A Huge Change for the Better

Recent photo of  R' Chaim Kanievsky (Jerusalem Post)

There is a plague among us. No… I’m not talking about COVID. Although that plague is surely still with us. I am talking about sexual abuse. 

It seems like we can’t get away from it. No matter how much we try. Almost every day another horrible story of sex abuse shows up in the media. It’s gotten to the point where it almost isn’t news anymore! That does not however change the devastating effect is has on the many victims. Especially if they are children.

It’s not that things have not changed for the better. They have. Victim advocacy groups have done a great job in bringing that change about. Mechanisms have been put in place to better educate parents how to protect their children. Laws have been enacted that mandate doctors, teachers, and clergy to report any such incidents to the police -  with penalties for not doing so. The public has been educated to believe accusations of abuse, which are rarely made up - and report it to the police.  Police have been better trained to deal with victims and mental health experts have been better trained to provide therapy to victims. 

And yet as I indicated, there seems to be a never ending parade of sexual abuse stories in the media. Why is that?

I think that part of the problem is that sexual predators have been around since the beginning of time. A sexual aberration like pedophilia is a sickness that apparently has no cure. Unfortunately it almost always involves a sexual predator grooming a child and subtly involving them in their sexually aberrant behavior. 

To the best of my knowledge therapy does not work with pedophiles. No matter how much we try, their sexual appetite does not change or disappear. Their sexual urges can only be satisfied by abusing children 

So no matter what protections we put in place, to the predator: ‘Where there is a will, there is a way’.

The best we can do to prevent it is through vigilance and education combined with severe punitive measures for predators, their enablers, and for non compliance with the law.  (Such as mandated reporters suspecting abuse and failing to report it.)  

There has been much criticism in how the Charedi world has handled sex abuse. One of the most serious accusations is that for years, when it happened it was swept under the rug. Covered up. This was true of many other segments of society. Most notably the Catholic church.  And  the Modern Orthodox world was just as guilty of that. Victims were pretty much ignored and left to their own devices. Causing s lot of them to go OTD, suffer serious depression; in some cases attempting suicide! And succeeding in more than a few of those attempts.

But it was the Charedi world that was the most determined to keep things 'in house'. And not report abuse directly to the police. Instead instructing people to first report those suspicions to their rabbis and let them decide whether or not to report it. When those rabbis decided not to report it, the abuse continued. In some cases (mostly in the Chasidic world) predators were believed and victims were accused of lying. Even after the predators were convicted and sentenced to long prison terms.  

But something happened last week that might finally change that approach. From the Jerusalem Post: 

A special rabbinical court convened by five prominent haredi (ultra-Orthodox) rabbis has ruled that two brothers who are deans of a prominent yeshiva in Jerusalem sexually abused their students for years, and have forbidden parents from sending their sons to the institution. 

The court said that “severe and obscene transgressions” had been committed by Rabbi Yitzhak Tufik, dean of the Be’er Yehudah Yeshiva in the Sanhedria neighborhood of Jerusalem, and his brother, Rabbi Moshe Tufik, dean of the Be’er Yehudah “yeshiva ketana” for high-school pupils. 

I’m happy to see the severity of this court’s decision. This is the first time in my memory that I have ever seen a Charedi religious court come out so strongly against sexual abusers in their own community -  as well as the institution that enabled them. But perhaps more significantly is what else just happened. From the Jerusalem Post: 

Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky, the leading rabbi of the Ashkenazi non-hassidic ultra-Orthodox community, has stated that complaints over sexual abuse should be made to the police, in comments which have been released to the public by the rabbi’s advisors.

The comments were made three years ago but have only now been publicly disclosed in a video seen by The Jerusalem Post of the meeting in which the rabbi stated his position. Kanievsky previously stated in 2015 regarding a specific case that a victim could report his abuse to the police, but the new comments refer in general to all incidents of sexual abuse and the video of his ruling was officially approved for release by the rabbi’s advisers…

 Asked if it was possible to ignore legal obligations to report criminal sexual abuse, the rabbi said, “No.”

That is great news. I don’t know why it took 3 years to release that statement. But perhaps it finally registered that reticence in such matters can lead to that happened in Be’er Yehudah. Perhaps it was the recent revelation about ZAKA founder and erstwhile hero, Yehuda Meshi-Zahav. Who was exposed as a serial sex abuser; that it was rather well known; and yet went unreported. 

Whatever the reason, it’s about time. Better late than never.

Looking Down at Each Other

Charedi Gadol, R' Chaim Kanievsky

One of the more troubling issues for me these days is how Charedim and modern Orthodox Jews look at each other. Which is (to say the least) not in very flattering ways. For obviously different reasons based on perceptions by each of the other that are inaccurate. And I’m not sure that can be fixed. The prejudice on both sides runs deep. 

That is just plain wrong and is responsible for a lot of enmity between us. I will nevertheless try and dispel some of those prejudicial notions. 

The  perception on the Charedi side is seeing the very idea of modernity as anathema to Orthodoxy. Leaving a modern way of life to be an illegitimate form of observance They believe that MO Jews are lax in their Halachic observance for purposes of enjoying the culture. A culture they see as a frivolous waste of time at best and Halachicly forbidden at worst. 

They do not see MO Jews taking Halachic observance seriously - basing it more on the social norms of their peers.  They thus see MO skating close to violations of Halacha and sometimes even crossing the line. Many Charedim believe there is no rabbinic guidance to MO lives. Questions in Halacha are never asked. They just plunge right in without thinking about it  too much (if at all). 

YU's R' Hershel Schachter

It never occurs to them that modern Orthodoxy is a legitimate Hashkafa. One that has legitimate sources  and rabbinic leaders. They just see modern Orthodoxy as a bunch of Jews that are lax in their observance for purposes of personal indulgences. 

Adding to this perception is what the extreme left of Orthodoxy is doing. By bowing to the cultural milieu of our time and thereby ignoring centuries of tradition they are seen as completely outside the pale of Orthodoxy.

This is why Charedim look down upon modern Orthodoxy. They consider it a Jewishly illegitimate way of life. Even though MO Jews are Shomer Shabbos, observe the laws of Kashrus and the laws of family purity (Mikva use). 

The truth is that there are indeed MO Jews that fit that description. But they are not the sum and substance of modern Orthodoxy. There are MO Jews that are as sincere in their observances as are Charedim and respect tradition enough not to seek change. They just see the world differently than Charedim. And they have their own sources for that. Just to cite one example: the Torah Im Derech Eretz Hashkafa of Rav Shamshon Raphael Hirsch. Charedim dismiss that as B’Dieved at best and reject it entirely as a way of life. 

Charedim see themselves as forever striving to improve their observance and reject entirely the values of the general culture. 

Which they see as “Treif’ and to be avoided. They take the higher road in all ritual observances always striving to improve. If there is a more enhanced way of performing  a  Mitzvah, they heartily embrace it. Rarely relying on Halachic leniencies. This does not mean they don’t participate in the culture at all. But when they do, they might see it as a weakness which they strive to get rid of. They rely heavily on rabbinic advice for how to live their lives. Advice  they have received in a variety of ways (e.g. their parents, teachers and rabbis) beginning from when they were old enough to understand it 

For their part, Many MO Jews see this lifestyle as aberrant. That the world was not meant to be avoided the way Charedi world does. That not every Halachic stringency need be adopted. Many MO Jews  also tend to see fault in how Charedim relate to the non Jewish world. Being far more lax in how they treat non Jews. That is seen as breeding a culture of white collar crime - if they can get away with it. There is also the perception that the Charedi Hashkafa encourages reliance on government programs designed for the poor - in order to support a lifestyle of pure Torah study. Although qualifying for it legally, MO Jews nevertheless look down upon it as a means of income based purely on a lifestyle choice. 

While there are surely Charedi Jews like that, most  are not. It’s true they strive to ever increasing levels of ritual observance. But the vast majority do not rely on government programs and do support their families that way. They are ethical enough to leave Kollel and find a job - in many cases even seeking a higher education in order to do that. 

These descriptions are a bit oversimplified. There are many other issues upon which we do not see eye to eye. But I think it paints a picture that is not that far off. The prejudice that exists is based on real issues. But in both cases the belief is that the few represent the many. Although there are a lot people in both communities that are pretty much the way each are seen by the other, the fact is that it does not define their group. Both Charedim and modern Orthodox Jews have the right to define themselves as they see fit. As long as a large enough segment of them live up to those standards. 

It would be nice if both communities stepped back from their preconceived notions of the other, see the reality, and realize that we both have committed Jewish lifestyles that are authentic. Even though we might differ in how we live them. And therefore respect each other in the spirit of Elu V'Elu rather than looking down at each other.

Wouldn't that be nice?

American Jewish Support for Israel

Bennett and Biden (Reuters)

“I found a leader who loves Israel, knows exactly what he wants, and is attentive to our needs,”

So said Prime Minister Naftali Bennett after his meeting with President Biden at the White House last Friday. That was nice to hear, although I am not surprised by it. The only question is what it is exactly that Biden wants - and does it match what Israel wants. And if it does, do they agree on how to achieve it? That remains to be seen. 

There has been a lot of discussion about bi-partisan support for Israel. Which has mostly been negative. There was a time not that long ago when Israel enjoyed equal support between Democrats and Republicans. But these days, the greatest support comes from the right side of the political aisle.  

This is not to say that Democrats are anti Israel. That would be completely false. The vast majority of Democrats in congress still support Israel. Some just as strongly as Republicans. But there is no doubt that the Democratic Party’s support has weakened. And there are even a couple of Democrats in congress that are outright anti Israel!  

That raises an interesting question. Since the vast majority of American Jews are Democrats, has their support diminished along the lines of the party they support? Or is their support for the Jewish state as strong as Republicans? 

Unfortunately, I think we all know the answer to that.  The views most American Jews match the Democratic views. Why is that?

A clue to answering that question is to look at what Pew research found. Which is that American Jewry is in steep decline.  More than ever American Jews have no interest in their Jewish Heritage. Many describe themselves as atheists or agnostics. Over 70% of non Orthodox American Jews intermarry. The subject of Israel is hardly important to them.. To the extent that it might be, they will buy into the Apartheid images painted by the left. 

Of course this is not universally true. The criticism of Israel varies. But what used to be universally strong support is no longer there. Similar to that of the Democrats..

A lot of this is blamed on former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He alienated a lot of Democrats on a variety of occasions when he was in office. The climax of which was when he was invited by then republican speaker of the house John Boehner to address congress on how to prevent Iran from achieving nuclear weapons. Netanyahu openly criticized then President Obama for the deal he was about to make. 

That made a lot of Democrats in congress angry. A few boycotted Netanyahu’s speech. Including my own congressional representative, Jan Schakowsky, who is Jewish but intermarried. 

Netanyahu was a convenient whipping boy for secular American Jews - blaming him for the waning bipartisan support. But the fact is Israeli politicians across the political spectrum agreed with Netanyahu's policy on Iran. Not with the then President and his party.

Netanyahu is not the problem for waning bi partisan support– convenient though he might be to blame. 

Although there are exceptions, I think there is a strong correlation between one’s connection to Orthodox Judaism (which is based on the Torah) and support for a Jewish state. The closer the connection the stronger the support. That is one reason why most Orthodox Jews strongly now vote for Republicans.

Why would a secular Jew who in many cases describes himself as atheist or agnostic have any sympathy for a Jewish state at all? What would be the point? Why not believe the Palestinian narrative that Israel practices Apartheid? After all isn’t it obvious that they are an occupying force that separates the two populations?!  Why wouldn’t a Ben and Jerry agree with boycotting the Jewish state?

It is the Torah that generates support for the Jewish state. That is why most Orthodox Jews so strongly support it. And it is why so many secular Jews don’t even have Israel on their radar! 

It is also the reason so many Evangelicals support Israel. Which they base on their bible. Even though their theology differ radically from ours, they nevertheless read the same passages in the bible that we read and understand that Israel is God’s gift to the Jews. 

If one looks at these dynamics, it isn’t too hard to understand why American Jewish support is waning. The less Jewish one feels the less likely will be their support of the Jewish state. Similarly the less Christians rely on the biblical passages dealing with our rights to the land, the less support they will probably have. 

Hat tip: Rabbi Avi Shafran

The Tragedy of the Afghanistan Debacle

Kubul's carnage (NYT)

It’s hard to take my mind off of the carnage that happened yesterday in Afghanistan. 92 people were killed in Kabul’s airport by an ISIS-K (An offshoot of ISIS) suicide bomber. 13 of them were American soldiers. (More attacks like this are expected. And yes, I am angry.)

We are there to help evacuate US personnel and Afghanis who helped us during our 20 year battle with the Taliban. A battle that enabled Afghani citizens to live in the 21^st century!

That may not have been our initial goal for going in. That goal was to find and kill the Al Qaida leadership responsible for 9/11 and destroy their ability to ever try that again. But the freedom it gave the Afghan people was more than just a side benefit. It changed for the better by orders of magnitude the way their lived. Taking them out from under the rule of the one of the most extreme forms of Islam. Which – for one thing – treated their women like property whose purpose in life was limited to staying home with no education, serving their husbands needs and desires, and little else.  The last 20 years gave them freedom from all that while remaining devout Muslims. 

This is why I disagreed with former President Trump’s decision to withdraw troops from the region. Our presence there at the time of that decision was minimal. I believe that there were about 3500 American troops there. But that was enough to keep the Taliban at bay. The President felt it was time to leave, made a deal with the devil (the Taliban) and promised to pull out all of our troops by May of this year. In exchange the Taliban would not attack them as they left.  

To the delight of the Taliban the current President doubled down on that decision. But had delayed the American exist until August. He said that our initial mission was accomplished long ago and there was no end in sight to a war that had lasted 20 years and was still ongoing. So he started pulling out our troops. 

That was all the Taliban needed. With astonishing speed (a matter of days) they toppled the democratic government we helped establish (corrupt though it was) and took control over all of Afghanistan. 20 years down the drain. Thousands of Americans killed over that time. Trillions of dollars spent – for what? To go back to what Afghanistan was before we came in? A place where Al Qaida could flourish, plan, and execute one of the deadliest attacks American ever experienced on its mainland? Is there the slightest doubt in anyone's mind that Al Qaida will be reconstituted under the same Taliban in which they flourished 20 years ago? Not in my mind.

But then came ISIS who executed their own mini-version of 9/11. Yesterday was one of the deadliest days in our entire presence there. 

There are those who might argue that ISIS and the Taliban are adversaries. That the ISIS form of extremist Islam is different than the Taliban’s form of extremist Islam. But that like saying that Satmar and Skvere are adversaries. The Taliban and ISIS adhere to the pretty much the same form of  Islamist extremism. Both see Americans as decadent infidels and do not value their lives. That the Taliban condemned the attack doesn’t mean they wouldn’t do the same thing if the circumstances were reversed. They are the same enemy now they have been for the past 20 years. Who - after all - were we fighting there? 

What bothers me most at the moment is the President’s response to this attack. Which went kind of like this: We were attacked. Let’s  get the heck out of there as fast as we can.  

This is America in retreat. I do not recall any time in American history where an attack was met by retreat. This is how the world will see us. It doesn’t matter that he President said he will hunt  down those that did this and punish them. Finding and destroying a small band of terrorists is not going to change anything (and that assumes we will even be able to find them). ISIS is an ideology, same as the Taliban. For every leader or small group of terrorists we destroy, there are plenty more to take their place. You can’t kill an ideology. All you can do is show strength and determination in the face of challenge. That is what we did in Afghanistan for 20 years. And that’s what kept the terrorist at bay.   

What Biden should have done instead of pulling out is what President Obama did when things weren’t going well there. He sent in more troops. That surge took care of things. That was the right thing to do then. And it would have been the right thing to do now. 

Our presence and past determination deterred the Taliban and ISIS from trying anything like that. And gave the Afghan people some freedom. But once the Taliban smelled retreat, things when sideways in a hurry. The Taliban took over with hardly a shot being fired. Shockingly the Afghan army that was trained and equipped by the American army just laid down arms and surrendered. That was followed very quickly by an ISIS suicide bombing.

That being said, I still believe that we should get our people out of there as soon as possible. Every single one of them. For however long it takes. But once we accomplish that we need to do more than hunt down a few ISIS terrorists. How to do that is beyond my paygrade.

However, an example of what I’m talking about would be the following. A special ops force should take down all the Taliban leaders. Not right away. First lull them into a sense of complacency. And then after a while when they least expect it, they should be hunted down and killed. The Taliban is just as much the enemy now as they were before. I do not buy for a minute their faux condemnation of the ISIS attack. They are probably upset they didn’t do something like this themselves a long time ago!

If we don’t do something major like that, then a lot of people died for nothing - and a lot of money was spent for nothing. America will be in decline.  At least that is how the rest of the world will see us. 

If anyone has any better ideas I’d like to hear them.

School Elitism Must End!

Moreshes - a religious school that opened in 2013 in response to the problem

It’s that time of year. School is about to begin - or has already begun. Which brings with it an intractable annual problem that seems to be getting worse every year. And it applies mostly to places like Lakewood that have high concentrations of Charedi Jews. Who are multiplying exponentially with every passing generation. 

I do not say this in any pejorative sense. Only as an observable fact. One which can seriously damage young people. Perhaps even causing them to go OTD. (Not sure that happens. But it would not surprise me that it does in some cases.) 

I am talking about religious school exclusivity. Which apparently affects girls more than it does boys (according to a Facebook post I saw). In what seems like a never ending march in that direction, many girls in Lakewood have difficulty being accepted into the schools of their choice. Even if they have no behavior issues and are good students. I wouldn’t be surprised if they aren’t even being accepted into their second or 3^rd choice of schools. 

I wish I could say I’m surprised by this. But it has been going on for too long. The blame for this problem not being solved lies at the feet of their communal leaders. There is a solution to this problem that makes eminent sense. But these leaders either don’t care, or may in their hearts believe that elitism is a good thing – while publicly decrying it! 

The explanation for this phenomenon is not hard to understand. When a population has that kind of exponential growth, it is almost impossible for their educational system to keep up with demand. As soon as a new school is built, it becomes filled even before it opens its doors. When the demand is so high and the supply is low, there will inevitably be students that will be left out.  

I don’t think there is any way to solve the supply/demand issue. You can’t just create a good school out of thin air. A building will not suddenly rise from the earth with state of the art facilities - fully staffed with great teachers. So there will always be students left out in the cold. 

But I question whether that need be the case. I have a hunch that there are schools that do have room for students. But they are not the ones most girls want to attend. They are not considered top tier. Students want to go to the best schools. Not the second or  third tier schools. Being accepted to those schools looms large on their eventual Shidduch resumes. Going to one of those lesser schools might even hurt them in that regard.

I suspect there are enough schools for everyone. Just not the ‘right schools’. If that is true then there is a solution. Which is to end elitism. If I were a community leader I would forbid a school to seek only the best and brightest students. More importantly I would forbid artificial religious standards that sometimes get in the way of accepting even good students. Like requiring a pledge to not have the internet in your home.  Or even something as silly as requiring a mother to not have a Shaitel (wig) that is too long.

There ought to be no such thing as a school like that - if it means that anyone not qualifying under those artificial standards will be left out in the cold. Every school should have a mix of students from exceptional to average. And certainly not require artificial religious standards like ‘No internet in the home’. That should not matter at all. There should instead be complete social integration between them.

What about the negative influences the students with internet in their homes will have on students from the more ‘pristine’ non internet homes? To answer that question we need to go back in time. All the ‘elitist snobs’ that run those schools today need to look at how their parents and grandparents fared under similar circumstances. Back then it wasn't the internet. It was television. (And many religious mothers did not even cover their hair, let alone wear a Shaitel that was too long! Never was a word ever said about that!)

There was just as much criticism of having a TV in your home then as there is today about having the internet in your home. And yet there was no such thing as an elitist school that accepted only non TV families. The opposite was true. School officials used to go to great lengths to attract Jewish students from any background. Even non observant ones They did  not have the luxury of today’s elitists. Religious schools had to struggle for every student. 

What about the supposed negative influences of TV? There was never even the remotest thought about eliminating that threat. Students were educated together in the same classrooms and socialized with each other. There was never a word from any educator to the students from TV homes to not associate with students from non TV homes. Not even a fleeting thought about that. 

And guess what happened. Some of the greatest Charedi religious figures of the 20^th century came out of that environment. I always used to smile internally when I would mention a famous scene of a 50s comedy series to one of those religious figures – and they would laugh nostalgically along with me – having remembered watching that series regularly themselves. Even though they do not personally have a TV or the internet in their homes now. 

If schools would eliminate their elitist approach and treat every student the way students were treated back then, this problem would decrease significantly if not disappear entirely. 

I said at the outset, I have no animus in my heart. I have no ‘dog in this hunt’. None of my children or grandchildren are in Lakewood - save one who just got married. They have no children yet and may not even stay in Lakewood. But it nevertheless pains me to see any child left out in the cold because of false notions of religious exclusivity. Notions that may stem from a policy of general insulation from the rest of society. Which is characteristic of places like Lakewood. Because for every imagined step one takes forward in pursuit of religious purity by living a life free of any outside influences - there are consequences that may be a lot worse than what they think they gain.  As increasingly seems to be the case with students not having a school to attend.

Shunning the Unvaccinated

R' Kanievsky meeting yestrerday with Coronavirus czar Salman Zarka (TOI)

Just when we thought we might have this thing licked, COVID has come back with a vengeance. Even in Israel where 80% of the Israeli population is vaccinated against it! That kind of number normally suggests that herd immunity should have taken place. Meaning that the unvaccinated are protected since most of the people they come into contact with are vaccinated and therefore won’t get infected in the first place. And thereby not be able to transmit it.  

That has proven to be untrue in the case of COVID-19. Because it has mutated into one of the most contagious viruses on earth. So that the 20% that aren’t vaccinated don’t need much exposure to get sick. The data shows that while the vaccine protects you from getting seriously ill - it does not necessarily prevent you from getting the virus and spreading it. Which is why Israel has had a spike in COVID cases despite the high rate of vaccinations.  The unvaccinated are driving the spike. They are the ones getting really sick and being hospitalized  and in some case even dying! How bad is it? From YWN: 

Since the beginning of the fourth wave, 31 coronavirus patients have been attached to ECMO machines, five of whom died – all unvaccinated patients under the age of 60... 

“The main thing we’re seeing from this data is the fact that the patients who aren’t vaccinated are the worst cases,” said Dr. Yigal Kassif, who heads the Israeli ECMO Association.

“These patients in the 40 to 60 age group, who are treated with the ECMO machines – die, while older patients including some with underlying conditions who had been vaccinated – survive.”

“Anyone who has never seen a seriously ill virus patient on the machine can’t understand the horror. These are people who are tragically unable even to bid their families farewell in their final days.”

Dr. Arie Soroksky, director of the ICU at Holon’s Wolfson Medical Center, said: “All of the patients we placed on ECMOs haven’t been vaccinated.”

“The unvaccinated, especially young people, are especially vulnerable to serious illness. If a patient lacks oxygen, we give him oxygen. When that’s not enough, we put him on a ventilator. In extreme cases, even the ventilator can’t save the patient…in these cases, we hook them up to an ECMO. Their family members then often rush to get vaccinated,” he wryly concluded.

And yet there are still a lot of people that are on the fence about the COVID vaccines. Many of them Charedi. Well if you are Charedi, follow Daas Torah and believe that R’  Chaim Kanievsky is the individual best suited to express it, read this little piece of news from the Times of Israel: 

(R’ Chaim Kanievsky) has now unequivocally thrown his weight behind the government’s vaccination push, telling coronavirus czar Salman Zarka late Tuesday that he wants principals to suspend teachers who aren’t vaccinated.

Wow!  That is quite a statement. He is practically shunning those that refuse to get vaccinated! He gets it. He understands that they are not only endangering themselves but endangering others!

For all the ‘geniuses’ in the Charedi world that are still holding back - it appears that not only are you disputing health experts, you are disputing Daas Torah! 

The question is, will the Charedim that have been hesitant about getting the vaccine now listen to him? I keep hearing some of those Charedim say that they listen only to Daas Torah, and could not care less what health experts say. Well now is your chance to prove it and get vaccinated. If you don’t, then you don't really believe in Daas Torah after all, do you?!

I agree with the spirit of R' Kanievsky statement. Anyone that is not vaccinated and does not have a valid medical reason for that - should be be avoided like the plague. (No pun intended.) That seems to his message. And I could not agree more.

Orthodox Jews Are Not All Charedi

Netflix poster for 'Unorthodox' (RNS)

We’re a hit!  By ‘we’ I mean Orthodox Jews. That may sound strange at a time where there has been such an increase in antisemitism.. But that does not make the fact that we are a hit any less true. In fact it might be the reason (or part of it) for the increase. 

That very point was made by Yonat Shimron in Religious News Service. There has been somewhat of an explosion of TV series about us on a variety of streaming platforms. Most notably on Netflix. But being a hit does not translate into a positive – or even accurate image of us. As shows like Unorthodox and My Unorthodox Life have demonstrated. On the other hand there are some shows, like Shtisel that do portray a more sympathetic image of us. But a series in Hebrew about an extended family in Jerusalem does not in my view say much about what an American Orthodox Jewish lifestyle is like. 

Shimron points out, that the Orthodox Jews portrayed in these shows are Charedi. I would add that they are almost always Chasidic. There is of course nothing wrong with being a Chasidic Jew. But that is not how the majority of Orthodox Jews look like or live like. 

While it’s true that in all cases, Orthodox Judaism is about living our lives according to Halacha, there is nevertheless a wide gap in how we look and live our lives. The Chasidic Jewish community is just one segment of Orthodox Jewry – albeit a very large one.  On the other side of the Orthodox spectrum there are modern Orthodox Jews. Other than observance of Halacha, the two communities could not be more different.   

The former are insular and reject most of the culture That is one of the reasons they look so different. It also helps them keep insular which in turn helps them steer clear of the culture. The latter are not insular at all; accept much of the culture, and do not look all that different than anyone else. Although there is a degree of separation even among modern Orthodox Jews for purposes of halachic observance (for example not being able to eat out in non kosher restaurants) and for purposes of avoiding intermarriage - it would hardly be noticeable to anyone outside of the community. 

Why have shows about Chasidic Jews becomes so popular? As noted by Shimron, part of it has to do with the current pandemic.  Especially at the beginning of it, where people were stranded at home and more inclined to watch TV. On the other hand Professor Samuel Heilman suggests that former President Trump’s daughter converting to Judaism might have spurred interest. I personally tend to doubt it. Ivanka Trump’s modern Orthodox lifestyle is hardly the model for shows like Unorthodox or Shtisel. It is those differences that make us so interesting

As I have said in the past, it is understandable why it is only the Chasidic world that is portrayed. There is nothing interesting about being the same as others. It is our differences that are interesting. The greater the difference between us and the rest of the world, the more interesting we are. When such shows are positive, they highlight the common humanity in all of us. When they are negative, it feeds the antisemitic stereotype.

There are in fact some Orthodox Jews among us, that would say we shouldn’t’ care how we are portrayed. That we should lead the best lives we can as religious Jews and not care what the outside world thinks of us. The more right wing, the more the thinking is like that.  The corollary to that is that ‘The Goyim hate us anyway!’ ‘So why bother?’ Better to be as different as possible and stay as insulated from that world as possible. 

But that thinking cannot be more wrong. 

If Orthodox Jews are always portrayed as Chasidic (even when it is positive) it gives the false impression that Orthodox Jews all odd in comparison to everyone else. Now people can choose to look and act any way they wish. They can isolate to their heart’s content.  But that is not necessarily the best way for us to be seen.  

Why? Consider the following. If a non Jew or secular Jew sees Orthodox Judaism has thoughts about becoming on Orthodox Jew, it might be too much of a lifestyle change for them to undertake if being a Chasid is the only way they think they can do it. Which might discourage them from even trying.

In my view that kind of thinking is un-Jewish. Goyim do not ‘hate us anyway’. Sure - some of them do. There are plenty of antisemites in the world. But I firmly believe that the vast majority of the non Jewish world are either indifferent to us – or have a favorable view of us. It helps our cause if we are portrayed more favorably.

The Torah tells us that if we follow the laws of the Torah the world will proclaim how wise we are as a nation. Following the laws of the Torah means being exemplary citizens and living the most ethical lives. The Torah does not mean that the world will see our wisdom in how we dress. It will not see our wisdom in our beards and Peyos. Those are peripherals that do not matter. They might even be counterproductive as noted above. 

I don’t think there is anything we can do to change how the entertainment industry portrays us. But as I said in an earlier post, it would help if non Charedi characters were included in the wide variety of scripted shows and portrayed as are the show's primary characters. Being ‘normal’ is a great asset in getting the world to see us as a wise and Godly nation. Which is of course primarily by living up to the high ethical, moral, and charitable standards the Torah demands of us.

Crumbling Foundations - A Judaism of Habit

Rabbi Aaron Lopiansky (OU)

I have often expressed my admiration for Rabbi Aaron Lopiansky. He is one of the clearest thinkers in the Charedi world. I tend to agree with most of what he says although I have disagreed with him (sometimes strongly) on occasion. 

His op-ed in Mishpacha Magazine published a few weeks  ago (which somehow escaped my attention at the time but was featured in a Facebook group to which I belong) once again highlights his clear thinking. Therein he asks whether the world of Orthodox Judaism which has experienced an explosion of success post World War II is in danger of crumbling. 

I found that quite astonishing - if one judges by the sheer number of people in Yeshivos and Kollelim. Today, I think it is safe to say that it is unprecedented in Jewish history. I believe that includes even the days of Chazal.  This is not to say that the quality of study is the same. It is not anywhere near the same. But in terms of sheer number, I don’t think it is a contest. Not even close. There are more people studying Torah by far today than at any other time in history. And it seems to be growing exponentially with each generation. 

If that is the case, then how in Heaven’s name can he ask that question? he proceeds to explain. The short version of which is that a lot of what goes on in Orthodoxy is based as much on rote behavior that it is on foundational principles.  Are we observant because that’s what we are used to? Because we were raised that way? Is it for social reasons? Is there any actual spiritual connection to our observance? Do we serve God because of a genuine awe, reverence and love of God? Is there an intellectual component? Or is it all just habit. Old habits may die hard, but can easily be broken. 

Rabbi Lopiansky suggests that a lot of what goes on today is done through rote behavior. We do things the way we are taught to do them, without appreciating why we do them. We do what our peers do. We do it for social reasons. I wonder how many of us observe Judaism beyond that? If one’s Judaism is all about habit, it is yet another reason for the OTD problem. 

This of course does not apply to those that have gone OTD because of trauma. That is an entirely separate discussion. Which I dealt with in an earlier post.  Rabbi Lopianksy’s issue is a much larger one. He is talking about the spiritual danger we all face if our entire connection to observance is based on habit. 

Apparently Rabbi Lopiansky seems to believe our foundations are crumbling. Habit - is not what Judaism is about. And yet habit seems to be driving a lot of us. Adding that this is not the first time in Jewish history this is happening. He excerpts an interview with Rav Schach who expressed these same thoughts about an earlier period on Jewish history: 

Did you ever think, how did the Haskalah in Europe succeed in toppling so many households like a stack of cards? The Jews are such a stiff-necked people, yet they were devastated overnight! How did this happen?

I’ll tell you. There were indeed Jewish homes with Judaism; but it was a Judaism of habit, practice by rote. Jews who observed the mitzvos, but without a soul!

Yiddishkeit is so beautiful, so rich. The life of an observant Jew is a life of song, a song that is both pleasant and uplifting.

And yet this had become a Judaism of rote, with no sense of being uplifted, no Divine spirit. And these houses collapsed overnight.  

The period of Haskalah boasted some of the finest minds in all of Jewry. They were among the elite that were invited to attended the finest Yeshivos of their time. They excelled in their Torah studies, and yet they embraced a philosophy that rejected everything they were ever taught in their homes. Going OTD is not a new phenomenon that only became an issue in our time. Jews were dropping out of Judaism in droves back then. 

Are the two eras connected? Are the reasons for going OTD the same? I don’t think so. Different times – different issues. The world we live in today is radically different that it was then. The reasons many of us go OTD today are far different than they were then. But I think Rabbi Lopiansky has a point. If one has the foundational underpinnings of belief that includes love, awe and reverence for God, it will instill the feelings and inspiration that are necessary to overcome those issues. 

My guess is that a lot of us, whether we are willing to admit it or not are ‘guilty’ of that. Being FFB (Frum From Birth) is almost the definition being observant out of habit. A habit that includes cookie cutter behavior on the part of so many of us. Which means many of us going through the motions and not living up to our full potential as Jews. 

That being said, I do not see any large scale attrition from the ranks. The largest and fastest growing segments of Judaism continue to feed the aforementioned explosion Torah study - encouraging all to study Torah fill time for as long as possible. But will it continue without instilling the foundational principles or awe, respect for - and love of God? Can Judaism survive without feeling? Without inspiration?  Rabbi Lopiansky seems to think it might not. And as a result there will be a lot more observant Jews going OTD. He might be on to something.

The High Birth Rate of Orthodox Jews

Scene in Williamsburg (JTA)

It appears that Orthodox Jews are living up to their billing. The 2020 US census shows that  Williamsburg and Lakewood are the fastest growing segments of New York and New Jersey respectively. 

By now it is rather well known that American Orthodox Jewry is growing while the rest of American Jewry is shrinking. If things keep going in this direction, Orthodox Jews will eventually become the majority of the American Jewish population. This is something the Orthodox Jews can be proud of. But...  not without the heavy cost of losing so many non Orthodox  Jews to assimilation and intermarriage. So while we can be proud of our growth rate there can be no celebration. It may not be our fault, but it very sad that there are so many Jews that are failing to perpetuate their own Judaism into the future.

One of the criticisms I keep hearing about our successful rate of growth is that it is not a growth from without. That it is only a growth from within. Meaning that Orthodoxy does not attract non Jews to convert or even non observant Jews to become observant. It is only growing because of our high birth rate. I think that’s probably an oversimplification - but it is largely true. Orthodox Jews tend to have large families. Especially in the more right wing segments. 9 or 10 (or more) children per family is not that uncommon. Especially in the more Chasidic communities like Williamsburg whose family size is probably even larger on the average than Lakewood families. 

I have little tolerance for such criticism. The implication is that our growth is artificial. Just a function of our high birth rate. That Orthodoxy otherwise has no particular value outside of our own little world. Without that high birth rate  we wouldn’t grow at all. 

I have no way of knowing whether that’s true or not. But even if it is, why is a high birth rate not a legitimate form of growth? I submit that the fact that we have so many children and that they accept the traditions of their forefathers is absolutely a legitimate form of growth! 

On the other hand the children of non Orthodox Jews  rarely accept the traditions of their forefathers. Because in many cases they have no clue about what those traditions are. It does not help them that their birth rate is so low. But even if it would be the same as Orthodox Jews - they would still be shrinking.  If you don’t even know what your heritage is, how could you perpetuate it? Why would you even want to?! I say this with no pleasure or sense of triumphalism. I say it only as a fact based on the well known demographic studies executed by Pew Research. 

There are people (some of whom are Orthodox Jews) that criticize the high birth rate of the Charedi world. I am not one of them.  No one has a right to tell anyone else how many children they should have. 

There are many large long time Orthodox Jewish families here in Chicago. I know quite a few of them. Their children are each ethical productive members of society. They were all raised by loving parents devoted to their health and education – both religious and secular. The values of the Torah were successfully transmitted to them all. Each with their own strengths. And each with their own contributions to society.  Their parents were not wealthy. But those kids were all well fed, well educated, and well adjusted. Many of them have become parents themselves – each with children they are raising the same way. 

Point being that it isn’t how many children you have. It is how you raise them. There are unfortunately some families that have a lot of children but are dysfunctional. This is where the problem lies. But a dysfunctional family of even one child is a tragedy. A tragedy which is of course multiplied by the number of children in such a family.  

Not that I am qualified, but if I were to offer advice to the Poskim of those communities it would be along the lines of the following. If they are aware of a a married couple in a dysfunctional relationship birth control should certainly be advised. Whether dysfunction is a legitimate reason for birth control is beyond my expertise. But logic dictates that it should be.

Some Orthodox Jews believe that birth control is Halachically forbidden. But that is not the case. There are a variety of circumstances where it is permitted. I am not personally qualified to Paskin if and when it should be practiced. But I know that many Poskim are lenient about birth control if a mother after having a certain number of children is not psychologically capable of raising another child. 

It is obviously more complicated than that. There are for example many different ways in which birth control can be practiced. Some methods are more Halachicaly acceptable than others. The bottom line is that a qualified Posek should be consulted. A dysfunctional relationship between a married couple should be one of those instances where birth control should be permitted if not outright encouraged.

My understanding is that in the Chasidic community, there is very little room for birth control of any kind under any conditions – except for life threatening situations. If that is the case, then it would not surprise me if there is a spike in Chasidic children going OTD if they were  raised by dysfunctional parents. This is something can be minimized if not completely avoided by advising such families to practice birth control. If they don’t, the results will not be pretty. 

Just my 2 cents

Empathy for Parents with an OTD Child

Gedalia Guttentag (Mishpacha)

One of the most difficult things for a parent to experience is a rebellious child. For a religious Jewish parent that is increasingly coming in the form of a child going OTD.  Thankfully the vast majority of Orthodox Jewish families do not experience that. Although there might be rebellion at some level (especially during the teenage years) it is often mild and short lived – rarely amounting to serious violations of Halacha or dangerous behavior. 

Nevertheless, a child going OTD seems to be happening with increasing frequency these days. When that happens the pain and anguish a parent faces is often unbearable.

Unfortunately in far to many cases, that change is permanent. There is little anyone can do about it. The best advice to  parents facing such a situation is to assure the child that he or she is still loved and accepted by the family. And not God forbid thrown out into the street. That used to be a more typical way of handling it. But we now know that is the worst thing a parent can do to a child. That may end up with that child going down the rabbit hole of despair to the point of serious clinical depression, substance abuse, and even suicide!

If on the other hand a parent goes down the path of love and acceptance - that child will be far less likely to go down that rabbit hole. And may even return to observance. I believe that this is currently accepted approach to kids that go OTD. 

None of this is news. But I bring it up in light of a disturbing article in Mishpacha Magazine by Gedalia Guttentag – published a couple of weeks ago. 

I dont know him personally, but I believe that Gedalia is probably a good man who is involved in outreach and outreach training  I’m sure his intent was not malicious. But his article was nevertheless hurtful to parents that are going through this. That was indicated by a letter to the editor in a subsequent edition of the magazine. 

What was hurtful was his assertion that although some children go OTD because of trauma (such as sexual or physical abuse) - often (or even mostly) they go OTD because they simply do not want to be observant anymore and freely choose a lifestyle of Halachicly forbidden behavior.

I don’t know where Gedalia gets his information from. But the desire to imbibe in ‘forbidden’ culture is not what experts in the field who work with these kids point to as a reason a child goes OTD. I believe that in the vast majority of cases it is because of some form of trauma that they have experienced. which is exacerbated by the negative communal response to their trauma. And thereby disillusioned with the observant Judaism that characterizes that community. 

Another thing that is  increasingly becoming a factor in going OTD is the literal explosion of information available on demand to anyone. When a bright child is exposed to intellectual challenges about their belief system - it perplex them. When they do not find satisfying answers to those challenges -  they find answers that they see as more satisfying but are considered heretical. Thus going OTD. Irretrievably so in most cases Although I still believe that trauma is the primary cause of going OTD, intellectual choice is increasingly becoming a factor too.

Point being that going OTD simply because of not wanting to be religious anymore is rare. I believe that if a child lives in a loving family environment, has no learning disabilities, does well in school, has good friends (that do not have any underlying troubling issues themselves) and therefore leads a more or less happy life, they are not really interested in going OTD and becoming a pariah in their community. 

That being said, Gedalia is of course right.  We all have free choice. Bechira Chofshis is an integral part of our belief system. If we didn’t then sin would not be a matter of free choice and we would be exempt of any guilt for sinful activity. It’s true that going OTD is a choice too. But one cannot ignore the circumstances that brought it about. Which in my view mitigates their guilt in the eyes of God. How could it not?!

Same thing - intellectual choice. There may not have been any trauma  But it was a choice not motivated by a desire to no longer be religious. It was instead by sincerely seeking truth and believing they found it in heretical answers. 

There is famous story about R’ Chaim Soloveichik. He was once asked what the response should be to someone that became an Apikores (heretic) for intellectual reasons... and not because of a desire to simply no longer be observant. The thought behind that question was that since that Apikores was simply seeking truth and mistakenly believed he found it  that perhaps we should have a different attitide about him. R’ Chaim said, ‘Nebech!’ ‘It‘s true that his intent was not to simply rebel.’ ‘Nonetheless Nebech an Apikores is still an Apikores’. 

A lot of people like to interpret that as rejectionist. But they forget the ‘Nebech’ part of his answer. Which to me shows a tremendous amount of empathy. R’ Chaim’s point it that… Yes! He is an Apikores in every sense of the word. But we must nevertheless have empathy for him too. This is what seems to be missing from Gedalia’s article.

The idea of telling a parent that their child had a choice and simply chose the wrong path because he just didn’t want to be Frum anymore is probably one of the most hurtful and counterproductive things one can say to a parent whose child went OTD. As was demonstrated by the pained response to Gedalia by a parent who has an OTD child. It was a mistake for Gedalia to say that.

The Drive-by Murder of a Yeshiva Student

Yeshiva Toras Chaim - Denver (VIN)

It’s hard not to become a bit jaded upon hearing so many reports of sad news. There is so much of it these days that it sometimes seems like there is no end to them. My feelings have become inured to news like that. I suppose the human psyche protects us from utter despair by creating a mental block to our natural feelings and emotions.

And yet there are days when those emotions are reawakened. Yesterday was one of those days for me. From VIN: 

In a tragic incident which occurred outside the Denver Yeshiva, a 19-year-old yeshiva student was shot and killed early Wednesday morning. 

The victim (Shmuel Silverberg) was standing in front of the dormitories of Yeshiva Toras Chaim at 1555 Stuart Street, Denver when a vehicle pulled up and an assailant opened fire from inside, striking and killing the young man. The vehicle fled the scene and the man was rushed to hospital where he died of his injuries. 

When I heard the news my heart sank and I started tearing.  I cannot imagine what it’s like for a parent to drop off a son at a yeshiva to begin his year of study - only to hear of his being murdered shortly after.

Most Orthodox Jewish parents can surely identify with a parent dropping a child off at a religious school.  We all do - or have done that. I doubt there is a single parent that ever feared anything remotely like a drive by shooting would ever happen to their child. 

To the extent that we have any problems they mostly amount to (among other things) high tuition expenses, educational standards (both religious and secular), the school’s Hashkafos, or a possible negative social environment their child might be experiencing. (Like being bullied by fellow classmates.) 

NEVER in a million years does a parent think their child will be shot and killed in a religious school environment. A thought like that never enters the mind. I am not blaming the school. It is absolutely not their fault. I am merely talking about what a parent normally expects regarding their child’s school - and what happened here.

After calming down a bit at this shocking news, my sadness turned to anger. Because what needs to be done to help prevent these kind of thing from ever happening again – is simply not being done. Instead the opposite is happening. Which means the chances of something like this happening again (God forbid) are increasing.  

In my view, there are 2 specific things that should be done that will reduce if not eliminate it. 

One of those things is to get rid of the guns. I am not a fan of the second amendment and have said before that I think it should be repealed.  In my view, unless you are in the military or law enforcement you should not be able to purchase a gun anywhere.  Anyone caught selling a gun should be placed in jail. Anyone owning a gun should be heavily fined and the gun confiscated. Anyone caught committing a crime with a gun gets an automatic 10 year prison sentence. And if anyone is killed by a gun during such a crime, they should get life without the possibility of parole in a maximum security prison. 

At the very least we need to end ‘revolving door justice’ where criminals committing crimes with guns are set free after a short time in prison. Or with a suspended sentence for ‘first timers’. Or allowing known gang members suspected of violent crimes to go free without bail before a trial on their own recognizance. That is an open invitation to keep the murders going. And treating the murderers with relative impunity. We may not put an end to gun violence that way. But we will put a serious dent in it.

The other thing we must do is make law and order a top priority. The police should be given a lot more freedom to pursue criminal suspects than they have now. Along those lines, If we have  a successful policy of reducing crime we ought not eliminate it for reasons of political correctness.  

For example the ‘stop and frisk’ policy that existed in New York reduced violent crime significantly. There is no disagreement about that. But the court has ruled that this policy was racist in that it was used primarily against black people. ‘Stop and frisk’ was subsequently declared illegal.  Crime stopped declining and has since increased. 

Please do not misunderstand. There is no excuse for racism in any context. To the extent that ‘stop and frisk’ was misapplied that way should have been stopped. Any cop found guilty of it should be severely disciplined or even fired. But you don’t throw away a policy that works (and probably saved lives). You fix it instead. 

Instead of a policy where the hand of law enforcement has been enhanced, the opposite has happened. The police are afraid of doing anything right now that might be interpreted as racist. 

I understand why we have reached this nadir in law enforcement. There have been too many instances where racism (whether conscious or subconscious) was a key factor in an innocent black man being killed or hurt. That allowed extreme leftists to promote their anti establishment agenda that blames everything bad in this country on what they claim is the inherent racism of ‘white privilege’ upon which they say this country was built.

It was a black man killed by a cop that moved the city council of a major American city - Minneapolis - to defund their police. That was a victory for crime. Police are now seen as the problem rather than the solution. 

The fact is, though, that police ARE the solution. At least a major part of it. To the extent that there is racism in their ranks - it should be routed out! But at the same time they should be given more power to enforce the law. Not less power. 

If we get rid of the guns, strengthen law enforcement by giving them the tools to fight crime, and end the revolving door justice taking place now in a misguided attempt to fight racism, we might have a chance at never seeing something like a drive by shooting again.

I realize that these two suggestions come from opposite sides of the political spectrum - the first a liberal perspective and the second a conservative perspective. But it doesn't matter. What matters to me justice. And application of these 2 suggestions will go a long way towards achieving that.

How to View the Unvaccinated

Rabbi Ben Zion Mutzafi (TOI)

I was wrong to call those that refuse to be vaccinated, stupid. That’s because they are far worse than stupid. They are crazy! They are heretics! And they are evil. So said Ben Zion Mutzafi, a respected senior Charedi Rav of Sephardi extraction. From the Times of Israel: 

Leading ultra-Orthodox rabbi Ben Zion Mutzafi kicked out a man attending his lecture on Sunday evening due to the man’s opposition to the COVID-19 vaccine.

In video footage of the incident published Tuesday by Haredi news site Kikar HaShabbat, the rabbi can be seen repeatedly calling the man “crazy” and “evil.” He later said he stood behind those descriptions.

After the anti-vaxxer started loudly voicing his opinions against the vaccine, Mutzafi, who ordered all his followers to get the vaccine earlier this year, was seen shouting: “More than 6,500 people died, stop making things up. Go, get out of here, you’re crazy.” 

What’s that you say? Rav Mutzafi is not your Posek...that he is entitled to his opinion but you have no obligation to listen to him. Well… guess what? He’s not the only one that feels that way. Are you a Lubavitcher?  Read this: 

Rabbi Yitzchak Yehuda Yaroslavsky, rabbi of the Chabad-Lubavitch community in Kiryat Malakhi and head of the Chabad rabbinical court in Israel, has ordered that no one unvaccinated be allowed into synagogues.

"It is shocking to hear that there are many in our community who have not been vaccinated against the virus," Rabbi Yaroslavksy wrote.

"With this, I hereby turn to each and every single person in our community, or anyone who reads this letter: He must immediately get vaccinated, since this is a real issue of life and death, and regardless, there is no reason, G-d forbid, to harm so many Jews."

Concluding his letter, Rabbi Yaroslavsky banned those who oppose vaccines from entering synagogues, writing that "those who have not been vaccinated according to or any public place, since this is a matter of life and death." 

I know… I know. Lubavitch might thinks so, but who are they with respect to me?! I am not a Lubavitcher and  have no obligation to listen to him.

Rav Yaakov Ariel (Arutz Sheva)

Are you a religious Zionist? Are their Poskim OK with not being vaccinated?  Not exactly. The non vaccinated are in fact in violation of Halacha. So says Rav Yaakov Ariel,  the most respected Posek of the Religious Zionist Movement. From Arutz Sheva: 

“Anyone who is not vaccinated is violating halakhah,” he said, “which requires a person to be healthy. We are obligated to demand that everyone is vaccinated, and to tell anyone who refuses the vaccine not to mingle with the community. He should be respectful and remain at home and not infect others.” 

Rabbi Ariel explained further that, “If someone like this does turn up in a place where people are gathered, he should be asked to leave. Obviously this should not be done in a violent manner, but it is forbidden to allow him to remain. This is a simple humanitarian demand – do not harm others.” 

Therefore, he concluded, “It is forbidden for someone who opposes vaccines to enter the synagogue, to participate in a prayer quorum, or to have an aliyah (be called up to) to the Torah. He should respect others and stay at home or pray outside the synagogue building.” 

Better late than never. I only wish these Poskim had come out with this call, sooner. There are far too many of us – the observant Jewish community - that think they know better than the best scientific minds in the world who are experts in epidemiology. 

I keep hearing excuses like... ‘Those scientists keep changing their minds’ Or... ‘Other legitimate scientists are opposed to vaccines because they are unproven and dangerous’. They keep regurgitating the same tired arguments about why they are resisting. Arguments based on garbage disguised as scientific research.  That anyone today can say that the vaccines are more dangerous than COVID shows just how stupid they are. I mean really STUPID!  

The following rhetorical questions alone should show just how stupid they are: ‘How many people of the 200 million that have been vaccinated have died or gotten seriously ill form the vaccine?’ And... ‘How many people have died or gotten seriously ill from COVID?’ It blows my mind that these obvious and well documented answers to those questions  are  completely disregarded by the vaccine reluctant and vaccine refusers.   

As I recently said, being stupid is not a crime. Unless it affects other people. Which in this case is exactly what the unvaccinated are doing. That is why the reaction of the abovementioned distinguished rabbis is so strong. Rightfully so.

It is because of the people who believe the junk science they are being fed that we are currently in the middle of one of the worst spikes of COVID since the pandemic began. A spike that is being experienced mostly by the unvaccinated. Many of which are hospitalized. Some of which are dying! Asked if they regret not taking the vaccine... I will let you guess what they are saying. 

Of course it is isn’t only our people that are being stupid and evil. It is about a 3^rd of the country. Which is why we are seeing the current spike and a return to mask mandates. Chicago has just issued a mask mandate for all indoor activity. Even for those of us that are vaccinated. That’s because the scientific data shows that fully vaccinated people can still be carriers and spread the disease. So that if they come into contact with an unvaccinated individual, it is highly likely that they will get infected with the extremely contagious Delta variant - which is currently the most dominant form of the virus. By far! 

One might say there is some sort of poetic justice in that. But the fact is that there are people among us that cannot get vaccinated for legitimate reasons. They are the ones who will suffer through no fault of their own.

Here is my message to the vaccine reluctant and the anti vaxxers: Change your ways!  If you continue along your current path you are Off the Derech!  If you don't change your ways you are stupid, selfish, evil, heretics, who violate halacha. By going out and  mingling with others, you may very well be responsible for the death and sickness of innocent people (which might include non innocent people like yourselves).  And I don’t know how anyone can live with that on their conscience.

A Vizhnitzer Fraud

The late Vizhnittzer Rebbe of Monsey Rav Mordechai Hager, zt”l (Hamodia)

Updated

Vizhnitz is a pretty big Chasidus. It doesn’t get much bigger than Vizhnitz. They are right up there with Satmar in terms of sheer numbers. They have ‘branches’ all over the world, including Monsey  - each with their own Chasidic Rebbe. 

First the disclaimer. I am not a fan of this website.* I rarely use it as a source. Their over the top critiques are very distasteful to me. As is their occasional use of inappropriate language. I am not even sure how accurate or trustworthy it is. But in this case I am relying on a video clip they hosted which seems to be truthful. It does not sound like the individual in that clip made this up. So here goes.  

This website has reported that the Vizhnitzer Rebbe’s son (and heir apparent to the ‘throne’ of Vizhnitz in Monsey) has been caught perpetrating a fraud. I taken no pleasure in reporting this. The exact opposite is true. It pains me greatly to acknowledge that there are devout Jews who believe committing fraud is an acceptable enterprise when dealing with non Jews or even non observant Jews. And it seems to be a way of life for them – if they think they can get away with it. 

Of course Vizhnitz Chasidim are not the only ones that try and get away with fraudulent activity. Every segment of society – whether Jewish, non Jewish, religious, or secular has people like that. Lots of them. But when people that claim to live a life of holiness which suggests the highest form of ethics think it’s OK to fool people for personal gain do it, it becomes an unmitigated Chilul HaShem.

Here is what happened.  

Authorities at Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv detained 23 passengers after their COVID-19 test certificates were discovered to be fraudulent. The forgeries were uncovered after United Airlines staff made their suspicions known to officials at the airport.

Upon further examination, officials determined that the certificates were indeed forgeries before detaining all passengers involved. The travelers, booked on a United Airlines flight to New York yesterday, were eventually fined and released on bail. Authorities have not ruled out additional punishment for those involved.

United Airlines is believed to have contacted the Israeli Police regarding their suspicions. The police then contacted the Health Ministry to check the claims. The Health Ministry discovered the test results to be forgeries before the police arrested all passengers involved. Additionally, the details of each individual were passed on to U.S. authorities.

What they didn’t realize in their infinite stupidity is that Israelis are pretty good at detecting fraud like this. They were caught. Upon which time they supposedly started screaming epithets at the authortities calling them Zionist Reshuim - evil doers. (Talk about the pot calling the kettle black!)

I do not use the phrase ‘infinite stupidity’ lightly. If this story is true, then the mere fact that they choose not to be vaccinated already qualifies them as stupid. A stupidity that is exacerbated by the belief  that they could so easily defraud Israeli authorities. Who are decidedly NOT stupid. 

Not only are these Chasidim stupid but they are selfish. Thinking only of themselves and not others. By sneaking into Israel at time where the extremely contagious Delta variant is rampant all over the world they could have easily have become infected while traveling without realizing it. Traveling increases contact. Which means they may end up getting the virus and- not only getting sick themselves but spreading it to others unwittingly before symptoms ever show up.  

One might argue that stupid people cannot be blamed for the  Chilul HaShem that might result from that. After all they aren’t aware that they did anything wrong. But when that stupidity is willful – that is a horse of another color. The fact that they isolate themselves from the world means that they are not exposed to the realities within it. The only exposure to reality they get is what their officially approved media tells them it is. 

But even leaving that out, the very idea that they believe that defrauding non Jews or non observant Jew is - not only OK but a legitimate way of life makes this such a massive Chilul Hashem. Making matters worse is that instead of being contrite about it after being caught, they add to the Chilul Hashem by calling the authorities ‘Zionist Reshuim’! 

One might argue that these particular Vizhnitzer Chasidim do not represent Vizhnitz. That they are outliers that distort the true charatder of this Chasidus. But it’s kind of hard to buy that when the people who led these reprobates is the son the Rebbe and heir apparent to the throne!

Sadly this is not the first time a prominent Chasid was caught perpetrating a fraud. A few years ago a  prominent Chasidic Rebbe (not from Vizhnitz) was caught doing it too and spent some time in prison for it. That two prominent Chasidic individuals from different Chasidus perpetrated a fraud kind of tells you that fraud against non Jews and non observant Jews is a way of life for them - if they think they can get away with it. These two prominent Chasidim were not the only one that have been caught doing things like that.

Lo Zu HaDerech. This is NOT the Jewish way. When this kind of thing happens it MUST be protested loudly and clearly. All the good deeds they might otherwise do become meaningless when they commit a public Chilul HaShem

Next time they try something like this, these Chasidim should take of their Yarmulkes; shave off their beards and Peyos; and throw away their Chasidic garb. At least this way no one will know it was religious Jews doing it. 

I urge everyone to link to this website and watch the video clip of a what looks like a Charedi Rav of Lithuanian extraction making a similar critique. I have no idea who he is, but he seems to know what he’s talking about. It is in Yiddish. If you understand the language, this clip will wake you up to the realities of a lifestyle I am sure they would prefer keeping under wraps A lifestyle that is the antithesis of how a Jew should live. A lifestyle that should be condemned.

*I have since been sent a link to a more reliable source from which I excerpted later in the post. I have also found a version of this story at VIN