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This post is a response to the following post regarding latest Hareidi signs posted in Yerushalayim.
It's a revealing post! Unfortunately those that add to the Torah will eventually detract from the Torah.
What did Am Yisroel (Nation of Israel) do at Hakhel (Communal gathering) following the Shmitta(Sabbatical) year? The Torah says to gather men, women and children. And being a mother, I know it can get quite difficult to handle all the little ones by oneself. Especially with a large family, one needs a spouse to help. Hakhel( Hakhel Gathering) must have been a family outing. A mixed event. So the producers of your sign may argue but they were on a much higher madrega (level) than us in our generation. Our answer is that isn't our Torah binding for each and every generation. Isn't G-d aware of our humanity and human failings and even so, gave this commandment? How can they (sponsors of the sign) add a geder (a rabbinic ruling acting like a fence) that pertains to "tzniut"(modesty), which overrides a d'orayta?(A Biblical commandment) I suppose they are more frum("religious) than the Eybeshtir (G-d).
How about the Mitzvath Asei (positive commandment) of Vesamachta Bechagecha Vehayiso Ach Sameach (Being Especially Happy on the Holiday of Succoth)? and how about all the Mitzvoth D'orayta (Biblical Commandments) of Gezel (theft) and all the Gemorras (portions of the Talmud) related to property ownership such as Baba Metzia and Baba Batra and not say a word when the property of the people of Gush Katif were mamesh (actually) destroyed and residents of Gush Katif, around 10,000 people were uprooted from their homes and left homeless with no means of Parnassa (earning a living)? Where where their signs then????? Not to mention the countless MItzvoth D'orayta (Biblical commandments) regarding, Ger (Convert) Yasom (Orpahns) and Almona (Widows) that were affected, not to mention the desecration of graves who were exhumed by this terrible expulsion decree etc. etc. But I suppose Tzniyut (modesty) for them overrides all these mitzvoth D'orayta (Biblical Commandments) as well! In fact, where in the Torah does it say one must be "Tzniyut" (modest) as per their interpretations of what Tzniyut entails?
I am sorry to say but following blindly is being over (violating) the Mitzvah D'Orayta (Biblical Commandment) of Lo Yehiyeh Lachem Elokim Acharim Al Panei (Thou shalt have no other G-ds before my face)! Since when does a Rabbinic ruling override Biblical Commandments?
My question is how come we are so afraid to expose the Gedoilim (Great Rabbinic Leaders, also translated as excrement for Yiddish speaking children) i.e. the "Halachos" (Rabbinic Law) that are so clearly direct violation of the Torah (Biblical Law).
True such exposure will create chaos in the frum velt (Among very "religious Jews"). When Chas Vechalila (it should be null and void) the Holocaust happened, I believe Jews, all different types, were herded into the ghetto and even cattle cars with no consideration of Tzniut. Of course, the Germans did oblige with Tzniut and separated the men from the women in the death camps. How very frum and tzniusdik!
The terror threats that face us today are very real. Rebbetzin Jungreiss and many others see our times as 1938 Nazi Germany. Perhaps the same Hareidim that made the internet off limits also have no access to newspapers or any kind of news that might show them Current Events.
In my opinion, the dangers facing us are a direct consequence of Am Yisroel rejecting our Covenant with Hashem which is that we are promised Eretz Yisroel (the Land of Israel) on condition that we observe the mitzvoth (commandments) of the Torah in Eretz Yisroel. Yet when we hear of talk of a 2 State Solution and are Silent and when we hear of them talk of giving away Har Habayit and we are Silent then it shows that all of our Tefillos (prayers) were simply Lip Service and all of our Learning Torah was similar to the Learning of Torah of the Miraglim (the Spies) in the Desert. In spite of the Spies superior knowledge of the Torah, it was not to keep Hashem's word that motivated the Spies, but rather to discourage the Nation from entering Eretz Yisroel (the Land of Israel) and from keeping the Torah in Eretz Yisroel. For this, the Miraglim (the Spies) as well as the Nation of Israel were punished severely.
Here is our opportunity, the test of our Generation, not to repeat these tragic errors of the original sin of Lashon Hara. (Evil Talk regarding the Land of Israel)
We shall overcome!
{P.S. I too am a product of a solid Bais Yaakov (religious) education and we send our kids to similar type Yeshivas. Boy, were we turned off when they focused on the lengths of our skirts. B"h (Thank G-d) they didn't too often. In fact, I happened to have had an excellent education. Signs of this kind in Jerusalem, promoting a perverted kind of education in the name of modesty, targeting traditional wonderful Succoth celebrations will eventually be rejected by those that they educate. It's just a matter of time. We are forbidden to have intermediaries between ourselves and Hashem and make a big mistake if we ignore our Holy Torah..
The "Ikveta deMashicha" is a trying time, and not all of the Sages were eager to experience it. Yet Rav Yosef showed great spiritual fortitude, saying, "Let the Messiah come, and may I merit to sit in the shadow of his donkey's dung" [Sanhedrin 98b].
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