Dear YWN,
I found the “editorial” in the Yated this week, although painful and heart wrenching, self serving in the extreme and not a little disingenuous. My aim is not to create a political statement because after much thought and analysis with probing questions directed and various knowledgeable people, I’ve reached the conclusion that there is a very fine line between politics and religion, where various chareidi and religious Zionist communities are concerned. This fine line meanders, wanders and crosses over all our communities until it comes home to roost.
Only our Gedolim can pinpoint where this line begins and ends.
Let’s go back two years to the editors opinion in the aftermath of the Gush Katif expulsion. He quoted Maran Harav Shach ZT”L, as having said after the 1967 war that no one should settle in the Gush Katif area because it would not have a kiyum. Now Rav Shach ZT”L may or may have not said this, and it also may have been taken out of context, but that’s really a moot point. In the midst of the deepest darkest suffering of thousands of people it was as if the editor was saying “Es Chatoseichem Ani Mazkir Hayom.” This was the editors most powerful and effective forum for making the sins of this community known. You let this shattered group of people understand quite succinctly the cause and effect of their suffering. How kind and sympathetic of you. I would venture to say that if anyone would be mazkir the length and breadth of any or all of our chataim in the midst of anyone of our personal agonies we wouldn’t assume that he is a partner in our pain. At the same time there was not even one Gadol B’Yisroel that publicly proclaimed that the suffering of the Gush Katif expellees was for that reason.
With the editor’s far reaching vision maybe he can explain why this terrible massacre befell us as well. As he so beautifully proclaims in his heart wrenching poem ” When we are echad with no friction or fighting no power can hurt us.” Where was that attitude when the editor wrote in a post expulsion editorial that ” We cried enough”. Apparently the editor felt that he had cried enough. Personally, I continued to cry and was horrified that the editor can make such a statement when our brothers and sisters were suffering so enormously and continue to do so today. It’s very easy to make such a statement when one can return to one’s cozy home and not have to worry about not having parnassah, or worry about possessions that are packed up in metal containers and are in middle of a desert or worry that one’s family may literally be at risk of falling apart.
Certainly the massacre in cold blood of 8 yeshiva bochurim who lived Al Hatorah V’al Havodah, is chilling and horrifying beyond compare. In the same vein let’s remember that those who consider themselves part of the Mercaz Harav community are of the same community who made up a good portion of the Gush Katif settlements that you so easily and glibly vilified and cried enough for. These are – and here I will acknowledge what the editor failed to acknowledge at the time – very frum men women and children the wives of whom I might add put the “Black Hat” community to shame with their very fine level of tzinius. I can assure you that they do not sport $2,000 sheitels – many wear only wear tichels and very modest ones at that.
It is for these people you wrote “We cried enough”. Maybe just maybe HK”BH’s message to us is that we have to be there for one another, and if we cant get together happily for good things, then He will get us together in other ways.
Maybe just maybe He’ll make us cry together. And if we can’t even cry together maybe just maybe He’ll make us really cry together! This terrible gezaira had the power to cut across every religious and political line. May Hashem wipe away all our collective tears that are shed with achdus and bring the geula shelaima.
I wouldn’t actually deign to know why HK”BH brings any gezaira. But, I do know that it is extremely dangerous to proclaim that you “Cried enough” about another person’s tzara. In fact our eyes are still wet with unending tears. I have kept a picture of these yeshiva bochurim on my counter so that I will always be in tears. These kedoshim were not long ago babies in their mothers arms. Each one of their countenances bears the image of yiddishe chein – sweetness and innocence that only a Torah life can produce. We must not stop crying and davening for each one of us individually and for ourselves as a klal. Every disaster that has ever befallen us R”L is personal, and our tears and tefillos connect us all.
Just for the record, my family is completely “Black Hat” I have constantly taught them that the pain of a Yid anywhere is to be felt as our own personal pain, and I would be sickened if they ever demonstrated otherwise.
Certainly, this enormous blow to us really hits home – for if an Arab can attack in any one Yeshiva…….. Lo Aleinu, Hashem should protect us all.
I would request of the editor of the Yated, since you probably know the reason that this painful and difficult gezaira has befallen us maybe you can alert the Einai Ha’eida and let us know as well.
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30 Responses
If you are complaining about the Yated then complain TO the Yated!
To “monseyguy”: YW is the perfect forum to address this “complaint” since the Yated editorial was posted HERE. All those who read the Yated editorial on-line, are entitled to read this comment/complaint in the same forum. Guaranteed, this will not be printed in the Yated.
The yidden of Gush Katif suffered-and continue to suffer-the terrible effects of galus. They settled Gaza l’sheim shamayim, encouraged by a government that cruelly betrayed and vilified them. Then Pinny and others like him “piled on” to show us simpletons that the settlers were suffering the wrath of G-d. Then, crocodile tears and Bais Yaakov-level poetry for Mercaz Harav!
Remember ahavas chinom. That’s the sure road to Geulah. The gedoilim will tell us what we need to hear on the issues. Chizuk-not condemnation- for Gush Katif settlers. After all, they acted according the theie daas Torah and they are Acheinu Bnai Yisrael just like the bachurim of Mercaz Harav.
I think it is said in a manner of Tefillah, not Nivuah; that is the goal, I believe.
I agree that “I wouldn’t actually deign to know why HK”BH brings any gezaira. But, I do know that it is extremely dangerous to proclaim that you “Cried enough” about another person’s tzara”.
Again, I don’t know that I would word these things the way they are worded, but I believe they are trying to express longing and yearning, and not, G-d forbid, telling Hashem (or us) what His thoughts are and what He should or should not be doing.
As for Gush Katif, I think there is a fundamental difference. Gush Katif involved a Nationalist politic which non-Zionists have no belief in, whereas the boys learning in Yeshiva did nothing wrong and, in fact, one would think that zechus HaTorah would have protected them.
In Gush Katif, when the Zionists who you chose to let rule over you, tell you to leave Gush Katif and you stay anyways, there is not going to be as much sympathy as when an Arab murders 8 innocent boys in, of all places, a Yeshiva.
Of course, only the real Jewish organizations like the OU, YI and many private Rabbanim went to the expellees to give them support and comfort after the fact, whereas the gas-bags secular Jewish group simply spouted on how this is necessary for peace.
United we Stand, Divided we Fall.
Shocking and disturbing!
The letter, that is.
[For starters, I recall the Yated taking a very pro-settler stand, and only toning it down after the editor quoted a conversation he had with his Rebbe, Reb Shmuel kaminetzky shelita.
But the deviation of the truth is the least of what is bothering me.]
When Hashem brings a tragedy upon us R”L, it is a directive for us to feel the pain and do some soul searching. According to the Rambam one who doesn’t is cruel (an achzor).
Additionally, one who is mishtatef with Klall Yisroel’s pain, merits to see its comfort.. It applies in the negative as well.
A terrible tragedy has befallen us R”L. The pain is great.
However, some have decided to utilize these eight Kedoshim for political aspirations. They overcome and ignore their conscience, and will attack all through these eight Kedoshim.
Let me ask you, does human life have such diminutive value to you. Will we stoop to using the death of these Holy Jews for ulterior motives.
On this website we have a woman who has commented on how “bad” Kollel is for us many times, now come along and tell EVERYBODY ELSE how to improve their comments. Others questioning and attempting to ridicule the gedolim for not doing what these pundits see as correct.
We have to correct ourselves. If we choose to correct others and not ourselves…., we have indeed missed the boat.
[There is indeed a Mitzvah of Tochocha (the neglect of it caused the destruction of Yerushlaim). It’s applicable if one sees HIMSELF as wrong in not handing it out… and is improving HIMSELF]
Dear YW Editor,
You too?!?
Why don’t you quote Derech Sicha (Reb Chaim Kanievsky Shelita) page 179-180?
“These are very frum men women and children the wives of whom I might add put the “Black Hat” community to shame with their very fine level of tzinius. I can assure you that they do not sport $2,000 sheitels”. – You took the words out of my mouth. These are the people who my family look up to as how a Frun Jew should dress and act. The problem is that the ” Black Hat” community has this arrogance that for some reason which I have no idea why feels that they are the Frum jews that people should follow.
If this is in fact the case, that the Black hat community represent how a frum jew should dress and act, this nation is in much trouble. Take a walk down any prominent avenue, or look at SHAITEL ADVERTISMENTS IN THE JEWSIH PRESS, AND YOU KNOWEXACTLY WHAT I MEAN.
The Jewish Press is not exactly a “black hat” publication.
To “truth be told” You are politicizing what I am davka trying to depoliticize, my pain for everyjew in their own personal circumstance is very great. There is extreme difficulty in sorting out what constitutes politics and what boils down to religion. I have even question Daas Torah on this topic, and the only answer I was able to recieve is that everything in Eretz Yisroel is very complicated. I have found that anytime anyone says something that strikes another person wrong they start screaming politics. I am not using Chas V’shalom these kedoshim as a pawn for anything. Personally I spent an entire Friday of the Levaya crying.
Kindly advise…..where in Eretz Yisroel does religon and politics begin? I already stated my original premise, and its easy to view this as a political statement because WE have so divided ourselves along those lines. If you have seen any scenes of the avacuation of Gush Katif all you COULD do is cry. Self improvement is always an order. For myself I begin with identifying with the Tzara of my fellow yid and crying. Chas V’shalom I would never ridicule the gedolim, I seek Daas Torah for all my own endeavors.
You may recall the Bostoner Rebbe publically felt much pain for the Gush Katif. And if Reb Chaim Kanievsky wrote something on this topic kindly stop being sarcastic and share it with us.
It’s not only the aforementioned. I wrote a letter to another frum publication (didn’t get published) at the time of the GK expulsion. They had a photo with a caption about a woman being dragged from her home kicking and screaming “like an animal”. An animal?? Someone is torn with her family, possessions, from her home, her kitchen cabinets, her furniture, the walls she painted the curtains and picture frames she hung, the tiles she chose, the garden she tended, the steps she swept…. to a sandy hot empty nothing with some “caravans”… no money, no job, no home, no schools, no community… and the biggest shot of empathy you can muster is “like an animal”?
Even YISHMAEL is called in the Torah – pere ADAM. Don’t our brethren deserve 10000000000000000000000x better?
Forgot to finish off…
Unfortunately, we see signs of it every once in a while. While I hope that at least some is a “literary oversight”, I also hope that we (the readers and of course the writers) take our cue to increase ahavas yisroel so we shall not be guilty of the same.
Calm down everybody! Rabbi Lipshitz’s editorials are very inspiring and to the point. So to the point it seems,that it has unnerved some of the readers! I think some of us should be unnerved! He often correctly brings in some Musser into his editorials,making the excellent point,that when tragic events occur,they are a call for introspection for everyone! His articles hit home,and thus people start getting uneasy! only goes to show how right he is! Zaidy esq-your comment about Bais Yaakov level poetry was uncalled for. Lets see you write something even half as brilliant and inspiring! Many people were brought to tears from reading it. In short,stop getting so riled up whenever someone points out that we need to change-because its true,we have many ways in which we are imperfect and can better ourselves. Unless of course you are to stuck up to admit to that. Which i suspect is the case.
Baki,
Then what exaxtly is it????? dont be delusional… you know its true. Maybe if we acccept that there is a problem, we can try to fix it. Any teenage girl who sees those ads will try to emulate them in some way once they are married and looking to buy a shaitel.
You’re calling the Jewish Press a black hat publication and bringing proof from it to their level of tznius and I’M the one being delusional?! What have you been smoking? Is YCT black hat as well?
The writer of this letter seems to be missing the point. Perhaps R’ Lipshitz wrote other editorials which you have an issue with. But, here he wrote a heart-wrenching plea for Achdus. Even if you don’t like what he wrote in a different article, now isn’t the time to voice your disagreement. Listen to his call for unity – that’s what he wrote now & try to put aside your problems you have with his other articles.
#3 – ZaidyEsq. and #7 – outraged:
Thumbs up to you.
(#14 – only emes. I don’t mean to get off topic but I had to comment on your words. Shidduchim is inconsequential? You’ve obviously never experienced it. Don’t forget that people who don’t manage to get married also can’t have children.)
Dear Caring JEW,
Do you believe that you possess the power to discern whether Rabbi Lipshitz was “self serving in the extreme and not a little disingenuous”. Are you some sort of prophet???
While it may not have been (completely) intentional, your letter appears to be a politically motivated attack on Rabbi Lipshitz and his readership.
[Besides there is quite a bit of sarcasm in there as well.]
It appears to me that you are not a regular reader of the Yated, and that someone either showed you or quoted the line a couple of years ago. Thus, the assumption is that the “black hatters” gloated over the Gush Katif tragedy.
I can assure you that is not the case! The pain WAS felt (and is still felt) over their fate. The Yated reported about it and asked for donations on their behalf.
(Whether they should have gone in the first place, is a different issue.)
You seem to be a caring and very good-hearted Yid. Please don’t allow others convince you how bad Yidden are without ample proof.
Actually, I heard in Rav Schach’s name the same thing. I heard it also in the name of the Lubavitcher Rebbe. He was asked how comes he doesn’t encourages his Chassidim to move to the territories.He reply was that the government keeps the territories only as a bargain chip and he doesn’t want his Chassidim to suffer. (I heard this before the girush from a Lubavitcher Chasid.This is also rav Shach’s reason). It wasn’t that they were punished for not listening. It was that they didn’t adhere to the pragmatig mind of a Godol and were caught up in their idealistic dreams.
T o lkwdfellow: I understand precisely what the editor intends. But YOU miss my point entirely. When one issues a clarion call for achdus,consistency has to be the most dominant feature. the editor is saying achdus but he hasn’t demonstrated it. By selectively allocating sympathy to one group and not another he creates division not unity.Achdus plus diviseveness does not equal achdus it equals echad bapeh vechad balev and that is divisive
Thank you for sharing the pain. Thank you for seeing with your heart. The horror and pain of the klal knows no boundaries, and there is no rhyme or reason for the colors that have been superficially placed to distinguish between us, as they are of course, just sophisticated forms of sinas chinam.
I too, am a mother of a Torahdik “black hat” family: one, though, that B”H gets the picture and will b’siyata dishmaya, will hopefully remain in our colorblind ways.
To truth be told: Not only Am I a VERY avid reader of the YATED ,I actually read it mostly cover to cover on a weekly basis. In fact, I am an avid reader in general and therefore a very discerning one. When I read something that strikes me as hypocritical in so august a publication as the Yated It sticks with me only because I truly expected better from our frum community. Had I read it in some incosequential publication I could have easily ignored it.In fact there are very few publications I allow in my home at all and that why this attitude hurts me all the more.
Gush Katif involved a Nationalist politic–Good excuse for not being an ohev yisroel or noseah b’all chavercha.
BEITAR, MODI’IM illit, EMANUEL,,,,, nationalistic settlers, ohvey, who will cry for these bargining chips, these settlers who settled disputable land. OH VEY!
Is “Black Hat” the epitome of Yiras Hashem?
So her issues are not really with the editorial, but with the editorial writer.
to ir: I appreciate your comments more than you can know. As you are so obviously aware, it is incumbent upon us, the mothers of Klal Yisroel, to foster, as you so eloquently stated a “colorblind” level of Ahavas Yisroel and Ahavas chinam in our homes. We are arguably THE most powerful force on earth and our teachings will mold the next generation and well beyond. It is precisely this attitude that will create the achdus we so desperately need
Dear writer,
YOUR LETTER WAS EXCELLENT , WRITTEN BEAUTIFULLY AND TO THE POINT. I COULDNT AGREE WITH YOU MORE . THE LEVEL OF TZNIUS OF THESE WOMEN DONT HOLD A CANDLE TO US NEW YORKERS.i WOULD BE ASHAMED FOR ANY OF THESE WOMEN TO BE AT OUR SIMCHAS AND SEE HOW WE DRESS.(AND ACT)
P.S I HEARD BY RAV GOLDVICHT SHIUR TONIGHT THAT ONE OF THE BOCHRIM HYD WAS SHOT TWICE HIS GEMARRA FELL TO THE FLOOR AND WITH HIS WOUNDS HE BENT DOWN TO PICK IT UP. ANOTHER BOCHUR HYD WOULD COME TO SHUL BEFORE SHACHRIS 45 MINUTES EARLY TO PREPARE HIMSELF FOR DAVENING. IF HE WOULD COME 20 MINUTES BEFORE SHACHRIS HE WOULD GO TO ANOTHER MINYAN SO THAT HE COULD BE 45 MINUTES BEFORE SHACHRIS.
Dear Hakatan #4, It gives me great pleasure to dissect your comment. Since your are so clearly the arbiter of right and wrong, would you kindly answer the following: Since YOU brought up the term “religious Zionist”, are your aware that the Mercaz Harav Kook Yeshiva is a hesder yeshiva where the young men learn for half a year and serve in the army for half a year? If so your comment has no merit because according to you the religious Zionists do things “wrong” and these boys are Very religious Zionists every single one of them. And if you were aware then you completely contradicted yourself,either way your comment has no merit.Now that you know who these Yeshiva bochurim are and you are aware of their extreme level of Avodas Hashem what would you say if they spent one half of the year learning in Beis Midrash and the other half fighting in Lebanon in the tank corps? What if chas veshalom their tank took a direct hit and they were burnt to a crisp, unrecognizable except for their dental records? (Death by tank explosion is a horrify,agonizing meshunadika misa where the skin melts off the body due to EXTREME furnace-like heat and there is NO method of escape) would you cry for these Yeshiva Bochur/ soldiers? would you still call them Kdoshim under these circumstances or would you deny them any status because they were doing something “WRONG”.Would you deny them a tearful farewell? Are you aware that Rav Chaim Shmulevits would get up in front of the entire Yeshiva and cry when he heard that soldiers were killed? Are you aware that there are 2000 men in the Nachal Chareidi faction of the Zionist army? Yes, you read correctly I wrote Chareidi. Do you have any feelings for them? Life in Eretz Yisroel is much too complicated for you to dismiss any one faction out of hand for doing something “wrong”.I would render your psak invalid and without merit in any case because if you’re sitting online that means you’re NOT sitting with your gemara.
Caring Jew – just a correction: Mercaz Harav is NOT a hesder yeshiva. The bochrim there learn full time all year long.
Thank you for your clarification g73. What I intended to highlight was the following. Allow me to share what I have gleaned from the Mercaz Harav website: ….”Mercaz Harav has come to denote not only a Yeshiva but a Torah concept which is the heart of the movement. This movement encompasses THOSANDS OF PUPILS and students in High schools and YESHIVOT HESDER,pupils and students in Ulpanot and Michlalot and members of all walks of the Hityashvut movement. ….Finally Mercaz Harav is Israels national Yeshiva here is where the spiritual signature of independence Day and Jerusalem Day receive their full emphasis”…Therefore I believe that my actual message remains the same.
RAV SHACH WENT THROUGH A VERY PAINFULL FOOT SUGERY WITHOUT ANISTESIA HE HELD ONTO TWO TALMIDIM WITH HIS EYES CLOSED NOT A SOUND NOT A TEAR! A FEW WEEKS LATER TWO IDF SOLDIERS WERE KILLED WHEN RAV SHACH HEARD HE WEPT, MAMISH TEARS POURING DOWN HIS FACE
I THINK THE POINT HERE IS UNDERSTOOD!!!
WE MUST ALL CRY FOR OTHERS SO HASHEM DOESN’T MAKE US CRY FOR OURSELVES