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Dear Readers, amv"sh
Thank you so much for your comments even though some were quite upset. I was amiss in that I did not preface my remarks in the previous email with a statement of a tremendous Hakoras Hatov I have, and my family has and all of Am Yisroel including all Chareidim should have, in my opinion, towards the State of Israel a gift from Hashem. Because of my failure to do so, some of my remarks were misconstrued as negating the State of Israel. So I would like to clarify my remarks and set things straight. Thank you dear reader and friend that you honored me with your comments allowing me to respond and did not simply put me on spam and reject my future emails.
In response to you comments (see below)
The establishment of the State of Israel in 1948 came on the heel of the ashes of the Holocaust. BeDamayich Chayee. In your blood shall you live. It was established by secular Jews and not Religious Jews by enlarge. The State flourished and the Land flourished as it never had after 2000 years of exile. How can I not take notice? After 2000 years of barrenness, the Land brought forth fruit as promised in the Torah. Today and always, the holiness permeates every nook and cranny though often it is hidden to the eye also among secular Jews.
It came somewhat of a surprise when I received an email from you, a good friend who was very angry at me for assuming assuming I was attacking the State of Israel,and negating it entirely because I mentioned that the establishment of the State of Israel was flawed. That's like negating Abraham our forefather for producing Ishamael. Or negating our forefather Yitzchok for producing Eisav. How is it possible that such a perfect Tzadik like Abraham and Yitzchok produce prodigy that did not stand up to their own high standards?
Our sages teach us that Abraham had the Middah of Chessed, kindness which taken to an extreme is bad.
Isaac had the Middah of Gevurah which taken to an extreme is bad.
Jacob is the integration of Chessed and Gevurah from which Israel descends. Would I ever negate Abraham for having produced a Yishmael? Or Isaac for producing Eisav? Of course not, because to do so would be to negate myself.
Life is a process whereby man is inherently flawed and States which are born have inherent flaws. Our mission is to recognize the flaws and try to the best of our ability to correct them and perfect ourselves. Surely it was not my intention to degrade the State of Israel or what it has accomplished since it's inception. For to do so would be as you suggest, spitting in G-d's face.
My purpose is only to recognize that perhaps the vessel of the Jewish people's aspirations in returning to our Land, known as the Modern State of Israel built on secular rather than religious and Torah law is reaching a crisis. But this vessel was a beautiful vessel and served us well. Inherently it was flawed so it can not last forever. We all have a lifespan. The time has come to create a bigger and stronger vessel to accommodate not only the growth of the Jewish people but also accommodate the spiritual growth of humanity.
The Torah is the key. By Torah, I am not referring merely to the Torah Shebaal Peh or the Oral Law of the Chareidim. I am referring to the written Torah which is accompanied by the Oral Law which has 70 faces. What unites all Jews is the written Torah and what allows us to express our individuality within Torah is the Oral Law. Each and every group will emphasize and excel in their particular area of expertise of Torah and express themselves with the Halachot according to their particular Rabbanim, spiritual leaders and or community. When we unite with mutual respect for one another,we raise sanctity in the world making it a better place and will hopefully succeed in being a Kingdom of Priests and a Holy Nation. Please note that when I say "we" I am not only referring to religious Jews. I am referring to all Jews religious and secular and all Noahides for whom the Torah (Seven Noahide laws) is their guide as well.
Perhaps I have a particular nature where flaws stare me in the face and I have the desire to attempt to fix. I recognize that the human experience means that we are all flawed and our mission on this earth is Tikkun Olam. True one has to be careful as per how one addresses correcting another's flaw,that it should be done with love and in a way that can be accepted with love. That's very hard to do and I too am flawed.... But then again, being flawed is being human.
The Rabbanim have been my shining light and have provided me and my children with a Torah education which I cannot express enough Hakoras Hatov. A well from which you have drunk do not cast a stone.
While I have not been shy in pointing out the flaws of the State of Israel, I have also not been shy in addressing the flaws of Rabbinic leadership who have failed to provide Torah leadership from the onset of the establishment of the State leaving a void thus leaving no choice but for the secular Jews to take over and set the tone for the modern State. (Thank you for pointing this out, see below, and I agree with you completely) It is my personal opinion and many will call me arrogant for daring to suggest that had the Rabbanim in the 1920's embraced the Land of Israel and the Balfour Declaration and had the Jewish people returned en masse to our Biblical and historical homeland when offered, the Holocaust would never have happened. `It is also my opinion that the failure of the Rabbinic leadership to encourage the Jews to protect and settle the entire Land today especially all of Judea and Samaria, the heartland of the Land of Israel, will lead to terrible suffering especially to those in the position of leadership and influence. It is painful to speak such words but having lived in Hebron, the spirit of Hebron and of Caleb and Joshua cry out for us to return as one. It is for this reason I try to the best of my ability together with others to send emails and call and beg and plead the Rabbanim to take a stand for Eretz Yisroel and against the destruction of homes in Judea and Samaria like HaUlpana, Migron and Amona.
These efforts are not always welcome. I am put on spam and many assume my motives is to merely degrade Rabbanim and Torah Shebaal Peh. May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart
Be acceptable to you, O God, my Rock and my Redeemer
Y'hiyu l'ratzon imrey fi v'hegyon libi l'fanecha Hashem tzuri v'goali
Very upset comments from a reader regarding a statement of a previous email where I wrote:
"Let us once and for all break away from Likud whose flaw originates with the establishment of the State of Israel. "
readers comment: Had you thanked Hashem for the present of the State but attacked Netanyahu or any other party, that is one thing. Had you called for a new movement, that is fine.
But when you attack the establishment of the State, you attack the present Hashem bestowed on us in 1948. Just as the generations after Yehoshua betrayed the gift of Eretz Yisrael, & just as the Davidic kings after David erred & sinned, you too are spitting at Hashem when you reject his present. I do not receive emails from Kadimah & I don't want your emails.....
this email was followed with another email which said...
You have bought into the chareidi revisionist history that the State is not religious b/c of the Zionists. Let's look at the facts. The chareidim boycotted the Zionist project from the start leaving the leadership to the secular. And the 1949 election was won by the non-religious b/c that is who came from Europe.
And who made up the majority of the fighting underground against the British? While many were religious, most chareidim were not for the revolt against the British. So left to the chareidim, we would not have a state today.
To the point: why is the State not religious? b/c the majority of the people who came were secular both before 1948 & after. Do you expect secular to establish religious laws? In 1949, there were elections. Why did the secular win? b/c they were the majority. Where were the chareidim? The chareidim love to revise history to prove their propaganda that it was the Zionists who made Jews non-religious. Fact: MANY Jews in Europe were already not religious. Had a majority of Jews been religious in 1948, the State would be religious, although I fear some chareidi groups would be closer to the Taliban in hashkafa.
Yes, it bothers me when I see Israeli youth mimicking American culture. And the Left have destroyed Israeli education with regard to nationalism & Jewish culture in the non-religious schools. Yes. That must be addressed. But I won't sit here & point a finger pontificating that the Zionists are to blame when the religious boycotted the Zionist endeavor just as the chareidim are boycotting actions that are in Israel's interest today e.g. the army & teaching their youth professions. The chareidi parties are simply bought off.
Nor will I spit at Hashem by demonizing his gift to us. The gov't can be criticized & should be when necessary. But the concept of the State as Hashem's gift cannot. This is what the chareidim do & despite your good intentions, this is what you did in your email and that is why I do not want any more emails from you.
