David Brooks Keynotes YU Hanukkah Convocation

David Brooks is not an Orthodox Jew. I don’t know how observant Mr. Brooks is. But I do know he understands what being Jewish means in terms of the proper approach to God.This he takes from the Rav’s philosophy he so elegantly cited.

Briefly stated the Rav talks about the two mentions in the Torah of the creation of man. He calls them Adam I and Adam II. Basing it on the context in which the Torah mentions them, The Rav expands on them in the following way.

Adam I is majestic man. He is the conqueror of the world. He goes out and ‘accomplishes’ for his material well being. Adam II is covenental man. He is concerned inwardly. He seeks the relationship with God. He is the man of faith - inward and therefore ultimately alone in that personal relationship with God . It is in the relationship with God that man develops his moral character. He is unconcerned with worldly pleasures and seeks only to do God’s will.  

Adam I on the other hand wants to seek control of his environment which includes seeing to it that his own physical well being is taken care of to the limit of his physical and mental abilities. The 2 Adams are therefore in constant struggle. And from that dialectic struggle, our person-hood develops. That dynamic struggle informs our values and actions.

Mr. Brooks compared what Yeshiva University does to the two Adams. Something that no other university does. Whereas the best universities do a good job educating man in his role of Adam I, they completely ignore educating man in his role of Adam II. Moral teachings are absent in the secular classroom. The result is a culture of a-morality. One which is difficult to navigate without the moral underpinnings of Adam II. Which is basically an unfettered love of God.

A-moral cultures have arisen in the past… when only Adam I is educated and Adam II is ignored. Taken to its natural extreme we can easily end up with the Germany of the 1930s and early 40s. Germany did a great job educating Adam I. And we know where that took them.

Western culture today is nowhere near that. But I think it is safe to say that we too live in an a-moral society. One need not look too far to see the wide acceptance of immoral images that surround us daily. They are all over, on billboards, magazines, TV, movies, and popular music. It has been that way for a long time. I recall the mantra of my generation during the late sixties, ‘If it feels good, do it!’ That is mostly all that mattered to many of my contemporaries back then. I don’t think that as a society, we have gotten any better today. If anything we have gotten worse.

YU is to its great credit counter-culture. It teaches man how to deal well with cultural surroundings and at the same time to revere God and his moral teachings.

Teaching a Doctrine of Hate Satmar has long ago established itself as anti Israel and everyone knows it. Standing on the same stage creates the perception of endorsing their views. By: Harry Maryles

Their message: Israel attempts to exterminate the remnants of genuine Judaism.
Photo Credit: Flash 90

I don’t think there can be any doubt that Satmar equals Neturei Karta in their opposition to Israel. Both hate it equally. The only difference is how far they will go in that opposition. It used to be said about Satmar that even though they are opposed to the existence of the state, they would never go so far as to join with Israel’s enemies the way Neturei Karta does.

Neturei Karta tends to join Hamas and other enemies of Israel in their anti Israel rhetoric.  One of their more prominent members, Moshe Hirsch became Yassir Arafat’s foreign secretary (or some other high official office holder) a while back in a proposed future Palestinian State. And who can ever forget the lovely sight of Neturei Karta members kissing and hugging the former Holocaust denying President of Iran, Mahmud Ahmadinjad, who pledged to wipe Israel off the map.

Satmar never quite went that far. I’m not even sure they would do that now. But they seem to be inching closer to it. And in any case they indoctrinate their children to think along those lines. They may not be teaching them to kiss the Ahmadinejad of the world. But the vitriolic rhetoric is the same. Soldiers – even if they are Charedi – are vilified and harassed (as was demonstrated yesterday). One Eida HaCharedis Rav in Bet Shemesh‘Paskined’ that a soldier in uniform may not be counted into a Minyan even if he is Charedi. That Rav may not be a Satmar Chasid. But he completely identifies with their virulent anti Israel position.

Satmar and their sympathizers in places like Meah Shearim are the fastest growing segments in all of Jewry. A typical family may have 10 or more children. It is not too hard to project the orders of magnitude by which current numbers will increase in the next few generations. And this is the doctrine they teach their children. An illustration of which can be seen in the Mid-Hudson News:

Elementary and middle school-aged students assembled in lines, holding signs and banners denouncing the State of Israel as rabbis spoke to them in Yiddish, condemning the country and, at points, comparing the government leadership to the Egyptian Pharaoh of the Book of Exodus, the oppressive Roman emperor Titus, and Adolf Hitler.

“When they stole the term Jew from those who practice Judaism, they were not satisfied,” a translated transcript of a speech given at the event iterated.

“Their latest decree to conscript all our precious rabbinical students into their military institutions, which are rife with immorality and profligacy, is their latest attempt to exterminate the remnants of genuine Judaism.”

“In Israel, they have a government that is against religious freedom, and because of that, we want to explain to the children that it is against our religion and we are not with [Israel,]” Kaplan said. “There is separate Zionism and Judaism. They are not the same thing. We are Jewish and they are not Jewish.”

Imagine this doctrine of hate growing into becoming the mainstream Charedi view.

The current Charedi opposition to the proposed draft has given Satmar the opportunity (and cover) to bring that kind of opposition more out into the open. In the past that kind of rhetoric was kept pretty much in-house. Now it is being projected loudly and clearly to the outside world. What makes matters worse is that even Charedi rabbinic leaders that do not agree with Satmar’s stridency on the issue are beginning to join them at their rallies. That adds the perception of legitimizing their views.

That big Satmar organized anti draft rally in Manhattan a few weeks ago was attended by many Roshei Yeshiva and Roshei Kollel – both Chasidic and Lithuanian. In order to encourage support and attendance by the Lithuanian Yeshiva world, Satmar went out of its way to advertise this as an anti draft Rally and not an anti Israel rally. But Satmar has long ago established itself as anti Israel and everyone knows it. Standing on the same stage creates the perception of endorsing their views.

This is why Lithuanian rabbinic leaders oppose standing on the same stage with Conservative and Reform rabbis. Even if is for purposes of outreach. And even if they clearly state that they do not endorse those views. And yet in the case of Satmar, those same Lithuanian rabbinic leaders attended that rally without a word of explanation about their differing views!  The rhetoric coming out of the mouths of some of those speakers did little to dispel that notion. I guess when it comes to the draft, well we can partner with the devil.

Is it any wonder that some of them do the kinds of things those sociopaths did yesterday to that Charedi soldier?

I am beginning to believe that they are not sociopaths at all. They are mainstream Satmar or Satmar sympathizing Jews acting on their beliefs. Which is why we are not hearing any condemnations of what they did. Their leaders aren’t opposed to it. They may even support it! …even if they won’t come right out and say so.

Is there any Charedi rabbinic opposition to what happened yesterday? The only one I am aware of that said anything is Rav Gershon Edelstien. He called the rabble that did this ‘imbeciles’ whose actions were counter-productive to the legitimate goals they were trying to achieve.

That was the biggest ‘but’ I have ever heard…  Sure they are imbeciles. But they are not wrong in their goals. They are just going about it in the wrong way.

Gone are the Rav Chaim Shmulevitzes who understood and appreciated the value of even Chiloni IDF soldiers. Now, instead of appreciating them, a Charedi soldier is pelted with rocks and no-one says a word about it. Only how unproductive such behavior is!

This is the state of affairs in Israel’s version of Torah Judaism today. The rate of growth in this community outpaces all other communities. It will eventually result in their outnumbering everyone else. Centrist and Modern Orthodox Jews, while having bigger families than the average, come nowhere near the typical family size of Chasidim and other Charedim. And they are a much smaller number to begin with.

Which raises the question: Is extremist Judaism the wave of the future? Will extremism become our ethos? Will the current trend of a melding moderate Charedim and Centrists in America - by living together, living identical lifestyles, having similar values albeit differing Hashkafos – come to an end? Will this new anti Israel stridency cause a rift between us?

I know that basic economics is already forcing  a small degree of change in the Charedi paradigm in Israel. But the concept of Daas Torah will remain even as many are forced by circumstances to join the workforce. They will see themselves as ‘Nebechs’… as their rabbinic leaders continue to encourage that type of thinking.

I don’t know what the future holds. But from my perspective right now and right here in July of 2013, it does not look so good.

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Visiting a Friend By: Harry Maryles

A lot of people are trying to spin President Obama’s upcoming visit to Israel this week in their own image. People on both sides of the divide see this trip designed to re-start the peace process.

The left that think settlements are an impediment to peace and know the President shares that view. So they are hopeful that he will somehow use his personal charm and considerable influence to halt settlement construction with an eye towards re-starting peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians.

Those on the right see the same thing, only instead of supporting it, they are vehemently opposed to it - believing that settlements are not the real issue. They instead see the President’s mission as forcing Israel to stop settlement construction at a time when they need it most (because of natural growth and the perceived (by the right) value of outlying settlements as bulwarks against terrorism).

I think they are both wrong. I don’t see any plan. I see an impasse. I think the President sees that too. If he had any kind of plan that he thinks would have even the slightest chance at success at re-kindling the peace process he would have suggested it by now.

The President doesn’t need face time with Israeli leadership to make these kinds of suggestions. Israeli leaders know full well how important the relationship with the United States is. Even the current Prime Minister bends over backwards to accommodate the President’s wishes whenever he can if he doesn’t see it as compromising their security or other national interests.

I have always maintained that the President is sincere in his attempts to convince both Israelis and Palestinians to negotiate peace in the form of a two state solution believing it to be the best of all possible worlds for all concerned. Whether settlements are an issue on any level can be debated by people of good will. But I don’t think any fair minded observer (and I emphasize fair minded) on either side of the issue can dispute the President’s noble intent.

My view on this issue is somewhere between these two extremes. I do not support settlement building at this time because the gain does not outweigh the loss of good will generated by acceding to the President’s wishes. But I don’t believe they are the main impediment to peace either. With little exception, I would therefore prefer if Israel does not move forward with expansion of settlements at this time. There is no advantage to spitting in the face of the leader of a country that is your biggest supporter. Especially while he’s there. That would be a major mistake.

That said, I do not believe that the President will press Israel to stop settlement during this trip. Not that he has changed his mind. But that he doesn’t want to waste the opportunity to build on the relationship between the two countries.

Unlike some of his biggest detractors, I believe that the President actually likes Israel and values the friendship of the Israeli people. I doubt that he buys into all the anti-Israel rhetoric one hears so frequently from Israel’s enemies. Like accusations that they are guilty of Apartheid for instance. I’m not saying he doesn’t see Palestinian suffering. I’m sure he does. But like me, he understands that their suffering is due in large part from security measures Israel takes because of a history of being attacked by their own people through terrorist organizations like Hamas.

Hamas is still considered a terrorist organization by the U.S. The President never suggested for a moment that Hamas be removed from the State Department list of terrorist organizations. Same thing Hezbollah. Although he may feel that Israel could do better I also believe that he understands Israel’s position and for the most part does not blame them for the suffering of the Palestinians.

I also believe that he values Israel as an important ally as well as a friend. That’s why he approved scarce budget dollars to be spent on the very successful ‘Iron Dome’ anti missile defense system. And why military and intelligence cooperation between the two countries has never been closer! He sees a Israel as a country of shared values and its people much like those of his own country.

The problem is with the way he started off his Presidency with respect to his Middle East foreign policy. Although that too was well intentioned, it was a mistake. He made overtures to the Arab nations by going over there intending to reset the U.S. relationship with them while at the same time being highly critical of their their anti Israel attitude and their revisionist attitude about the Holocaust. But he erred by not visiting Israel as well. Although he did not intend it that way - he in effect snubbed his closest ally in the Middle East.

That began a cycle of mistrust of the President by the Israeli people. He was initially seen as tilting towards the Arabs. He has not fully recovered from that perception. Israel and many of its supporters felt that once he was in the neighborhood he should have at least stopped off and paid his friend a visit. The perception of being snubbed set the tone.

The second thing that further caused a perceived rift was when Israel’s Prime Minister showed poor judgement on his first visit to the White House by publicly lecturing the President. That did not help matters cooling off of the relationship even further– at least publicly. Especially when the President was caught off guard telling the French President what a hard time he had with Prime Minister Netanyahu.

Some pundits characterized the relationship between the President and the Prime Minister as one where the two leaders hate each other. I don’t think that is accurate. I’m not saying that they are kindred spirits. But I don’t think ‘hate’ is the right word. I think that the two actually respect each other even while they disagree on some key issues. I do not think Netanyahu is his enemy by any stretch of the imagination – any more than House Speaker John Boehner is.

So why is he going to Israel? I believe that this trip is to repair the negative image he has in Israel. I doubt that he will do or say anything to them about the peace process or settlements – except to perhaps pay some lip service to it.

It is therefore my considered opinion that Israel should put on an unprecedented charm offensive - and treat him like he was – well… the President of the United States and their best friend. They should go out of their way to thank him for the considerable amount of things he has done for them . They ought to make sure that they talk as much as possible about the special relationship between the two countries; their shared democratic principles; and their commitment to preventing Iran from getting nuclear weapons.

There certainly ought not to be any demonstrations against him by any dissident extremists like the die-hard price-taggers. Although there may be some. As well as demonstrations about Jonathan Pollard – not that it will help him one iota. If any demonstrations do happen I’m sure that the President will see it as an example of the great freedom of expression that Israel grants its citizens – just like the United States does.

The Israeli public’s real concern right now is not the Palestinians. If the last election showed anything it showed that their main concern is how to solve the problem of "sharing the burden." Meaning what to do about Haredim who insist on remaining exempt from the draft. If the fractious new coalition government has any one thing in common – it is that. To the chagrin of all the Haredi parties, they will have little to say about it having been left out of the coalition. They are now in the opposition.

But I don’t think this will influence any part of the President’s visit to Israel. I doubt that Haredim will be making an issue of this to the President. So after all is said and done I think this trip should be a resounding success that will enhance the relationship between Israel and the United States to an unprecedented level.

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About the Author: Harry Maryles runs the blog "Emes Ve-Emunah" which focuses on current events and issues that effect the Jewish world in general and Orthodoxy in particular. It discuses Hashkafa and news events of the day - from a Centrist perspctive and a philosphy of Torah U'Mada. He can be reached at hmaryles@yahoo.com.

Sackcloth and Ashes?!

OK. I understand the Charedi position with respect to army service in Israel. They are vehemently opposed to it. But a mass rally of Tehillim sitting on the ground and fasting as though it were Tisha B’Av?! As though the possibility of their youth serving in the army was comparable to the destruction of the Beis HaMikdash?! Calling army service virtually the same as worshiping the ancient idol Molech - where children were human sacrifices to be burned on an alter?

What?!

Lest anyone think I am exaggerating, I am not. This is how an article in the Jewish Pressdescribed the event that took place this morning. This is how it was advertised in headline coverage in 3 Charedi newspapers, the Yated, Hamevaser, and Hamodia. It appears that every segment of the Charedi rabbinic leadership has supported this rally in opposition to the possibility of drafting Charedim.

I completely understand why they feel so strongly about it. They feel that the draft has the potential to destroy the very foundation upon which Charedi society is built upon. They fear that once their young people experience 3 years in the army, they will never return to the Beis HaMedrash. In some cases they may even go OTD.

The environment of the army is a very powerful influence. It has been thought by some to be as much an experiment in social engineering as it is a defense force. Traumatized by the Holocaust and centuries of anti Semitic persecution, many of the founding fathers of the State wanted their populace to have a sense of unity and purpose grounded in the idea that we will never again be sheep to the slaughter.

Nor will we go back to the days of the Shtetl mentality where they believed such thinking was produced. We will instead be a strong and proud nation of Jews who can defend ourselves. And an enlightened people who no longer look to the ancient and archaic ideals of the Torah but to the new ideals of enlightenment where religion is seen at best as cultural and at worst as a bunch of silly superstitions.

All this Charedi angst is understandable if one believes this to be the case in the army currently.

The problem with this kind of thinking is that it is no longer true… if it ever really was. There may have been some who in the early days of the State wanted the army to produce this particular model of the Jew. But there was another model that countered it and proved to be the most effective fighting force in the entire IDF. These were the religious  Zionist sons and daughters who joined the army and served their country well, defending it - and in some tragic cases, dying for it.

Historically the most courageous units were the Hesder boys who often enlisted in groups and volunteered for the most dangerous combat assignments. There may be some who went OTD. But the army was not the cause of that. It may have accelerated it… but they were on their way “out’ anyway.

In the Hesder units, this was far from the case. The Hesder boys are dedicated to Yiras Shomyim, Limud HaTorah, and the physical protection of their people - including all the Charedim who were at that rally this morning.

But let us even say that Hesder is something they strongly oppose Hashkaficly because it is part of a Zionism that they see as anathema to Torah law. And because even though they accommodate religious observance - they do not accommodate the strictures adopted by Charedim.

OK, I understand that too.

But the government has a unit that does accommodate them. Via Nachal Charedi and Shachar, the IDF goes out of its way to assure that Charedim will be able to stay loyal to their values. If I understand correctly, the government wants to expand these programs to accommodate the greater numbers of Charedim that will now be drafted if the law is changed to a universal draft of some kind.

So with all due respect to the Israeli rabbinic leadership, how in heaven’s name can they compare the army to idol worship? What does that say about their very own Charedim who now serve in it?!

Nonetheless I still understand their fear, Even if the army were all Charedi, they would still be opposed to it for fear that it would destroy the system as we now know it. That those who will return to the Beis HaMedrash full time will only be a small fraction of those who are there now. But does that require that we say Tehillim as though it were Tisha B’Av? I can understand protest. But… this?!

In my opinion, if Charedim are drafted into the army under conditions that are entirely Charedi, that is a good thing. It will purify the process of Limud HaTorah – returning it to the pristine era where Yeshivos catered only to the most elite of students. Only those who are motivated to learn Torah full time will return to the Beis Hamedrash after serving their country. 

Only the cream of the crop - the elite – those who truly achieve great heights in Torah learning will continue to do so and become our future Torah leaders. The rest will continue to learn by being Koveiah Itim - setting aside time for learning daily while primarily being in the workforce and supporting their families – possibly even getting some training for the workforce in the army.

The entire community will fare better because of it. Poverty will begin to be alleviated and those who choose to go back to the Beis HaMedrash full time will be better funded - as their financial pie of communal support will grow while being distributed to less and more deserving - people. It’s a win/win for everyone in my view. Not to mention the fact that from what I understand Charedim will even be able to opt out of actual military service and serve in communal Chesed type projects – akin to Sherut Leumi for women.

So if I were in charge, I wouldn’t be calling for a day of prayer and fasting. I would be saying Hallel!

The Source of Their Hatred

I don’t care what side of the religious divide one is on. It doesn’t matter if one is secular, religious, Orthodox, Reform; gentile, atheist, Chasidic, Charedi, or Modern Orthodox - left wing or right. I don’t believe that there is a single human being that would not condemn in the strongest possible terms what happened in Yad VaShem - Israel’s Holocaust Museum last night. FromThe Times of Israel:

Anti-Semitic graffiti was found sprayed on the entrance to Israel’s Holocaust museum, Yad Vashem, Monday morning. Police suspect the vandalism was perpetrated by anti-Zionist ultra-Orthodox extremists and have formed a special investigation task force to track down the perpetrators.
Vandals scrawled the words, “Hitler, thank you for the great Holocaust. Only because of it did we receive a state from the UN” in spray paint on the Jerusalem museum site. 

These people are inhuman. They have no shame. They do not care one whit for the rest of humanity. Elderly survivors of the Holocaust may as well be nonexistent.  What these savages have done is torment the tormented. They are criminals of the highest order - murderers of the soul!

Holocaust survivors that have lost entire families - parents, children, brothers, sisters, grandparents aunts and uncles… have been told by these savages that Hitler should be thanked for their place of refuge, the State of Israel. People that have survived some of the worst tortures by man imaginable have been struck in their collective hearts by a giant dagger that was forged in the Satmar Rebbe’s cauldron of anti Zionist hatred.

That’s right. I said the Satmar Rebbe. This is the philosophy of the Satmar Rebbe taken to its ultimate extreme.

I want to be absolutely clear about this. The Satmar Rebbe, had he been alive would have been one of the first to condemn this act. He was probably more sympathetic to Holocaust survivors than most other Jews – having been a survivor himself. Legend has it that he once said that anyone with tattooed numbers on their arms has already assured themselves a place in Olam Habah – even if they are no longer religious. Quite a statement – if true.

And yet I blame him for the philosophy that generated this violence. It is his hateful attitude about the illegitimacy of the Jewish State that has been burned into the brains of every single Satmar Chasid and other Chasidim that see him as their philosophical leader. Like Toldos Aharon and Neturei Karta.

Make no mistake about it, the vile and disgusting creatures who did this, used the Satmar Rebbe’s attitudes about Zionism as justification for their actions. The legacy of hatred and antagonism toward the Zionist State left by the Satmar Rebbe is one of their most sacred beliefs.

This of course does not mean to say that every follower of Satmar would do or condone anything like this. As I said at the outset – they are probably as upset about what happened as anyone else and condemn it just as much.  But their philosophy of hatred against Zionism stands as a pillar of faith among them all. It does not take all that much to convert some of that hatred into action. From simple anti Zionist rhetoric at one end all the way to the kind of thing that happened here.

Again, I want to be absolutely clear. Although I strongly disagree with them, I nonetheless have no problem with the Satmar view that considers the existence of the State of Israel illegitimate. As a theological issue, they are entitled to interpret the Gemarah they base this view upon as they best understand it. Elu V’Elu Divrei Elokim Chaim.

But the vehemence the Satmar Rebbe expressed at Zionism in his writing combined with his descriptions of how the Sitra Achara (evil incarnate) is from its very inception to the continued existence of the State is behind what drives savages like this to go to such extremes. This hatred is evident all over the place in Satmar-like enclaves like Meah Shearim.

Although nowhere near the extremes that happened at Yad VaShem, one can nevertheless see the hatred of Zionism in virtually every reference to Israel.  It is in the air. It is palpable. Things like the big banner I saw crossing the main street of Meah Shearim declaring that “All Torah Jews support the peaceful dismantling of the State” are but one of many demonstrations of this attitude.  Or in greater extremes like those evil Jews from Neturei Karta that hugged Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad at his Holocaust denial conference. Or when Rabbi Amram Blau’s widow, Ruth, cultivated a relationship with Iran’s Ayatollah Khomeini calling him a holy man.

Although I believe in individual responsibility and these disgusting pieces of trash are indeed responsible for their own actions, one cannot ignore where they are coming from. To say that the Satmar Rebbe does not share any of the blame for generating the type of hatred that desecrated Yad VaShem would be the same as saying that Pope Urban the 2^nd does not share the blame for the atrocities of the Crusaders.

There are no apologetics to be made here. Believe it! It is the Satmar Rebbe’s angry and hateful attitude for the State that is the justification behind the attacks of these savages.

Emes VeEmunah: Should We Carpet Bomb Gaza?

The images are horrific! They are gruesome. Last Friday night there was a brutal massacre of a Jewish family by some Arab terrorists who broke into their home. The family lived in Itamar - a settlement nearNablus in Israel.

I can’t even begin to imagine what it must be like for a young girl to walk into her home and discover her parents, 2 of her brothers, and baby sister with bloodied bodies and slit throats. The word heinousdoesn’t even begin describe this monstrous crime. The people who did this are animals that should receive no mercy when they are caught. If ever there were a reason to have the death penalty in Israel this is it.

And yet the emotion I feel most here is anger.

Yes - I’m angry! I am angry that there is not enough security to have prevented this. Angry that there are savages in the world that could do anything like this. Angry that the Muslim mindset that preaches hatred of the Jewish people is a cardinal tenet of their religion. Angry that the rhetoric coming out of mosques and schools makes a Jew hater out of every child from their earliest ages. Angry that virtually all the news and entertainment media in the Arab world constantly disparages the Jewish people. Angry that this kind of indoctrination has caused the Arab street to celebrate an ‘achievement’ such as this!

My gut wants to carpet bomb Gaza. But fortunately my head rules over my heart. Carpet bombing Gaza would be a most immoral response to what happened in Itamar.

It should come as no surprise that something like this has happened. Again.

For the Arabs who perpetrated this crime it was a heroic act. They see it as a fulfillment of God’s will - a ‘Mitzvah’ they believe will earn them eternal reward. They consider it a Yehoreg V’Al Yaavor to rid Palestine of the Jews by any means necessary. That has created monsters who murder Jews with a hatred that surpasses even that of Nazi Germany.

There are those who in a larger sense seek to blame Obama administration for opposition to Israeli settlements and the Israeli government for caving into American pressure. They say that this ‘tilt’ towards the Palestinian point of view has encouraged and emboldened Palestinian towards more terrorism. I reject that kind of thinking completely. The Arab mindset against the Jewish people needs no excuse to act. This was certainly not the first time something like this has happened. Obama was not President the last time this happened. Terrorist attacks were far more frequent then.

I can’t help thinking that the opposite might be true. Isn’t it just possible to say that the religious Zionist imperative to settle all parts of biblical Israel might have put this family in harm’s way? Isn’t it also possible that throwing a Molotov cocktail into an innocent Arab’s home during a settler rampage last week might have precipitated a random act of revenge?

I also must ask whether the Mitzvah Yishuv Ha’aretz - to settle all parts of Israel - is indeed the religious imperative that religious Zionists say it is. They constantly encourage settling in the territories. And they use religious arguments in doing so. The people who settle in these areas are the most motivated idealists among us. Every sacrifice is made to fulfill the Mitzvah of Yishuv Ha’aretz. But isYishuv Ha’aretz the most important Mitzvah in the Torah? Is putting oneself and one’s family in harm’s way the proper fulfillment of this Mitzvah? And yet religious Zionism encourages living in what amounts to a jungle full of wild savages in that cause. I find it difficult to understand why we must to have such Korbanos at this point in our history.

I say these words with a heavy heart. In no way would I ever want to say anything hurtful to the families and friends of the victims. We are all in a state of mourning for them. This post is in no way directed at them and should not be read by them. It would be too painful. I ask that it not be forwarded to them or mentioned in any way.

I also realize that my thoughts here will make a lot of people who usually agree with me very angry. How can I blame religious Zionism for a brutal murder of innocent high caliber Jews who were courageous enough to put their lives on the line for this Mitzvah?

I don’t blame religious Zionism. It is the Arab mindset of Jew hatred that produces mass murders like this. A hatred that most Muslim Arabs are weaned on. Aside from the perpetrators themselves, I blame Muslim clerics and educators for this. They have been teahcing generations of hatred which is constantly being reinforced and sustained by their culture.

But at the same time, I have to ask whether the religious Zionist theological imperative of settling dangerous parts of Eretz Yisroelhasn’t in some way contributed to it.

And I have to ask whether Arab hatred that is constantly exacerbated by rampages against innocent Arabs like what recently happened in another part of the West Bank hasn’t in some way contributed to it as well.

I also can’t help thinking that this family would now be alive had they been living in Tel Aviv. Or anywhere inside the green line. Or at least not near a hotbed of Arab radicalism like Nablus.

How many more Karbonos are we going to have before we realize that putting oneself in a Makom Sakana like that for the purpose of YishuvHa’aretz is not a good idea?

Emes VeEmunah: Rabbi Meir Kahane - Was He Right?

Every Jew – a 22. That is one of Rabbi Meir Kahane’s more famous phrases. The idea being that if every Jew in the world was armed there would never again be a Holocaust. I believe he was the head of the Jewish Defense League (JDL) when he coined that phrase. The JDL was founded by him as a response to attacks against elderly and otherwise vulnerable and defenseless Jews by gangs and muggers – kind of a Jewish version of Curtis Sliwa’s Guardian Angels.

As one might guess from all that - Rabbi Kahane was one of the most controversial Jewish figures of our time. His list of accomplishments are as legendary as they are controversial. Before he was assassinated he was in his most controversial period, having been banned from being a member of the Israeli Knesset as a racist – an appellation he and his followers vehemently denied. I have my own views of Rabbi Kahane which I have from time to time expressed here both in comments and in posts. But instead of repeating them again I wonder what the views of people who read my blog are about this man.

Was he an iconic hero to be worshipped as a visionary? … that if only his views and proposals had been implemented - Israel would have been far better off – stronger, safer, and bigger having annexed all of the West Bank and Gaza? …a fully Jewish Israel free of any Arab that did not accept Ger Toshav status which amounts to a sort of second class citizenship without voting rights? …a Jewish State where Halacha rather than a Jeffersonian style democracy reigned supreme?

Or was he a dangerous and misguided man whose views and actions would have led Israel down the path to destruction with Holocaust like consequences …and arguably has been responsible for some tragic consequences in the past – including both he and his son being assassinated?

It seems that now more than ever people – even many who doubted him in the past - have come around to believing that he was indeed a hero to be worshipped. I can’t tell you how many times I have seen signs that say ‘Kahane was right’ – both in Hebrew and English.

I wonder what the consensus of my readership is? Was he an iconic hero, a dangerous fanatic, or somewhere in-between? How do we view him now? How should we view him? How will history judge him? Are his views acceptable Halachic Jewish ones or are they a skewed interpretation of Halacha? What if anything do other religious Jewish leaders think about him… on both the right and left of the religious Jewish spectrum? What is the Orthodox consensus? Conservative? Reform? Secular? Indeed how does even the non Jewish world of the left or right view him?

Are his views more relevant now than ever or should they be once and for all discarded into the ash-bin of history?

This is an informal and unscientific poll but I am nevertheless curious what my readership thinks. If anyone is inclined to share their views about him, you need not identify yourself other than using an alias – although as always - I think one should stand by his views and not hide behind them. I would also ask - if you are so inclined - to tell us a bit about your background so we know where you are coming from.

Emes VeEmunah: Why Did They Do It?

The murderers who massacred the Fogel family are savage butchers. Mass murderers deserving the same fate they gave to the Fogel family. Poetic justice would be to slit their throats right along with the throats of their wives and children.

But I don’t advocate this (much though I’d like to) because I am not a savage and it would in the end be unjust. Their wives and children did not commit the atrocity. What I do advocate is that the killers be caught, tried, convicted, and executed publicly for the entire world to witness.

Why did they do that? There is only one reason. They hate Jews. No matter how they would try to explain it – that’s the reason.

If the people (and I use that term loosely) who did this claim that this was done because Israeli oppression of the Palestinians, or any other reason, it is only an excuse for their blood lust. They simply wanted to kill some Jews – indiscriminately or otherwise. It gives them pleasure.

Some people might equivocate and say that Israelis killed innocent Arab children too when they attacked Gaza. Maybe. But it was not out of a blood lust. Nor was it on purpose. If it happened it was unintentional. Unintentional but sometimes unavoidable casualties of war. Casualties that Arab leaders and pundits never fail to exploit.

That is not what happened here. The Fogels were not unintentional casualties of war. They were sought out as convenient targets of terror.

The number of suicide attacks against the Jewish people in Israel has unfortunately taught me not to be surprised when something like this happens. But what really outrages me is the Arab reaction in the street. Not that I haven’t come to expect that too. I do. The events of 9/11 had the same Arab reaction. Nothing new here. But it still outrages me every time I see it.

What kind of people reacts to the slaughter of innocent children by celebrating in the street handing out candy to children? The answer is unfortunately all too simple. There is hatred of the Jewish people that is so vehement that the mass murder of an innocent Jews is something to celebrate.

Do all Arabs feel this way deep inside – even the so called civilized enlightened ones? I don’t know. I somehow can’t believe that they all think slitting Jewish throats is something to celebrate. But it is getting harder and harder for me to believe that. For once I’d like to hear an Arab leader condemn not only an atrocity like this, but to do it without any equivocation. There is always a ‘yeah… but’ when any Arab politician or pundit expresses his condemnation of a terror attack against Israeli civilians.

What I would like to see is not only a clear and unequivocal condemnation of this attack and the people who did it – I’d like to see the same condemnation of the celebration in the streets.

That they don’t do this and instead try to explain it away as some sort of pent up release of frustration with the occupation - makes me suspect they are just playing for the western camera. And that they couldn’t care less about an innocent Jew being slaughtered that way.

It is part and parcel of the Arab culture to hate Jews. It is part of their very being. It is in their blood. They are taught about Jews much the same way we are taught about Amalek. They believe that if they can’t get rid of us, then they have to wipe us out - erase us from even the last vestiges of their memory. To paraphrase the Torah portion we read this coming Shabbos Parshas Zachor they might say: Timcha Es Zecher HaYehudi! They have had over a century of the kind of indoctrination to hate the Jew that would make Hitler proud.

But even if Arab leaders started expressing genuine sympathy for the victims of terror and fully condemning the terror, terrorists and the celebrations of it – it would not solve the underlying problem. In fact nothing that is going on now will solve the problem. There can be no peace when the hatred of the Arabs for the Jews is so great that they celebrate mass murder of Jews.

I know what the solution is. But I don’t know how to implement it or if it is even possible to implement it. It has nothing to do with settlements or occupation. It has to do with teaching Arabs not to hate Jews. The Mosques, the schools, the media, entertainment programs, books, magazines all preach hatred of the Jew. To Arabs we are all following the Protocols of the Elders of Zion. We are the ones who orchestrated 9/11. We are the vermin described in the popular Mein Kampf. Until they stop thinking like this nothing will change.

What are the odds of anything like that ever happening? In my view – zero! At least not in my lifetime. How do you un-teach hate? It seems that the more religious you are in Islam the more you celebrate killing Jews. Even innocent children. Islam is apparently the fastest growing religion. And the more religious (fundamental) you become in Islam, the more it seems that you celebrate mass murdering Jews.