14 Responses

1. The Gadol Hador/ R’ Shteinman speaks and we follow. He and he alone is the Mesorah going back to Moshe Rabbeinu on Har Sinai. He is not politically, financially or Honour motivated!!! He is simply directing us how a Ben Torah, how a Jew should act. He doesn’t take his role as our leader lightly, rather, he weighs this responsibility from every angle including chilul Vs. Kiddush Hashem. The left-wing demagogues do not dictate our response!!! He is sharp as a razor and wisest amongst us. This is not blind faith but rather faith in a man who has dedicated almost 10 decades to Torah, Mesorah, and Gemilas Chasadim for all klal Yisroel. He gives and gives and only asks that we dedicate ourselves to Hashem’s & our Torah. May he live long and his honour be spread through all factions of yiddishkeit regardless of yalmuka or bare head. He personifies the living Torah. May we have Shalom and unity amongst Klal Yisroel.

2. Please Hashem, put in their hearts a spirit of calm, and let this Atzeres remain a peaceful event.

3. Luckily we have Maran rav steinman to lead us.

4. “Million Man Atzeres”??? – There are roughly 600,000 charedim living in Israel, including women, children, invalids and newborn infants. Mashma, there are probably not more than 150,000 charedi men living in Israel – maybe less. So who are the ‘million men’ who are going to come to the “Million Man Atzeres”??? Even counting women, children, invalids and newborn infants you’re barely halfway there.

5. The numbers that would most impact on the zionists would be young men of military age publicly stating they will refuse to serve and publicly posting their names, addresses and id numbers (equivalent to when Americans burned their draft card), and active members of the IDF appearing in uniform and publicly stating their refusal to continue service if criminal sanctions are introduced.

   Since most zionists believe that hareidi spend their lives in idle time (since they consider learning Torah to be no more hashuv than playing cards or listening to trashy music on the radio) a large crowd appearing won’t be impressive.

   Only open and notorious resistance is going to be effective.

6. “He and he alone is the Mesorah going back to Moshe Rabbeinu on Har Sinai.”

   It is no disrespect to Rav Steinman to point out that the above statement is NOT Judaism. He is a Gedol B’Torah but there are many, many great rabbis alive today who reflect the Mesorah.

7. charliehall: –and yes, it is customary and respectful to refer to each and everyone of that and is the best reflection of the mesorah to Har Sinai — even to the Dati Leumi ones who clearly very wrong on politics, which isn’t to say they a false, albeit a bit ill advised.

   I’m guessing yo are an American. Have you ever noticed that in Britain they refer to royalty with titles that if you look at them literally would (at least to a yank) be a bit over the top. Do you realize that in France they refer to each other as “my lord” or “my lady” (that’s lord or lady, as in member of nobility). In most cultures, you address your leaders with great respect and perhaps a bit of hyperbole. Because someone is respectful to gedolim (particularly those who you disagree with) isn’t a reason to get all bent out of shape.

8. akuperma-

   charliehall is exactly right. It’s one thing to be respectful and hyperbolic. But when someone says “he ALONE is the Mesorah…”, that is NOT correct and is NOT judaism.

9. There are over a million chareidim today in Israel. In fact 15 years ago a half a million chreidim protested at supreme court. Today 15 years later many more have been born or become chareidi baalei tsuvah. The only group increasing rapidly are the chareidim. The government does not have an exact count as many do not vote or register with the state. The secular israeli youth are fleeing israel in mass. They all want to live in tel aviv but prices there are sky high. The secular israeli government is trying to control the young chareidim by trying to draft them and water down their passion for Torah judaism. Also keep in mind that more than half of the over million chareidim are very young. In fact half of the first graders nationwide are chareidi children. There are families galore with 12 to 18 kids and each kid marrys by 18 or even 17. The secular israelis are running scared. I have quite a few children and grandchildren living in Eretz yisroel. I visit often and see the spiritual victory $mocing up day by day. I hope to join the million man march together with my children. Maybe after ukraine and egypt the secular israeli government will fall into the hands of chareidim. Omain

10. R’ Shteinman never claimed to be “alone the mesorah”.

    Someone else said so as an act of respect. The is the derekh eretz way of referring to a gadol ha-dor.

    When you refer to a politican as “The honorable”… does that mean the man is honorable – he might be a total jerk, but his office commands you refer to him as “The honorable”. When you call a Frenchman “monsieur” or a German “herr” do you really mean he is your “lord”. If you happen to meet the British, Candian and Australian Head of State, derekh eretz is to call her “Your majesty” even though there is nothing majestic about – she’s just a nice old lady, but out of respect for the office you refer to by the correct terms of respect.

11. rabbis disagree on halakhic issues – we believe in consistency, not one truth. eilu ve eilu is a jewish principle and machloket are common. rabbis who are well versed are able to opine on broader issues; only a fool does so without consultation with various experts.

    I hope anyone who leaves the bais midrash for a demonstration is drafted immediately. if learning is docheh the chiuv to fight a milchemet mitzvah, it is docheh demonstrations.

    in any case, 1 million men would require a miracle or mirrors.

12. 15 years ago the police estimated the size of the crowd at 400,000. 15 years ago nothing changed as a result of the demonstration. Why should we expect anything different today?

    The essence of a demonstration is a threat. In a country where elections have meaning, it is the statement: “Look how many we are and how serious we are. If you want to be reelected, do what we ask.” In a country where elections are meaningless, the only threat that has meaning is: “Do what we demand or die!” That is what is happening in Venezuela and the Ukraine. It is what has happened in Egypt recently and many other countries.

    Now the question is; do elections have any meaning is Israel or not? Let us assume that they do. So whom are the demonstrators threatening to turn out of office? Are they saying that they will no longer vote for the Hareidi Parties and will instead vote for Likud, Labor or Meretz? Exactly what is the threat presented in this demonstration?

    There are those who say that in fact elections in Israel are meaningless and that the unJewish ruling class controls whomever is elected (one way or another) irrespective of party or professed ideology. So will the demonstrators actually threaten to kill them?

    In short, I do not see any political reason for a demonstration.

13. Since when does Moshe Rabeinu at Har Sinai base his Mesorah on advice of an MK

14. What time? Where?