

Yang won the hearts of many Jewish voters… (by saying) there was no need to interfere with the yeshiva system as long as students receive a proper education. 

The nature of Satmar type Chasidim is that they listen to their Rebbe. What he says is written in stone. If their Rebbe tells them to vote for someone, the vast majority of them will. That is a huge number or people. In a close election that could swing the vote their way. Which is why politicians will promise them anything and tell them what they want to hear. 

Bad  blood is apparently secondary to keeping their Chasidim ignorant. I wonder though if they noticed the subtle message of Yang’s promise. Which is this: ‘…as long as students receive a proper education.’ If Yang really believes in his own promises, will he allow Satmar to continue denying their children any secular curriculum at all? I doubt that anyone would consider the absence of any secular curriculum a ‘proper education’. If Yang is elected, Satmar may find that they will not be getting what they thought they were voting for. We shall see.

Is There Justice for Domestic Abuse Victims in Boro Park?

To be honest, I have mixed feelings about this. On the one hand I am outraged by Dan Glaun’s description of how domestic violence is handled in the Chasidic community of Boro Park. On the other hand, I am suspect of the one sided reporting that he based his article upon. 

In reading it, I therefore tried to be objective and see what the other side might be saying in their defense. But it was hard to do in light of Glaun’s description. Besides - it isn’t about me.  It is about how the community itself feels about it. 

In the world outside of this Chasidic bubble, the usual way domestic abuse is handled is by the police and government social service agencies that are staffed with qualified and licensed social workers. When a woman is physically abused by her husband, the police are called; family and child protective services get involved. In many cases the justice system gets involved too - often issuing orders of protection against an abusive spouse. Abusive husbands that violate protection orders can go to jail. 

But things don’t operate that way in Boro Park. 

“In Borough Park they like things taken care of in-house,” said Yael Machtinger, a professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice who studies domestic violence in religious communities. “It’s definitely part of the culture that they don’t really want to be airing out their dirty laundry.” 

First we need to dispense with the myth that domestic violence does not happen in religious Jewish homes. It does happen – probably just as frequently as it does in non religious homes. 

When it happens, instead of going to the secular authorities, victims go to their religious authorities and rely on protection by ‘Shomrim’ - a group of untrained Orthodox Jews acting as a substitute for law enforcement. But the following excerpt from his article makes this scenario frightening: 

Women from Borough Park and other Orthodox neighborhoods in the New York area described nightmare scenarios in which their husbands coerced them into having sex by invoking the authority of God, withheld money for household necessities and used GPS to track their movements. They told of being thrown to the ground while in late stages of pregnancy — or of watching their partners beat their children.

And they shared stories of seeking help from rabbinic and civil authorities, only to find themselves subjected to surveillance, harassment or the loss of their children in custody proceedings. This cycle has had profound consequences, intimidating victims into not reporting crimes, and shielding abusers from consequences. 

I have no way of knowing how prevalent such claims are. Or how accurate. But the Chasidic world does not have a good track record on dealing with abuse. Which lends credence to this excerpt.   

That said, I understand the rationale of trying to keep things in house. Religious standards by which these cases are judged are different than those of the secular authorities. And as mentioned - there is the fact that this community does not want to air their dirty laundry in public. Perpetuating up the façade  that domestic violence is rare in religious homes.

I wonder though how the general population of Boro Park Chasidim see this. Do they approve of the in house handling of domestic abuse? Are they satisfied with the judgment and subsequent verdicts of their religious courts? Do they see custody arrangements as fair and equitable? 

And what about the parties to the domestic violene themselves? Are they satisfied with the status quo? Or do they just live with it - fearing the repercussions if they complain? It’s really hard to know the answer to that. 

If there is legitimate widespread communal satisfaction with the current religious based outcomes, I would leave things as they are. As the secular authorities currently seem to be doing. But I suspect that deep down there is a lot of dissatisfaction, especially by those directly involved – along the lines of the above description. 

Sadly, I don’t think we will ever know for sure.  One thing I am sure of however is that there will be a lot of pushback against an article like this. Just as there always is when accusations like these are made. What worries me though is that innocent people will suffer - and there is little they can do about it without suffering even more via the communal consequences of exposing the abuse they suffered.

Violent Islamic Antisemitism

Jonathan Greenblatt (PBS)

Esav Sonei L’Ya’akov. These famous words of Rashi recorded in his commentary in VaYishlach  are cited often  by certain types of Orthodox religious educators. They use those words to impress upon their students - the non Jewish world’s natural hated of us is.  

Esav is a euphemism for non Jews that descended from Ya’akov’s evil twin. Most of whom today are of European origin. The idea I suppose is to disabuse us of the notion that Goyim are in any way people we should befriend or emulate. In some cases they go so far as to say we are required to hate them. Something I have heard from more than one of these educators. 

I do not need to restate my absolute revulsion at that notion. There is absolutely no Mitzvah whatsoever to hate non Jews.  

I mention this only to address the common notion that antisemtism is inherent in the culture because of Rashi’s abovementioned comment. That is patently untrue. What is true is that SOME Goyim hate us - for a variety of reasons that are beyond the scope of this post. 

That said, old habits die hard. Especially those that have been extant in a people for centuries. Which is why I think that most of Europe still feels that way in their heart of hearts. I believe that Rashi’s comment does apply to them. Although there are many notable exceptions - heroes of imeasurable courage - who did risk their lives during the Holocaust to save Jews, they were nonetheless in the minority. 

What about America? Do Americans fall into that category of Esav Sonei L’Ya’akov?  I addressed this question many times. As recently as yestrerday. The answer is unequivocally a hard No! Esav  Sonei L’Ya’akov does not apply to the vast majority of Americans. It does however apply to the many right wing fringe elements in this country such as neo-Nazis and White Supremacists. They are not only antisemitic. They are extremely dangerous.

There is however another fringe element on the rise here. One that is growing and far more respectable since they have what many believe are legitimate grievances against the Jewish state.  They consist mostly of Palestinian immigrants, their children, Arab Americans, assorted other Muslims, and a left wing intelligentsia and the politicians that support them.  The more violent among them take their anti Israel animus out on us – the Jewish people. I am not going to get into why their hate is not justified other than to say that it is not. Be that as it may, they think it is and that is the main reason there has been an increase in violent attacks against us. 

It is comforting to know that the vast majority of people reject that hatred and abhor the violent attacks. The question is,  are the American people fully aware of what is going on? And what do we – all of the Amercian people - do about it? 

This brings me to an interview with Anti Defamation League (ADL) CEO, Jonathan Greenblatt I saw yesterday on the PBS News Hour. 

Jonathan is someone that I often do not agree with. I believe he tends to the view the world through the progressive lens of the Obama administration in which he served before he became head of the ADL. Which usually blamed most anitismetic violence almost exclusively right wing fanatics while playing down Islamic violence. But yesterday he hit a home run. The full interview can be seen here. Here is some of what he said: 

The ADL track between the two weeks of the conflict and the two weeks before a 63 percent increase (in antisemitic attacks). And that surge is far greater than what we have seen in prior incidents, like 2014, for example.

But what I would also note is not just the quantitative, but the qualitative. The span of these attacks, they spread like wildfire across the country. You mentioned a few, California, Arizona, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, New York, New Jersey, South Carolina, Florida, acts of harassment and vandalism and violence.

So, number one, the span is much greater than what we have seen, but secondly the tone, the brazenness, the audacity of these assaults in broad daylight. We have seen people basically say, if you are wearing a Jewish star, you must be a Zionist and you should be killed.

We have seen people hurling bottles and objects at homes with mezuzot on the door that were identifiably Jewish. We have seen people driving cars or marauding through Jewish neighborhoods and yelling, "We're going to rape your women," right, or yelling things like "Allahu akbar," and literally then wreaking physical violence on people.

And one of the incidents that was captured was in broad daylight in Times Square, a group of people beating and bloodying a Jewish man whose only crime was he was wearing a kippah, to the point where he was left unconscious in the street while people kicked him, bloodied him with like crutches. It was really quite disgusting.

And to think that this is happening in America is really unconscionable. 

Yes, Jonathan. It is unconscionable. I only wish you had realized before now - the extent of Islamic hatred for us. It is just as dangerous as it is from the extremist right. 

As you also noted: 

None of the people committing these crimes wearing MAGA hats… (In) this case, we have people waving Palestinian flags and then beating Jewish people. 

I would even say that danger is even greater.  That’s because there is a lot of sympathy generated by the media for the plight of the Palestinians. Although the media cannot be blamed for this new violence against us, they cannot be completely absolved of it either. Focusing almost exclusively on the suffering or a people without the slightest bit of context as to who is mostly responsible for it, grants a degree of legitimacy to the violence – even while the violence itself  is being totally condemned. 

Nor does it help matters that the media pays an inordinate amount of attention to Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib, 2 of the of the most antisemitic members of congress. Despite their protestations to the contrary. 

That the media roundly and completely condemns the antisemitism of the right should not be a surprise. Who doesn’t condemn it?! But when Palestinian protests are treated as a legitimate reaction by Arab Americans to what happened in Gaza (as the media has presented it) it tends to overlook or minimize hateful comments like  ‘Hitler was right’ now being regurgitated on social media.  

For a change someone on the left has finally woken up. Jonathan Greenblatt has made it clear that the American Arab hatred of us is no different that neoNazi hatred on the right and just as dangerous if not more so: 

(T)oday, we have unhinged, fictionalized conspiracies about Israel, that somehow the Jewish state is systematically slaughtering children or committing genocide.  

Thank you, Jonathan. What about the questions I raised? Jonathan addresses that too: 

(P)eople, regardless of where you are on the spectrum, need to speak out clearly and firmly and forcefully and say, in an unambiguous way, that anti-Semitism is unacceptable, because, again, this isn't activism. It's hate, and it should be called out as such.

I agree. But I would go a bit further and not limit it to individuals. Major institutions of popular culture need to say the same thing. and to some degree it is already happening - as noted yesterday with the Miami Heat and today with the Chicago Bulls. Ken Yirbu!

Antisemitism in America

A Jew being beaten by a mob in Times Square (ABC7)

I’m sorry. I’m just not buying it.  The American people are not antisemitic. Not even slightly. Not even in the face of a significant rise of antisemitic attacks taking place in the country recently. I say that with complete confidence. 

The plain truth  is that a number of Shuls have been vandalized recently having been defaced with Nazi symbolism or worse. And there have been some pretty vicious attacks recently against individual Jews. in some cases being beaten by mobs to the point of putting them in the hospital. It  is happening not only here but all over the world and should be taken seriously. That it happens in Europe should not shock anyone. But that it happens here might shock a few people. But while the current rise is in and of itself shocking, it does not reflect the views of the vast majority of the American people. 

One of the reasons there has been a spike in antisemitic incidents is because of what happened in Gaza over the last couple of weeks. Arab Americans have been protesting in the streets all over the country about they see happening to their co-religionist in Gaza. Fueled by the media focus Israel’s  devastating response to their rocket attacks. Whether their protests are jusitified or not is besides the point. Those protesters believe they are. They see the carnage every day on the nightly news and react. That brings out the worst element among attacking us.  

But this is not America. These are American Arabs and other Muslims who have become a substantial part of the population. They naturally empathize with their own people. And express support for them in numbers reflecting their current size. They generally buy into the propaganda that Israel's founders are European colonists that have no right to the land  and have created an Apartheid state that oppresses indigenous Palestinians. And now they have people in congress saying it too. 

It doesn't help matters that he Dempoctratc Party has taken a leftward shift with a sizable number of them expressing a more pro Palestinian attitude with more sympathy for Gaza’s Palestinians and less support for Israel… Which is also the message sent by the images seen every day on the nightly news. 

Interestingly, I recently saw a poll that indicated that more Americans than ever supported Israel this time than ever before, despite the best efforts of the media. Most Americans know that Hamas is a terrorist organization, and no amount of media whitewashing that has convinced the American people otherwise. 

An example of strong mainstream American support for the Jewish people can be found on the website of the Miami Heat basketball team. An industry dominated by black athletes. Who are sometimes  accused of being antisemitic themselves. 

This is not the first time such sentiments have been expressed. One does not have to go too far back in history to see similar American support. The same kind of response was made by mainstream America when 11 people were massacred by a right wing fanatic at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh. 

This support is not from a particular political party or philosophy. It is not conservative or liberal; left or right. It is universal - crossing all political and social lines. Just as do  the antisemites of the world. Hate exists in all segments of society. But so too does tolerance and respect. 

I remain convinced that the vast majority of Americans fall into he latter category by orders of magnitude. I have do reason to believe that has changed. If anything that support is stronger now than it ever was despite the way it is played in the media.

The Sad Reality of MO-Lite

My views have not changed. If anything they have been reinforced by Avi Ciment’s observations in a Jewish Press op-ed. 

Sometimes it seems like there are more divisions within Orthodoxy than there are religions and all their denominations combined! For purposes of this post, I will simplify the breakdown in Orthodoxy between Charedi Jews and Modern Orthodox (MO) Jews. My focus here is on Modern Orthodox Jews

Sadly, MO is divided into 3 widely disparate groups which I will call Centrist, Left wing, and MO-Lite. In my view the most legitimate segment is Centrist - which I consider myself to be a part of. Obviously. This segment believes in strict adherence to Halacha and loyalty to the Mesorah - the traditions of our forefathers. But at the same time Centrists place a high value on Mada - the study of worldly knowledge. We also have a positive view about participation on the general culture as long as it  does not contradict Halacha or Mesorah. (This is mostly where  we differ with Charedim. More about that later.) 

The left wing of MO sees Halacha as vital but does not place as much value on tradition when the spirit of the times suggest changes. Of course they too place a high value on Mada and participation in the culture. 

Then there is what I have called MO-Lite.  I fear that this may very well be the largest segment of MO. 

These are people that are MO mostly for cultural reasons. For this reason, they do not have that  much of a commitment to Halacha, let alone the Mesorah. Nowhere is this better illustrated than in Avi’s personal observations. While it is true that this is merely anecdotal evidence. I would be willing to bet that it is a pretty accurate reflection of MO-Lite: 

The other night, my friend’s daughter mentioned that she recently ate Shabbos lunch in a very popular Upper West Side building. Waiting in the lobby for a friend, she was surprised to see a large percentage of Modern Orthodox kippah-wearing boys walking through the electric sliding door and pushing the elevator button.

After lunch, one of the guests – all of whom were Modern Orthodox and had attended Jewish day schools – casually turned on the TV. No one said anything, probably because of peer pressure or, worse, because they didn’t regard it as such a big deal…

Many Modern Orthodox Jews, though, openly ignore halacha.

Despite parents spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on Jewish education, many of their children text on Shabbos, skip putting on tefillin, and don’t strictly keep kosher. I’ve spoken to many of these young adults, and you’d be shocked to find how many don’t truly believe that Hashem actually authored the Torah.  

I don’t think there is any point in denying it. I have witnessed much the same thing. Given the choice in a conflict between Halacha and lifestyle, MO-Lite Jews will choose lifestyle. Tradition has little significance if any when this kind of conflict arises. I wish it weren’t so. But apparently it is very much so. 

The sad thing is that many of MO-Lite Jews have had the benefit of an Orthodox Jewish education. But they basically ignore it!. Avi speculated about why that is the case: 

Perhaps many of their parents didn’t convey to them the importance and beauty of keeping Shabbos or any of the other mitzvot. Or they only went to shul to discuss business and sports rather than pray to G-d. Remember, it’s not what you say, but what you do that counts most. (Emphasis mine).

I think that is exactly right. First let me state what I have said in the past and still strongly believe.  Without a formal Jewish education provided by religious day schools and high schools observant Judaism would be in decline. Possibly even facing an  existential, crisis. It the day school movement that has turned the tide - and why of all Jewish denominations Orthodoxy is the only one that is growing. There is not a doubt in my mind about that. 

But there is an important caveat about the effectiveness of a religious Jewish education. If a child does not see it in the home, the school will not be enough. When there is a conflict between what the school teaches a child and what they see their parents do, the parents win. 

If a parent is nominally observant but violates Halacha when it suits them, a child will pick that up as a value. That is what they internalize. It is rare for a child to break away from the relatively easier lifestyle of ‘Lite’ observance they see at home and the more serious form of observance they are taught in school.

I think that explains – at least in part – the behavior described by Avi. And much as I’d like to, I’m not sure there is anything we can do about it. 

My gut feeling is that the MO left wing is the smallest group among MO and will eventually have to make c a decision about whether they actually belong in Orthodoxy or not. If they continue their current trajectory, that decision may be made for them. 

MO-Lite is probably the largest segment. Which is why when someone mentions MO to a Charedi, that is what they all too often see. 

Then there are the Centrists like myself. We are definitely greater in number by far than the left. We are as committed to to Halacha and Mesorah as is the Charedi world. but we are much smaller in number than they are. Probably by orders of magnitude.

It may not surprise anyone that I still consider Centrism to be closer to Emes – God’s intent on how His people should serve Him. Why I believe that is beyond the scope of this post. pointis that greater numbers do not equal greater truth. If that were true, we’d all be Christians! 

I’ve said this before. Many times. Greater numbers and greater growth (mostly due to a higher birth  rate) does mean that our survival as a people lies largely with Charedim. On the plus side, our common values of strict observance of Halacha and loyalty to Mesorah makes it easy to live together with similar lifestyles. Our differences are intellectual and rarely discussed.  

The question is whether Centrist Hashkafos will survive under these conditions. I think they will. In fact I believe that there will be - and currently is - cross-fertilization between us and each side has picked up a bit of what the other side has to offer. We will be fully integrated as a society.

That is already happening culturally as more Centrist MOs can be found to be wearing black hats and more Charedim are seeking higher educations and better jobs. And even our participation in the culture will not be that different. Although our attitudes about it differ in the sense that Charedim tend to do so with a certain degree of guilt. But that hasn't stopped them. 

Another - perhaps more important question is what happens to MO-Lite? Are they going to be written off as a casualty of assimilation? If so is there anything we can do about it? I hope not. But I honestly don’t know. 

Update: After consultations with people associated with the previous photo, I decided to change it to a less controversial image. I apologize if it offended anyone. That was certainly not my intent. 

Rethinking our Political Perspectives

Ashkelon after a Hamas rocket attack (LA Times)

A ceasefire has been been declared by Israel and Hamas. Thank God. I hope it sticks. I do not want to see any more innocent people die or get hurt. On either side. I only hope Israel has reached its objective.

Now that things seem to have calmed down, it would be good time to reflect on our own  political sympathies. Here are my thoughts.

There are many Orthodox Jews whose sympathies lie with the liberal/left. As such they generally vote for Democrats. But I think the time has come for some serious thought about what it is exactly that most Democrats believe in and support.   

I understand why so many of us have such sympathies.  It’s all about fairness and empathy for the underdog. When they see people suffering, they want to help. Which is of course a very laudable feeling. But at the end of the day, what might seem fair in the moment is actually a gross miscarriage of justice. As this applies to support for Israel the liberal/left philosophy that seems to be increasingly influencing (if not outright dominating) Democratic politics and has expressed much sympathy toward Palestinians with respect to their conflict with Israel. 

The liberal/left looks at the here and now, That is how they assess who gets their sympathy. Which why it is Palestinians upon which they focus. Historical context becomes irrelevant when people are suffering now. Democrats are increasingly going in that direction. Which is eroding their support for Israel.

The counter argument for that erosion is to blame it on Israel’s right wing Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu. A lot has been made about how Democrats have been alienated by Netanyahu’s behavior with respect to former President Barack Obama. 

I don’t think that’s it. I think is it just liberal/left politics that increasingly guides them. Most recently expressed by Senator Bernie Sanders, the most left wing member of the Senate, BDS supporter, Representative Rashida Tlaib, and the darling of the media, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. 

They consider themselves to have the moral high ground on every issue. Especially when it concerns Israel. Their criticism of Israel has nothing to to with their hatred for Netanyahu - although that hatred is very real. No. it’s not about that. It’s all about the poor Palestinian underdogs that are suffering and dying under Israel’s heavy military hand. It’s about death and destruction they see in virtually every news broadcast every day. They see Israel doing that - using American supplied military weapons. Which they want to stop. Or at least condition on not using it on any Palestinians in Gaza or the West Bank.

Democrats are now pushing the President to put more pressure on Israel to make some sort of peace deal with them. What that peace deal might look like versus what it should look like is irrelevant to them. They want peace at any price because they see innocent Palestinians suffering under the thumb of Israeli oppression. Their position would be the same no matter who the Israeli prime minister is. 

The sad reality is that a lot of non Orthodox Jews feel the same way. As noted by Douglas Altabef:

…a group of some 90 American non-Orthodox rabbinical students published an open letter on May 13 castigating Israel for its “violent suppression of human rights,” and yes, engaging in “apartheid” policies… 

The gist of the missive takes the form of a series of questions: “What will it take for us to see that our Israel has the military and controls the borders? How many Palestinians must lose their homes, their schools, their lives, for us to understand that today, in 2021, Israel’s choices come from a place of power and that Israel’s actions constitute an intentional removal of Palestinians?” 

This isn’t just a group of random secular Jews that are not well read on Jewish issues. These are future ‘Rabbis’. People that will be leading those non orthodox Jews that care enough about Judaism to have an opinion on Israel. They will look to their  rabbi for guidance.  

Although as of now they consist of a minority of American Jews - since the latest Pew study estimates that 72% of non Orthodox Jews intermarry and could not care less about the  their religion or Israel -that  leaves 28% that do care. Which is still a sizable number.  

I suspect that a lot of heterodox Jews already feel this way. These rabbis just legitimize those feelings and ‘Kasher’ their views as ‘authentically Jewish’. 

I understand that those among us (Orthodox Jewry)  who lean heavily liberal/left  share similar political values with heterodox Jews. They also feel compassion and empathy for the underdog. They want to help alleviate their pain and suffering. But is this really the side you choose to be on? Do you really want to be on the side of those that want to undercut American support for Israel in a misguided service to that cause? 

I realize that it would be best if there was bi-partisan support for Israel. But at what price? That has historically been the case for decades. But that ship has sailed. Democrats have moved so far to the left that their positions on Israel can really hurt. Do you really want to be part of that?

Unintended Consequences

Photo that appeared in Mishpacha's print edition

I have to give Mishpacha Magazine credit. They have finally published a picture of a woman in their print edition. It was in a wonderful mini bio about the great Ponevezh Rosh Yeshiva, R’ Shmuel Rozovsky, ZTL. Although she was in a small newspaper clipping as part of a group of doctors that treated him for a deadly disease, it is nevertheless quite clear that one of the people in that picture is a woman. 

I applaud Mishpacha for the courage to break that taboo. It was a mini-baby step to be sure. But a step in the right direction. I just hope it wasn’t an error that slipped by the censors about which they will apologize. That would be a step backwards. Hopefully it is not. We shall see. 

It is with that in mind that an opposite trend seems to be happening. Which is the following. The Charedi  phenomenon of guiding all young men into Kollel (whose goal is full time learning for as long as possible) has generated the unintended consequences of these young men being unable to support their families. Women are now being encouraged to do that. They are the modern era breadwinners of the Charedi world. Michal Raucher, an Assistant Professor of Jewish Studies at Rutgers University, spent two years studying Charedi women in Jerusalem. She made the following observation: 

…ultra-Orthodox women have become the primary breadwinners. Over the past decade, they have increasingly attended college and graduate school in order to support their large families. In fact, they now enter the work force at a similar rate as their secular peers and are forging new careers in technology, music and politics, for example. 

This new role for Charedi women has apparently ignited a sort of nascent Charedi feminism among the rank and file. Which runs counter to an almost opposite negative trend - the erasure of women from the public square (as indicated in my opening paragraph). 

While there are many Charedi women that don’t seem to mind or care that much, there are plenty that do. And for good reason. By making women invisible it harms the way girls see themselves as adults as well as how boys see women in their own future. Being in the work place is contradiction to the trend to erase them. At best that is confusing. Taking matters of Tznius to an absurd extreme seems to be backfiring as more Charedi women begin to flex their feminist muscles. 

Another example where this nascent feminism is beginning to be expressed is in the area of reproductive rights: 

…when you look at ultra-Orthodox women, a picture of major societal change emerges. Women in the community are increasingly making reproductive decisions, working outside the home and resisting rabbis’ authority... 

What came out most prominently from our conversations and the many hours of observations I conducted in clinics and hospitals was that after several pregnancies, ultra-Orthodox women begin to take control over their reproductive decisions. This runs counter to what the rabbis expect of them. 

Rabbis expect ultra-Orthodox men and women to come to them for guidance on and permission for medical care. 

I’m not sure that the Charedi leadership is fully aware of this. If they are, they might chalk it up to a small minority. Or they might not know the extent of it and say this phenomenon is hardly what they object to when they speak about feminism in disparaging tones. 

But even if the latter were true, they should be aware that it isn’t only about jobs to support their Kollel husbands or reproductive rights. These women are getting an education their husbands are being denied. Their wives end up far more educated than they are. Which can easily work its way into becoming the source of marital discord. 

The idea that Torah knowledge runs supreme in an Orthodox home, does not mean that the one who possess it the most will be automatically treated with the most deference. Which is what one would expect in such homes. The fact is that in many cases wives are out in the world and have jobs where they are the intellectual peers of the men they work with. Trained to do everything their male counterparts do just as well. 

This gives them a sense of high accomplishment that they bring with them into the home. They may not do it consciously, but I don’t see how one cannot feel a sense of personal superiority in the sense of being the better educated of the two and being the primary bread winner. 

That said, I’m sure that there are some women with those credentials that still see themselves as secondary to their husbands since Torah knowledge is so highly valued. This is what they are taught from the earliest stages of their educational development. Which is constantly being reinforced throughout their lives. But theory is one thing. Reality is something else. I suspect that a lot of women have one way or another exhibited their sense of high accomplishment in areas where their husbands have not - and very likely never will.

Husbands can come to resent that which I believe it can destroy a marriage. 

I don’t know what the future holds. And I am not too good at guessing. I have said many times that the current paradigm of the Charedi world is unsustainable. This is yet another indication of that. One that has bearing on family life. It wouldn’t surprise me if this dynamic is in part responsible for the increase of the Orthodox divorce rate. So far the Charedi world has survived all the dire predictions of its demise. Will it last without a paradigm change? Who knows!

Messages from God

Meir Gloiberman and Mordechai Binyamin Rubinstein: killed at Givat Zev (YWN)

Yet another tragedy has befallen the Jewish people. This time it was a Shul under construction in the Givat Zev section of East Jerusalem that was prematurely used by Stoliner Chasidim. What started out as inspirational pre Shavuous program suddenly turned deadly.

A shabbily constructed makeshift bleacher section filled with Stoliner Chasidim collapsed. Two people were killed and 184 people were injured. 2 souls lost in a tragedy that should have never happened!

Whenever tragedy strikes our people, the reaction of the Charedi world is predictable - seeing every tragedy as a message from God. We are given a variety of suggestions from assorted rabbinic leaders about what that specific message might be. At the very least we are told to look inward and see what our personal failings are and improve them. We have heard it all before. All the suggestions are about spiritual concerns. 

That was the response to all the tragic COVID deaths suffered early on by Charedim which were proportionally much higher than the rest of the world.

That was again the response after the tragic deaths of 45 innocent religious Jews in Meron. The same predictable list of our spiritual shortcomings that need improvement. I haven’t heard the latest talk about which of our spiritual failings ‘caused’ the latest tragedy in Givat Zev. My guess is that it will be more of the same. 

There were also those who said that ‘silence is golden’. Meaning that we shouldn’t be playing the blame game right now. Instead we should just be allow those who lost loved ones to grieve in peace. - adding that we don’t really know exactly what happened anyway and shouldn’t be speculating. 

On the other hand there were some brave souls in the Charedi world that have actually suggested that ‘the enemy is us’. That it is the fault of the Charedi world that these these tragedies happened. Last week’s Mishpacha Magazine had a rare editorial by its publisher, Eli Paley, who dared to suggest that very thing. Albeit not without the standard apologetics that accompany any such communal introspection. Which mostly has to do with leaving the spiritual analyses to rabbinic leaders as the real cause for our misfortune. 

But once that disclaimer was made, he zeroed in on who he thought was responsible for what happened in Meron. Which is the hodgepodge of small rabbinic groups who have been in charge of that event without the slightest understanding of what the dangers really were. Although Mr. (Rabbi?) Paley added the obligatory ‘Let’s blame the government, too’ rhetoric, I think his message was clear. The responsibility for that tragedy rested largely upon the Charedim in charge who routinely reject any government attempt to interfere at any level – even with respect to safety concerns. As a card carrying member of the Charedi world who publishes a weekly news magazine I’m sure he knows that.  

Despite the apologetics, it took  lot of courage to assign blame and suggest that the rabbinic authorities in charge of Meron are woefully ignorant about safety procedures. And to suggest that the government which has the infrastructure and knowledge about security measures in large crowds should have been in charge. 

But if one wants to look at the spiritual side - then the obvious question is why? Why are so many of the recent tragedies affecting primarily the Charedi world? 

If the message from God is the ‘usual suspects’ (like various versions of communal the lack of Tznius,, not learimg enough Torah, Lashon Hara, Sinas Chinam, or even each one of us looking inward for self improvement…) how many times must we be told the same thing before we ‘get it’? 

Maybe the message is different than those being offered. 

I know I have said that knowing what is on the mind of God is impossible in our day when God’s face is hidden. We have no direct communication with God nor do we have prophets that can tell us what He wants from us. We can only guess. That is all the rabbinic leaders are doing. They are guessing based on their own spiritual leanings about what they see are our communal spiritual failings. But in my view they may be missing the forest for the trees. If  wee keep getting deadly messages even after all those suggestions have repeatedly been made maybe the real message hasn't been articulated yet. 

Is it possible that what is missing is the opposite of what some of them are suggesting?  Maybe ‘Frum shaming’ us  is the wrong approach. Maybe, just maybe God is telling us that we have gone too far in the ‘Frumkeit’ department. 

Is it possible to be too Frum? It think it depends on how you define ‘Frum’. In my view the way it is currently defined by the right, actually does harm to the fabric of religious communal life. 

To take one obvious example of what I mean, it is in how the Charedi world has been dealing with issues of Tznius. There are many manifestations of that - but to choose one - it is the erasure women from the public square. Whether it is in refusing to publish pictures of women in any of the Charedi print media, or in the lengths some of the more extreme segments among them have gone to separate the genders. Not to mention the growing number of individual extremists within the larger extremist factions that attack women who they see as violating their community Tznius standards. Sometimes verbally. Sometimes physically. There have been many incidents like that. Which have been defended by their larger community.

Maybe God is telling us that we should stop the Frumkeit race and to go back to a time where we were more concerned about being Ehrlich rather than about being Frum. To be Ehrlich is to be sincere about our service to God. Not about outdoing some other group’s Frumkeit. 

Like I keep saying. I am not God’s accountant. Nor do I dare speculate about what his message  might be. 

In my view the real blame lies with those who reject the outside world in its entirety. It is with their inherent attitude that ‘we know better then everyone else because we are more religious than they are’. 

The truth is they do not know better. They know nothing when it comes to public safety and are arrogant enough to reject and disparage those that actually do know better. Whether it is about health or public safety. 

But… OK! If they insist there is a greater more spiritual message that the Charedi world should be receiving, maybe they should have enough humility to know their own limitations. And to acknowledge the fallacy of the ‘Frumkeit chase’ and reverse that trend. 

You never know. It hasn't been tried yet. That may be the best solution of all.

The Legacy of Sinai*

There seems to an interesting contradiction in the Torah about our acceptance of it at Sinai. On the one hand the Torah tells us that we, the Jewish people accepted the Torah without even knowing what was in it: Na’aseh V’Nishma – we will observe and we will listen. (Shemos 24:7). As if to say that we are first committed to do the will of God whatever it may be, and only then do we say we will listen to what it has to say. 

However in an earlier section of the Torah it speaks about how we stood ‘at the foot of the mountain’ (Shemos 19:17). The Gemarah (Shabbos 88a) explains this to mean that God held a mountain over the all of the Jewish people as if it were a cask and gave us an ultimatum, ‘If you accept the Torah, good. If not, THERE will be your burial!  Which basically means that God forced the Jewish people to accept it! 

Is it possible that the Jews were at one moment ambivalent about accepting something that would separate them from all others and then shortly after that - they were so accepting of the Torah that it didn’t matter to them what was in it? 

Rav Aaron Soloveichik has a novel interpretation of this seeming contradiction. He explains that we were never forced. That would have denied us our free will. Then he notes the strange use of the word ‘THERE’ in the Gemarah’s explanation of that verse. Why not use the more appropriate ‘HERE’. What does us of the word ‘THERE’ mean to tell us? 

Rav Ahron suggests that a Midrash on Shir HaShirim can help explain the discrepancy. God asked our forefathers for guarantees before giving them the Torah. He wanted to assure that the Torah would be the cornerstone of Jewish national existence. 

Our ancestors first offered the patriarchs and then the prophets as guarantors. But God rejected both proposals. Only when the Jewish people pledged that future generations would uphold His word, that God accepted it. The Torah was too precious to be given to only a single generation. It had to be ‘a legacy for the community of Ya’akov (D’varim 33:4). 

This is where the word ‘THERE’ comes in. What that means is that if future generations abandon the commitment to the Torah guaranteed by their ancestors at Sinai, whenever or wherever they may be, ‘THERE’ will be their burial. That would be their tragic end. 

There is therefore no contradiction in the 2 aforementioned biblical passages. They willingly – even eagerly accepted the Torah in both instances. It was only in the sense of guaranteeing future generations that Israel showed some reluctance. On this point there was coercion. 

Rav Ahron adds that the idea of holding the mountain over their heads like a cask is an exact expression. Freedom is most important gift God has bestowed upon mankind. But it is also the most abused and misunderstood of all moral values.   

From the Torah’s perspective, freedom is to be treated as an opportunity. Which should be used maximize one’s potential. It is not an end in itself. 

The last Mishna in Shas tells us that God did not find a better ‘cask’ in, which Bracha – blessing - can be kept than Shalom - peace.  ‘God will give strength to His people; God will bless His people with Shalom’ (Tehilim 29:11). 

Shalom means the absence of conflict and the absence of the abuse of power. It is synonymous not only with peace but also with freedom. Shalom is merely a cask in which the Yeino Shel Torah – the wine of the Torah is kept. It is the opportunity for Bracha where fulfillment of our moral and spiritual potential can be realized.  As long as the cask opening is face up the wine is preserved. If on the other hand it is turned face down – the wine will spill out. 

As long as we treat freedom as a cask, as an opportunity whereby the image of God in our souls can be realized, then freedom is the source of Bracha.  But if that cask is overturned and treated as an end in itself, then the wine of Torah  will be spilled out and lost to the grave of absorption. 

Only in utilizing freedom properly by realizing the image of God within us, by committing our children to the Torah, can we preserve Bracha for our generation and all future ones.

*Adapted from The Warmth and the Light.

Where Do Arab Israelis Really Stand?

I’ve said this before. Rabbi Meir Kahane understood the Arab mindset better than anyone. I realize that coming after my strong condemnation of the Jewish psychopaths that follow him - this comment might seem strange if not shocking.  But I used to read his column in the Jewish Press religiously and found myself mostly agreeing with his analyses. 

That said, I strongly opposed what he thought we should do about it. Some of which included forcibly putting Arabs on trucks and shipping them out of the country if they did not agree to accept Israel as a Jewish state and live as second class citizens with no voting rights. 

Rabbi Kahane’s solution to the ‘Arab problem’ was reminiscent of what Nazi Germany originally tried to do about the ‘Jewish problem’. At first they just wanted to ethnically cleanse Germany of all of its Jews. Since no country was willing to take us in, Hitler came up with the ‘Final solution’ as the only way to get rid of us. 

I recall very vividly how my Rebbe, Rav Ahron Soloveichik, completely rejected Rabbi Kahane. As did every other rabbinic leader of that time. It didn’t matter that Rabbi Kahane understood what Arabs were really thinking. Or how sincere he might have been; or how religious he was. Rav Ahron knew quite well what the Arab mindset was. But he was appalled by Rabbi Kahane’s morally repugnant approach. An approach that would have brought massive tragedy upon the Jewish people. And an approach that would have brought shame on us all. Coming from a Gadol like Rav Ahron who was one of the strongest supporters of the settler movement - that was quite the condemnation. 

Rabbi Kahane’s solution was considered racist by Israeli lawmakers. It didn't help matters that he called Arabs ‘dogs’ - often without making any distinctions between one Arab and another. His party ‘Kach’ was deemed racist too, and it barred from running for the Keneset again - after having won a seat in the previous election. 

For what its worth, I don’t think Rabbi Kahane would have ever done or approved of what some of his followers have done in his name. It should nonetheless not be lost on anyone that his rabid verbal attacks against Arabs surely fuels their actions. They took his disgusting rhetoric to the next level. 

But Rabbi Kahane's understanding of the Arab mindset cannot be understated. He once very wisely said, ‘You cannot buy Arab pride with flush toilets’ (...or words to that effect).  That was in response to what many people in his day believed about them. Which was that Israel has given Israeli Arabs the ability to live a lifestyle far better than most Arabs in other countries. Most Israeli Arabs live very comfortable middle class lives with a standard of living not much different than that of Jewish Israelis. With identical voting rights. A lot of people believed that living in this way would make them all patriotic Israeli citizens.

There are Israeli Arabs that are patriotic. Lucy Aharish comes to mind. But I’m not sure how many there are like her or how deep their patriotism is. When Arab pride is at stake, their loyalty is to their own people. Just as Jewish pride is to us. The fact is that many Arab Israelis have started referring to themselves as Palestinian Israelis. Their ethnic pride having laid dormant until they start seeing fellow Arabs being harmed. There are cities in Israel that have mixed Jewish and Arab neighborhoods. 

Now that Israel is being bombarded with thousands of rockets from Gaza and needs to defend itself by striking back - those ‘patriotic’ Arab citizens are showing where their true loyalties lie. Which is with their fellow Arabs in Gaza. Their ‘flush toilets’ have not made them patriotic Israelis at all. Their patriotism is toward their own people.

This has sadly been made evident by the unexpected way in which Israeli Arabs have responded. Which has been wrth violence against their own Jewish neighbors. This is best illustrated in a tweet by Lindy Rubin about her daughter-in-law who is a Jewish  resident of Ramat Eshkol - a mixed Jewish/Arab neighborhood in Lod. It is featured in Rafi’s blog. And reveals the truth of what Rabbi Kahane said about them decades ago. Read it and weep: 

This is my daughter in law, Shvut. (See photo above.) She and my son, Tsur, and their 3 children live in Lod. In a neighborhood called Ramat Eshkol which is a mixed neighborhood, Jews and Arabs. She was interviewed on the news after a harrowing 2 days of terror. The most shocking thing she told me was that one of her Arab neighbors directed the crazed Mob to throw a molotov cocktail into their apartment. Luckily it didn't catch fire. Today she asked another Arab neighbor, who always greets her with a smile, what she thinks about the situation. The woman said to her - you deserve whats coming to you. After all, you stole our country.

Thats it folks. The real narrative. Its them or us.

Arabs - Guilty Until Proven Innocent?

An Israeli Arab beaten to a bloody pulp (Times of Israel)

I wish we could revoke one’s Judaism. I wish there were a way we could strip that away from some people. Because there are some instances that should truly warrant it. 

Alas, that isn’t possible. Af Al Pi SheChatah, Yisroel Hu. One cannot get rid of their Judaism. No one can revoke it. Once a Jew always a Jew. Even if you are a mass murderer.  Or worship the idol Moloch by sacrificing your own child on a fiery alter.   

Last night in Bat Yam, a Tel Aviv suburb, a crowd of extremist Jewish Israelis beat an Arab to within inches of his life! 

There are no words. In my heart, I would like to believe that it is not possible that these people were Jews. That somehow these were non Jews posing as Jews. 

But they were Jews. 

This event has been widely condemned by all segments of Israel. Including Israel’s Prime Minister and the Chief Rabbinate. As it should have been. But that is far from enough. This was a hate crime. The people that did this should be tried for at least battery and attempted murder. With the stiffest possible penalties applied. And then thrown into the clink among violent Arab prisoners for the duration of their sentence.  That might serve as a just punishment. If and when they survive that, I would exile them from the land. Never allowing them to set foot in Israel again! 

This kind of violence cannot stand. It can never be allowed to ever take place  again. An example must be set by Israel’s justice system that will ensure it.

It is understandable when tensions are running high with people fearing literally being blown to bits at any moment by a Hamas rocket that they might do irrational things. One can understand if not excuse someone taking out their fear, anger, and frustration in angry protest. But to take it out on an innocent person in this fashion is cruel and inhuman. And clearly un-Jewish. 

It would be one thing if the fellow they almost beat to death was a proven Hamas terrorist with blood on his hands. Vigilantism is also not right - but at least understandable. But he was not a terrorist. He was an Israeli Arab.  As for claims by witnesses that he was trying to ram his car into the crowd - it  has been reported that a video exists showing him simply trying to bypass the protestors.

One of the things that needs to be done is to understand what motivates these people to do something like that. Where do they get the idea that anything like this is even remotely justified? 

I have no answer. Other than to say that these Jews are psychopaths who have absolutely  no conscience. There is no philosophy, religious or otherwise that can justify this kind of violence.

On the other hand, there are some people that believe there is such a philosophy. I don’t know if any of the Jews involved in that beating last night were followers of the late Rabbi Meir Kahane. But it wouldn’t surprise me if they were. Because this kind of behavior was exhibited by one of his followers - a respected doctor - in the past.  One might recall Dr. Baruch Goldstein – an avowed follower of Rabbi Kahane. One fine Purim day he decided to go to Ma’aras Hamachpela- located near Chevron where he lived -  and slaughter a group of Arabs that were praying there. 

Anyone that thinks that Goldstein was universally condemned for that has another ‘think’ coming.  He is actually considered a hero by many right wing extremists claiming that he was preventing a mass slaughter of Jews by those Muslim worshippers. A shrine was actually built in that area (since torn down by the government) to which his followers made pilgrimages in order to honor his memory. I don’t think it is a stretch to believe that some of the people involved in that beating last night in Bat Yam were followers of the late rabbi. 

An ideology that assumes Arabs are vermin unless proven otherwise is the kind of racism that will generate the horror that happened last night. It ought to be outlawed with stiff penalties for its dissemination. It is not a matter of free speech being unprotected in a free society. It is a matter of forbidding yelling ‘Fire!’ in a crowded theater. Vilifying others to the point considering them worthy of such a beating is something that ought to be stopped cold. Right now!