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I have to wonder. We hear that more Torah is being learned today, more tzedakah is being given and more chesed is being done than at any other time in Jewish history. Thanks to Artscroll and the internet, Torah is readily available to all, 24/7, anywhere in the world. Shiurim are given in offices during lunchtime, on trains to and from work. Seforim stores are packed with seforim. Anything is possible.
And yet those who want to destroy us are growing in voice and power. Jew-haters are on every college campus, in every forum, in every newspaper.
Aren’t we doing what we are supposed to be doing? Why is Hashem allowing those who would destroy us rise again? Why must we always live in fear of our lives, no matter what we do?
Maybe so we can daven for the geulah?
“Aren’t we doing what we are supposed to be doing?”
No, not even a fraction.
It seems you are an outsider. I advise you go learn from a rebbe to educate yourself
5t – I’m not going to list the spiritual defects of klal yisroel, i don’t want to be mekatreg. But syag is right; we might be learning more in quantity than previous generations(though that too is not so simple.. My grandfather’s town in Lithuania had baalei batim learning 8 hours a day… And they were learning like yeshiva men) overall, but there are many deep seated problems that we have too.
The Internet and smartphone culture are the haskalah of European jewry…it needs to stop. We need to look at unfiltered internet access and social media the way we look at television. The haskalah was an existential threat to klal yisroel, and it caused the worst tragedy in our history; the amount of damage being wrought by unfiltered internet and social media is even moreso than haskalah.
Re the title in and of itself. There was always המחנה הנשאר לפליטה even in the darkness years ever to klalYisroel.
And regarding Torah spreading today, B.H. it’s beautiful but it’s not to say that on quality we are not weaker in the Golus each generation from other generations where books were scarce…
We don’t even reach the ankles of our Elter Zeidas and Bubbes in Yiddishkeit.
if Ha-Shem did not want us to survive, we wouldn’t
@ 5t, How about focusing on yoursel and what you can do to improve and if you need guidance ask a rav.
>>>We don’t even reach the ankles of our Elter Zeidas and Bubbes in Yiddishkeit.
Perhaps you don’t but I can think of plenty of people who are Talmidey Chachomim and Yorey Shmoyim whose great-grandparents were total Am Haartzim and who were not particularly frum. While it can’t be judged who Hashem values more given the respective circumstances faced by both groups on an external level it doesn’t seem correct to say that the current generation does not have many who far surpass their great-grandparents in Yiddishkeit.
The Amkus and Yashrus Havono isn’t there as previous generations.
Dirshu and all Chiburim today do not reach even Chasam Sofer for example… not even talking about earlier, Reb Akivo Eiger or Avnei Nezer, etc.We are blessed B.H. but it’s a true given,
אם הראשונים כמלאכים הרינו כבני אדם, …Please see what Rashi says Megiloh7.b – It’s not just about Bk’ius and remembering…
How many Chasam Sofers, Reb Akivo Eiger or Avnei Nezers were there in the previous generations? Versus the simple folk who seem to have been a lot less learned than the simple folk of todays generation.
> plenty of people who are Talmidey Chachomim and Yorey Shmoyim whose great-grandparents were total Am Haartzim and who were not particularly frum
this is not that simple. Not taking away the zechuyos, those students should not look down at their zeydes and especially bubbes. Staying Jewish and honest and not becoming murderers (like communists) in that generation was a harder test than learning in a comfortable building with food 3 times a day. Each generation has their own challenges. This is not just history, those who are zoche to still have their zeydes and great-zeydes, should listen to their wisdom even if they can not quote Rambam by heart.
Besides for learning, what about yashrus, anava, ayin tova, ahavas Yisroel, behaving in a way that you KNOW Hashem is watching you (as in shivisi Hashem l’negdi tomid) and behaving with the knowledge that goyim and Yidden of all types and stripes are also watching you and judging Am Yisroel by your actions. So many middos we need to work on – the list is endless. It doesn’t start and end with learning Torah and giving tzedaka. There is so much more and we are trying. Hashem sees our efforts and He obviously knows that we can do better and wants more from us.
I’m sorry, but this is so ridiculously silly that it’s almost hysterical. Ki keshmo ken hu, your username befits you so perfectly. You are so obviously mufka as the sun shines every day. Please go learn the basics of Torah Judaism from a living breathing rebbe
“Why is this Golus different from all other Galuyos?”
In Mitzrayim it was only decreed to be 210 years. Their suffering was a Gezaira from “Bamah Ei’dah”.
Bavel was for 70 years, and even when people went up to build the second Bais Hamikdash, many Yidden stayed behind.
Galus Edom is the longest so far. Consider the Spanish expulsion, the crusades and the holocaust R”L. Have we ever permanently remained in one country, who have we wandered from place to place seeking refuge from our oppressors? What makes you think that Golus America is here to stay? Wake up and refocus your compass where it needs to be directed.Those who have money and yichus are treated with respect.
But what about: Baalei Teshuvah, gairim,
Sephardim, Russian Jews, and the poor?What about those Jews who observe mitzvot,
but do not wear The Uniform (white shirt &
black hat & all other clothes black)?One older bachur I know lives in an apartment building in one of NYC’s most Orthodox neighborhoods.
None of the Orthodox Jews who live in his apartment building are interested in learning Torah with him, nor are they interested in inviting him for Shabbat, nor are they interested in befriending him or even talking with him for more than a few minutes. Not even those who live on the same floor as him; not even those who live next-door to him; not even those who go to the same shul as him.
It is “every man for himself” – there is zero friendship and zero unity among Jewish neighbors, even though they have been living in the same apartment building for more than 25 years.
Is that normal? Is that what G_D wants from His people?5T
All things are mortal but the Jew; all other forces pass, but he remains. What is the secret of his immortality? (Mark Twain)
Your questions essentially boil down to an attempt to understand Gods plan, and no one can know that.
What is clear is that our stubborn insistence on following Rabbinic Judaism has allowed its adherents to perform a feat of survival that is miraculous and noted as such by goyim.
And your question of “what is the point?” Is somewhat shallow coming from someone who hasn’t know the adversity of a holocaust. Those that did and still saw “the point” are the ones that keep the miracle known as “the Jew” immortal.We say המה כרעו ונפלו they (the Roman Empire) bent and fell but we the Jews בשם ה’ אלקינו נזכיר we trust and believe in Him so we pray to Hashem our G-d and get answered and helped by Him.
Does Hashem want us to survive? Who knows? Let’s focus on what we do know. Hashem wants us to try to live – we are commanded to safeguard our lives to the best of our abilities. He wants us to live a life filled with Torah and Mitzvos.
So let’s focus on doing that, as it is within our control. If you start wondering whether Hashem wants us to be killed, you can chas v’shalom cause people to turn away from serving Hashem. Let’s just do what we know is right, and daven that Hashem continues to protect us.Square_root – I don’t think your story is the norm. I personally know of many communities that are warm and welcoming to all Jews. I once read something about how the Elizabeth, NJ community dealt with an emergency – a flight on a Friday was delayed, and would be landing about an hour before Shabbos. There were about 25 frum Jews on the plance, and they’d be unable to travel to their destinations. The Rav of the area sent out an email, and within 15 minutes, lodging and meals were arranged for all the travelers.
Just a few weeks ago, the Shabbos Project took place. How many guests were hosted for Shabbos meals, guests of various levels of observance?
Are there times where people are overlooked? Sadly, yes. But if people were made aware of this person, I’m sure the invitations would come pouring in. Likely they just aren’t aware.
um toshma.
chasm sofer predated the avnei nezer.How do we know that nobody today reaches the level of earlier Gedolim?
R’ Elyashiv zt”l once compared R’ CHaim Kanievsky zt”l to a Rishon – when the famous story with the grasshopper occurred, he said that this is something only Rishonim were zoche to experience. Obviously it’s extremely rare to have individuals reach these heights, but I don’t think it’s impossible.Dear 5Tresident.
Of course Hashem will redeem us WITHOUT us reaching height of previous generations.
These things are unrelated.
יפתח בדורו כשמואל בדורו
I should have mentioned Rav “Yehoshua Falk (“Pnei Yehoshua”) and Rav Yonoson Eybeschutz (same generation) predating Chasam Sofer.
BTW, regarding the latter, another major Godol was the Yismach Moshe, who the Lemberger Rov Yeshuos Yaakov (I believe) referred with הושיעה ד’ כי גמר חסיד
Damoshe – a statement that a gadol experienced something not seen since the rishonim doesn’t mean that they have the din of a rishon.
If you went to darchei you’d know about yeridas hadoros, that each generation is lower than the one above it.
“If the earlier ones were like angels, then we are like men, and if they were like men, then we are like donkeys, and not like the donkey of rebbe pinchas ben yair”
The chasam sofer writes that if we understand that the ones before us were like angels, then we’re bnei Adam. But if we think that the rishonim were people just like us, then were like donkeys
Why do you think that besides the Gaon, virtually no acharon argues with the rishonim? Why do you think rav akiva eiger asks bomb questions on the rishonim, questions that seem to completely demolish what they say, and end off by saying he’s not zocheh to understand their holy words?
edited
Aveirah, I didn’t say that people should hold that they are on the level of a Rishon. We should have anivus, and hold ourselves as less. That doesn’t discount the fact that some rare individuals may have been on those levels. As you pointed out, the Gra did argue with those who came before him.
This galus is because of ben adam lechavero, because of personal interrelationships as sinas chinam, hatred towards each other where the redemption can only come when we correct it.
a technical question – if Gra argues with Rishonim, can other Acharonim argue with Gra? That is, is he completely at the Rishonim level, or is he in both groups.
Well,I know people who are so-called learned, and yet will readily put a fellow Jew to shame in public. Or ridicule fellow Jews.
Perhaps that’s our major problem…
And as someone said, I know Jews who live on the same block, or even the same building, and yet rarely so much as say good morning. And they are so so so frum.
Perhaps that too is our major problem…..Aaq, the nefesh hachaim has a story from a talmid in the back, which says that the talmidim were saying that the Gaon was on the level of the rambam, to which rav chaim volozhinet responded “no, maybe like the rashba or the…” (I forgot the other rishon, could be the ramban or the ran, ayin shom)
Also, one of my rebbeim learned by rav aharon, and said that often, rav aharon would say “this is mentioned in all the rishonim…rashha, rosh, ran, gaon”
Of course Hashem wants the Yidden to survive! Hashem loves the Yidden like the apple of His eye. The entire world and everything in it was created for the Yidden. Yidden are even more important to Hashem than the Torah itself (תנא דבי אליהו, ועוד)
As we say in the Haggadah, in every generation they rise against us to annihilate us, but Hashem delivers us from their hands.
Very soon, Moshiach will come, and we’ll live forever with eternal peace. רמב”ם הלכות מלכים פי”ב, ועוד
moishek > and yet rarely so much as say good morning. And they are so so so frum.
why are you calling such a person “frum”?
Reb Eliezer
So why aren’t we all together as one loving nation working on coming together on all from frum to frei to chassidish to reform etc….. For Serious teshuvav and AHAVAS CHINAM
so Hashem can accept our sincere teshuva already and send Mashiach already? What are we waiting for? Why are we living in denial and not waking ourselves up already?Let’s make a time for all of klal yisroel together for serious teshuva and achdus together ASAP so Hashem can send Mashiach already bkarov.
Which view of the GRA has no rishon to back him up?
Maybe they are taught to look down, so they don’t see the person to tell one good morning.
Chanukah, the GRA argues on the SA O’CH 676,5 to light the added new candle first as the ikar mitzva is the one on the right. We light the one added on the left in order to turn towards the right. When we open the aron hakodash, how do we open it from the left towards the right or vice versa? We start from right.
Reb E, see the taz there
There is a big discussion in the above in sefer מנהג ישראל תורה סימן קל’ד whether to start from the right as by the pesicha and our Hebrew writing or vice versa as by Chanukah to start from the left going towards the right.
Dear yungermanS.
I like what a godol said after Meron Tzoroh…
“every individual should look at himself in how he/she should better oneself, not to judge our nation as a whole. ”_
Well. Because Am Yisroel, as a whole, is kodesh.The Taz and Levush hold to start from right to the left. See the above sefer. What about lighting at the window?
RebE > Maybe they are taught to look down, so they don’t see the person to tell one good morning.
interesting, this contradicts the idea of greeting people first. How do you indeed greet people first while looking down?! Unless, both are looking down, and you greet him right before bumping into him.
ToShma
What is the famous line we are all aware of in klal yisroel together?
“All of klal yisroel is responsible for one another…..”
Let’s stop living in denial and think we can fool Hashem that we don’t get the shocking wake up calls sent directly from Hashem above. Hashem is ready to send Mashiach as soon as we FACE REALITY and accept the wake up call for serious teshuva and achdus together ASAP.
Mashiach could’ve came already many generations ago and even prevented the Holocaust from happening all together in the first place if we just wake up and return to Hashem with serious teshuva and achdus together ASAP like we did in the story of Purim.
May it happen very soon that we greet Mashiach and the Bais Hamikdosh bkarov.
So when will we stop making ourselves into fools by thinking we can fool Hashem the king of kings ruler of the entire world that we don’t get his shocking messages directly from Hashem to klal yisroel tragically that could’ve been completely avoided and Hashem is just waiting for us to come as one loving nation for serious Teshuva and Achdus together ASAP?
BOTTOM LINE:
THERE’S NO ONE TO BLAME EXCEPT OURSELVES. WHEN ALL OF THE HATRED FROM THE OTHER NATIONS AND STILL LIVING IN EXILE TODAY SADLY COULD’VE ALL BEEN AVOIDED AND WE COULD’VE ALREADY BEEN IN YERUSHALAYIM WITH THE REBUILDING OF THE 3RD BAIS HAMIKDOSH ALREADY.MAY we all wake ourselves up from this sad denial ASAP and all beg our loving father Hashem forgiveness ASAP so we can be worthy of the coming of Mashiach already bkarov
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