In statements released ahead of and on Independence Day, President Shimon Peres continues to defend the chareidi population, rejecting the generally acceptable practice of belittling, ridiculing and adversely commenting on the chareidi way of life.
Peres spoke of the three major sectors of poverty in Israel, the chareidim, Arabs and youth. He explained that regarding the chareidi sector, accommodations must be made to permit them to enter the work place on their terms. If woman cannot work in certain environment due to modesty issues, “then bring the computers to her home,” stated the president.
“One mustn’t ridicule a Jew who wears his tzitzis outside his garment. What is the joke? What is there to ridicule. If he must daven, then permit him to daven. So what!”
“Before we begin giving mussar to the chareidim we should evaluate ourselves… First of all, we must change our attitudes towards the chareidi community… Democracy is the right to be different.”
When asked how he would like to see the country in another 60 years, the president responded, “We should be old like the Ten Commandments and modern like nanotechnology.”
(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)
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26 Responses
Look, it is not that the charedim don’t have jobs to go to, they choose to milk the government. A government they do not reconize, but the colour of kesef….give me!
I heard this yid was always nice toward the frum population. Is it true? I also heard he got a brocha from the chofetz chaim when he ws a young boy. Anyone hear of that story? Enlighten me please.
is it purim today or yom ha’azmaut?
Smart man-He knows Israel will soon be in election mode…he can use the votes..
Wow! I’m pretty impressed. For some reason though, I thought he was anti – chareidi. I guess I was wrong.
A big step in the right direction,# 4 DITTO!!
I don’t understand #1. He is parroting stuff wothy of Hitler, Goebbels, Streicher & Rosenberg – the Nazi propaganda spewers (aka spind-doctors). Most Chareidim – about 99% of them – pay their taxes, do their Army service & follow the laws of the land. What you hear and take as the rule are really the exception, the few loud mouths who prove that empty barrels make the most noise.
Way to go Peres!
He is getting older now, perhaps his brain is starting to develop or is it the younger years in a frum house that is starting to hunt him, either way GOOD FOR HIM!
Ihope this is a sincere expression of his opinion and not like a stopped clock–which even by accident is correct twice a day.
#9 the drivel in #1 is standard tripe from urbmase. he/she is always looking to knock Charedim. It is to the point that after starting to read the post, I can tell who it is coming from.
as far as I am concerned his/her nonsense does not belong on this site.
12:You are correct in terms of mussar. But, “Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.” This is referring to judgement. Mussar is not judgement, it is letting making someone aware that their behavior is not in keeping with derech hatorah- of course doing this in a sensitive or appropriate way to the situation.
kol hakavod for the president
#12: Actually, it was R’ Eliezer ben Durda’i. And what about “K’shot atzmecha v’achar kach tishkot acheirim”
Sorry, Tikshot
#9. I agree with you about Chareidim following the law of the land, but the notion that 99% of Chareidim perform any kind of army service is pure fantasy. The law allows them not to serve in the army, and a very large percentage do not serve.
To Feif Un,
I would call you an apikorus, but you are actually just a bigger Am Haaretz then Peres. Actually, the quote from Peres comes from a gemarah- whether Christianity picked it up, I don’t know.
It seems you know Christianity more than you know Torah. To enlighten you the quote in the gemarah is “Keshote azmechuh veachare keshote acharim”. Look it up in Artscroll for the definition. As matter of fact there is a 3-way macklokus in the gemorah whether you are allowed to give mussar.
As far as Peres is concerened, it looks like he is starting to do Teshuvah in his old age.
Peres wife is shomer torah vmitzvohs.
He grew up with forefathers who were torah observant, BUT I would not trust him, he is a genius at public relations.
There have been a small handful of Jewish/Israeli MKs who were trustworthy and traditional. (Benny Begin, Moshe Arens, Menechem Begin, Natan Schransky, Ghandi, Yitzchak Shamir, etc. — never charged with fraud, illegal actions, and self serving $$$$ games)
#12 “Rabbi” Eliezer ben Durdaya.
His tztitzis slapped him in the face as he was taking them off after climbing the ten golden beds.
To 12,
You are a bigger am haaretz them Peres;
the gemorah says: Keshote Atzmechah v’ahchare kach
Keshote Ahchairim. It looks like Peres is doing Teshuvah in his old age!
#12
“10: Actually, no, it isn’t great Torah. The Torah doesn’t say you can’t give mussar until you evaluate yourself. That is a christian belief – let he who is without sin cast the first stone.”
Although that quote is a christian belief, I think many baalei mussar were very careful about not not giving mussar to others about something until they themselves were perfected in that issue first. Also, dvarim hayotzim min halev nichnasim el halev, and how do you expect someone to accept rebuke from you if you aren’t sincere about it yourself. As far as the gemara you quote about R’ Elozor ben Durdaya (Avoda Zara 17a), the gemara isn’t discussing whether the harlot was one to give mussar or not, just that he took her comment to heart and did teshuva. One can (and indeed many have and continue to) be inspired by a myriad of different people and things, many of which defy logic, however that doesn’t necesserily make everyone a qualified mashgiach or maggid.
#14 – You are on target. Much as this site is moderated, a lot of loshon hora, etc. does make it through.
Feif Un just because you have to take mussar from everyone and everything around you doesn’t mean that you can give mussar to everyone and everything around you. You’re makur doesn’t work
Also R’ Yerucham Levovitz writes that you can’t give someone mussar about something that you’re not holding in, so seemingly yes until you work on yourself you can’t give mussar to others.
Also see the Chasam Sofer on Chad Gadya (the Rebbe Reb Heshel also says the same vort) that a dog has no right to give mussar, one has to be holding in order to give mussar.
I once heard directly from HaRav Amnon Yitzchak that a small Teimani managed to sneak through the bodyguards in the Peres household and spoke to Sonia Peres and had an amazing impression on her. That Teimani was HaRav Amnon and she listens to his tapes. She is supposedly frum (whatever that means).
I don’t for one minute believe that Peres himself admires the Chareidim. He’s a world class diplomat and you should take his words with a tiny grain of salt.
this feif un guy sure seems like a real winner
you should take his words with a tiny grain of salt. WHY TINY???
14- this is an open forum in which we are able to place our opinions. Opinions are a universal way of expressing ones self. The opinions expressed are neither wrong, or right. They are opinions, not facts!
9- I served in the Israeli Air Force, and saw, first-hand, the charedim in their service/non-service.
I think this seemingly somewhat visible positive attitude towards frum yidden stems from his recent visit to France. If I recall correctly when he was asked if he wanted kosher food during his State visit he said yes and said afterwards that it would be a contradiction if the President of Israel does not follow his own tradition. I think his own positive response brought him out a little bit waking up his dormant yiddishkeit to a degree.