Animal (Fress Like A Beast)

Conservatism Is A Mental Disorder, Pt I


“Bees do it, birds do it is not the same as f**k like a beast”, thundered former 2nd lady, St. Ripper Gore from the podium.
No, this is not a joke. Tipper Gore actually founded the PMRC - parents concerned about violent and sexual content in music, no kidding. After thirty years of rock’n’roll, sex, and drugs, Tipper the stripper has the nerve to get on the podium in front of congress and scold rock bands for using graphic language and stage antics! I could never understand why the Tsarina of a party funded by Larry Flint, George Soros and Viacom would make such a statement.
I later came to realize that there was indeed something very deep in Tipper & Co’s attack on idiotic pop stars.
“Bees do it, birds do it” in fact legitimizes and internalizes permissiveness, which is of course addictive. Overly sexual and brutal songs, however, rather ridicule, or at least lift the seal of sanctity from sexual freedom, and push it in the category of teenage rebellion. And that bothers Tipper & Co. They don’t want depravity to be a passing teenage fad. They don’t want hedonism to be the anti-establishment – they want it to be the establishment. But they can’t do so openly. So they have to honey-coat it in “love” and Rousseau-esque “bees do it, birds do it”…

The right-wing morons, of course, joined in the chorus, thinking that the leftists have any regard to decency, “and have their limits too”. They watched from the sidelines how Marxists and pornographers were taking over the educational system, the media and the entire establishment.
The right surrendered to the lefto-Nazis in the very same way the West now surrenders to Islam. Honoring a set of freedom-based rules and principles is a clear disadvantage when facing those who do not abide by them. The enemy, of course, is usurping and exploiting those freedoms at will.
Thus quasi-porno mags are sold at supermarket check outs, but the capitalist moron feels it would be “oppressive” to take them off the shelf. The promise of an extra dollar, of course, is also a tenet in the Capitalist Bible, and since we abide by the separation of church and business, you won’t find a decent mag that may actually teach our youth something other than aspiring to become a slut on Sunset Boulevard.

Take for example Ruth Brownshirt-Gincburg, who, on one hand opines that the constitution is “not carved in stone” (therefore we should ape European law), yet believes that enemy combatants must be fully protected by the constitution.

And while the schutzstaffel were slowly but surely infiltrating every institution in the USA, the conservative moron was playing golf, running a business, and sending his children to drink Big Brother’s venom.

The American left came up with the world’s most brilliant strategy of dictatorship: let the people enslave themselves. One of the lies propagated in the USSR was that “the USA pays high salaries to its people in order to blind them to their misery”. They probably never imagined they weren’t all that far off the mark. In contrast to Communists, Nazis, and previous dictatorships who appealed to nationalism, force and pride, liberalism courted that which is equal in all flesh. By talking to the little “liberal” in us all, by legitimizing it, by absolving mankind from “אדם לעמל יולד”, the animal in us all rules supreme.
Now go fight it – but on what basis?



© Joseph Izrael 2008

Ghost Of A Rose

I bet your history teacher forgot to tell you about the White Rose Society. So before the hate-and-blame the USA fest begins on the 6th of August, let me tell you a little story – a story you will never ever read on Dog Smear, Smearya, David Dukelsey or Ron Jeremy Rosen.

In 1942, a small group of students –six in all- realized that their darling Chancellor, ‘Der Führer’ was in fact a bloodthirsty murderer, a despotic tyrant and a brute who’d eventually bring ruin and devastation on his own nation. They started to scribble anti-Hitler graffiti on campuses and busy streets, as well as distributing anti-Hitler pamphlets. Among other things, they appealed to the German conscience, warning that they are accomplices and enablers in the greatest atrocity in the world. They were intercepted by the campus genitor, denounced, tried, and executed by decapitation. (Seems like Herr Hitler was quite inspired by Messieurs Marat and Robespierre – and in turn influenced our non-violent Muslim allies.)

Unfortunately, the heroism and the actions of the White Rose were too little and too late. Their minuscule number is also quite telling. (Although to our Obama-loving Teutonic brothers’ credit it must be said Thomas Mann and a handful of intellectuals fled Germany in ’34 in protest of Nazism. If any of your professors or pseudo-intellectual bloggers ever mentions Mann’s Dr. Faustus, please give me a call – I’ll buy you a beer.)

What is the relevance today? Today we’re just like the good Germans who marched to the Nazi drum, or like the White Rose, at best. There are many people, blogs and others in the media who try to warn us of impending dangers.
Yet nothing is being done – it’s still business as usual. Our empty frocks and empty schtreimels still lecture us about minute tznius details, beautiful aggados and razor-shrap lomdus. Anything but. Anything but waking their congregations up to reality, anything but having to give up on something, to give in to something, anything but to have to discomfort themselves a drop and, most horrifying of all, anything but relinquishing an iota of their imaginary rule.

What can be done? A lot. First, taking lessons from the history: what caused and aggravated the great calamities of the past? Apathy and discord. First, everyone ignores and downplays the dangers, no one wants to act. Then, after it’s too late, everyone marches to their own drum and devises and carries out their own plan. This happened during churbon habayis, gerush sfarad, the holocaust, the rescue effort etc. Each group saw only its own objective, and looked at others with contempt and animosity.

If our so-called sages would only sit down and really care about Clal Yisroel – not just their own little pathetic constituency, come up with a solid –even if imperfect- plan that would address disasters prevention & protection, response in event of catastrophe, reconstruction in the aftermath, and most importantly, a concise code of conduct for peace time. (Meaning teaching of true Torah, instead of pandering to the rich, relying on welfare programs and schnorr, worshiping the Western idols - moderation-Moloch, Asheracademia, and of course the biggest of them all, the Helige Mommon, the common idol of Hassidim, Reform, MO, secular, Litvaks, Conservatives et al.)

Would our geniuses form Chellm unite at least in the face of danger, I’d follow any decision they’d take – even voting for O’Bama.
But of course, why try to save Am Yisroel from danger as long as we have waht to eat, and can bicker about geirus, Evolution, kashrus and tznius? Last time we were turned into soap at least the we got a few teardrops (and a few dollars too – just ask Peres and the Holocaust Claims Commission – they grew quite fat on reparations, but shhhh don’t tell anyone!) and some nice memorials. This time, if we’re nuked to hell, gassed or overrun by third-world barbarians, no one will be left to mourn for us.


© Joseph Izrael 2008

Contortion

Dr. Marc Shapiro’s article about the controversion of the Supereme Rabbinical Court’s annulling all the giyurs done by Rav Druckman’s bais din best reflects how Modern Orthodoxy sees the issue. There are two separate yet intricately intertwined subjects at hand; the purely halachic aspects of the ruling, and the ideological conflict, with many social-judicial issues deriving from them. The latter is obviously the main issue, as far as the spectators are concerned.

Shapiro makes many a salient point, and raises the painful and complicated question of the haredim’s legitimacy in dealing with a State they reject. He concludes that Religious Zionists and Modern Orthodoxy should totally divest from haredim. Not a bad idea in itself, but not too practical either. Though I sympathize with a systematic purge of all haredi rabbis from the rabbinate, this runs contrary to the democratic ideology of ראשית צמיחת גאולתינו.
But more realistically, the Agudists would probably join ranks with the Aida Charedis and all collaboration with the rabbinate would cease. This would cause a major rift within Religious Zionism itself. When all is said and done, most would condone that the State – even if its existence and functioning are a tremendous mitzvah – does not supersede the Torah. This would leave the left-wing RZ/MO drifting to Conservatism and Reform, finally creating two completely segregated nations – probably ending in civil war. (Which is not very civil, come to think about it.)

He also makes a few largely true, but somewhat wily statements. “The haredi community survives due to Israeli government subsidies,” he states, forgetting that the heiliga Medinah survives due to American subsidies. In fact, Patrick Buchanan claims Israel intervenes too much in American affairs - I’m not sure Shapiro agrees with him. Haredim don’t serve in the army, he charges – an army that recently dragged Religious Zionist Jews out of their homes and systematically refuses to protect its citizens. On the other hand, he is not in the least bothered by the fact that Rav Goren served in the Hagana – the military arm of the Leninist Mapai (Labour) that carried out the establishment of the state with an assassination or two. (De-Haan, 17 people of the Altalena, not to mention the passengers of the Patria…)

The claim that the dayonim were disqualified only because they are Religious Zionists is not entirely false. Shapiro in fact openly acknowledges that the source of the conflict is a collision of ideologies, and that the RZ courts admittedly base their rulings on ideology. And this is the very core of the problem: people blindly following ideologies and placing them above everything else. That is how distinguished rabbis call other dayanim “apikorsim”. Haredim are a tad bit disingenuous in claiming that their way is no ideology, but it is safe to claim that at least in theory, "haredism" consists in living the Torah in the most undiluted way possible. Once other avowed ideals are woven into the Torah fabric – be it evolution, the State of Israel or baseball – there is nothing stopping these external ideals from overriding and finally replacing it. When בכל לבבך ובכל נפשך and כי הם חיינו are starting to be taken allegorically, all the rest goes through the window.
The very same Torah that states ואהבת לרעך כמוך also says לא תחוס עינך עליו. The Torah cannot be made into some wishy-washy, touchy-feely ding dong school just to conform to someone’s ideology – be it lofty as it is.

An oft-recurring argument is that haredim use and abuse “orthodox unity” to force their view on everyone else, and he is right about that. There is no such thing as “orthodox unity”, there is only Jewish unity. The haredi rabbinate doesn’t give a hoot about any kind of unity. But venal and sold-out as they are, there still is a flicker of a yiddishe neshome in them, a vestige of the most primal loyalty to the Torah, to G-d (as opposed to some ideology) their peers lack. So far, even completely unobservant Jews can somehow belong to the Jewish nation, despite being sinners. This is possible by anchoring the laws that pertain to the coherence and continuity of the nation –marriage and conversion- in the hands of halachic authorities. Once that is gone, secular Jews are gone with the wind, like the ten tribes, and with it the excuse for the state's existence. Yet specifically those whose ideology is that non-Torah Judaism is valid and legitimate, and halocha should be bent to accommodate such “Judaism”, now demand control of these key elements.

Had the same exact annulling occurred between two courts of the same ideology, we’d all witness haredim and Religious Zionists unite against the Stalinist left. But since someone’s ideology did get hurt, they now prefer to run with the tramplers of the Torah, murderers, adulterers and idolaters, whose ideal is to become עם ככל העמים.

The power of ideology.

© Joseph Izrael 2008

Stained Class (Israel Syndrome Pt. IV)

Part I
Part II
Part III
Intermezzo

The iron forge. The crucible. This is what Klal Yisroel’s residence - nay, cradle - is termed by Chazal. The Egyptian exodus is considered the independence of Jews and our becoming a nation. But wasn’t it meant to happen earlier?

Yaakov Avinu blesses his sons before his death. Each son by himself, the brothers - together them all. Seemingly, neither the brothers’ belief that they’d be kings and nations’ progenitors, nor Yossef’s dreams of a totally unified nation materialized. With the twelve brothers’ death come two centuries of incertitude and servitude, culminating in Kabbolas HaTorah – the acceptance of the Law – at Sinai. Under common Law and leadership, the Nation was now clearly defined – which became all the more evident with the conquest of the Patriarch’s Land.

The establishment of the Jewish monarchy wasn’t easy, nor did it happen fast. The way to the throne was fraught with many a bloodbath. Despite feuds, even until Shaul’s ascent to the throne, the Nation was one. Sadly, this wasn’t a given for too long. Shlomo Hamelech, the wisest of all men, committed a grave error – for which he was duly criticized. Duly – but not respectfully. His critic had to flee in exile, but when he spotted a moment of weakness in the reign of Shlomo’s successor, he came back with a vengeance.

Yerav’am ben Nevat split the kingdom and cast two golden calves on the way to the Bais Hamikdosh to prevent Jews from attending the Temple for worship. By doing so, he not only became one of the most infamous Jews in history, but set a precedent for all future dissidents. Unfortunately, he is followed by a long line of ideologues and sects that further harmed and weakened Israel through the generations. Helenizers, Esseans, Karaites, Jacob Frank, Shabtai Tzvi, Maskilim, Hassidism, Reform, Bundists, Zionism, Modern Orthodxy have all contributed to further chop and trim Klal Yisroel – some of these groups with the explicit intention of doing so.

Before you jump at my throat, accusing me of comparing this to that, let me make clear that I’m only comparing the process by which new groups form. Point is, every time Jews have an idea, are unhappy with a certain situation, or just want to reject authority, they form a new group, generally heralding some tremendous innovation – which G-D somehow couldn’t figure out for five thousand years.

Traditionally, Judaism has viewed any innovation –for good or otherwise- with suspicion. Even the groups and ideas that eventually became accepted were absorbed slowly, gradually, and their acceptance was fraught with opposition and controversy.

That people take their beliefs and ideals seriously – seriously enough to live by them to a rather high degree – is generally a good thing. Extremism is good if the ends are good and good is not arbitrarily self-defining (or defined self-servingly). But at a certain point extremism becomes fanaticism. Where and how exactly to define this is not easy and will vary according to one’s beliefs and perceptions. But I’m fairly convinced many would agree that forming segregated groups that won’t intermingle based on their ideology – and in many cases much less; the name of a godforsaken village in Galicia is often enough – is indeed fanaticism. The fact that in secular society there are almost no such barriers (e.g. marriage between political leftists and right-wingers or different branches of a religion) may be an indication they aren’t too dedicated. So how about the fact that the very same loyalty to G-d, in the name of which we seclude in groups within groups, is so blatantly disregarded in other areas? (Of course tolerating a grand ganef - or worse - in a community isn’t comparable to an openly different ideology, but it still doesn’t justify the airtight segregationism ubiquitous within Judaism.)

Alas, greed, corruption and hunger for power make this über-idealism even less rosy than it seems. Add to this the sad fact that the stubborn isolationism continues even in the face of existential danger, - makes you feel like checking in the nearest sanatorium. Or joining the KKK. Or getting a hook and a rope from Home Depot – you can do it, we can help. Oh, wait – that’s exactly what we’re doing, on a larger scale.

Is our idealism really as true as it seems? If so, how come so many practice only in a tribal, folkloristic way, couldn’t care less about the principles yet stay within a specific fold/mold? And how come the most principled people who have such a clear picture of the trees are blind to the forest?

Isn’t it possible, despite all obstacles, fears and doubts, to achieve at least a certain sense of unity and solidarity? For collaboration at least on the broadest levels? Can’t at least some of the stupidity, the selfishness, paranoia and corruption be trimmed away? Or do we want another dip in the crucible?

How History will unfold no one can tell, yet all can influence. How the script will play itself out until the grand finale largely depends on the cast.



© Joseph Izrael 2007

J-E-W

© Joseph Izrael 2007

Peace Sells... ...But Who's Buying?

Hindsight is always 20/20, and you don’t need to be a George Benson fan to understand this. Well, OK, that “always” was an exaggeration, I admit. In fact, I may be the only one to see things this way, but nevertheless I come from the unfair advantage of hindsight. In any event, we should be very careful when saying things that can be construed as criticism of great Talmidey Chachomim, especially about those of prior generations, who were undoubtly very honest, righteous and true leaders.

Tumultuous as Jewish life in Europe already was by the end of the 19th century, nothing compares to the upheavals of post-WWII Jewry. After the spiritual devastation and physical extermination, the Jewish Phoenix slowly started to rise from the ashes, in the USA and Israel. New places, new situations and new challenges faced the old people. Dedicated and determined, Rabbis, communal leaders and laymen worked day and night tirelessly on resurrecting Clal Yisroel. Sadly, what de-facto happened was the establishment of different communities based on leaders’ ideologies and religious tendencies rather than the whole people’s needs. The old factions were resurrected, and the old feuds were replanted.

But following the true teachings and traits of great leaders is not easy; the core ideas gave way to monkeying the external characteristics, which then galvanized into cultish group adherence. Although the protests of many leaders against this trend is well documented, they failed nonetheless, not least because many worked on resurrecting their own community instead of Clal Yisroel as a whole.

As time passed, prosperity rose, and the deep understanding of a Jew’s purpose in this world started to fade, giving way to his identity as part of group X before his identity as a Jew. It is unfair to blame this solely on selfish and childish motives, as great turmoils were still challenging the Jewish people. However, at this point “survival” had a totally different meaning than what it meant a mere decade or two prior. As I mentioned before, I’m coming with the power of hindsight, and by no means claim to be anywhere near the great wisdom and yiras shomayim or the great Gdolim of the previous generation. But I do feel that a great opportunity at reconciliation was lost. Of course, it is nearly inconceivable that Hassidim, Litvaks, Religious Zionists could have been completely synthesized. But far more could have been done to bring the sides closer.

Could the leaders have sat together and try to agree on certain things? On fixing problems common to us all? On some semblance of consensus despite the deep rifts? On mending the cultural gaps? I believe so. So why wasn’t it done? I don’t know. But I do know that Yanky Eisenbach from Meah Shearim will never attend a Jethro Tull concert, Rechavam Shefer from Kibbutz Sa’ad won’t back up on his Zionism, Jim Glickstein from YU will never renege evolution, and Berel Rabinowitz from Ponevezh will never agree to learn less than 18 hours a day. These approaches and ideologies are here, whether we want it or not, whether we agree or not. Ditto for many societal norms. Is there really no end in sight?

Two weeks ago, Ido Zoldan was murdered by Arab terrorists, enabled by Jewish politicians who sell their souls for less than a bowl of lentil stew. We all cried and bled for him. We all felt the pain of his wife and children. But until two weeks ago, he was nothing. Until two weeks ago he was jus another nameless “tsiyoini” whose wife doesn’t cover her hair properly, who relies on heter mechirah and wears jeans. Until Zaka volunteers had to put him in plastic bags, he wasn’t our brother. Until the Cheva Kadisha had to prepare him for burial, he wasn’t really one of us. Is there anything but tragedy that can unite us?

I got a fundraising letter from my local Hatzoloh-EMS chapter. One of the things I read just raised my hair on top of my head. “Our volunteers help everyone, regardless of their communal or religious affiliation” Really? How kind of you! Until now I though the right thing to do was leaving someone bleeding to death if he isn’t in your Chassidus. “Hallo! My son was electrocuted!” screams the frantic mother, “Ummm, is you husband yeshivish? What kind of hat does he wear? Oh, sorry we can’t help you. Call the other ambulance”. How sick and insane does a people have to be to even feel the need to put such a disclaimer in their pamphlet?

As I said before, in times when leaders refuse to carry their duty, there’s much more responsibility laid on each individual’s shoulders. And there is a lot we can do. Silent waters run deep, and sudden, drastic changes usually bear no good outcomes.

Maybe we can really include all Clal Yisroel in our silent prayers. Just insert a short individual plea, ask Him to assist us in getting united? To care for one another even without tragedy? To help out, to attend a simcha instead of a levayah? To ease a little of our meshigassen – not the core principles, of course, - just what we agree are meshigassen. Or to take in consideration the effect of our poisonous words – will they help or just add oil to the flames?



© Joseph Izrael 2007

Civil War

The current conversion conference conflict opened up an old can of worms with numerous ramifications. These in turn may have long lasting repercussions, some possibly of unforeseeable magnitude.

There are real problems here, which most seem to ignore, either because they were carried away, or perhaps they’re only focusing on petty bickering. Suffice to say most people didn’t see farther than their noses, which isn’t too far, even if they’re Jews.

So let’s capitulate, let’s clear the air please;
There is a very serious problem of intermarriage. There is also a very serious problem of severe breaches in giyur procedures within orthodoxy.

EJF was founded to solve, or at least soothe these problems. But it turned out (or was so planned from the beginning) that money for nothing and chicks* for free make you forget your principles pretty quickly. So EJF is actively pursuing intermarried couples, employs leniencies, targets the children of intermarried couples, and tries to monopolize the business. There is also a great problem with centralizing halocha.

But the main focus of controversy was on an entirely different matter. Apparently rabis Eisenstein and Tropper officially declared, in the names of R’ Elyashiv and R Kanievski, that the conversion of one who believes the world is older than 5768 years is void. Similarly, one who holds this belief is a cofer (heretic), unfit for dayonus and as per consequence even past conversions performed by him are retroactively void.

Naturally, the Modern Orthodox were outraged, and rightly so. But they forgot all about the real problems and while they were busy screaming about being delegitimized, rabbi Tropper cashed another check, and EJF is still riding high.

Although hard to believe they are true, the statements were made, and will have to be dealt with. Is it a moment of truth for Modern Orthodoxy? Time will tell.

As a side note, I’d suggest that as a worst-case scenario, (i.e. the comments were actually made exactly so and they are true) even the most stringent hard-liner position, i.e. that Evolution is unequivocally heresy, shouldn’t retroactively void conversions. Even if one actually holds one heretic belief, if he keeps Torah and mitsvot he may not be entirely dismissed. This is especially in regards with Orthodox people holding evolutionary ideas (I almost put an L in there…), since they believe this conforms to halocha. In the worst case this shouldn’t be considered more than shogeg in one ‘un-kosher’ belief’.

As a matter of fact, in ’92 a group of RCA rabbis proposed to change the approach to intermarried couples, (labelled "the roundtable proposition") as an answer to the alarming rate of intermarriage. The RCA’s leading rabbis immediately released and unequivocal rejection of the proposal and reinforced the traditional approach.

Despite this, there are many rabbis, who, on a private basis (i.e. they have or serve on independent courts) employ very lax, and I’d say even heterodox practices. People with ultra-liberal agendas are liberal enough to enact laws of their own, at the community’s expense and detriment. (Note that Noah Feldman has more integrity than such people. He could have easily resorted to a giyur Maiden Japan and avoid all the fuss. No one would have ever accused him of throwing tantrums…) There is also a lot of corruption – dayonus can be quite a profitable business.

The real tragedy is that those gerim will be rejected in many Orthodox communities. The communities that will accept them will only alienate themselves from general Orthodoxy. And I fear that some are actually interested in this. There are at least two virulently anti-orthodox sites that vehemently oppose EJF specifically because it jeopardizes such rogue courts and rabbis. They, as well as the insulted MO people who resorted to personal smears against Tropper actually play into his hands. Now he’ll have proof that it’s Modern Orthodoxy’s extreme left wing together with some unsavory characters who are trying to smear and vilify him.

Instead of resorting to absolutely useless attacks, we should focus on the real problems, as well as stopping the commercialization of Judaism.

This is a huge silver lining to EJF’s black cloud, because come hell or high water, now everyone’s noses will be rubbed in their own dirty little secrets, lest EJF achieves its goal. But by now a few egos too much have been hurt, and the struggle won't be easy. In other words, by wanting to be bigger and better than everyone else, rabbi Tropper actually forced all to face reality.

And the episode may have an even more siginficant facet to it. Perhaps now those who really care may actually face up and sit together to discuss solutions and ways to ensure proper procedures.
Is there at least a glimpse of a chance, if not at reconciliation, at least a bit of tightening and mending the relations between the factions? Let’s hope so.

___
*Rubashkin glatt, of course.


© Joseph Izrael 2007

Demolition (Israel Syndrome - intermezzo)

Includes vague references to Part I
Part II
Part III

מי האיש החכם ויבן את זאת ואשר דבר פי ה' אליו ויגדה ל מה אבדה הארץ ונצתה כמדבר מבלי עבר
Who is the wise man who shall understand this, which the mouth of G-d spake to him, and tell why the land was lost and desolated as a desert with no passers through

The gmora in Bove Metsie (85a/b) interprets this posuk as a question “why was the land lost?” i.e. the Temple’s destruction and the exile. The sages, the prophets and the angels could not answer it, so The Holy One Bessed Be He answered himself “עַל-עָזְבָם אֶת-תּוֹרָתִי, אֲשֶׁר נָתַתִּי לִפְנֵיהֶם; וְלֹא-שָׁמְעוּ בְקוֹלִי, וְלֹא-הָלְכוּ בָהּ. – for they have forsaken my Torah that I gave before them and haven’t heeded my word and haven’t gone in it[s teachings]”. The gmora explains that this doesn’t mean that there was no Torah learning – but that the people wouldn’t “שלא ברכו בתורה תחלה…. They [the people] didn’t bless the Torah first”. According to the commentators, this means that the Torah wasn’t important in their eyes and was disrespected. Which is an oxymoron – how is it possible to toil day and night over the Torah and not holding dearly important?
But this explanation does not match any of the reasons given in various gmoras. According to the simple understanding, this refers to the first Temple’s destruction, as this is a verse in Yirmiyohu. But in Yirmiyohu’s times the Torah was literally abandoned – the sages and prophets needn’t have to be consulted on the matter. We also know that idol worship, adultery and bloodshed were ubiquitous, and this reason for the destruction is spelled out in scriptures. Furthermore, the land was not ‘lost’, in the sense that the Jews returned from exile seventy years later.

Joseph’s dreams have come true in a way he never dreamt himself; the tribes were not separated anymore – for they were lost… And still, there was no unity between them.
In the era of the second Temple’s destruction, there was intense Torah learning, and it was destroyed because of sinas chinom, baseless, vain or “free” hatred. So how was the land lost due to a lack of proper Blessings for Torah? And why was that so terrible as to cause the destruction and the exile?

Our sages explain that the word ברכה is rooted in בריכה – pool, in the sense of container, a storing of sorts, or source, from which the ‘blessing’ emanates. In other words, when we “make a brocha”, we acknowledge that G-d is the source and giver of that which we have. Meaning that it’s not us who ‘bless’ the Creator, but rather acknowledge him as the source of our blessing. This word ברכה is always used with the preposition על - on (for). We make a brocha on an apple etc. But here the gmora states “ שלא ברכו בתורה תחלה…. They didn’t bless in the Torah first”. This makes absolutely no sense. Blessing in something has no meaning. So why does the gmora expresses itself this way?

The utmost disrespect for something, or someone, is to know it well, deal with it on a daily basis, and blatantly ignore it, flying in its face. Achdus Yisroel, the unity of the Jewish people is the absolute crucial and central concept of the Torah. The revelation of the Torah would not have been possible without perfect and sincere unity. Toiling in torah has for its purpose the perfection of the soul, the polishing of the self, to achieve closeness to the Infinite. And perhaps the clearest indicator to such closeness and perfection is the love, the true brotherhood to the fellow Jew. And it’s also the hardest. Since the Torah has so many facets and aspects, and our History and backgrounds are so turbulent and different, it is a real challenge to respect one another without compromising our beliefs and the way Torah is. But it must be achieved – and it can; to cite “e pluribus unum”, for the sake of a cheesy cliché.

Maybe this is the true meaning of “שלא ברכו בתורה תחלה…. They didn’t bless in the Torah first”, they wouldn’t acknowledge that the blessing was in the Torah, the obligation of unity and solidarity. That the fulfillment of this commandment is also a condition, - a condition for G-d’s bestowing his blessing and protection on us. If there was sinas chinom, if the crucial concept in Torah, the very condition for its deliverance in the hands of our Nation, is abandoned, that is the utmost disrespect. And if the cornerstone is missing, the entire building collapses. Than all other rituals are meaningless motions – the Temple lost its unifying power, and as a result was destroyed.

May we open our eyes and begin to unite – in sincere brotherhood, despite our differences.

May we merit to be united, in life, and see our Temple’s building soon.

The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway

As much as I’d like to see it, I don’t expect a YU and Agudah reunion this summer. It seems that even the Muslim terrorists and Ahmadinejad cannot unite us. Cynical as it sounds, perhaps what we need is the noose to get just a bit tighter around our necks. After all, when Mahmoud’s ancestor/predecessor accused us –and rightly so- of being “a dispersed and divided nation, who do not keep the commends of the king”, we had to prove him wrong –against our will-, or face extermination. According to the gmora, each mention of “Hamelech” in the Megillah, not followed by “Achashverosh” refers or hints to the Almighty King too. So Haman was actually accusing us of not keeping the king’s commends – including those of our King!

Well, it seems that “ain chodosh tochas hashemesh”– history repeats itself; We’re again dispersed and divided, and we don’t keep the King’s laws. I don’t know since when lying, cheating, blackmailing, swindling and ransacking others, either directly or via government corruption, is muttar, but in the last 30 years I seldom heard any drosha about the subject - Exactly like in the senate! It doesn’t get any better! But fate’s cynical irony, (or ironic cynicism?) made these black clouds of “a dispersed and divided nation” and “not keeping the king’s commends” somewhat silver linings to each other; each group accuses the other of violating this or that halocho or civil law. And unfortunately they’re all mostly right. What they are wrong about is using these sad facts to smear and further alienate each other.
In August 1994, the Jewish Observer published a letter by Rav Moishe Feinstein reinforcing again that all forms of government aid abuse is forbidden. It is quite well known that the gmora often discusses halochos about quasi-impossible situations, and latter commentators stipulate that all halochos are true and have to be learnt as part of the mitzvah of learning Torah, even if they’re only hypothetical. But something tells me that this wasn’t the case with R’ Moishe’s letter. As a matter of fact, I’ve heard (but of course do not believe as fact – only suspect that it might be true) that many US penal institutions offer minyonim in all possible nussachs as well as a plethora of hechsherim to accommodate all degrees of piety and culinary affinity.

R’ Moishe introduces his letter by explaining how good the US has always been to Jews, and violating its laws is, in addition to the prohibition itself, a tremendous ingratitude. After consecrating much thought to the subject, I came to the conclusion that there really are three reasons why one must refrain from breaking the law, be it divine or civil:
a) Because it’s wrong.
b) Because it’s wrong.
c) Because it’s wrong.
It doesn’t get any simpler than that. However, for some reason R' Moishe felt that this reason alone isn't enough. I wonder why a simple psak prohibiting actions involving lies, theft, fraud and cheating needs emphasis beyond the word "ossur". Of course, when all lectures, publications, magazines and all media and communications completely ignore the subject and only push their own agendas, why expect any change? I just can’t understand how any Rav is able to stand on a podium and darshen about the sanctity of the sfiros, the importance of Yom HaAtsmaut or intricate sugyes with a straight face while his community is ridden with problems that threaten its own integrity, and are in outright contrast with its objectives – sometimes known criminals sitting in the audience.

This obsession with concealing our warts and pimples – to use a very cautious euphemism –, coupled with the seclusion oriented mentality, has bred a culture of egocentrism, selfishness and narcissism in groups within groups, each looking only for its own benefits and looking down on the other. The benefit of the communal leaders’ silence caused uncontrolled corruption and absolute disregard to certain aspects of halocha – especially the bein odom lechaveiro part- to bloom undisturbed and reach epidemic proportions. From draining every imaginable form of government aid to hiring illegal immigrants to all fraudulent activities in all possible fields - it’s all here, it’s an open secret, and no one does a thing about it. Of course, the silent opposition – maybe even a majority – has always grumbled about the situation at the back of the shul, over the gmore in middle of seder or on the way to work. But very few took very little action.

True to historic precedent, the hand of G-d manifested itself again - in a gentle yet very ugly form: the so-called “Jewish” “anti-establishment” bloggers. Until a mere few years ago the only place to dig up filth on corruption and crimes in the Jewish community were anti-Semitic (or, in newspeak “white supremacist”) websites. “ירהבו הנער בזקן והנקלה בנכבד – …the youngsters shall mock the elders, and the base [mock] the respectable” warned Isaiah, and sure enough, along came the anonymous bloggers claiming to be rank-and-file members of frum communities. Surrounded by traditionally Orthodox-hating street-rabble, and under claims of true caring and compassion, usurped our failings to drag us and our leaders through the mud. The high command first played deaf, but when the diatribe got so loud and so vile that it reached the secular printed media and couldn’t be ignored anymore, some took real action alongside the ‘official’ lip service. Unfortunately, that action was directed at one single problem, child sexual abuse in schools, which is the gravest, yet also the smallest (quantitatively) of our ailments. It is still a long way to go until fraud, corruption and parasitism as a way of life are eliminated from our communities.
And it won’t happen until a very strong emphasis on honesty, integrity and discipline is injected in our overall education system (i.e. both children and adults’ education).
And that won’t happen until our leaders insist on it.
And they won’t insist on it as long as they’re owned by the rich and corrupt powerful fat-cats.
And the powerful, corrupt, rich fat-cats and politicians will own our leaders as long as we, the Joe Sixpacks crushed under the weight of tuitions, taxes and donations don’t all stand up and scream “enough!”
And we won’t stand up and scream "enough!" as long as we’re obsessed with our comfort, well being and earthly possessions and status.
And we won’t stop being obsessed with the aforementioned as long as we’re afraid of what our neighbor in shul, our kids’ principals, our loudmouths, prospective mechutonim and standard-setters think about us.

Sin After Sin (Israel Syndrome Pt. III)

(loosely continued from part II
includes refernces to part I)

Yossef sees his very own brothers before his eyes, after an absence of twenty-two years. Instead of jumping in their arms, he starts a seemingly cruel charade of confusion and obscurity. The most dazzling part in this familiar story, in my very humble opinion, is that the scriptures never actually tell us why Yossef had to harass his brothers at such lengths. If admission of the brothers’ guilt was the objective, it was right there after the first accusation was made. But it seems that Yossef wanted more than that.

Rashi points out that the one who found the money pouch in his pack is Levi, based on the word “the one”, referring to his being the single one remaining of a pair. It is not clear whether Rashi himself intended to hint to it, but it seems that this was no mistake; the posuk states: “ויפתח האחד את שקו לתת מספוא לחמרו במלון, וירא את כספו והוא בפי אמתחתו - And the one opened his sack to give fodder to his donkey in the inn, and he saw his money, and lo, it is in his pack’s mouth.” The verse gives a lot of seemingly unnecessary information, namely the location of the occurrence, the reason for opening the pack, and the location of the money in the pack. The last detail repeats itself when the other brothers open their own sacks at home: “והנה איש צרר כספו בשקו - …and each one’s money bag is inside his sack…” Presumably, each had to feed his donkey at one point or another on the road. Yet none found it in the mouth of his pack (אמתחת), rather inside their sacks, while emptying them. Did Yossef intentionally plan for Levi to find his moneybag on the road? Was it intended to signal them to come back to him while still not too far (not more than one donkey's "tankful" away)? And if yes, why?

In his initial encounter with the brothers, Yossef uses the word “Elokim”, in all probability not the most frequent expression in idolatrous Egypt. This sure should have lit a red light, especially after three days of captivity. Upon their second encounter Yossef acts even more weirdly – feasting with them, seating them according to their birth dates, giving them presents, and again mentioning “Elokim”. Even in Yehuda’s final argument, it seems that Yossef didn’t actually plan to ‘out’ himself at that point. Was he begging for them to recognize him? Or to admit and acknowledge something beyond their guilt in selling him?

After Yaakov’s passing, for no apparently valid reason, the brothers, suspect that Yossef still harbors ill-feelings against them, and come with a fabricated plea from their father for Yossef to forgive them. But Yossef never explicitly forgives them: he only states that he is not G-d’s representative, and that his transfer to Egypt was beyond their control.

By his peculiar antics and strange behavior, Yossef was probably trying to get his brothers to admit their initial mistake regarding their original dissent. It is possible that he tried hinting to them that their view of having status of Ovos like their forefathers was ultimately proven wrong. By singling Shimon and Levi out, he may have been trying to hint to them that just as they had judged the citizens of Shchem for their distorted ideology of agreeing to injustice (i.e. accepting Hamor’s behavior and reasoning), - so too they should renounce their own mistaken belief.

It seems that both the brothers and Yossef stuck to their initial beliefs until their deaths, and there was no definite solution to their machlokes. Yossef’s dream of a definitively united and bound nation never materialized, and he possibly held his brothers culpable for it, as it depended mostly on them.

________________________________

Note another parallel, or at least similarity, between Yaakov and Yitzchok: both blind before their passings, and in somewhat similar ways, exchange the firstborns with their juniors.

In the baker’s dream the birds freely peck at Pharaoh’s pastries, without being chased away. At the bris bein hab’sorim, Avrohom chases the buzzard (or whichever bird of prey it was) away. According to Rashi the bird symbolizes David who tries to defeat Israel’s enemies, but is prevented by Heaven from doing so. In the baker’s dream, the verse uses the word “ והעוף - the bird”; the simple meaning is just a general reference to birds, an oft-occurring expression, (although anywhere else this expression is used without a ‘heh’/”the”) yet can be interpreted as the specific bird. In our case, probably a heavenly intervention to keep Yossef from realizing his dreams the way he saw them.

--(Cont.)--


© Joseph Izrael 2007

Dreamer Deceiver (Israel Syndrome Pt. II)

(Loosely continued from here .
Generally based on the Parshas Drochim and other
commentators, with some individual seasonings)

When in a state of anger, people tend not to pay attention to details. Which is a pity; had Yossef's brothers taken the pain to listen to his words, they probably would not have misinterpreted them. In the first dream he relates them, Yossef clearly states that all of them were in the field and that the wheat sheaves bowed down to his sheaf - which clearly eliminates the hypothesis of the sheaves impersonating the brothers themselves. In the second dream, however, the brothers are clearly portrayed by the stars. Another oddity is that the first posuk stresses that Bilhah and Zilpah were Yaakov's wives. Note also how the brothers hate Yossef immediately when they notice their father's favoring him, and add hatred when he tells them about his first dream. Strangely, envy is only mentioned after he relates the second dream to his father in their presence.

In a sinister turn of events, Yossef is brought to Egypt, where he eventually reaches a status of power, yet doesn’t inform his father of his whereabouts until far later. Yaakov, according to Rashi, was punished for being away from his father so long, even though he had to leave forcibly, his life threatened, which lichorah should exempt him by law of pikuach nefesh. But no such punishment is mentioned about Yossef. Perhaps Yaakov could have avoided his father the harsh enlightenment caused by deception. Maybe there was a way to draw Yitzchok’s attention to Eisov’s true character, or to reveal him the Bechorah deal. In this case, even if Red’s wrath couldn’t be restrained, Yaakov would have been a complete oinus, and spare Yitzchok a great deal of suffering. Nevertheless, when Yossef is freed from jail, one would expect him to immediately contact his father, instead of keeping silent. Isn’t Yossef accountable for his actions?

According to one well-known theory, the brothers believed that Yossef pretended to be Yaakov's sole heir and wanted them disinherited in the same way Yishmoel and Eisov were cast aside. This pshat is usually intertwined with the idea that there was a dispute between Yossef and his brothers pertaining to their status; Yossef claimed that they were B’nai Noach, whereas the brothers believed that they had a status of B’nai Yisroel. The practical implications of the machlokes would include Yossef’s allegations against his brothers (related in midrashim and commentators) that they ate eiver min ha-chai, called Bilhah and Zilpah’s sons “slaves”, etc.
In the three sets of two dreams recurring in the different episodes of this drama, each contains one vision evolving around wheat in different phases. Yossef’s first dream perhaps tries to convey that the brothers should agree to his opinion, rather than literally bow down to him – the sheaves alluding to an achievement, the result of one’s toils, an idea developed by one. The main subject of the dispute might pertain as to their being Ovos like the patriarchs to engender twelve separate nations, or that the Ovos era is sealed and that from now on they shall bond into a single, united people. Yossef seems to believe in the latter – hence his view that they are no longer permitted to keep the Laws like the Ovos did, before Matan Torah. This is the view to which he tried to bend his brothers’ minds, but got suspicion and hatred instead. They who believed that a higher level is their lot, interpreted a brother’s opposition as a trick to become the sole heir to Yaakov. Yossef’s second dream alludes to this; the brothers, represented by the celestial bodies, striving for equality with Yaakov and his wife (absent in the first dream) will be eventually forced to bow down to him, retaining his humble, human shape.

In this entire chronicle, the baker’s is the only dream which seems to have absolutely no relevance to the story and no effect on the outcome. Yossef might understand this as a message to him: the pastries in the basket – the final stage of wheat – may represent the outcome of his belief. The baker makes no attempt to chase the birds away and save his pastries from waste, may hint him not to try to fulfill his dream and to stay idle awhile. This might be Yossef’s prevention from communicating with his family immediately upon his release.
Left in the dark, both his dreams unfulfilled, it is hard to encompass Yossef’s feelings while in Egypt. Was he wrong indeed and became the ultimate loser in this struggle? Were they indeed meant to be the forefathers of separate nations, with only him left out? Or is there still hope for a final reunion, an eternal brotherhood and national bond? Not until Pharaoh relates Yossef his second dream does he see a ray of light for his kin and himself. – Wheat again, growing from the stalk – a new beginning, maybe the seeds of salvation.

--(Cont.)--

Sad Wings Of Destiny (Israel Syndrome Pt. I)

Who could possibly fathom the anguish, hurt and agony of Yaakov Ovinu, whose entire relationship with his father is summed up by the posuk (25,28) " ויאהב יצחק את עשו כי ציד בפיו ורבקה אהבת את יעקב - Yitzchok loved Eisov for the game in his mouth and Rivka loved Yaakov*"? Leah, probably. Living her whole life in fear of becoming Eisov's lot, when Yaakov finally arrives, she is ignored and rejected. Seven years went fast for Yaakov and Rochel - but extremely slowly for Leah. When Yaakov is tricked in a way reminiscent of Yitzchok’s duping, Leah still has to live in Rochel’s shadow. During these seven years, did Yaakov exhaust all possibilities for Leah to find an honorable match, thus avoid Eisov and the pain and humiliation of being turned down, while her sister is blissfully engaged? In the absence of explicit scripture, we can only surmise that Yaakov’s acceptance of Leah as wife instead of rejecting the marriage as “mekach to’us” or otherwise, indicates that he may not be totally independent from causing his deception. At any rate, it seems that both Yaakov and Rochel accept that Leah has at least a certain degree of legitimacy to her claim of being Yaakov’s rightful spouse (30,15: “… isn’t it enough that you took my man…”, probably based on Yaakov being the rightful bechor, she therefore being his rightful wife).
Perhaps Yaakov displays a tacit admission that he may not have dealt properly with his father, yet Leah’s conduct (e.g. naming her children) indicates that he repeats a favoritism similar to that of Yitzchok, which had caused him so much suffering.

At this point Yaakov Ovinu seems to succumb to some kind of determinism, an unconditional acceptance of his fate and refusal to try to affect his destiny – this being exemplified by his scolding of Rochel and refusal to act on her behalf, as well as not intervening in the rivalry between his wives. The animosity appears to culminate with Leah, who already has four children, allowing her maidservant to bear two of Yaakov’s offspring – seemingly a rather cruel act. Not until the birth of Yossef does the narrative shift away from the two sisters’ twisted relationship – which looks to pass over as inheritance to their progeny, and set the stage for the ensuing tragic saga.

* I gave this murky translation in order for the verse to best reflect its original versatility as well as better lending itself to the various interpretations.

--(Cont.)--

Babylon And On

While reading the Parsha this past Shabbos (Noach) I just had this little thought crossing my head;
The posuk first tells us that all peoples had “one language and one speech” – meaning that despite having their own languages, as mentioned in an earlier posuk, they had one language all spoke, besides for being in agreement and harmonious understanding. When they come to Shin’ar, they discover how to make bricks and mortar – a significant technological breakthrough for the times. Immediately they start building a city with a big tower in it, to prevent them from scattering throughout the earth as G-d has commended. So as soon as technology permits them to be a bit self-sufficient, they spit in G-d’s face. Sounds familiar?
Their sin is not explicitly stated in the posuk, yet Rashi explains that they wanted to build a tower to climb in the sky and fight G-d. Being a bit hard to accept at face value, I’d speculate that this might mean that the tower served indeed as an important establishment teaching the rejection of G-d and denying his kindliness to mankind.

G-d at this point makes one of the most powerful –and underestimated- statements in the Torah: since these people are in perfect union and total agreement, they would be able to achieve whatever they want and nothing would stand in their way. There it is, black on white, the blueprint for absolute success. Alas, this unity was for a bad cause. But it still had merits, for the Merciful One does not just send a 9.2-magnitude earthquake, tornado or wildfire as he did with the Dor Hamabul (Flood’s Generation) who stole, extorted and otherwise harmed and degraded each other. So G-d takes away their common language, and they are unable to complete their tower and are dispersed all over. But why? Isn’t a typical construction site composed of workers of different nationalities, barely speaking their own language let alone others? Couldn’t they learn each other’s tongues and complete the construction despite the lack of one common language? It seems to me that something deeper and subtler happened here. The verse states “Havo Nevoloh…” (let’s blend) their languages, i.e. mix them up so each would have their own separate speech (or just forget the common language). But the word “נבלה” can also mean “let’s make filthy” (whereas the single “nun” would serve as both a root letter and the prefix for “let’s” - this is permissible in biblical Hebrew, as opposed to the mishnaic where “ננבל” would be have been used) meaning to infiltrate discord in their words which would make them “filthy” and unacceptable to each other. This would be the litmus test to see which way to seal their fate – if they succeed in their plan and remain united despite dissent, they’d merit to stay together. But if their unity cannot survive disagreement, it would be a retroactive proof that it was superficial from the onset and only their desire to reject authority caused their union. The rest is history.

Another interesting observation – after the Second Temple’s destruction -because of vain hatred- most Jews eventually settled in Babylon, where the Babylonian Talmud was forged – an epitome of unity through dissent, where each and every statement is challenged from every possible angle to find truth, by a strongly unified people without personal strife.

Which Babylon do we choose?

In-Tuition

The last two issues of the English Mishpacha magazine dedicated a long, two-part article dealing with the tuition crisis. The article was quite well written and encompassed the problem from most angles. Yet it didn’t offer too much that was not previously known, nor suggested seriously viable solutions. I am not sure if there are such solutions, but I do have a few ideas of my own. How effective they would be if implemented I cannot say for sure, yet I believe that from a rational, and maybe honest, perspective they are perhaps more valid than most on the market today.

The voucher program is often touted, yet practically it is almost impossible to implement: the majority of frum schools are in the tri-state area, in other words the nations most leftist, and therefore most anti private school and obviously the most averse to the idea of the voucher program. A law exempting parents of private-school educated children from the school tax (and the school tax only) part of property taxes would make more sense, and more palatable to the Democrats, choice party of most frum communities. However, with all the social services consumed by the frum community in general and the hassidim especially, the Orthodox delegates probably concentrate their energy on turning the attention away from this fraudulent parasitism rather than solve the entire community’s problem –especially for the honest working families who can’t or refuse to pay their rent with food stamps.

Another effective tool would be to establish a PTA –Parents for Transparent Accounting- panel. Personally, I have never seen a dean/owner of an educational institution who doesn’t live in a luxurious home, has no late-model fancy car, who can’t afford tuition and camp for their children, and generally don’t swim in money. Not that there is anything wrong with making money – education, in order to be effective and successful, has to be run like any other profitable business. Unless the most important variable is omitted from the equation: competition. Since the vast majority of educational institutions are tailored to the frum communities’ compartmentation, nearly all parents have only one moisad to which to send their children in their area - at least in the elementary years. That means that parents are being taken for granted by these establishments. Make the criteria for grouping children other than tribal adherence (child’s abilities, personality, school’s educational orientation and ideology) and you’ve got fair competition. But I guess until the prophecy of “v’Gur Zvihl im Litveks” isn’t fulfilled, such competition isn’t on the agenda.

Of course, many have spoken and speculated what would happen if all Orthodox parents in, say, the East Ramapo School district would swarm to register their children in the public school? Quite obviously, the school tax would be eliminated – as above suggested - before the first day of school. But the Rebbes wouldn’t like it: lower housing prices would mean less business in the real-estate industry, and of course lower pidyionos from the building moguls, not to mention the apathy and incapability of proactive exercise of the frum lemmings.

Of course, the mere thought of the powerful Jewish organizations demanding tough border control from the government, rather than one more block of margarine or pardon for some "frum" felon triggers hysterical laughter from the rational thinker. Yet it should trigger tears of fire. The sad fact is that many many taxes are driven higher and higher by the Mexican invaders. It is bad enough that in many places we must subsidize homegrown parsites’ uncontrolled offspring (conceived for the sole reason that Medicaid is easier to obtain than birth control) – we can’t afford to add tens of millions of third-world “immigrants” to the bill. If you’d pay 8 to 20 per cent less on everything you buy, tuition would be less of a pain. And when you realize that L.A. County alone spent $216 Million in 2005 on illegal aliens only for social services (excluding jail, legal and emergency health services) you understand that these numbers aren’t in the least exaggerations.

But if the Agudah, RCA, Satmar et al have easier means of lining their pockets, why would they move a little finger for you? If they can bamboozle you with the meaningless rhetoric reprinted in the papers you’re willing to buy, why bother? Why antagonize their big-business buddies who employ those aliens instead of the mentally weak or dropouts of our own community? Or at least an American citizen who could get off unemploymnent benefits?

And if the frum community would be just a bit more united and less tribally egocentric, we could have a quite strong economic structure of our own. But since Chaim Litvak can’t hire Yankel Belzer and Shimmy Vizhnitz’s daughter is barred from working for Berel Gerrer, what kind of independent economic infrastructure can you expect?

And finally, if you realize that you grew up in a totally different culture, without a degree and formal professional education (in most cases), take a pretty comfortable lifestyle for granted along with private education (which is quite bit of luxury according to all American standards) you don’t have it that bad. Besides, if you were a fairly good student in Yeshiva, you have an extremely powerful tool that no other community in the world possesses: the Gemora. The strong analytic mind and buttocks which it builds is the recipe for the worlds most potent propellant.
Use it.

From Nazareth To Medzhybizh To Las Vegas… at your expense

It was of utmost importance to stress, ever since the first budding of our nation, that our forefathers, prophets, leaders and rabbis - even those, an extremely rare occurrence, born with predestined greatness or superior powers - were flesh and blood, born of flesh and blood. As such it was obvious –nay, even stressed- that they were subject to the same urges, impulses, feelings and desires as everyone else. Their greatness emanated not from magic powers or charm, but from their conquering, limiting, and channelling their powers to serve G-d and the Jewish people. Therefore, it was understood that they were not infallible – and fail they did. Their failings were rare, and of extreme finesse – they were sins only compared to their own greatness. And though they were criticised only by G-d, these criticisms were made beknown to the children of Israel and engraved forever in our history. And from the generation following Moshe Rabeinu and on, criticism came from peers – prophets, judges and fellow rabbis. From the Beis of Bereshis until the last line of the Talmud, it is impossible to find even one leading figure or authority who wasn’t criticized for one reason or another. Our leaders were accountable and responsible for their words and deeds. This distinguished us from all other nations, where the kings, holy men and leaders were demigods who acted at will with no accountability.

From the Mishnaic era until the fall of the Roman Empire, Jews answered to one body of authority – the Tannaim, Amoraim, and the Reish Galusa systems. The people or communities were never led and instructed by a single leader – rather, a large group of scholars and rabbis who worked together and were interwoven with the general society. Even until the times preceding emancipation, Jews were grouped according to geographic constrains, not party affiliation. This meant that there was ample communication and collaboration, between most prominent Rabbis and community leaders. The leaders were readily accessible and reachable by the common man, and despite many halachic disagreements, had no party affiliation. The followers of Beis Hillel and Beis Shammai never refrained from intermarrying despite their disagreements. This meant that no single rabbi, or small group of leaders catered only to their own small community’s interests. All the rabbis looked after all of Klal Yisroel, or at least all Yidden living in their vicinity.

With the event of emancipation and the emergence of the Haskala movement, an urge for tighter separation and a more enclosed community emerged. Hassidism was also a major contributor to this trend, especially with its cult-like glorifying of the Rebbes and mystical aspects. Slowly, different groups of Yidden were formed, and started to segregate and distance themselves from each other, not only from the Gentiles and maskilim.

Yet never before was this tendency so strict and extreme as in our days. After the great Disaster some sixty years ago, the remnants of the Jewish people and their few great leaders undertook the near-impossible task of rebuilding of an almost extinct nation. This gigantic project wasn’t faced with few obstacles or little challenge, and yet, step-by-step, the Jewish phoenix rose again. But one unfortunate side effect was a radical fragmentation and factionalization of the Orthodox world. Not only the ideological disagreements between the three prevalent streams – Agudah, Mizrahi and Eidah Charedis, but also the different Hassidic and Yeshiva leaders caused the nation to split in different groups. With time the rift became more and more extreme, with each group catering to its own institutions and reaching the point of total estrangement, no marriage between different groups and a culture of separatism.

Hassidism bred an especially fertile ground for unfettered corruption. A crowd vastly ignorant of Jewish law and almost completely ignorant of all other matters, yet particularly meticulous about customs, clothing, the near-tribal folklore, and the legends about mythical Rebbes with supernatural powers, were extremely malleable at the hand of a single powerful and charismatic leader. As the old Hassidic song goes, „Wenn der Rebbe lacht, lachen alle Chassidim, wenn der rebbe weint, weinen alle Hassidim…“ (When the rebbe laughs, all the Hassidim laugh, when the Rebbe cries, all the Hassidim cry). In our days the song would ring more true with the lyrics “When the Rebbe doesn’t forbid theft, theft is permitted”

Unfortunately, this mentality and lifestyle have influenced the Yeshiva world and even the MO/Mizrahi communities. The advent of small, self-segregated groups strictly looking at their own advancement and interests, coupled with yeridas hadoros, lack of cooperation between rabbis and the desire to improve their image, the internal discipline and moral codes in most groups shifted more and more towards external marks and superficialities, while core principles of vital importance slowly waned and lost their objective importance. Among most such groups, behavior that is intolerable in most human societies is the norm, all the while appearing as holier than everyone else. The more isolated a group is, the less they are subject to scrutiny, the leader is not answerable to any authority, and as a consequence the unsuitable behavior becomes more and more radical and rampant.

This situation has created a climate of complete immunity to scrutiny and criticism. Many community leaders consider anything happening outside of their group totally irrelevant, and won’t address these issues. Another factor is that rebuke from someone not free of blemishes isn’t well received. Under such circumstances it was only natural that each group forms its own Beis Din. Is it any wonder that those Batei Din became quasi irrelevant? How can rabbinical courts obtain a get for a defenseless woman if it has no power and influence? How can debts be returned? If a Beis Din has zero authority outside it’s strict “jurisdiction”, how can anyone not defy them with impunity? Is such a community able -and willing- to moderate widespread deviance at all?

The recent wake of Loshon Hora awareness is vastly abused to hush painful subjects that are uncomfortable to hear. But as the Chofetz Chaim points out, loshon hora is the product of sinas chinom. A father who loves his son does everything to keep his son in the right path. When we see a Rebbe build a $4 million shul – especially when he already had an absolutely good one- yet sends his Hassidim who need a kidney transplant to knock on our doors, we should know that something is very, very wrong with us. When members of groups who’s largest source of income are our tax dollars, for the most part fraudulently obtained, who despise us, who wouldn’t make shidduch with us because the shape of our hats, yet come to schnorr in our shuls - isn’t providing them with “charity” a tacit seal of approval and encouragement to their despicable behavior? Isn’t closing our eyes to the widespread phenomenon of Hassidim – our brothers - spending their welfare checks and HUD-Sec.8 income in casinos and houses of ill repute, at least as great a Chilul Hashem as the act itself? If we refuse to acknowledge these problems –and, unfortunately, much more- and act upon them, we become full-fledged accomplices. Raising these unfortunate, and uncomfortable, issues is not sinas chinom.

Sinas chinom is looking the other way.


© Joseph Izrael 2006

Perfect Strangers

…and Israel encamped before the mount: as one man with one heart - Rashi.
…whither you go, I will go; and where thou lodge, I will lodge;
your people shall be my people, and your G-d my G-d;
Where you die, will I die, and there will I be buried;
Hashem do so to me, and more if aught but death part you and me.

- Ruth 1, 16-17

I am returning the echo of a point in time
And if you hear me talking on the wind
You've got to understand
We must remain
Perfect Strangers

- Deep Purple, “Perfect Strangers”, 1984


The unity of the Jewish people, the prohibition of sinas chinom, the notion of Ahavas Yisroel are not only of utter importance, but also the most essential tenets and principles of Judaism. As a matter of fact they are even a condition for Hashem’s blessing and the prosperity of Klal Yisroel. So why do we, along with our rabbis and leaders, adhere to the lyrics of Deep Purple more than the words of the Torah? Why do we seem to learn our lessons from a drunken rock-star and not Ruth? No truth? Then why is it that our nation, maybe the smallest on earth, is torn and divided into different groups who won’t even consider intermarrying, sending their children to the same schools, follow one leadership, and relate to each other as members of the same nation.

Though the schism is immediately evident to the honest observer, the good-natured ostrich who refuses to see, hear or speak any evil will easily fool himself that because we occasionally daven in each other’s shuls, shop in the same supermarkets (albeit we won’t Chas VeShalom accept the same hechshers) and sometimes attend the same shiur, we are as united as can be, and Moshiach (the real one) is literally at the door. It is interesting to note that our ostrich might well be a distinguished scholar who is able to disseminate the most intricate Tosfosen, rishonim and acharonim for many hours, yet fools himself with the aforementioned superficialities.

But if we would apply only a small percentage of the analytical skills required to understand even a simple Tosfos to what we see in our daily life, we would ask ourselves the simple kushia: how come that while the greatest theology scholars haven’t yet discovered the real difference between Hassidim and Misnagdim, let alone two different Hassiduses, we would be offended and appalled by the simple suggestion that, for example, my son Yanky should enroll in cheder X – they wear long jackets!!! Shocking!!! But it is an absolute taboo question, since an honest answer to this question would involve lifting The Magic Rug, -yes, that magic rug- under which four generations of problems were constantly swept.

And that is exactly what we are going to do. We will not do it because the time has come. We will not do it because many people are disgruntled with our leadership –at one level or another – and are becoming aware of the problem. We will not do it because today it is easier than ever, and neither will we do it because many yidden from all groups are more receptive to the idea. We will do it for the single reason that doing it is the right thing to do and not doing it is the wrong thing to do.

Now, you wonder, Achdus, Unity, Ahavas Yisroel – that’s all good and well, but it is impossible to solve the problem until Moshiach comes, and besides, what does it have to do with myriads of other ills ailing our society? Quite simple: a self-segregated group under narrow leadership is naturally immune to outside scrutiny and criticism. When adversity to criticism is an integral part of that society, it is virtually free to function with no reins other than the rules it sets for itself. In other words, this means that you can be expelled –or shunned and harassed until self-expulsion- from the village of Kiryas Joel for wearing a blue shirt or expressing some views of solidarity with Israel, yet child abuse, racketeering, welfare fraud and adultery are accepted as the norm. As far as they are concerned, these things just don’t exist. An honest man from a different group is lower than dirt, and the mere thought of a shidduch with him unconceivable, yet a thief or child-rapist from his party is perfectly fine. And every single faction and sub-faction of Orthodox Judaism (yes, including the Modern Orthodox and Mizrahi) is full of these destructive idiosyncrasies.

And so, in tacit complicity we all let each other get away with the most vile and despicable actions while pretending that the greatest problems facing our generation are the internet, lack of support for Zionism or too much of it, or not wearing a hat for shul. This separatism is the source of most our problems, and only unity can solve them. And although I don’t expect Skver hassidim and Teaneck Mizrahis to start intermarrying tomorrow, I would like to kindly remind them that no matter what they do, they are brothers, and accountable for each other’s actions nearly as much as for their own. To the Gentiles –and to G-d- a Jew is a Jew is a Jew, period. Whether you live in East Brunswick or Kiryas Joel is completely irrelevant. So when a tremendous chilul hashem occurs and you look the other way because it didn’t happen in your shtetl, you are as accountable for it as its perpetrators.

And while you’re waiting for Moshiach to address these issues, please take a moment to remember that no matter what hecsher you eat, what nussach you daven, what hat, yarmulka, pants and tallis you wear, you and the guy whom you shun and despise for belonging to a different ‘team’ can be made into totally identical lampshades.

© Joseph Izrael 2006