notyeshivish

What has happened to this room is embarrassing and appalling. The sinat chinam that clearly is being shot around here is upsetting and I am starting to feel embarrassed of being a Jew. First off, I don’t understand why people are so against Zionism of it is a principle that some of our greatest teachers and scholars believed in and preached for thousands of years. The concept of kedushat eretz Yisrael is something that is paramount to the Jewish faith, something out greatest teacher, Moshe rabbeinu, was unable to do and cried endlessly to God to allow him to go into the land of Israel. Countless tzaddikim, including the ramban, rambam, Ezra hasofer and many many more have taught us to love eretz Yisrael and to live there because it is the holiest land on earth. If this is so, and it is also the main point of Zionism, which Herzl does attest to in his works, then why do people think it is avoda zara? Wouldn’t it be heretical of THEM to say that a mitzva that hashem has commanded us to do is avoda zara and incorrect?

Secondly, I don’t understand why people decide to knock on modern orthodoxy. I grew up more to the right and I have moved more to the left over the last few years so I have seen both sides. What appears to me is that it is clearly possible to be modern orthodox and still adhere to all of halacha and halachik values. It seems to me that generally the people who are considered modern orthodox are usually more accepting and open minded than many people in the chareidi community. Also, one thing that I believe make modern orthodoxy special is that it really presents many different hashkafot and allows for the young people to choose. But to reiterate what I said at the beginning, even though modern orthodoxy or Zionism have their flaws, it gives no Jew the right or permission to judge and criticize the people who agree with them.

My dearest OURtorah,

I hope you have changed your views from those of five months ago because what you said is appalling and psychologically incorrect. First off, to compare Zionism to the neturei karta is ridiculous and shameful. Zionism does not burn flags and outwardly protest against the chareidi community. Also, you talked about us not being so vocal about our beliefs because it shows that were uncomfortable. However, this is not the case in any sense. We speak out not only because we speak about things we believe in like any normal person but we have to because people like yourself put us down. I’m sure you would appreciate it if we would keep quiet while you talk about zionists not recognizing other Jews but I don’t think that it is possible.