Bestowing Glory upon Felons

The Satmar Rebbe of Williamsburg, Zalmen Leib Teitelbaum

I remember this case well. It took place not all that long ago.  Nechemya Weberman - an unlicensed and untrained  Chasidic  ‘therapist’ that his community in Williamsburg sent their troubled children too - was charged with repeatedly sexually abusing a young girl over a period of many years.

The Satmar community was outraged by those claims and considered them to be lies fabricated by a young OTD girl he had once treated - that had some sort of personal vendetta against him.  They proclaimed Weberman’s innocence and held a community wide fundraiser in Williamsburg. It raised  $500,000 to be used for Weberman’s defense.

Whether that money was spent on lawyers is not known. What is known is that shortly afterwards a bribe in the same amount of money was offered to Weberman’s victim/accuser. She was asked to drop the charges and to leave the country. She refused and testified. That led to Weberman’s conviction on 59 counts of sexual abuse and a massive sentence of 103 years in prison.

The group offering that bribe was caught. One member of that group, Abraham Rubin, was charged with witness tampering and obstruction of justice.  He plead guilty and was sentenced to a relatively short prison term of 4 months. Rubin was released early for good behavior at the end of March. What happened next is disturbing. From the 5Towns Jewish Times (FTJT).

Abraham Rubin (was treated) to a hero’s welcome, with hundreds of men dancing to joyous music and spirited songs in the streets of Williamsburg. On Motzaei Shabbos, Rubin was feted with a catered celebration meal at an upscale wedding hall and was received with great honor at the Williamsburg home of the Satmar Rebbe. Several large, laudatory display ads were placed in Der Blatt, a Satmar Yiddish weekly, bestowing glory upon Rubin.

How in heaven’s name does anything like this serve the cause of Yiddishkeit? How can a prominent Chasidic Rebbe give public honor to a man that was convicted of bribery after serving time in prison for it?

Well one reason is a view expressed by some – that a Chasid will never get a fair trial in the US – always presumed to be guilty until proven innocent.

I do not believe that a Chasid will never get a fair trial. But there have been some instances where that seemed to be the case. And I emphasize ‘seemed to be’.  Sholom Rubashkin got an excessive sentence as a first time offender of a white collar crime. While I do not think that Rubashkin is an innocent lamb in all this, I and many prominent American jurists felt the punishment did not fit the crime. But one case does not create a rule. If anything it is probably the exception that proves the rule.

Besides, there is no evidence supporting the assertion that his excessive sentence  had anything to do with the fact that he was a religious Jew with a long beard. It may simply be the result of a crackdown by a ‘law and order’ judge on white collar crime in the era of Enron and Bernie Madoff.

But don’t tell this to residents of Satmar. They seem to be living in a past where Jews were constantly persecuted. A past where their parent's and grandparents suffered through real prejudice and true hatred from their neighbors. The type that had serious consequences. Like pogroms. And discriminatory economic  laws. And throwing Jews in jail on the slightest pretext. Where the concept of Mesirah (the law against informing on a fellow Jew) meant something. 

They seem to treat the United States the same way, thus considering any cooperation with the authorities that would lead to an arrest of a fellow to be a form of Mesirah. If an irreligious Jew informs on a religious Jew, they are not to be trusted. No matter the evidence. No matter the crime. Even a religious Jew that informs on or testifies against another religious Jew- is shunned!

I could not disagree with them more. I simply cannot understand how, after living here for nearly 7 decades (I think it is safe to say that most Chasidim are Holocaust survivors - or their descendants)  they can see this Medina Shel Chesed that has given them so much freedom to be who they are, in the same way as they saw pre-war Europe?

But they do. Mostly because of the sheltered and isolated lifestyles they lead. Their frame of reference is entirely that of their parents, grandparents, and their leadership figures. They have a ‘Mesorah’ that Goyim are evil and out to get us.

There are no countervailing influences that teach them that most non Jews in this country are fine and decent people that would not discriminate against us… and in many cases would go out of their way to help us. If in the rare circumstance that they do find a non Jew they see as a good person, they consider it to be an exception to the rule. Unless proven otherwise they assume the worst.

Well they are entitled to see things any way they choose even if they are misguided by their willful  ignorance of the outside world. But when it affects the rest of the Jewish world, that right ends.

Because of their look, and their claim to be the most religious Jews, much of the world perceives them that way. And when the most religious among us are seen as celebrating the release of a convicted felon; treating him as some sort of hero, well that is a Chilul HaShem in my view. So what they see, and what I also see, at least if the reporting in the FTJT is accurate, is a Chassidic Rebbe celebrating the return of a felon who was convicted for trying to cover up the misdeeds of a sexual predator.  And that, my friends is very scary.

They need to consider the consequences of their actions. And how those actions impact on the rest of American Jewry.  Sadly. I don’t think they do or ever will.

The 'A' Word

Secretary of State John Kerry seen here with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu

I am not one of John Kerry’s fans. I did not vote for him when he ran for President. And I did not support him as President Obama’s choice for Secretary of State. I had always seen Kerry’s support for Israel to be somewhat lacking in decisiveness. I simply wasn’t sure where he really stood despite his positive voting record.

Now that he has been in office for some time, I have come to a better understanding of his position. He indeed has a more favorable view of Israel than I had once thought. His views do not match mine. But I am convinced that his support for Israel is strong.

Understandably as Secretary of State he has always tried to counterbalance his support for Israel with support for the Palestinians. But in the balance, I believe his support for Israel is real – even while I disagree with his obsession to get some sort of peace deal between the two peoples. 

Not that I don’t want peace. I absolutely do. And I would support any compromise that would work toward that end – provided of course that Israel remain a free, safe, and secure Jewish State. The problem with Kerry is that he is blind to the fact that it is currently impossible to achieve that. As long as there is a Hamas or a Hezbollah whose clearly stated objective is to wipe Israel off the map - an objective that they constantly act upon by firing rockets indiscriminately into populated areas of Israel… and as long as there is an Iran and an Islamic fundamentalist belief that Israel must be eradicated by any means necessary… there is no possible way to have any kind of peace agreement that will hold.

I bring all of this up in light of the recent Apartheid statement made by Kerry. In his attempt to express the urgency of making peace he said that if Israel doesn’t do it, it is in danger of becoming an Apartheid State. (He made similar comments recently about the possibility of another Intifada.)  All of this quite nicely fitting into the Palestinian narrative.

As one editorial indicated, using the word Apartheid in any context with Israel is the new Antisemitism   And of course Apartheid Israel is bold faced lie. A big lie. The Big Lie of the 21^st century. The kind of lie used by Hitler’s Nazi propagandist Joseph Goebbels. He is famous for saying that if you repeat a big lie often enough people will start believing it. Goebbels  filled the air with a media campaign full of disgusting lies about the Jewish people. And that  made many people believe that Jews were the vermin they he said they were.

Why is using Apartheid in the context of Israel a Big Lie? Aren’t the two peoples separate and apart? Do not the Palestinians suffer because of Israel’s security needs? They do. But not because Israel discriminates against them racially, religiously, ethnically, socially, or any other way. It is because they have no choice.

The security fence that for example causes so much grief to Palestinians was built for lack of any other way of securing its borders from attack by suicide bombers from Judea and Samaria (the West Bank of the Jordan River). Since the security fence was built, there haven’t been any. Prior to that, it seemed like an everyday event.  There are other inconveniences that Palestinians feel at the hands of Israel for security reasons. But to say that this is in any way Aparteheid – or that this will lead to Apartheid - is not only an insult to Israel, it is an insult to South African blacks who actually lived through it!

I am reminded of a presentation made by David Olesker, founder and director of JCCAT (Jerusalem Center for Communication and Advocacy Training) at an HTC Melave Malke last year. He told us that the amount of cruel anti black legislation and treatment of black South Africans then versus the way the State of Israel treats its West Bank Arabs now are worlds apart. The differences are so many, it would take hours to list and describe them.

But Anne Bayefsky of the Touro Institute on Human Rights said it best. From Fox News: 

It makes no difference to the anti-Semite how preposterous the charge is. One-fifth of Israel’s citizens are Arab, enjoying more democratic rights and freedoms than in any Arab state. With Israeli Arabs elected to the Israeli parliament, appointed to the Israeli Supreme Court, and senior members of Israel’s foreign service, the charge is patently false. The claim also stands in marked contrast to Palestinian insistence that no Jews will be allowed to settle in “Palestine.”

The very idea of a Jew inhabiting Arab-claimed territories has been labeled the crime of “Judaization,” now a familiar term in U.N. parlance. Palestinian children’s textbooks, media, and public events of all kinds, are notoriously anti-Semitic. 

The apartheid shoe fits in the Arab-Israeli conflict – on Judenrein Palestine. 

The responses to Kerry’s Apartheid statement are understandable. Florida Senator Marco Rubio called Kerry’s statement “outrageous and disappointing.” House Majority leader Eric Cantor has called for Kerry to apologize to both the Israeli government and people.  And he has asked that the President repeat  an earlier rejection of any such comparison as historically inaccurate and emotionally loaded. Texas Senator Ted Cruz has asked for Kerry’s resignation as Secretary of State and called upon the President to accept it.

Kerry has apologized for that statement citing his over 30 years of support for Israel.  From the New York Times: 

Mr. Kerry added that he did not believe that Israel was an “apartheid state” or that it intended to become one. Mr. Kerry did not dispute that he had used the phrase but said it had led to a “misimpression” about his views.

“If I could rewind the tape, I would have chosen a different word to describe my firm belief that the only way in the long term to have a Jewish state and two nations and two peoples living side by side in peace and security is through a two state solution,” he said. 

I believe him. I do not for a minute think he ever believed that Israel was or will be an Apartheid state. He simply misspoke. In his zeal pursuing peace - he used a word he shouldn’t have – and probably didn’t really mean. I think what he really meant is that relations between Israelis and Palestinians can only get worse if things continue as they are.

I know about misspeaking. I have used words both publicly and privately that I wish I could take back. Even as recently as this weekend in a private conversation I had with someone – I used a word that I did not mean which only had the slightest connection to what I really meant. And that created hard feelings that were terribly hurtful to him. I had conveyed a message that I never intended to convey. And no matter how much or how sincerely I apologized for using that word - I suspect that I will never be trusted by him again – even though my apology was accepted.

Sometimes we misspeak and use words intending one meaning – but whose common understanding of them is quite another. It happened to me, this weekend. And I believe that this is what happened to Kerry.  

This does not mean that I support what he has been doing in Israel since his tenure has begun. I don’t. Even as I believe his desire for peace is sincere, his efforts are futile and a waste of time. That should be obvious to everyone by now. 

But neither do I believe his mistaken use of words like ‘Intifada’ or ‘Apartheid’ are anything more than a misguided attempt to push that agenda forward. An agenda of peace that he believes is in everyone’s best interests. It would be - if it were possible. But as I said it is obviously not under current conditions. I therefore think Kerry should expend his efforts elsewhere. But I also think we ought to accept his apology and move on.

My Grandparents - Survivors of the Holocaust

Guest Post by Rivkie Greenland

Left: My father's parents      Right: My mother's parents

Of my 4 grandparents, one survived selection in Auschwitz and lived through the horrors of multiple other concentration camps. One was hidden in the basement of a righteous Ukranian gentile together with 6 other Jews for over two years. One ran and hid through the forest after being housed for a short while by a gentile family only to be let go, fearing for their own lives. And one stayed together with his 3 young sons and brother who, by hand, built underground bunkers for themselves and 80 other Jews. Chasdei Hashem, they all survived. 

I am not here to tell their stories.  

Doing so would just trivialize the realities of what they went through to stay alive. I do not, to this day, even know the details of their own personal nightmares. And even if I did, it would be impossible to give it the proper credence and kavod it would deserve. What I do know is that they all made it. And bearing the intensity of all they witnessed and went through, they kept their faith and went on. 

They went on to build life again. They went on and sacrificed in so many ways to live Torah observant lives just as they had before the war. They got married, had children and taught those children the importance of Torah and mitzvos, shared their families’ minhagim, sang their beautiful family niggunim, and instilled in them a love and yearning for Eretz Yisroel....

This was their mesorah. They gave it over to their children, who gave it over to  their children who are giving it over to their children, who are giving it over to their children and who will B’ezras Hashem one day will give it over to their children. 

My mother always says that we take for granted the ability to live Torah lives without being scared…that we live in a time of peace and are able to practice yiddishkeit without fear of being caught. 

I know that in light of what my grandparents went through, it’s audacious to think that we, in this generation would have challenges in the practice of yiddishkeit.  But we do….Jewish apathy and assimilation, among the most challenging. And sometimes, it's hard to be strong.

But we, like they, must remain strong in our convictions, hold our heads high and show the world that we are not afraid to be different… show our children that we are not afraid to be different. And remain consistent in the examples we learned from our grandparents..... They held on tight. We, too must hold on tight. 

May Hashem give us all the strength to overcome our challenges, and be worthy of the days of moshiach so that we can live true, safe, healthy, beautiful, and brilliantly clear Torah observant lives.  

-In memory of my Zadie Shimon, Bubbie Bella (Bayla), and Zadie Markus (Mordechai).
-And in the Z’chus of health and Arichus Yomim for my Bubbie Tzirel.

Day of Remembrance

Israelis observing moment of silence

Today is Holocaust Remembrance day. A moment of silence was observed by Jews in Israel to commemorate the 6 million Jews that died in the Holocaust. As most people realize those that died were not the only victims. Those who survived were victims too. Most of the very young victims are still alive. And there are even a few older ones in their 90s and 100s that still survive with their memories of that time intact. My 97 year old mother-in-law is one of those. 

There are some who object to the timing this observance because of a Jewish Law that forbids eulogizing the dead during the Hebrew month of Nissan. In my view, they are terribly wrong to object. One can quibble about whether this date is the appropriate one for such remembrance. But now that it is established, it would dishonor the living survivors to disparage it in any way. Unfortunately there are always some misguided religious Jews who feel it is their duty to do just that.  Thankfully they are a tiny minority. The vast majority of Jews in Israel stop and stand still in a moment of silence in public – including religious Jews.

I want to once again express my gratitude to this great country of ours… the Medina Shel Chesed called the United States of America. It doesn’t matter what political party one belongs to. It doesn’t matter how liberal or conservative one’s politics are. America will not let anyone forget the Holocaust. And liberal ‘Hollywood’ is in the forefront of doing that. 

Every year there is yet another Holocaust themed major motion picture released. Last Friday, Walking with the Enemy was released. It is based on the true story of a courageous Jew in Nazi occupied Hungary who at great risk disguised himself as an SS officer in order to save fellow Jews. And just yesterday, the TV Show 60 Minutes featured Nicholas Winton, a hero of the Holocaust. He saved 669 mostly Jewish children from almost certain slaughter.

What will the future look like after the last survivor dies? I don’t know. But one thing I am certain of is that my own children will not forget. Nor did they fail to learn - or fail to teach their own children - some very important lessons from what all four of their grandparents experienced. 

He Is Not Rav Ovadia - Not Even Close!

Rabbi Shalom Cohen

I find it very difficult to understand how someone who is so prejudiced against religious Jews (or any Jews for that matter) could be chosen to lead the Sephardi community in Israel. But that is exactly what seems to have happened. Rabbi Shalom Cohen has been chosen to head the Shas Council of Torah sages. He is the successor to his mentor, the late Sephardi Gadol, Rav Ovadia Yosef.

How dare I say that this Rosh Yeshiva of Porat Yosef is prejudiced against religious Jews? Well... because he said so. I guess the situation in Israel brings out truths that otherwise may stay hidden. A lot of angry voices are being heard about the new draft laws that require Charedim to register for the draft… and require a prison penalty to be applied uniformly to all draft dodgers, including any Yeshiva Bachurim who refuse to be inducted when called up.

Rabbi Cohen’s voice is one of the more shrill ones.  He, like all other Charedi rabbinic leaders sees the draft as an attack upon Torah itself. Which in my view it clearly is not. In part he blames religious Jews for this turn of events. Here is what he said immediately upon being announced as Rav Yosef’s successor. From Joseph Aaron’s latest column in the Chicago Jewish News: 

“They hate us, all the ignoramuses of the Jewish Home and Yesh Atid,” Cohen said, referencing the Zionist Orthodox party and the secularist party. “There is no difference between the two. The Holy One, Blessed be He, wants us to stay away from them. They are there, we are here. They will pursue their nonsense, we will pursue our holy Torah.” 

In the past, Cohen has called Zionist Orthodox Jews “Amalek” — an extinct people that the Torah singles out for total annihilation for what is described as their cruelty to Jews. He suggested that national religious Israelis aren’t Jews. 

Referring to national religious Israelis by the colloquial Hebrew term for “knit kipa” — the preferred headgear for such Jews — Rabbi Cohen said that “as long as there are knit kippot, the [divine] throne is not whole. That’s Amalek. When will the throne be whole? When there is no knit kipa.” 

OK. I’m sure he didn’t mean all knit Kipa wearing Jews. I’m sure he was only talking about those in the Kenesset that worked on the new draft law.  Like Ayelet Shaked - a member of the Dati Leumi Religious Zionist party Bayit HaYehudi  who chaired the committee named after her.

The Shaked committee was charged with crafting the new draft law. Which it did. But even if he limited it to those people, it is still a hateful statement that calls good people, who are religious – Amalek. What kind of Jew calls any other Jew Amalek?  Certainly one who is named to lead the entire Sephardi community should not be one of them!  And yet he was the one chosen to follow in Rav Ovaida Yosef’s footsteps. I don’t get that. Should his considerable knowledge of Torah outweigh his terrible attitude and accompanying hateful rhetoric? Even if he doesn’t mean it for everyone?

Even if we are to give Rabbi Cohen the benefit of the doubt and say that he spoke in a moment of heated passion and doesn’t really mean it at all, shouldn’t that still make us wary of how he will conduct himself in similar situations when the pressure is on?  Public leaders ought to have better control over what they say.

Frankly I’m skeptical  that he didn’t really mean it.  The Gemarah (Eruvin 65b) tells us that one’s true character comes out under 3 very specific circumstances - B’Kiso, B’Kaso and B’Koso – through his wallet, when in a state of anger, or when he is drunk. When a person speaks in a moment of anger, the truth comes out. Rabbi Cohen spoke in a moment of anger.

Rabbi Cohen apparently has no use for Modern Orthodox Jews. Religious leaders whose knowledge of Torah is as thorough, as his most likely is - ought to be respected. But it’s difficult for me, a Modern Orthodox Jew to respect anyone like that. Even with all of that Torah knowledge.

What a Jerk!

81 year old Sterling and his mistress, V. Stiviano

Normally I would not comment on racist remarks by the owner of a basketball team. There are a lot of racists in the world and I don’t need to condemn the obvious.

But when that owner is Jewish, my ears perk up. When anyone Jewish does anything disgusting, it reflects on all of us. And thus has the potential to be a Chilul HaShem!

I have no tolerance for racism of any kind. And certainly no Jew should. Even a Jew that is not religious. I think it is safe to say that Donald Sterling is not religious. Nor does he seem to have any religious values. Nevertheless any Jew who knows even a smidgen about the Holocaust should understand what racism is.

The fact is that he is a Jew by birth. He cannot get out of that no matter how much he tries. And try he did. First by adding the name Sterling to his family name of Tokowitz. 

He then went a step further by naming one of his children Chris. (What a great name for a Jew.) Chris is short for Christopher - a derivation of the Greek term meaning "bearing Christ" or carrying Christ in your heart.

That this 81 year old married man has a girlfriend young enough to be his granddaughter just adds to his lack of any sense of propriety.

Last week he made racist comments that were recorded. He was unaware of that and has since denied that he is in any way racist. (Sure! And I am Henry the 8^th).

 Sterling, who owns the LA Clippers told his girlfriend the following. From the LA Times: 

"It bothers me a lot that you want to broadcast that you're associating with black people," Sterling allegedly says, later adding, "I'm just saying, in your … Instagrams, you don't have to have yourself with, walking with black people.

"Don't put him on an Instagram for the world to have to see so they have to call me. And don't bring him to my games." 

I guess he thinks his billions makes him immune to criticism. But billions cannot buy honor. It cannot buy integrity.  And it cannot buy respectability. This fellow… with all his billions is a disgusting individual. He ought to be condemned by all good people. If I could throw him out of Judaism, I would… Not that it would bother him. He’d probably consider that a prize!

Cool to be Jewish? Not this guy! That may be the only mitigating factor about this Chilul HaShem. That he in no way represents anything Jewish.

Jewish Vigilantism

Taj Patterson (Forward)

It was the summer of 69. I was vacationing at the now defunct Homowack Resort. The Homowack was heavily populated by celebrity columnists from the Jewish Press – including its editor, Rabbi Sholom Klass.

The columnists were advertised as guest speakers. One of them was Rabbi Meir Kahane, who at the time had just founded the JDL (Jewish Defense League). I will never forget it.  

He was an inspiring speaker; a true Ohaiv Yisroel a man who loved his people.  A do’er, not just a talker. He said at the time that he had enough of elderly Jews being mugged by gang members. So he founded an organization that would protect their neighborhoods. Curtis Sliwa founded the Guardian Angels - a similar group a decade later. for the same purpose in dangerous non Jewish neighborhoods. I suppose you might say that he modeled it after the JDL.

This had never been done before. Jews tend not to be confrontational. Rabbi Kahane said that his purpose was twofold. It was primarily about protecting the Jewish public. But his secondary purpose was to find Jewish Shkotzim. (Shkotzim is the plural of Sheigetz – a derogatory term for gentiles usually applied to hooligans). His point was that this was a way to get non religious young Jews active in a decidedly Jewish thing – protecting fellow Jews from harm. He felt that this would also serve as a form of Kiruv for them.

I remember thinking what a great service this was for a community where its vulnerable are so easily targeted and the police are often too late to do anything about it. At the same time, I also wondered about the repercussions of an unofficial vigilante group that was working outside the law.

Rabbi Kahane is long deceased. He was murdered by precisely the kind of hooligan his JDL was designed to protect against. (I should add that I did not agree with Rabbi Kahane’s views with respect to the Arab Israeli conflict and strongly opposed his tactics - even as I agreed with his assessment of the situation there. But that is beyond the scope of this essay)

I suppose that the JDL was a precursor to what is now called Shomrim. Shomrim are a watchdog group that patrols Jewish neighborhoods and defends its residents against muggings and other violent attacks. As I understand it, this group has at least the tacit – if not official – approval of the police. What they are supposed to do when they see anyone suspicious is to report it immediately to the police while keeping their eye on him until they arrive - if danger is not imminent. If it is they can act with the minimum necessary force to subdue an attacker.

I don’t know how much training they get. But I do know that in most cases, Shomrim are people dedicated to helping their fellow Jews in distress. I have heard from many people who have been spared violence as Shomrim came to their aid.

So far so good. I am not opposed to watchdog groups who patrol neighborhoods for the purpose of keeping residents safe. There is nothing wrong and everything right with aiding the police in that way.

There is another group of Shomrim in Chasidic neighborhoods like Williamsburg. They do more than just watch.

I recall that many years ago there was a group called ‘Chaptzem’. Chapztem is the Yiddish word for ‘capture him’.  My understanding of this sort of ad hoc group of large and very strong Chasidic men is that they were far more proactive. They were a real vigilante group that took the law into their own hands. When they saw a suspicious character in their neighborhoods that was about to do - or had done harm to a fellow Jew, one of them would yell ‘Chaptzem!’ …and chase after him. They would catch him and beat the living daylights out of him. There was no reporting to the police that I am aware of. The Shomrim of Williamsburg are probably the same type of people that used to be Chaptzem.

There is a sense of satisfaction when a perpetrator is basically caught in the act and ‘taken care of’ on the spot. I don’t think anyone can argue with that feeling. I am reminded of the movie ‘Death Wish’ where actor Charles Bronson portrayed a liberal turned vigilante after his wife was brutally raped and beaten by a street gang. The audience cheered him on every time he randomly killed another hooligan.

But that is not real life. Sometimes that kind of quick justice can be anything but justice. Which brings me to the story in the Forward:

Five haredi Orthodox Jewish men were indicted for attacking a gay black man in Brooklyn.

The five were charged Wednesday in New York state Supreme Court in Brooklyn with gang assault and other counts for the December attack, but not for hate crimes, WABC-TV reported.They were associated with a civilian neighborhood watch group, the Williamsburg Safety Patrol Unit, or Shomrim.

Taj Patterson, a 22-year-old student at the New York City College of Technology, said he was walking through the heavily Orthodox neighborhood of Williamsburg on his way home to a nearby neighborhood when more than 12 Hasidic men attacked him while shouting anti-gay slurs. He said he suffered a broken eye socket, torn retina, blood clotting, and cuts and bruises to his knees and ankles.

First the disclaimer. These men are presumed innocent until proven guilty. But frankly, I don’t see how anyone can justify ganging up on another human being and doing what they did to Taj Patterson while shouting anti gay slurs.

I don’t know what really happened. I suspect that the victim did nothing except look suspicious.  But even if he was somehow perceived to be a threat and those men thought they were protecting the public, why the ‘overkill’?  If he indeed was a danger to anyone, the 12 men involved could have easily subdued one individual until the police arrived.

From my prospective it appears that what they did was a moral outrage to humanity and a major Chilul Hashem.  If they are guilty, they ought to have the book thrown at them.  I just hope there isn’t anyone trying to ‘explain things away with apologetics. Or worse - their community calling for fundraising accompanied by outcries about ‘innocent Jews once again being persecuted by the Goyim’. But… I’m sure there will be.

Lev Tahor - Silence is Not an Option

The children of Lev Tahor - The smiles are deceiving 

Ami Magazine ran a story by  its editor, Rabbi Yitzchok Frankfurter about the Canadian Jewish cult, Lev Tahor. To say that it was upsetting is to say the least.

With all the ink being spilled on this group, Rabbi Frankfurter decided to investigate Lev Tahor on his own. He actually went into their enclave, saw court documents, interviewed their attorney, the prosecutor; cult members, former members and the ‘big man’ himself, Shlomo Helbrans. (The first part of his last name is very appropriate. Because it seems like that may be where he will end up. But I digress.)

Rabbi Frankfurter therefore concluded that this is more about religious persecution than it is about child abuse. This in contradistinction to other journalists who either do not have enough understanding about the religious practices of Charedi Jews to make fair observations - or from religious journalists who do, but have only gotten their information second hand. Normally I would say ‘good for him’. He was there.  The critics were not. Who has a better picture of the truth?

The problem is that he believed what they told him. And he believed that Lev Tahor represented a Jewish lifestyle well within the parameters of Orthodoxy. Aside from some quirky behavior (as in their women wearing Burka style clothing – which he said was wrong but does not believe to be a big deal) he saw a group of happy well adjusted people, children included.  Nothing like what has been reported in the press. His conclusion? The government of Quebec is interfering in the religious freedom of the Jewish people.  That this is simple Antisemitic persecution.  That because these Jews look different, they are not getting a fair shake.

He also noted that in a written statement a few Chasidic Rebbes have called upon the Jewish community to help there ‘poor persecuted souls’ out… screaming “Mesira” about anyone who helps the Canadian authorities out on this matter. So he called for his readership to step up and sent them money to aid in their defense. Based on a mass e-mail he sends out -he quickly succeeded, it appears.

So what’s wrong with all of this? Isn’t this religious persecution after all is said and done? Did those children he saw in the happiest of states purposely deceive him? Why not just leave them alone and let them ‘do their thing’?

That’s because their ‘thing’ is anything but Jewish. It is taking Judaism to harmful extremes. The fact is that these children and their parents have been brainwashed to think that acting like this is a higher service to God. Which is really nothing more than higher service to Hebrans’ ego.

Here are some of the things in Lev Tahor that pass for piety. I already mentioned the Burkas that women must wear. That is one of their lesser problems. What else is there that is so bad? One need only read what the mainstream media has described to find out. But they are not alone in reporting the truth.  For those who think the mainstream media is anti religious we can find not only a religious source but a Charedi one.

Mishpacha Magazine reported on Lev Tahor last month. The title of their article was “Hearts of Darkness” – a far more accurate description of this cult. There is literal child abuse there, Mostly psychological.

So bad is it, that after hearing expert testimony from professionals who investigated them, a Quebec court ordered 13 of these children removed from their parents’ jurisdiction and placed in foster care for 30 days. Suitable Chasidic homes were found for these children. Before this was implemented, these parents ran to another town believing they were out of the court’s jurisdiction in Ontario. Some of these even left the country fleeing to Mexico and elsewhere.  The family was returned and all of the children have been placed in foster care.

There is more. A lot more. Hebrans considers himself the second coming of the Satmar Rebbe. But he doesn’t stop there. He makes sure that he is in full control of everyone’s life  and has many practices to assure it. For example he instructs his followers  roll themselves in the snow for purification reasons. He is known to advocate flogging as a form of Teshuva. He personally arranges all marriages in his community. Often with underage girls as young as 14. He is known to isolate children from their families.

Punishments for infractions by children or include things like locking them in a basement (2 weeks for one teenage girl).  Or giving them drugs to keep them relaxed!

The Chasidm in Lev Tahor  are all undernourished. Most of the families subsist on government child allowances or donations from their families and the broader Montreal Jewish  community. They consider all chickens and their eggs Treif because of ‘genetic engineering’. They do not eat rice at al because of bugs.

There are no secular subjects at all.  Their curriculum deviates substantially from the even the most right wing Charedi norm. It includes a 20 minute recitation of a ‘mystical work’ written by Helbrans. And they study his larger work ‘Ohr HaShem’ instead of Gemarah or Mishnayos. Shachris for these elementary students takes about 4 hours  which includes one full hour of meditation.  

When parents are deemed to violate one of Helbrans’ Halachic rulings children are stripped from their parents for long periods of time– claiming they are bad influences on them.

Freedom of choice does not exist in this enclave. Their lives depend entirely on what the Rebbe decides for them.

Attempts by one couple to leave the cult were met with extreme psychological pressure. In one case the wife of a cult member wanted to leave. Helbrans told him that he would suffer in the afterlife if he did - and that he should instead divorce his wife. They stayed and were ordered  to take a regimen of vitamins and a strict  meditation regimen that included self nullification. They eventually escaped with the help of a Lubavitcher Chasid.

Mind control is part and parcel of this group’s existence. With it’s warm and accepting approach to new or potential members its attraction is quite understandable. Upon entry into the cult - there is a sense of spiritual euphoria.  

To set themselves apart from the rest of Jewry Helbrans has established these cult-like practices to sever people from the outside world. Along with those black Burkas women wear layers upon layers of undergarments;  covering legs with tights and socks at all times. They must wear shoes even in the house. The men spend hours of time listening to Helbrans expound on the mysteries of life. He makes fantastic claims like saying that he ‘killed’ Pope John-Paul II through his prayers. He makes claims of Divine knowledge in order to dictate to them how to conduct their lives.

All this only scratches the surface. The list goes on. In defending Lev Tahor Rabbi Frankfurter acts to perpetuate it. He apparently feels that anyone who looks like him and is persecuted - well it’s all about Antisemitism.  (Yes the male members of this cult dress the way mainstream Chasidm do. Which is similar to the way Rabbi Frankfurter dresses.)

What about all that other stuff? He either doesn’t believe it or chalks it up to extreme but legitimate Jewish behavior well within the bounds of Halacha. And considers it an outrage that anyone would tamper with Lev Tahor - a group of pious Jews - just because they are different.  

I consider it an outrage if they don’t.

Updated to remove personal attacks

Is Celibacy a Realistic Option for Gay People?

David Benkof - Times of Israel

Not long ago, I recall two Orthodox Jewish gay men in the Chicago area coming out of the closet. One was married (now divorced). The other is not.

I cannot imagine the pain the families have gone through. Right or wrong - the stigma still exists. How does a wife cope with a revelation like this? How do the children cope… the parents; siblings; friends… how do they all deal with this? Can they continue to function in society without feeling that people are whispering behind their backs? I can’t honestly answer these questions. 

I do not know the people in these two Chicago cases - although I know their families. Nor do I really know any openly gay people that well. But my guess is that it isn’t easy on anyone involved. No matter how enlightened society has become - being gay is hardly an accepted lifestyle in Orthodox circles. There is still a lot of intolerance and lack of understanding about this issue. So it is a difficult thing for any mainstream family to accept.

The issue of homosexuality has been discussed here many times.  My take on it is clear. To briefly review my position - the expression ‘Love the sinner; hate the sin’ comes close. The idea being that I recognize the clear biblical prohibition against homosexual activity as spelled out in the Torah: ‘Do not lie with a man in the manner as with a woman. It is an abomination’ (Vayikra 18:22). The Torah tells us that doing so is a capital offense (Vayikra 20:13).

There is however no prohibition on being homosexual. One‘s sexual orientation is not forbidden at all - no matter what form it takes. The Torah does not speak of attractions. It speaks only of actions. Those that are forbidden and those that are required.  There is no sin in being gay. So that if someone announces that he is gay, we should have no problem with that. We are required by biblical obligation to ‘love thy neighbor’ just as much for gay people as we are for straight people.

What about those gay people who do engage in male to male sex? They violate the Torah’s severe prohibition against it. There is no question about that in my mind. All the explanations and apologetics by various well intentioned people are misguided in my view. You cannot twist your way out of such a clear cut statement in the Torah by saying for example ‘Oness Rachmana Patrei’. That a person’s sex drive forces him to do violate prohibitions - and the Torah exempts people that are psychologically ‘forced’ to sin. Such explanations make a mockery of the Torah’s unequivocal prohibition of it.

How should we deal with gay people who surely must engage in this kind of behavior? In my view we must give them the benefit of the doubt. As long as they do not promote it as a way of life, we should treat them like any other Jew who may sin behind closed doors. We are not God’s accountants. If someone sins privately - it is between him and his Maker.

For me that boils down to whether someone is discreet about his sexual behavior even as he is open about his orientation. Or whether he is an advocate for acceptance of the gay lifestyle (and for example wants society to be as accepting of that as they are of a straight lifestyle). The latter of these types of people are to be opposed since they are in effect advocates for a Torah prohibition no less that if they were advocating desecration of Shabbos as a lifestyle.

This in a nutshell is my view.  A views that I have clearly stated in the past.

The question arises - what is a gay person to do with his sex drive? The sex drive is a very powerful part of human nature. It is probably as important as eating and sleeping. The only difference being that sex can be delayed for indefinite amounts of time. But ultimately it needs to be satisfied.

If one is gay and is not attracted to the opposite sex… and can only be satisfied sexually with members of the same sex… how does he deal with that without violating a capital offense in the Torah?

This is a question that many people have grappled with from the right to the left of the Orthodox Jewish spectrum. The right wing tends to recommend reparative therapy. That – by any legitimate measure does not work and can be very harmful. It assumes that one can change his sexual orientation if the proper therapy is applied. But as has been explained in the past – it is not only very degrading – it doesn’t work. I am inclined to believe that despite those who argue in its favor. Others say that one’s sex drive can be sublimated into other activity so that he need not participate in actual gay sex.

There are those who simply say celibacy is the answer for gay men. Difficult though it may be, it possible. And things like sublimation can work towards that goal. There is no question in my mind that this is the best way to satisfy Halacha. If a gay man remains celibate – he is following Halacha.

The gay community has rejected this as an option. They say it is unreasonable if not impossible for a person to remain celibate. The sex drive will eventually overcome him and he will seek release in the only form of sex that can satisfy him.

I can certainly sympathize with this attitude. As I said above, the sex drive is part of human nature. And it is something that ultimately will not be denied. But is that true?

In an article in the Times of Israel written by David Benkof says it is not. Not only does he say it. He lives it. A formerly active gay man, David has now been celibate for 10 years. In his search for understanding the religious aspects of being gay he has looked at all the various approaches to it and has found that the only way to honor the biblical command not to engage in sex with another man – is to never do it. And if someone ever does succumb to temptation - he should treat it like any other violation of a biblically forbidden act and do Teshuva. And then start over. Kind of like a member of Alcoholics Anonymous. One day at a time.

I think he’s right. And he is certainly not alone in being celibate. Catholic priests certainly are. Even though there are sex scandals in the Church where many a priest has violated their oath of celibacy, I think it is safe to say that the vast majority of priests don’t violate that oath. So it is possible and it can be done.

That said, I realize it isn’t easy to be celibate. As I said, the sex drive is part of our humanity. So I completely understand recidivism.  Human beings have human failings and sometimes are overwhelmed by the desire to sin in one area or another. And in this area, the Nisayon (test) is probably greater than in any other. 

But even if one fails, that should not be how he defines himself. No different than failing in any other area of Halacha. The goal being that we try and overcome personal challenges. And keep trying if and when we fail. Everybody has challenges in life. Each has his own. Some harder and some - not as hard. It is our obligation to work at overcoming them. And to not judge others if they fail.

I think this is the message David Benkof tries to convey. And I think it is a good one.

In Judaism - What Does Belief Really Entail?*

We are about to enter the 7th day of Pesach. This is the date in history when our ancestors, the Bnei Yisroel, crossed the Red (Reed) Sea. The Torah tells us the Red Sea split, our ancestors walked on dry land between two standing walls of water. And the Egyptian soldiers and all their chariots drowned as they pursued them down that same path. The chariots got stuck in the mud and when the last Jew finished his trek through the sea, the two walls poured down on the Egyptians and drowned them all.

After this great miracle was witnessed, our ancestors sang the Shira (Oz Yoshir). The Shira was an expression of mixed feelings: Horror, triumph, and gratitude which overcame the Bnei Yisroel. They watched the fate of a powerful enemy as it was utterly destroyed which at one point they feared might be their own fate.

The question arises… why did the Bnei Yisroel wait until after the crossing of the Red Sea before reciting the Shira? It is of course appropriate if not required to give thanks to the Creator after experiencing such miraculous events. But why did they wait until then to do it? Did they not witness all the miracles in Egypt that led to their freedom? Why didn’t they sing the Shira upon their exit?

Additionally, Rashi in his commentary on the verse in the Shira of Zeh Keli V’Anveihu (This is my God and I will beautify Him - Shemos 15:2) – says that this is a reference to God’s appearance in  His full glory so that the people could actually point to Him with their fingers. That is followed by the following verse: ‘And Israel saw the great work which God wrought upon Egypt and the nation feared God VaYaminu (and they believed) in God and in His servant Moshe.’ (Shemos 14:31).

Why did they wait until now to believe in God. Did they not witness the 10 palgues? Furthermore there is the following.

Belief in anything is only required when something cannot experienced with any of the 5 physical senses. If the Bnei Yisroel actually beheld the Divinity, what was their need for belief?  

To answer these questions a basic distinction must be made between the miracles in Egypt and the miracle of the Red Sea. There are two Hebrew terms for salvation: Hatzalah and Yeshuah. Hatzalah refers to a passive act of salvation. The miracles of Egypt proper were a Hatzalah. The Bnei Yisroal remained completely passive as God did all the work.

At the miracle at the Red Sea on the other hand  was a Yeshuah. The Midrash tells us that the sea did not split until the Bnei Yisroel entered the water up to their nostrils. ‘And the Bnei Yisroel went into the sea upon dry land’ (Shemos 14:22). Only when our ancestors experienced the wionders of the Red Sea did they become active participants in the miracle. And thus only then could they sing Shira. Shira is appropriate only when one attains a victory. And to be a victor one must actively participate in the struggle.invloved not only an action alone – but a resulting commitment to the One who wrought the miracles!

The Jewish people became totally involved in the experience. Belief in that which one sees implies action – accepting belief, acting upon it, and being devoted to its implications and consequences.

The word ‘VaYaminu’ (and they believed) is grammatically the causative of the word ‘Uman’ – rearing. The Hebrew word for cfatsman also derives from this root. Thus the Jewish people did not merely believe, but they disciplined themselves causing themselves to become craftsmen in a spiritual sense.

Based on this understanding we can resolve an apparent contradiction with respect to God’s covenant with Abraham. ‘And he believed in God and He (God) counted it for him as righteousness.’ In other words God chose Abraham because of his belief in Him (Bereishis 15:6). And yet we find in another verse that God chose Abraham because ‘he commands of the next generation to walk in the path of God doing charity and justice in order that God might bring upon Abraham that which He had spoken to him (Beresishis 19:18).  As explained belief implies there is no contradiction. Belief is not merely accepting something as truth. It implies actively following it up with action as Abraham did by transmitting it to others.

The Gemarah in Avodah Zara (3b) tells us that in the days of Moshiach the nations of thw world will not be permitted to convert for their own convenience but that those who desire to do so will ‘put Tefillin on their heads and Tefillin on their arms’. The obvious discrepancy is that one generally puts on the the arm first and then the Tefillin of the head. But herein lies the tragedy that has overcome mankind.

The Tefillin of the head correspond to the mind. The Tefillin of the arm are worn opposite the heart and represent the sublimation of man’s base instincts to God’s will. In other religions and among the nations of the world – belief precedes consecration. A person must rectify thought before he can practice faith.

Not so in Judaism. King David wrote in Psalm 24:3-4 ‘Who may ascend the mountain of God and who may stay stand in his place of sanctity?’ He who is clean of hands and pure of heart.’  In Judaism one must first purify his deeds and his heart – and only then can he climb to the heights of understanding God – the apex of spiritual salvation. Thus belief implies not only intellectual recognition of certain fundamental notions, but a commitment to and involvement with that which one believes.

Chag Sameach

*Taken from The Warmth and the Light by Rav Ahron Soloveichik

Déjà Vu All Over Again?

Shooting victims
William Corporon and Reat Griffin Underwood

There have been a couple of anti Semitic incidents in the world  lately that may have many Jews  questioning whether we are once again in danger of anther Holocaust. In fact I have heard a lot of prominent people saying, ‘Beware! It’s 1938 all over again’.

I am not one of those. I recall a lecture given by Rebbetzin Esther Jungries saying this several years ago in response to Iran’s promises to wipe Israel off the map while pursuing nuclear weapons.  As a survivor of the Holocaust her words took on some urgency. She sounded the alarm saying that new Hitler was just around the corner in Iran. This was in 2006, 8 years ago. I was skeptical then and I am skeptical now.

One of the 2 events I am referring to took place at a Jewish Center and at an assisted living facility in Overland Park, Kansas. Frazier Glenn Cross (AKA Miller)  an avowed racist and anti Semite shot and killed 3 people. He probably assumed they were Jewish. They were not. But the government considers it a hate crime. As it should. He said ‘Heil Hitler’ as he was being transported away in a police vehicle.

Shooting victim Terri LaManno

(As an aside - my heart goes out to the friends and families that are experiencing this sudden and unexpected loss just because some violent racist anti Semite assumed they were Jews. I think I can speak for the entire Jewish community in expressing our own horror at this and our sincere condolences. From all that has been reported, the victims were fine people who were highly thought of in their communities. I cannot imagine the pain their friends and families must be going through. (Why is it always the good people that seem to suffer the most?!)

The second event is a distribution of leaflets in the Ukrainian city of Donetsk whose residents are mostly pro Russian:. From USA Today: 

Jews emerging from a synagogue say they were handed leaflets that ordered the city's Jews to provide a list of property they own and pay a registration fee "or else have their citizenship revoked, face deportation and see their assets confiscated..." 

Shades of Nazi Germany! Except that the leaders of rebel Russian sympathizers deny they had anything to do with that. They insist that Jews will be welcome citizens in their new enterprise – be it as a part of Russia or as some sort of satellite country under Russian influence. They claim these leaflets were distributed by the Ukrainian government in an attempt to make them look bad.

I don’t know if that’s true. But I tend to believe that the rebels did not initiate anything like that. They would have to be the biggest fools in the world to turn themselves into the 21^st century version of Nazi Germany. And I say this knowing full well that the Ukrainians have an inglorious history with respect to the Jewsih people. I don’t think there were too many people in Europe – pre-Holocaust - that were more anti Semitic that native Ukrainians. My father lived there. He has first had experience with them. So even if there is some residual Antisemitism there now - and I believe there probably is – there is no way they would ever want to be seen as Russian speaking Nazis.

So are we now living in the 21^st century version of 1938? Hardly. Joseph Aaron, publisher of the Chicago Jewish News often says in answer to the constant whining by some about all the anti-Semitism in the world - that Jews have never had it so good. We are living in unprecedented times. I agree with him. We are no more in danger of a Holocaust than we are of the sky falling. Which is what seems the alarmists among us want us to believe.

In fact the biggest problem facing Jewry in America today - is the biggest proof of our acceptance. Rampant assimilation and intermarriage is a direct result of our acceptance into general society. Jews are now in every field of endeavor in the US… from the corporate boardroom to the halls of science and academia to the news and entertainment industry. Jews can be found in high places in all areas, including the government.  

Congress is filled with far more Jews that our percentages in the population. Jews are marrying American Royalty to great acclaim – as was the case when a Jewish man married Chelsea Clinton in a mostly Jewish looking ceremony. The last three Presidents have had Jews in high places in their government including observant Jews. One (Jack Lew) as director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). One (Michael Mukasey) as Attorney General. And one as the Secretary of the Treasury (Again, Jack Lew). 

The fact is that not only have the people of the United States fully accepted us into their hearts (with some notable fringe group exceptions) - it is now cool to be Jewish, I'm told. And the rest of the world has moved in that direction too. Although they have a long way to go before they catch up with the United States 

While it’s true that much of leftist academia is sympathetic to the Palestinian cause thereby being totally unsympathetic to Israel, they do not reflect popular opinion. And even among those in Academia who side with Palestinians, there are many who are not necessarily anti Semitic (although certainly some of them are). They are simply misguided about the facts and history of the situation.

Then there is the one thing I keep coming back to - which to me shows the high level of approval that the Jewish people have: Joseph Lieberman. When he was chosen as the Vice Presidential candidate by Al Gore, Gore’s 10% deficit in the polls behind candidate George Bush disappeared. When people were polled about whether Lieberman’s Sabbath observance would be a hindrance to his job if he were to become President, they gave a surprising answer. Those who were on the fence and switched to Gore did so because of Lieberman’s religiosity. They felt that a religious man in office would be a plus in his favor – making his decisions more ethical. In other words, they perceived Judaism to be an ethical religion. And as we all know Gore/Lieberman won the popular vote.

If all this is pre-Holocaust activity, I’ll take it. What about Frazier Glenn Cross and the Ukrainian Antisemites? Yes we still have to be vigilant. But to say this is 1938 pre-Holocaust  Déjà  Vu all over again (hat tip, Yogi Berra) ? No possible way!

Will It Change Anything?

This doesn’t have to be the image of the future for secular and Charedi Jews 

Mishpacha Magazine has commissioned a poll to determine the real attitude by secular Jews in Israel towards Charedim. Of course they didn’t have to do that. They could have just asked me and saved the expense of a professional poll.

The results were pretty much what I would have expected them to be. But they came as a shock to the Rabbi Moshe Grylak, editor if that magazine. 

The bottom line is that as a rule secular Israelis do not hate Charedim at all. They actually have a favorable attitude to them. So much so that most feel that the IDF should fully accommodate the needs of Charedi recruits.  (And yes they do feel Charedim do not contribute enough to general society.)

A lot of her assumptions made by Charedim about secular attitudes towards them are based on rumor or anecdotal evidence.  And they have been perpetuated, by Charedi politicians and the Charedi media. Well if this survey is anywhere near accurate, those myths have been exploded.

None of this is surprising to me. There have been other polls that suggested these results.  Like the fact that most secular Israelis observe at least some religious rituals such as fasting on Yom Kipur. But again… it was surprising to Rabbi Grylak. Here in part was his response to this poll From Cross Currents:

“To admit the truth, we were stunned. If this poll is correct, we have been living all the time with a mistake. We were sure that the average secular Israeli despised us. Not only that, but we in the Haredi media in partnership with the Haredi politicians, spread this feeling and spoke about it over and over, all the time. And behold, this beautiful structure falls apart
.
Behold, it has become clear, that the truth is different: Most and close to all don’t hate. An elite minority, perhaps, hates, but this is not the lot of the majority. The majority has no interest in us at all. They don’t have hatred, they don’t have love, they are simply indifferent. We are a black hole. They pass Bnei Brak and have zero curiosity to enter its streets, our kitchens, our living rooms, or our Torah institutions.

What does this say to us and about us? Why are we not a source of inspiration? What is flawed about us in that which we are not succeeding to spread to the greater society? We must change approaches and the way we look at one another. We must stop fortifying ourselves behind mistaken walls and change paths. We must feel a sense of ‘shlichut, messengers to Israeli society….simply because this is the Jewish way: To be a model and example.”

Other’s have already commented on this. Among them was R’Yitzchok Adlerstein, and MK R’ Dov Lipman of Yesh Atid.

This is a positive development. They now know something that they did not know before. Knowledge is power. As  Rabbi Grylak indicates, the Charedi community should stop putting up walls between the secular  world and themselves. It’s time to stop being isolated and start integrating into society at large. Instead of always assuming the worst and constantly cursing the secular world… instead of being afraid of outside influences, Charedim should be trying to be a light unto the secular world. Being a light unto the nations is an important mandate. But our first priority is to be a light unto our own people.

Instead of being judgmental one should be Dan L’Kaf Zechus to a fellow Jew and not assume  he is your enemy out to spoil your children with his secular anti Torah values. Assume instead that he is actually interested in knowing more about Judaism. Even if one is not successful in bringing a fellow secular Jew closer to Mitzvah observance, the positive attitude towards them will certainly improve the relationship in positive ways. Love thy neighbor-  is not just a slogan.

Kol Yisroel Arevim Zeh LaZeh. We are all responsible for each other, both in our physical well being and our spiritual welfare. That is a mandate that Charedim have yet to live up to with respect to their secular brothers.  Rabbi Grylak has noted that the opposite has been the case. He’s right.

Insulation causes isolation. It’s ‘them’ and ‘us’ and we are worlds apart. The goal was to keep it that way by living as separately as possible. Perhaps this new poll will open a few more Charedi eyes besides those of Rabbi Grylak. And action will follow words. That would cause a sea change In Israel in the most positive of ways that would benefit everybody.  If only Charedi leaders seize this opportunity!

But I’m skeptical. Their fear of assimilation will outweigh any desire to reach out. So they will continue to advocate for less rather them more integration.

I understand the appeal of living in a totally religious environment. I must admit it is a great feeling to walk out of your house on a Shabbos and not see a single car driving by. Children play in the streets as though they were playgrounds. Shabbos mornings see people going to one Shul or another. Almost everyone is dressed up in their Shabbos clothing.

Restaurants are all Kosher. There are Shuls are all over the place with many Shiurim... the atmosphere feels totally observant. If you are a religious Jew, it is a wonderful feeling to be amongst your own. But the price for that is too high. By creating a community that is totally religious you end up ignoring fellow Jews that may in fact hunger for more Judaism than they are currently involved with.

In my view seeing a car pass by on your street on Shabbos is a small price to pay for the opportunity to get out there and reach out to a fellow Jew that otherwise may never come your way.

So even though I am pessimistic about change, I hope I am wrong. I hope this will not be a wasted opportunity. Sacrifice a little… and gain a lot. That will end up in a far better world for all of us. 

Why Are Women Required to Recite the Haggadah?*

In the list of 613 Mitzvos of the Torah, the Sefer HaChinuch lists Mitzvah 21 as Sipur Yitziyas Mitzrayim – the retelling of the exodus story – which we do via the Haggadah,  But then the Chinuch makes an astonishing assertion: This Mitzvah is a biblical level requirement for women. The Minchas Chinuch asks the obvious question. Is this not a Mitzvas Aseh SheHaZ’man Grama – a positive commandment that is time bound? …from which women are exempt?

The typical answer one might offer for this would be ‘SheAf Hein Hayah  B’Oso HaNes…. They too were included in the the miracle of the exodus. But that principle applies only to rabbinic enactments like hearing Megilas Esther on Purim or the drinking the Daled Kosos (the 4 cups of wine) at the Seder. It is never used to require women to observe a biblical level time bound positive commandment like Sipur Yitzias Miztrayim. Why should women then be required to do that?

The Sefer Kehilas Yaakov gives us an interesting answer. Women are required to eat Matzah on Pesach too – even though that too is a time bound positive commandment. The reason for that is as follows: Kol SheYeshna B’ Bal Tochel Chametz, Yash Na B’Kum Ochel Matzos (Pesachim - 43b). Any time a positive time bound commandment is connected to a Lav (a negative commandment – in this case ‘Do not eat Chametz) …its counterpart (in this case eating Matzah) applies. Even though a woman would ordinarily not be required to do a time bound positive commandment… when it is tied to a negative commandment she is required to observe that Mitzvah.

The Gemarah (Pesachim – 115b) tells us that Matzah is Lechem Oni. One of the definitions of Lechem Oni is something upon which many things are answered – which is in essence what Sipur Yetzias Mitzrayim is. Meaning that in order to fulfill the Mitzvah of eating Matzah properly, it must be eaten as part of Sipur Yitzias Mitzrayim – that is, saying the Haggadah. And that makes it a biblical level requirement.

*Taken from Torah L’Daas

A Happy and Kosher Pesach unto all.

The following is a list of Dvrei Torah related to Pesach featured here in the past.

Sinas Chinam and Pesach

The Fifth Cup

The Torah is Not in Heaven

L'fichach

Pesach, Matza, Marror

Yochel MeRosh Chodesh

Amen

Maschil B'Gnus U'Mesayem B'Shvach

Heseibah L'ikuva

Kol Difchin

Baruch Shomer Haftechaso

The Haggadah and Kriyas Yam Suf

Kriyas Yam Suf

Torah Thoughts for the Seder

The Root of Our Exile – Baseless Hatred*

Pesach is the Yom Tov of Emunah. The Nesivos Shalom calls Peasch ‘The New Year of Faith’. This is why we are commanded to retell the story of our ancestors exodus from bondage in Egypt (Sipur Yitziyas Mitzrayim). It is the retelling of this story whereby Emunah instilled in the heart. On that night, the retelling of the exodus story is the foundation of belief and it the key to all miracles throughout the generations.

One of the things we say on this night is ‘Today we are here - next year we will be in the land of Israel’. And we end the Seder with the words  ‘Next year in Jerusalem’. This is an expression of our belief in the coming of the Messiah - an expression of faith about our final redemption.

The Chafetz Chaim notes in in the name of Rishonim in his famous work on Lashon Hara (gossip; evil speech) that in order to be worthy of the final redemption and the building of the 3^rd Beis HaMikdash, we have to do Teshuva for the very thing that destroyed the last one – Lashon Hara and Sinas Chinam (baseless hatred).

Dealing with baseless hatred is actually a part of the Seder. R’ Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld tells us (in the name of the Ben Ish Chai) that the 2 Tevilos (dippings) we do at the Seder (Karpas and Maror)  are a reference to the two dippings in the Torah.

The first dipping is when Yosef’s brothers sold him; took his Kesones Passim (cloak of stripes)  and dipped it in blood in order to fool their father into thinking he was attacked by wild animals and killed. They did this because of jealousy and baseless hatred.

This incident precipitated our ancestors descent into slavery in Egypt. Even though the slavery of our forefathers was foretold to our patriarch Avrahom Avinu at the Bris Bein HaBesorim, the fact that it took place in Egypt was a direct result of the sale of Yosef by his brothers. So in essence this ‘dipping’ was the beginning of our slavery.

The second dipping in the Torah is that of dipping the Ezov – bound branches of hyssop - into the blood of the sacrifice offered by a person who was cured of his Tzora’as affliction (sometimes translated as leprosy). The lowly hyssop – which grows as a low bush is used to show the lowliness of the sin a Metzora is being punished for - Lashon Hara

It is then sprinkled on to the Metzorah as part of the ‘spiritual cleansing’ he goes through after he is cured. We learn Tzora'as is the punishment for Lashon Hara - from what happened to Miriam when she spoke Lashon Hara about her brother Moshe. She was immediately afflicted with Tzora’as.  The bound hyssop is a simile for all of Klal Yisroel to be bound up together feeling extremely small and humbled about Lashon Hara and to therefore avoid falling into that trap and the trap of Sinas Chinam.

R’ Elchanan Wasserman, HY’D makes an interesting observation. Throughout Jewish history, Jews were constantly accused of blood libels. And that usually occurred around Pesach where Jews were accused of killing Christian children and using their blood for making Matzos! Something that of course had absolutely no basis in fact.  It never happened. And yet generation after generation these accusations are made. R’ Wasserman believes that this is no accident. That God in his infinite wisdom wants to repay us measure for measure about our ansecstors’ sin of selling Yosef as represented by the dipping of his cloak into blood.  

This indeed was a source of great fear among Jews throughout history who feared being accused of such a heinous crime as kidnapping Christian children for purposes of killing them and using their blood for Matzah -  always occurring around Pesach. It was God’s way of reminding us that the sin of Sinas Chinam still exists and that we should be aware of it – and its consequences. And that it is a huge impediment to our final redemption. And that we should do what we can to rid ourselves of it.

Let us once and for all rid ourselves of the baseless hatred we may have for a fellow Jew - no matter how different they are from us! 

With this Zechus may we merit the coming of the Messiah speedily and in our day. L'Shana HaBa B'Yerushalyim.

* Adapted from Ateres Dudaim by Rabbi Dovid Zucker, Rosh Kollel of the Chicago Community Kollel