When Elu V'Eu Does Not Apply

Mob scene in Bet Shemesh (JTA)

People accuse me all the time of rejecting anyone to the religious right or left of me.  They think I believe that my own Centrist Hashkafa is the only acceptable one - and that everything else is not. Those to my religious right or left are wrong. If they are not exactly like me, they are rejected.

That is so far from the truth that I am hard pressed to even address it. That others see me as intolerant is disappointing to say the least. I can’t even count the number of times I have gone out of my way to use the phrase Elu V’Elu - Divrei Elokim Chaim. These and those – the words of the living God.

Which basically means that when there is disagreement between sincere and knowledgeable Jews about what God wants from us,  both views are considered valid. Even when those views are incompatible.  

This is why I have no real issue with the Hashkafos of Chasidim, Charedim, Religious Zionists or the left wing of Modern Orthodoxy. I believe that their views are all L’Shem Shomyim – for the sake of Heaven. My issues are only with extremism with any of those camps. When I complain about it, I get attacked as seeing only my own point of view to be legitimate.

By coincidence two polar opposite groups of Jews whose Hashkafos are legitimate have been in the news lately. In ways that I reject as an illegitimate expression of their valid Hashkafos: The Chasidic extremists of Bet Shemesh (Ramat Bet Shemesh B) ...and the Religious Zionist extremists of the settler movement. I can’t think of too many groups within Judaism that are more divided on Hashkafic issues that these two groups are.

Not every Chasid feels this way -but a huge number of Chasidim view the Satmar Rebbe as the ultimate authority on anything Jewish - and certainly see his views on the State of Israel that way. He saw the existence of State a violation of God’s will. Those who follow his views believe Israel should be dismantled (at least in theory) and that Palestinians (or any other non Jews) should take over. Any attempt to retain any land is sinful. And any supposed miracle that happened in taking back our land in the past is seen as the work of the devil. (Sitra Achara). Even getting the Kotel back is seen that way.

Seeing Israel as illegitimate has spurred on some of the more radical elements among them (such as Neturei Karta) towards violent activity, caring nothing about legal niceties. If they don’t like something, they attack it, sometimes causing physical harm to innocent people. Which They could care less about since they do not see them as innocent. This happened again in Bet Shemesh. From JTA: 

A haredi Orthodox mob chased a teenage girl down a main thoroughfare in the Jerusalem suburb of Beit Shemesh due to her “immodest” attire…

In a video of Monday’s incident, the girl can be seen running down Nahar Hayarden Street, chased by what appears to be dozens of screaming men in haredi Orthodox garb. 

Yes, this was disgusting behavior. Very un-Jewish. This is not about rejecting their Hashkafos. It is about extremist reactions to something they don’t like. True, the girl they chased down was not dressed modestly by religious standards. I even understand why residents in a neighborhood like that would object to that. They do not want their children to be exposed to women who dress immodesty. I get it. I have no problem with their feeling like that. 

My problem is in how they reacted. Sure - it was just a few that reacted this way. And perhaps most of them wouldn’t. But it is the mentality of the whole that generates the behavior of the few. I’m sure that most residents of Bet Shemesh did not approve of what happened. But they surely had the same degree of anger about it. They surely have been taught how terrible immodest dress like this is. That some will react with violence should not surprise anyone.

This is what I reject. Not the Hashkafa that sees people dressed that way as immodest. I have no problem with how ‘Frum’ anyone is. Only when their Frumkeit results in this kind of behavior.

Stone throwing settler arrested (Ynet)

And then there are the Religious Zionists. They not only believe we have a biblical right to rule the land of Israel, we have an obligation to do so. And that giving any of Israel’s land to the Arabs is a violation of God’s will.  They also believe that returning to our land after 2000 years of exile is the beginning of our redemption that will usher in messianic times. 

I am not a religious Zionist. I do not believe that this is the first flowering of our final redemption. But I otherwise do lean in their direction. And I certainly believe in their right to believe as they do. My only real objection is their settlement activity deep into the West Bank. I believe it is both counterproductive and dangerous. Which can lead to serious problems when taken to an extreme. Such as sparking terrorist activity that hurts innocent people. From Ynet: 

A group of settlers attacked a force made up of Border Police and Civil Administration personnel near the settlement of Yitzhar in the West Bank on Wednesday, lightly wounding two of the force.

Several masked teens began throwing stones at the force, which was conducting a routine patrol.

A Border Policeman was hit in the head and a Civil Administration member was hit in the back with stones. 

Unfortunately there are Religious Zionists that don’t care about the safety of others. They will cause harm to anyone they see getting in their way. True, most settlers are not like that. They want to live in peace with their neighbors – even as they settle parts of Israel deep into the West Bank. They do try and get along. I understand the Hashkafa even as I disagree with their doing it.

But when innocent people get hurt by the extremists among them, my support ends. I reject the  extremists. They exhibit an extremism based on their desire to settle the land. This is their Frumkiet. And it has caused them to react violently to anyone that opposes it – including their own government.

I see no real difference the extremes of these two groups. Their behavior is an illegitimate expression of  a Hashkafa taken to an extreme. There is no ‘Elu V’Elu. There is only shame and disgust. Shame because of how they make religious Jews look – and disgust at the harm they do to innocent Jews they don’t like or get in their way.

I am happy to see that the Religious Zionist settlers suspected of throwing stones and injuring people have been arrested. I don’t know if the Charedi extremists in RBS B were arrested – but they should be. And if in both cases they are convicted, they should be put together in a cell and have them fight it out. If they want to harm people in their cause, this would be a good way to do it. Let them harm each other! It will be a win/win for everybody!