A Critical Concept For Our Times

29 Tishrei 5786
Erev Rosh Chodesh
Yom Kippur Katan

Hashem already told us: "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways," says the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts higher than your thoughts." (Yeshayahu 55.8-9)

Thousands of Satmar Chasidim Protest in Manhattan Against Israeli Draft Law

NEW YORK – Thousands of Satmar Hasidim from both factions have gathered in Manhattan [near the Israeli Consulate] to protest against the State of Israel and its proposed military draft law. The demonstrators, dressed in traditional Hasidic attire, are voicing their opposition to mandatory conscription for yeshiva students in Israel.

[NEW YORK: Thousands of Yidden attend a protest against the Israeli government’s draft of Bnei Yeshiva outside the Israeli Consulate in Manhattan, organized and attended by both Satmar Rebbes. Other gedolim attending include the Bobov-45 rebbe. (Source)]

Pay attention!  This is NOT Neturei Karta!  

Before you rush to judgment, please consider...

We can't trust ourselves to intuit what Hashem requires of us.  At times, it can actually be counterintuitive. That's precisely why we are constantly learning Torah and why we must look to the most learned in Torah to inform us on matters which might be confusing or hard to understand. 

Take the following which I found in the book War and Redemption written in 5784 with regard to events concerning "the current war and chevlei Mashiach based on the teachings of Maran Posek HaDor HaRav Moshe Sternbuch, shlita."

...when a chillul Hashem occurs, Hashem expects us to protest, and such protests mitigate the trait of judgment aroused by the original chillul Hashem.  Hashem records those who protest in a Book of Remembrance.

In this context, a visitor from overseas once asked Rav Sternbuch why he spoke so much about the negative state of religion rather than focusing on how wonderful the situation is in some respects.  Rav Sternbuch responded that the very act of protesting has the effect of "sweetening" (being "mamtik") i.e. overturning, or at least mitigating, dinim (decrees stemming from the trait of justice), as Chazal say, "Wherever there is judgement here below, there is no judgement above".  [Tanchuma, Parshas Mishpatim, s. 5.]  Thus, Rav Schneider said, "In Heaven they are asking whether anybody is protesting the breeches of the generation, and when they see that one old man in London (Rav Schneider meant himself) is protesting, that way all the judgements will already have been fulfilled". 

...On another occasion, Rav Sternbuch was asked why during times of trouble he stresses how we are not fulfilling our obligations properly in terms of prayer, repentance and trusting Hashem, and that if we do not arouse ourselves, greater troubles will be in store.  Why does he not judge us favorably and act as our defender?

Rav Sterbuch responded:  "My approach, which I have received from my rabbonim, is to tell the truth as it is, without concealing it."  He added that we need not fear that this approach arouses the prosecuting angels.  Take the case of the kohen gadol.  Even though he did not enter the Kodesh HaKodashim in his golden clothes in order not to arouse the sin of the Golden Calf, when he stood outside, in public view, he would wear those golden clothes in order to arouse those who saw him to repent.  The commentators explain that only in private places, away from the public eye, is it important to defend the Jewish nation and judge them favorably, and that is what the kohen gadol did in the privacy of the Kodesh HaKodashim.  In the public arena, we do not worry about denouncing (kitrug) our fellow Jews.  On the contrary, we are duty-bound to arouse the public to repent, and this in itself eliminates all the prosecuting angels, which is what Hashem desires.  He sends us troubles in order to cause us to repent.

[In consideration of the Satmar protests mentioned above...]  

...Some people said that these actions did not affect us, and the main thing was to focus on our own avodas Hashem and that of our children.  Rav Sternbuch said that they are mistaken.  For one thing, the tumah created by such actions has a supernatural effect on the whole Jewish nation, and in the merit of making protests for Hashem's honor, the power of kedushah increases for the benefit of the entire nation.  Hashem is surely waiting to see what His nation is doing to protect His honor.

...Hashem expects us to protest anti-Torah actions or statements, and certainly those in the public arena, even if the majority of the public does not support them.

Thus, for example, a year ago, in Teves 5783, an avowed ba'al to'eva was appointed Speaker of the Israeli Parliament.  Rav Sternbuch noted at the time that this act represented a very great danger, because if we did not protest, Hashem was likely to pour out His wrath against us, as it says, "With abominations did they provoke Him" (Devarim 32:16), which refers to to'eva behavior ( see Rashi...).  Even though to'eva views are not espoused by the vast majority of the public in Eretz Yisroel, that act was unfortunately symptomatic of the general  attitude - both of the judiciary and the legislature - which is so antithetical to Torah principles and laws, and had to be protested.  Even if any rebuke were to fall on deaf ears, Chazal make it clear that we are obligated to protest the deeds of the wicked, irrespective of the chances of such protests and rebuke being successful.  By  not protesting, the righteous bear joint responsibility for the sins of the wicked, and will be punished together with them, even if any rebuke would not have been likely to succeed (see Shabbos 54a).

* * * 

Police Chief Makes Dramatic Decision: Chareidi “Draft Dodgers” Will No Longer Be Arrested

* * *

According to the Midrash Mattot (Numbers 22:3), the selection process for the war against Midian had a unique structure. The verse in Numbers (31:3–5) states, "...Arm from among you men for the army... A thousand for each tribe, a thousand for each tribe, from all the tribes of Israel you shall send into the army". The Midrash explains that the three-fold mention of  "a thousand" indicated that three thousand men were drafted from each of the twelve tribes, totaling 36,000 men. These men were designated for three distinct roles: 

• 1,000 for combat: The men who would fight on the front lines.
• 1,000 for logistic support: The men who would provide all the necessary backing for the troops.
• 1,000 for Torah study and prayer: A full "spiritual unit" whose sole task was to learn Torah and pray for the success of their brothers in battle.

By one report there are 170,000 active duty soldiers in the IDF and 450,000 reservists on call.  According to government sources, there are approximately 169,366 yeshivah students learning full-time and a certain percentage of them are not even citizens of the State of Israel.
(Source:  Google)

* * *

"Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in his Knesset speech that "the relationship with the U.S. has never been closer and tighter than it is now - both on the diplomatic level and on the personal level between President Trump and myself." The PM also addressed the conscription law and said that "in the current session we will also submit for Knesset approval a conscription law that will lead to the drafting of ten thousand yeshiva students within two years, this is a real revolution, something that has not happened since the establishment of the state, and there are many others of draft age who are not ultra-Orthodox and they also need to be drafted."  (Source)

* * *

The High Court of Justice accepted petitions filed by "Free Israel" and the Movement for Quality Government against the continuation of discounts on national insurance payments for yeshiva students. In its ruling, the Supreme Court determined that the status of "yeshiva student" is not valid, as it has been established that there is no exemption from military service for yeshiva students. The discount on National Insurance payments amounts to tens to hundreds of shekels per month per family and approximately 100 million shekels in total for all discount recipients defined as yeshiva students, and from now on they will have to pay the full amount.  (Source)

Every honest person understands that this insistence on conscription for yeshivah students is not even from a perceived need, but strictly to assimilate chareidim into the Israeli mainstream.  If you want to know what they are really afraid of, and why this is so important to them, read on...

Israeli Nobel Laureate's Dark Prophecy: "No Way to Stop This"

Professor Joel Mokyr, the acclaimed economic historian and newly minted Nobel laureate, issued a bleak warning this week about Israel’s long-term social and political future. Speaking to Anat Davidov and Yael Aylon on Radio 103FM following his win, Mokyr expressed deep alarm that without immediate changes, Israel risks transforming into a theocratic, "pre-modern" state within 30 to 40 years. Mokyr, who holds dual Israeli and American citizenship and is known for his work on the Industrial Revolution, said his concerns stem directly from demographic trends and the lack of a core curriculum in the ultra-Orthodox (Haredi) education system.

A Return to the Middle Ages?

When asked how concerned the public should be, Professor Mokyr did not mince words: "I am concerned. The numbers are very troubling," he stated.

He stressed that based on the writings of Israeli economists and demographers, "it is completely clear there is no clear way to stop this process.

"If there are no changes within the Haredi community that succeed in bringing them into the 21st century and making them understand that without core curriculum studies, a modern society cannot function, in 30-40 years, Israel will be a theocratic state," Mokyr warned.

"A state that in many respects returns to the Middle Ages, and that troubles me in an extraordinary way. Israel was founded as an enlightened, secular, and progressive state, and these things are no longer self-evident today."

~ BARUCH HASHEM !!! ~