The gemora (Pesachim 49b) cites Rebbi Akiva who says that when he was an am haaretz, he would yearn that someone would bring him a talmid chochom so that he could bite him like a donkey. The gemora continues to say that the hatred of an am haaretz to a talmid chochom is greater than that of the nations to the Jews. Even greater than this is the hatred of someone who once learned, and then separated from it. These are fascinating statements. I would have thought that the anti-Semitism displayed by the nations is the biggest hatred, yet it seems even more so is that which we find on our own doorstep. How can we understand this gemora? Does is have any relevance to us in today’s day and age?

Let us work backwards. People who once learned and then separated from it, what is the root of their hatred? History bears witness; there were people in renowned centres of Torah, who were even great masmidim. Then something happened. Usually it is something to do with kina, tayva, kavod or all three. Or some other hashkafic flaw, or a wrong midda, which was never exorcised, it lay dormant and it was just a matter of time before the results became clear for all to see. Some of these people then played into the hands of the enemy, and became enemies themselves, rodfim to Torah Jews. The Gemora in Shabbos (88b) explained by Chazal says that when Torah is learnt the right way, it is a life giving potion. When it is learnt the wrong way, with the wrong middos, then it is a non-life giving potion, the Torah itself makes one worse. This is Rav Chaim Shmulevits explanation as to how Elifaz came about, he was raised partly by Yitzchak, but his father and main influence was Esav. From this combination came about Elifaz, and ultimately Amalek. Amalek couldn’t have been produced by regular evil, the good from Yitzchak made the bad from Esav even worse. This is what happens when light and darkness mix. (for more see the Sichos Mussar)

Let us understand why there is this hatred from one group to the next. The main point is to do with how much ones conscious is disturbed by the next group. The non-Jew knows deep down that the Jew is right. Therefore to sooth his conscious he has to hate and oppress the Jew. The am haaretz however, is closer to the real thing, he is already Jewish, just that he knows his limitations. Therefore when he sees someone practising more than he, he has to go for them, in a pathetic attempt to make himself feel better. The problem is that such a conscience can never really be put at ease, he twists and turns to sooth his conscience, but it doesn’t work. The only thing he can do is go on and on about how bad the one who practises more is, to show that he really isn’t so bad. Finally, the one who learned and separated, he really knows the truth, and has rejected it, therefore he is the epitome of one who can only make himself feel better by going for the one who practises more.

Let us focus on how the am haaretz hates the talmid chochom. No, I’m not going to say all chareidim are talmidei chachamim, and I’m not going to say everyone else is an am haaretz. But lets generalize somewhat and call it the strict Torah camp and the less religious camp. The non-religious come along with claims, Chareidim are violent, chareidim don’t pay taxes and chareidim don’t work. Let us examine these claims, are they true or are they conscience soothing.

An Israeli I know recently went to chutz laaretz and ranted and raved telling his relatives how terrible the situation is in Israel, things are getting worse, the Chareidim ‘attack’ Jewish soldiers. That is called an ‘attack’. How does a newspaper decide what to print? To be newsworthy it must be either an article of international interest, or something unusual, against normal behaviour, otherwise it’s not news. Therefore why are chareidim sometimes in the news for certain thing? Because it shows that these are the exceptions, and not the norm. Yet it makes the less practising feel good, they can temporarily sooth their conscience and say, ‘you see the Chareidim aren’t so good after all, and my lifestyle is fine.’ Now, granted that we are not living in the Messianic era, our camp is not heaven on earth and is not perfect, there may be some who give the rest a bad name, but if one looks at the whole picture, to describe Chareidim as violent, militant etc, is it not a distortion. On the contrary, this is a secular ‘attack’ on Chareidim, the smearing of an entire sector of society. Lapid goes on and on about how the Chareidi media is attacking him. However, when he attacks on a daily basis everyone is fine with that. The first halacha in hilchos anti-Semitism is that a Jew may not defend himself. This is what the Goldstone report told us, and the UN are constantly telling us. However, in inter-Jewish anti-Semitism, the first law is that the more practising is not allowed to defend himself against the less practising. When he does defend it will be called attack, disproportionate etc. Either way he can’t win.

Let us discuss the claim that Chareidim don’t work, and don’t pay taxes. This is an old claim that first appeared in Megillas Esther, and reared its head throughout generations, especially in Berlin 80 odd years ago. So is it true or not? Tthe reality on the ground is that most chareidi families are involved in employment one way or the other. However, as was mentioned in the previous article, the whole system here is designed to keep Chareidim out of the regular workforce. Yet if a portion of what is broadly defined as the chareidi sector want to learn Torah, that’s too much. They will say no one works. Now, let’s consider another aspect. No secular taxi driver has ever charged a fare and not put it on the meter. No secular workman ever did a job and didn’t give an official receipt. In a discussion with a secular friend, he even told me that no one he knows declares income from rentals on their official forms. Another aspect is that one can earn 7000 nis a month exempt from tax. Therefore if your business is small they may not even incur liability. I’m not going to claim two wrongs make a right, but why do the secular declare the moral high ground in this area, when it is well known that the size of the black economy in Israel is not a chareidi issue, but a national issue. One gets the feeling it maybe a case of, as Chazal say, that which you claim against others, is that which you are guilty of yourself.

Aaron Yechezkel is an Avreich in a Jerusalem Kollel. 

NOTE: The views expressed here are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of YWN.

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