09 August 2021

I HAVE TO SAY IT

1 Elul 5781
Rosh Chodesh Bet 

Since I didn't see it anywhere else, I have to say it here.

We've been faulted in the past for standing by and not saying anything when we see our fellows committing grave sins.  By not protesting, it is considered as approval.

This concerns two events connected to an Israeli gymnast competing in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics by the name of Linoy Ashram.  

Her Wikipedia page says...

Ashram was born in Rishon LeZion, Israel, to Israeli-born parents of both Mizrahi Jewish (Yemenite-Jewish) and Sephardic Jewish (Greek-Jewish) descent. Her father Oren is a standing army soldier in the IDF, whereas her mother Hedva is a kindergarten teacher assistant. She has a brother and a younger sister.

In November 2017, at the age of 18, Ashram was enlisted to the Israel Defense Forces as a soldier. She had an honorable discharge in December 2019.

As of 2018, Ashram resides in her Israeli hometown of Rishon LeZion, Israel.

As of 2019, she started studying education and society at the Ono Academic College in Kiryat Ono, Israel.
This Daughter of Yisrael has no clue that her performance broke all records for immodesty.  From the lack of clothing to the suggestive poses, it is beyond description, and her exposure via video to billions of people...  And, of course, the "win" was on Shabbat Kodesh! I don't even want to think about the consequences she is facing. 

This has already been going on for years and years, but this is the first I've heard of her and since she was allegedly acting on behalf of the country I live in, I feel duty-bound to object in the strongest possible terms.  

Were this really a Jewish State, Israel would not have been participating or competing in Greek sports and its young women would not be put on display like this - EVER!!

The very fact that such a thing is being celebrated here and not one word of condemnation is to be found shows just how low we have sunk.  People think this is normal!!

The second event is related.  Binyamin Netanyahu, speaking as representative of the nation, quickly called up Linoy Ashram to congratulate here on her win - on Shabbat Kodesh! - and even posted a video of it.  The act was roundly and angrily condemned by the religious members of Knesset.  

I also condemn him because he does not speak for me or mine.  

Here on Rosh Chodesh Elul, the beginning of the 40 days of repentance, we have perhaps the most senior leader of the country reportedly offering an apology to the "chareidim" for his public desecration of Shabbat.

But, you know, he still doesn't get it.  He needs to be apologizing to HKB"H.  And so should we if we fail to protest in whatever way we can.

10 comments:

  1. I'm not angry at her at all. It's perfectly normal, although sad. I didnt expect anything different. This is what happens when you don't receive a proper Jewish education. You have no idea what is Hashem, modesty or Shabbat. Perhaps Hashem shouldnt have exiled our people for so long and hidden Himself so well for so many generations. Now most Jews think He doesnt exist. Netanyahu, on the other hand, is not so innocent. After all, he is a former Prime Minister who at least should know what is Shabbat. He worked for many years with Haredi parties. Hopefully Hashem will have mercy on the girl, we should pray for it.

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  2. Anonymous@1:06pm - She is a 22 yr old woman and it is NOT perfectly normal. Now you want to blame HKB"H?! Maybe it's really all His fault??!!

    The woman has been culpable for her own actions since the age of 12. Is there a rebbetzin anywhere in the country that will go to her and explain the facts of life?

    I'm finding, to my great consternation, that too many Jews simply do not understand that "ignorance" is not an excuse and it certainly does not erase the debts.

    It's time, at this season of Elul, to start having a whole lot more yirat Shamayim and in these coming Days of Awe to manifest the appropriate level of Awe for HKB"H. IMHO, your comment does not.

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  3. And how did Netanyahu know she won?!? Could it be he was watching on TV?
    He owes much more than an apology...

    To anonymous@ 1:06, why would you ever blame this on HaShem?!?!?!

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  4. Firstly, Hashem has been testing us throughout our exile. Everything starts from the top; we can blame to a degree leadership and religious leadership for the failures of the citizenry. We are at the lowest point of history and that is why we will have to have the Geulah because we cannot go any lower; we will be standing on the shoulders of our saintly ancestors. It's not surprising that no one pointed her out for this because there should have been even a greater outcry from the outset of the deplorable 'parades' which fly in the face of the Jewish nation and humanity itself. If ever, there was a flawed Yisrael, this is it. We must also realize that we are under the control of the nachash itself! From the start of the State, they tried as much as they could to deJudaize by taking out any vestige of Torah (the most minute) from the public school system and then they figured that's not enough so they imported about a million non-Jews to make sure they would influence everything. The State is occupied territory, not by Jews, but by every enemy going back to the beginning of time that we ever had, r'l. Praying H' will have rachamim because of our lowliness and ignorance. The answer will come with the coming of our righteous Moshiach when everything will get righted. Let's pray that the wait won't be much longer.

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  5. Is that totally worse than this (not trying to justify Netanyahu's actions in any way - he forgot to keep up the charade out of excitement for the avoda zara of the Olympics)?

    https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/311412

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  6. Anonymous@2:03PM - It's not a question of this or the other, is it? You also seem to have missed the point. Melamed, as bad as he is, in not claiming to be speaking on my behalf. Btw, search "Melamed" on this blog. It's not like I haven't already protested against his actions.

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  7. It's not a question of one or the other - but you emphasized regarding the olympics/bibi that you "have to say it" - as if there was an expectation that the state would be avoiding helenistic rituals and that its politicians were actually honoring Shabbat and the Torah. What goes through the news without a "having to say it" is a supposedly widely respected rabbi who has recently publicly been supporting egalitarian "worship" at the kotel, making justification for accepting the reform movement, etc... where in this case there is an expectation that this rabbi is holding close to Torah and providing an authentic guidance for Jews to follow...

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    Replies
    1. You have a valid point, but you still seem to imply that my point, which you still do not grasp, is invalid. If I am understanding you correctly, I should delete this post and replace it with what you wrote??

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  8. No, your point is still good and valid and important - your post makes it sound singularly more important than other issues "in the news" that no one else is pointing out.

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  9. Tomer Devorah has written extensively about the Olympics. Search this blog, for more. Even so, I will post some my thoughts here about the Olympics, and how it reflects the State of Israel's evolution, or rather its de-evolution.

    אין שום דבר יהודי באולימפיאדה / There is Nothing in the Least Bit Jewish about the Olympics

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