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For those of us who live in the US, we are extremely lucky to have a medinah shel chessed. Many Rabbonim have used that title to describe the US. Since the destruction of the Beis Hamikdash, I doubt that Jews have had as much freedom as we have here to practice our religion, to have as many yeshivos as we have now, etc.
So why do so few Jewish people recognize the day? Why don’t we have Rabbonim getting up, and thanking the soldiers who sacrificed their lives to ensure the freedoms that this country gives us? Shouldn’t we have an obligation of hakaras hatov towards them?I think frum people should be showing hakaros hatov. Years ago I used to make it my business to attend memorial days parades and thank the veterans. In Dorash Moshe there is speech given by Rav Moshe Feinstein in honor of July 4th. Today a similar speech on July 4th from a major gadol would be unthinkable.
But it’s not only the frum world where the attitude of appreciation to the US has changed America has become so polarized, there is so much anti America sentiment among the non-Jews that memorial day is little more than any other secular holiday like presidents day that is just ignored in the context of having meaning by everyone Jew and non-Jew alike.
48 year the US centennial was a major celebration year. (look at the quarters) In two years from now is the Semiquincentennial (250 years of the US) There are no plans for celebration. There are no bipartisan committees (remember those) working on making it a memorable event.
The frum world is not going to show more appreciation than the non-Jews do
Maybe because most Yidden are not in kesher with civil war origins of the day … we have schools open on the day, I am not mentioning this to coworkers
smerel> Today a similar speech on July 4th from a major gadol would be unthinkable.
Maybe you can just post R Moshe’s words. They should be operative unless later poskim contradict it explicitly, I think – and it is not out of question .. for example, praises of Germany by some Yakki gedolim did not age well. Look at R Shimon b Yochai who refused to “celebrate” any of Roman achievements, while his son, R Eliezer found it possible to work as a detective for the Romans.
When we respect the laws of our non-Jewish neighbors, they notice.
When we do not respect the laws of our non-Jewish neighbors, they also notice.When we respect the patriotic holidays of our non-Jewish neighbors, they notice.
When we do not respect the patriotic holidays of our non-Jewish neighbors, they also notice.When we respect the war veterans of our non-Jewish neighbors, they notice.
When we do not respect the war veterans of our non-Jewish neighbors, they also notice.When we respect our non-Jewish neighbors, they notice.
When we do not respect our non-Jewish neighbors, they also notice.Just because they do not say anything,
DOES NOT PROVE that they do not notice.They may not say anything to us,
but they can still talk about it among themselves.We have to respect the laws of the land.
The rest?
No country on the globe is “our fatherland”, it’s a place we are respectfully and peacefully living and we might be either living there with our descendants or leaving tomorrow. If they notice we are Yidden, so be it.
Would also be interesting to hear what you’d suggest to Yidden in countries such as Russia or Iran. What about Germany?
Also, there is a difference between respecting and honoring.
As a child Lkwd was known for their memorial day parades. Depending on the day of the holiday my father would load us into the old Dodge and drive us to Lkwd to view the parade. We were all exceedingly proud of the contingent of Jewish war veterans that marched. I doubt with the growth of the Yeshiva culture there are very few Jewish war veterans left from the wars after WW2. That being said, Decoration Day/Memorial day was never confused with Veterans day/Armistice Day by our family. My Uncle (the first American born in our family) was with the 4th infantry and helped liberate Dachau.
>>>Also, there is a difference between respecting and honoring.
It’s safe to say that Eliyohu Hanavi running in front of the Rosha Achav was both respecting and honoring him.
The posuk which says לֹֽא־תְתַעֵ֣ב מִצְרִ֔י
כִּי־גֵ֖ר הָיִ֥יתָ בְאַרְצֽוֹ is actually from the sources Chazal give for Hakoras HaTov. Period. Not only for the country you live in. Were the Egyptians such Tzadikm all the time Klal Yisroel was there ?“Since the destruction of the Beis Hamikdash, I doubt that Jews have had as much freedom as we have here to practice our religion, to have as many yeshivos as we have now, etc”.
More like:
“Since the destruction of the Beis Hamikdash, I doubt that Jews have assimilated more and abandoned the Torah more, than in US of A”The survivors are “One from a town, and 2 from an extended family”
There, I fixed it for you.
In my state “Confederate Memorial Day” is always the first Saturday in June (coming right up). I’m looking for Yidden that want to be named as Co-Plaintiffs & help with the legal fees to sue for discrimination regarding Jewish Confederate sympathizers inability to take part in the events.
>>>“Since the destruction of the Beis Hamikdash, I doubt that Jews have assimilated more and abandoned the Torah more, than in US of A”.
Pure ignorance.
Rav Avigdor Miller zt’l always encouraged flying the American flag on July 4th.
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