[FULL VIDEO & PHOTOS IN EXTENDED ARTICLE]
Last night the English speaking public in Ramat Beit Shemesh Alef were zocheh to hear the Torah outlook on the upcoming Israeli, national elections from HaRav Zev Leff, HaRav Moshe Hillel Hirsch, and HaRav Yitzchak Berkowitz. These giants of Torah took time out of their busy schedules to explain to the Anglo public the necessity of using their right to vote to strengthen the Torah world.
Rav Leff, who spoke first, addressed the issues of each individual Jew viewing himself as a soldier in Hashem’s army wherein the Gedolei Torah are the generals whose orders we must follow, and of the very act of voting for the party that follows Daas Torah in itself being a Kiddush Hashem and therefore imperative even if no practical benefit would come of it.
Rav Hirsch, who is a member of the Moetzes Gedolei Ha’Torah of Eretz Yisrael, stressed that there is indeed a great necessity to carry out every effort possible to increase the mandates of UTJ as much as possible because this can in fact have a very positive outcome in the coalition forming process. Another point, continued Rav Hirsch, is that the stronger our tzibur’s voter-showing, the stronger we present ourselves as a unified tzibur. This will discourage those who have chosen anti-Charedism as their platform from following through with their threats. Finally, added Rav Hirsch, we must recognize that when we do the right thing by following Daas Torah and proclaiming with our vote that we stand for Torah and yiras Shamayim, that itself increases Shechina in the world which in turn translates into added Siyata D’Shmaya for the best outcome.
Rav Berkowitz, the final speaker of the evening, spoke from one heart to the next in emphasizing that we must realize that if so many parties have made “The Charedim” THE burning issue of the hour – in a time when the existential threat to the entire yishuv has reach terrifyingly unprecedented levels – it means two things: number one, that we cannot simply let it go. We cannot stand for such a foolish attempt at picking the Torah world as their “issue” just so that they can have a platform with which to further their political careers. We have to make it clear – to ourselves and the rest of the country – that we will not stand for this and we will not allow this to happen. Number two, said Rav Berkowitz, is that we have to realize that this situation requires us – the ambassadors of Hashem in this world – to take a long, hard look at ourselves and come to terms with the fact that we are doing a lousy job at being those ambassadors. We are not radiating the sense of Ahavas Hashem, Ahavas Yisrael – the sense of gadlus ha’adam that inspires all those around us to recognize that there is something special here, something bigger. “So,” concluded Rav Berkowitz, “first vote Gimmel. Then make your cheshbon ha’nefesh. And, finally, daven. Daven to Hashem that things get better and that we should merit to living in a world the way Hashem meant it to be.”
Photo Credits: Y. Edri
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One Response
These giants of Torah took time out of their busy schedules —- Busy schedules should include speaking and addressing the laymen of the kehillos.
Thank you, Rabbi Berkowitz for speaking from the heart and touching on real issues. Was there a question & answer forum afterwards?