(Part 1)
In my view, this issue is not about a difference of opinion or even a difference of hashkafa. There is a much bigger issue here. It's about conformity to Torah law. And it's about transparency when presuming to act on behalf of an entire Jewish community. And being accountable for your mistakes.
In the interests of peace among brothers, and seeing that it serves no further purpose, I have removed the original blog post which this addresses. But on this subject, I cannot back down, despite the threats intended to intimidate me.
According to what I have learned from my rabbis, relations (friendships, marriages, etc.) between Jews and non-Jews is forbidden. And as I understand it, that would include even "the best" of them. Those who proclaim and worship another god, how much more so.
TRANSLATION: "Therefore, those people who sin with their souls and with their bodies to annul the advice of Hashem, who learn with the nations, according to my humble opinion, their sin is too great to bear and they will not see the consolation of Zion."
The Rambam in Hilchot Avodah Zarah, Chapter 7, Halachah 1:
It is a positive commandment to destroy false deities, all their accessories, and everything that is made for their purposes, as [Devarim 12:2] states: "You shall surely destroy all the places [where the gentiles... served their gods]" and, as [implied by Devarim 7:5]: "Rather, what you should do to them is tear down their altars."
In Eretz Yisrael, the mitzvah requires us to hunt after idol worship until it is eradicated from our entire land. In the diaspora, however, we are not required to hunt after it. Rather, whenever we conquer a place, we must destroy all the false deities contained within.
[The source for this distinction is Devarim 12:3, which] states: "And you shall destroy their name from this place," [implying that] you are obligated to hunt false deities in Eretz Yisrael, but you are not obligated to do so in the diaspora.
From the commentary: On we are not required to hunt after it. - since these lands are not holy, we are not obligated to eradicate idol worship from them. (Kinat Eliyahu)
In other words, we do not go out from Eretz Yisrael and travel the world begging the non-Jews to leave their idolatry and accept the Sheva Mitzvot. Neither do we go out from Eretz Yisrael and travel the world inviting the non-Jews to come to Eretz Yisrael and welcoming them to bring their idolatry in with them and practice it in our midst.
And yet, there are those who are doing precisely this - the very opposite of what has been commanded.
People, you don't understand what you are bringing upon yourselves and upon your fellow Jews!!
We are living in perilous times. The protective walls have been dismantled and bridges have been built and all by the hands of our fellow Jews who live among us.
Anyone who is aware of the situation understands that we, the Jewish people in Eretz Yisrael, are being overrun by supposedly well-meaning, supposedly "pro-Israel" non-Jews. I have yet to meet even one who was not into "Hebrew-Roots Restoration". They are all wearing tallits, kippas, tsitsit and blowing shofars; calling themselves by Hebrew names. They are coming to scout out "their" land. And not one of them enters a Jewish community without being brought in by a Jew who lives in the area.
Not enough people appreciate the gravity of this problem. These "fellow" Jews like to talk a lot about being a "Light to the Nations". Well, I am here to be a "Light to MY Nation" and illuminate a dark corner where Jews and non-Jews are making common cause together which will only come back to bite us all in the end.
(Final Part)
Well done metuka. We all have to pass this last test. Separate from klipot or be burned down with the klipot, no other choice!
ReplyDeleteThank you to light this in.
Neshama wrote: "Looks like Beit Shammai is at work here. While we are not yet under Mashiach when Beit Shammai will be the law..."
ReplyDeleteNeshama, this is Rambam. 1000 years after R. Hillel and R. Shammai. It's also the Torah. Did you note that the halachah is founded on the mitzvot in Devarim? Torah doesn't wait for Mashiach.
Sorry if this sounds stern. Your comment upsets me.
Sorry Devash, don’t mean to upset you. Forgive me. I just thought it sounded a bit heavy. Fighting for the holiness of the Torah and Halacha is very admirable. However, while we can expose what we think and feel are anti-Torah, Hashem is still running the world, and bringing us closer and closer to it’s fulfillment via the Redemption. We can have disagreements about things, reprimand when we feel and think it is necessary but i think the criteria for lashon harah is very much also necessary to guide us. You do wonderful work in exposing threats and anti-Torah weaknesses in our Nation. You really “open the eyes of many”. It was Moshe Rabbeinu after pleading with Hashem about His threat to do away with the Am, and said “erase me from your Torah” in reply. Thereafter, Hashem revealed His side of Rachamim to Moshe; and thereafter He would judge the Am with Rachamim. If Hashem could be “influenced” by Moshe Rabbeinu (kviuchel) how much more so we need to go deeper in understanding another Jew. With kindness we need to rebuke. (you do not have to publish this)
ReplyDeleteThere is nothing to forgive, Neshamah. But, it's just very disheartening. Listen to yourself... "what we think and feel are anti-Torah". How many times have I said we can't trust our own thoughts and feelings. We go by the Torah and the halachah. And by this we make no mistakes. The Torah itself says it's not up in Heaven or across the sea, it's close to us - in our hands. We can understand it and we can apply it and we can for sure know when someone is doing just the opposite of what it says!!
DeleteI think 1) that most people are just ignorant and 2) they look around and see "big" people doing things and they think then that it must be them who are wrong, not the "big" Jews and rabbis who are deep into things they shouldn't be.
Thanks for the vote of confidence, but I am nowhere near the level of Moshe Rabeinu's toenail, so...
I'll tell you something else. This Lashon Hara accusation is used to muzzle anyone speaking unpopular truths and it has to stop.
I'm not perfect and never claimed to be. Could I do things better, probably, but I'll tell you another thing. No one is ever so worried about lashon hara as when they are hearing correction.
And there are bigger sins than lashon hara.
Ditto to Devash's beautiful comment. Neshama likes to put a pretty face on things. We have to understand that it is a 'sin' not to rebuke the evil doers within our midst trying to destroy us. Lashon Hara has nothing to do with bringing forth the truth of the chilul H' of bringing in goyim whose sole intention is to take over, replace us with their avodah zorah and try to inherit our inheritance, thereby destroying the Jewish nation, G-D forbid. We are going through the birth pangs of Moshiach and need to set things straight and show H' that we are with HIM! Birur.
ReplyDeleteBoruch.
Boruch, you need to be writing this blog! :-)
DeleteEven in Eretz Yisrael we are in exile so to speak because the Erev Rav rule over us and we would have to go to war with them in order to install a Torah government. Until we have a leader like Mashiach to tell us what needs to be done or to do it himself, we have to live with the situation that there are Xians and other non-Jews living here on our land and there are Xians and other non-Jews visiting on a very temporary basis. Maybe they have family here or maybe they are touring the country. We can't kick them out and we can't keep them away. But, what is most important right now and what we can do is try to prevent our "fellow Jews" from trying to populate new settlements with masses more Xians claiming to be "lost tribes" or "gerim".
ReplyDelete