In the shadow of the mournful fast of Tisha B’Av, a day that marks the destruction of our sacred Temples in Jerusalem and the onset of countless years of tragedy for the Jewish people, the Rabbinical Council of America and the Orthodox Union issue a heartfelt plea. We call upon all Jews throughout the world to reclaim the glory of our people by refraining from language that divides us and promoting language and deeds that unite us.
Recently we have witnessed a frightening exacerbation of internal discord and an ominous intensification of inflammatory rhetoric. We have heard vile insults, offensive name-calling — including the inciteful invocation of the name ‘Amalek’ — and vicious personal attacks emanating from all sides on the various troublesome issues that we now confront. We have even witnessed physical violence. Indeed, in recent months we have seen precincts of Jerusalem’s Old City, in the shadow of the destroyed Temple for which we mourn today, become a venue for provocation and insult, rather than a place of unity for the global Jewish community.
We urge all Jews to celebrate the diversity of our community, whatever our ideology or choice of head covering. Each of us — men, women and children — is a cherished member of our people and we must educate all members of our community to honor and respect each other. We pray that all will one day soon glory in the rebuilding of our nation and our Temple.
We recall the teaching of our sages who noted that the Second Temple was destroyed due to the sin of “sinat chinam” — unprovoked enmity. We therefore, on this eve of Tisha B’Av, call on all individuals and organizations to join us in in dedicating our efforts to creating a world filled with “ahavat chinam” — unqualified love for one another.
May each of us who this year mourn the destruction of Jerusalem, merit to see it rebuilt speedily in our days.
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22 Responses
Suddenly the OU and RCA wake-up from their slumber?
Where were the OU and RCA all this type when Bnei Torah is Eretz Yisroel have been mercilessly attacked continuously for ever a year now??
The OU and RCA’s credibility is non-existent.
We should learn from the son and daughter of Reb Yishmoel.
Right before they were Niftar, each realized that they both erroneously assumed that their respective partner was a slave. But the truth was that their partners was actually a priestly child.
Lets take an example, never to belittle anybody that we think is different than us. We must respect and hold in high esteem every Human Being, Yid and Non-Yid. Because the same logic that we might use to belittle someone else, that same logic can be used to belittle us.
Halevi….
Wouldnt it be wonderful if this type of a staement were issued by our gedolim as well.
When the RCA makes a public apology for inviting the street sweeping Kofer, Dovy Lipman, then we’ll listen to what they have to say! Until then, they should stop the hate coming from their camp!
“diversity of our community, whatever our ideology”
the mitzvah of ahavas chinom does not include those from within that would work to undermine the whole structure of Yiddishkeit
As it says in the Shemoneh Esrey: וכל המינים כרגע יאבדו
#4 hrhine: “Our gedolim” are smarter than you, me, the RCA and the OU. If they decided not to issue this statement, that is the wisest cause of action.
1,5,6 – You people are poor excuses for frum Yidden.
#4
what’s so wonderful in their hypocriticall statement? 1) Who’s the provoker? 2) Since when is the reform movement an ideology disagreement? they’re the ones who revolted against the Torah and hashem they’re nonbelievers! there’s no sinas chinom-unprovoked enmity, it’s a public outcry against a forceful shmad campaign
It’s outrageous how many of you are outraged by the OU and RCA because they chose not to comment on a highly politicized issue going on in Israel for the last year. Just because many of us are against the draft and believe that not even one person should leave the Beis Medrash to serve in the army that is not the view of other frum Jews. We must learn to be flexible and send those who arent very serious learners to the army.
#1 #5 #6
ideal good jews
#8 #10
Love profusions for all who sin, but hatred for ideal jews who strive for more, THAT WILL continue this mourning
The Chazon Ish said that a proper BALANCE between hatred of evil and love of good in tandem pitch would bring the redemption from golus
#10 Thank you for sensible thoughts.
We are aware that there are a large segment of non learning and non serving young men.. Stop the ridiculous claims of ‘dragging bnei torah from yeshivos’ it is one of the lies that have become facts on the ground.
It seems that the Jews are very fractured. I believe that the OU and RCA should spend some money on stopping the forced draft, instead of inviting someone to spin their political agenda.( Lipman)
It also seems that the haredim are not very active in developing a strategy, to go along with their increased tefillah and dovening.
When does the plan start? When do they start combining the tefillah and learning?
When does the battle begin?
#11, who said that I have hatred for Jews who strive for more? Those students who strive for more learning should continue the learning. Those who are not as involved in their learning (to word it in a friendly tone) should find a career and/or enter the army. In my shul tonight I noticed hundreds of people who strive to grow and take something from Tishabav. Many of them may be serious learners, while others may be more career-driven, some may have served in the Israeli army. That doesn’t mean that those individuals don’t strive for growing on Tishabav. Hopefully you understand my message. #14 you raise a good question- we contstantly hear and read about starting tefillah, learning, tehillim, shabbos candles, etc. but its better to be modest and discreet and perform those mitzvos without seeking publicity.
jf
ppl who go to the army become lax in yoiiddishkeit so no frum person certainly no ben torah belongs there
I am not sefardi, nor does anyone in family wear a knitted yarmulke. Let’s take a step back and think this through out loud. The year is 1756, Mr. Moshe Mendelsohn began teaching what eventually evolved into the Reform Movement. History has credited Mendelsohn as being a practicing Orthodox Jew. Nevertheless he began his deviance by preaching the philosophical mandate that a Jew can possess nobility of character and integrate into a modern world. Stop and think for a minute if a leading Rabbi in 1756 would make a bold statement 3 days before Tisha B’Av that Mendelsohn was equal to Amalek! I assume that the comments of the generation would starkly resemble the comments made here on Yeshiva World. Modern day Bar Kamtza, Sinas Chinam, Crazy, etc. Yet history has shown who was correct. Nowadays Bayit HaYehudi, represent those that wear knitted yarmulkas. Over the past few months they have blatantly gone against Orthodox rabbis and even their own Modern Orthodox rabbi’s time after time. Maybe it’s time to stop preaching to Rabbi Cohen and start listening? After all, we haven’t heard any Orthodox rabbis, be it Sefardi or Ashkenazi say that Rabbi Cohen is wrong. Yet, many on these forums are first to open their mouths and condemn. Maybe it’s time for the OU and RCA to issue a heartfelt plea to regain the glory of our nation by assisting those who yearn to study Torah in Eretz Yisrael? Instead they embrace Mr. Lipman who takes an active role against Gedolei Torah in Eretz Yisrael.
Wow… we recently have fallen so far away from the mindset and chessed of Avraham Avinu who would insist on saving an entire city if even one righteous person was to dwell there. Ridiculous to say- but if there is even one righteous person wearing a certain type of a yarmulke then I would think it would be important not to generalize and give kavod where it is earned. Second point to #16- there happens to be frum people who are serious about frumkeit in both the Israeli and US Armies. In fact, I have a friend who is on a base in Louisiana. His greatest joy is getting Shabbos off to spend Shabbos by a chabad 100 miles away. Would you like to tell them that they are not a ben torah?
“RUCHI”- whoever you are, your arguments have already been answered in a different thread by charliehall. However,your whole promise is faulty.You claim that history showed that mendelsohn’s approach was wrong. Indeed. So, how do you know that the present approach by the chareidi world is correct? Maybe history will show that they are dead wrong. They were mistaken in the years leading up to the Holocaust and some of their statmeents about Eretz Yisroel have been found wrong too. Maybe history will show that their present stand is totally wrong.
To #17—–The Torah mandates every Shevat to go in the army and fight the battles for Klal Yisroel. See Parshas Pinchas for openers. Dovid Hamelech himself, the Shoftim and the kings of Eretz Yisroel did the same. Read and study your T”nach.
You haven’t heard from more Orthodox rabbis because either they’re afraid to speak out, or Rachmono Litzlon they even agree with name-calling and attacks on chareidi soldiers. Unfortunately , those in prominent rabbinic positions who are venerated as “Gedolim” are not that at all. They want other soldiers, read chilonim,to spill their guts and blood to protect everybody else. This is not Das Torah—This is anti-Torah to the fullest degree.Not everyone belongs in a Kollel, and not everybody who attends one belongs there. Kollels are a relatively ne phenomena because for centuries Yidden went to work and found a parnassah. This too is Torah.
Interestingly enough, I was listening to a dvd of Rabbi’s Eli Mansour and Feiner today at our shul on Tisha B’Av. I believe it was Rabbi Mansour whom was saying the worst loshon hora that was ever spoken in the world was from Amalek when he was speaking with Achashveiros. Amalek said the Jews are a divided people etc…
How interesting that the loshon hora and onaas devarim was with mention of Amalek.
Something to seriously think about….
Elchie put it very well.
Achdus is nice, but it doesn’t apply to minim.
Lo Soguru, your mistake is in the implication that land is worth fighting for. Actually, they didn’t want this fight to begin with, and, if not for the Zionist usurpers, they would have lived in Eretz Yisrael without any fights. If the Zionists want to fight, that’s their folly.