Head of the UTJ faction in the government and the Chairman of the Finance Committee Moshe Gafni bemoaned the government’s actions in locking down Chareidi communities and the fact that it has caused an all-time low in the level of morale in the Chareidi community.
“I cannot recall ever seeing the morale in the Chareidi community as low as it currently is. The feeling is that the authorities are toying with us. We see the rate of infection rising in all cities but lockdowns are only taking place in Chareidi cities and neighborhoods,” Gafni said in an interview with Army Radio.
“People are asking themselves what sin they committed to not be allowed out of their homes simply because they are Chareidi. This isn’t a reality that we will be able to live with.”
“Making matters worse, the outreach campaign to the Chareidi community explaining why this is happening is woefully lacking. Not to mention that there isn’t a single Chareidi person who is involved in making the decisions that affect so many Chareidi communities and families.”
“I was against opening up the economy in one fell swoop like we did. It appeared that there was going to be a revolt in Israel by its citizens and the Prime Minister was worried about it and tried to avoid it.”
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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If you don’t make kiddush, they make havadalah.
All the Charedi Jews that have become Zionistic might learn their lesson. Have nothing to do with the Zionists or the State. They’ll only hurt you in the end.
It was more likely opening the schools that caused the spike, far more than the workplace. Children and social distancing just don’t go together – they don’t have that level of self-control. Adults at the workplace who keep the safety rules – masks, hand washing and social distancing – probably aren’t a major source of spreading infection.
I’ll just add that if we feel that others are treating us with hate, then rather than feel demoralized, we should ask ourselves what message Hashem is trying to send to us. They’re just the shlichim. Do WE, the chareidi tzibbur, treat each other with ahavas chinam and not sinas chinam, even if we follow different paths? Even if we have idealogical differences, do we treat each other with respect? We bring it on ourselves…
This reminds me of a beautiful story I once read about Rav Chaim Yitzchok Chaikin – maybe in a Hanoch Teller book – that demonstrates the idea that whatever we hear is a message for us. Rav Chaikin zt”l was a talmid of the Chofetz Chaim and rebuilt a Jewish kehillah in Aix-les-Bains, France after WWII. He was walking on Shabbos when someone in a passing car yelled out “Sale juif (dirty Jew)!” He paused and thought, “If Hashem had me hear this, what’s the message for me? Dirt is something external to a person. Did I check my pockets (there was no eiruv there)?” Lo and behold, he checked his pocket and found something there which he promptly shook out. He thanked Hashem for the message. So if people are calling us stinky chareidim, perhaps we should check deep in our souls where the smell is coming from. If they’re sending us on lockdown, maybe we should think what in our communal life needs correcting tht we are being barred from, or what in our homes need correcting that we are being sent there to examine, or what middah needs work while Hashem is sending us to do some time-out in our homes. Sure – there’s loads of chessed and we do a lot of good things. So many gemachim and chessed organizations, so much Torah learning, tzedaka – you name it. Truly “mi k’amcha Yisrael” and I don’t mean it faceously. So many of us are moser nefesh for so many fine things. Yet Hashem is setting the bar higher and knows that with all our mailos, we have chesronos that need work. Hashem loves us, believes in us and is pining to send the geulah. It just looks like He wants us to move up a few notches before He shechts the yeitzer hara.
Do you remember those days when Israeli Railways were doing all their track-work on the Holy שבת. Well Corona came and defended the honor of שבת by having Israeli railways shut for many weekdays & שבתות, so don’t doubt me, that Israeli secular society is furious at the Chareidi for this.