21 Menachem Av 5786
A comment was submitted which posed the following...
...focus more on encouraging us to break out of the them vs us paradigm, to work towards real solutions....Instead of blaming, can we find a way forward where we can change something in ourselves, to break the paradigm that has us all trapped pointing fingers at others, instead of doing something ourselves, to improve the situation?
Definition: A concept is an abstract idea, a general notion, or a mental picture of what something is and how it works. It helps us group similar things together and understand the world around us.
How do you convince people that the Torah already has all the answers and convince them to pay heed to it?
These are the "real solutions," but "breaking people out of the them vs us paradigm" is not part of any solution, it's at the heart of the problem.
Separation is the key to Redemption.
The Torah is full, full, full of examples: Creation began with separation and it ends with the birur separation. Those who did not sin with the Golden Calf were called to separate from those who did, the people gathered around Korach were commanded to separate themselves from him and his family and supporters or go down with them. The Maccabim called for those loyal to Hashem to separate from the Hellenists.
In my blog posts, I've identified some serious misconceptzias and a solution to go with it. A "first step" - separate from the sinners so you don't share their fate.
Did you know that the meforshim say that those who stood by and watched the celebration of the Golden Calf and said nothing against it were considered as guilty parties?
Herem is the Torah-mandated way to wake sinners up to the facts of life. And it is in everyone's power to separate themselves from evil-doers. You've just been brainwashed to believe just the opposite.
You tell me, how do we undo all these disastrous anti-Torah concepts in the minds and hearts of otherwise righteous Jews? Anyone??
Slogans that sound right are very often not right at all. Here is another false conceptzia brought by the same mixed up people that subscribe to the others: "Thousands at Joseph's Tomb tonight. Yossi Dagan: 'The response to terror is unity, settlement, and building the land'"
ReplyDeleteThe Torah response is to totally wipe out the enemy from existence. Once and for all time. No "mowing the grass." Can you imagine finding THAT in the Torah?
Stop making calculations about what is realistic in your mind and focus on what God commanded us. When the minds and hearts have been properly aligned with the Torah, then HKB"H will bring Mashiach.
You're asking the question of how someone who doesn't truly believe and trust in Hashem can be brought to true belief and trust. And that's not in our hands. At this stage, only the following will accomplish that: "the Holy One, Blessed be He, will establish over them a king whose decrees are as harsh as Haman’s, and Israel will do teshuva (repent), and this will bring them back to the right path."
DeleteLo aleinu.
Dean Maughvet
BH
DeleteDisagree with you, rebuking people with harshness or contempt does not work for most. Rebuking or addressing the issues at hand through love, kindness, and compassion for your fellow person is the only and best way to go. Even Moshe Rebbainu reprimanded Klal Yisroel only at the very end, as it says in Sefer Devorim. In certain issues such as these with missionaries trying to influence and infiltrate our Holy land, that’s a different story. Am Yisroel needs to join together to protect our holy people and our precious holy land. Please HaShem send the Geula Shelaimah now through Chesed and Rachamim. Thank you Tomer Devorah for trying to help Klal Yisroel through these dark and difficult times and may we all merit to see the Third and final Beis Hamikdash speedily now.
Avahat chinam does not mean you agree with sinners' actions! It mens you need to tell them what they are doing wrong, but with love. And there is a big difference between sinners who don't know, and those who actively go against the Torah. So yes, Ahavat hinam is the answer, but it does not mean we accept everything and anything.
ReplyDeleteNess
Ahavat chinam is not mentioned anywhere in the Torah or prophets, so no, it's not the answer. It's a major part of the problem. You have a Torah obligation to give tochachah just for this circumstance. When was the last time you told someone - with love, of course - that they were sinning? How did they take it?
DeleteThe point is it is not up to us to decide what the right course of action should be. The Torah tells us that. A personage no less than Miriam the Sister of Moshe and Aharon was put in herem for a week for the lashon hara she spoke against Moshe Rabeinu and it wasn't even done maliciously. "She shall be confined for seven days outside the camp, and afterwards she may enter." (Bamidbar 12.14)
We don't have the right to "accept" ANYthing at all. Hashem already commanded us regarding these things. We are responsible to do what is in our power to do and the most minimum thing we can do is separate ourselves from the violators and tell them why and assure them that if they correct their ways they will be fully welcomed back. Then the ball is in their court and they have to deal with it. The way it's going, absolutely EVERYthing IS allowed and there are no consequences. The Jews of Har Brachah are only lacking the steeple and the cross at the top in the midst of their homes. Whoever has the ability to act MUST DO SO!! It starts with their close neighbors and their rabbinic leadership.
Today`s generation does not accept tochacha: These days pretty much the only way to bring people back is with a lot of love and patience, and by speaking their language.
DeleteNess
The book of Tomer Devorah that written by Radak will help understand many things, i'm learning it now and it opens my eyes and heart
DeleteRamak not Radak
DeleteIt's embodying Torah from the inside - that requires knowledge of Pnimiut Hatorah - the internal teachings that bring us to a level of receptivity so that we can be vessels for the Light of Torah. Without which, what exactly are we doing?
ReplyDeleteOf course, my comment flew away which happens to me quite often.
ReplyDeleteI will try to make this short and to the point.
TD, you are ABSOLUTELY CORRECT!
We live in a world full of lies with sweet words to cover it all up.
We are living in a time when the majority of world Jewry has been won over by the ways of the nations, not the ways of Torah. Otherwise, we
would have had Moshiach here already.
Until the yetzer hara is obliterated, it has the upper hand. The
reason the yetzer hara has increased its strength is due to the fact that
even after being blessed with having our Land back in our hands, the
Airev Rav within our midst has made sure that the average Jew would not have any Torah education whatsoever. It is only the minority of Jews who have upheld Torah for centuries and millenia that continue on the proper path.
I personally believe that only with the coming of Moshiach tzdkeinu, will we see the miracle that Hashem will perform where every Jewish soul
will do teshuvah at the last moment!
R'l, look what it took for quite a # of Jews to do teshuvah (B'H) after suffering the horror of 10/7/23.
May HKB'H bring us the Geulah with great mercy, k'heref ayin
chelm
בס"ד
ReplyDeleteTo the several commentators critical of Devorah's approach. Tell me please how much success you have had with "loving words" in reaching the CMM? The critical mass of morons out there?
In none of Devorah's posts have I ever detected either hate, spite or even indifference toward any person, Jewish or non Jewish. The truth does indeed go through several stages.
Quite frankly, there are many out there who are deserving of not just rebuke but a swift, sharp kick in the tuchus......delivered lovingly of course, because they are simply unable or unwilling to think outside the box that they have created for themselves.
If as Dean pointed out in his comment, that Hashem will appoint over us a harsh ruler worse than Haman. Chas v'chalila,the (s)elections are approaching, then the times for loving words has passed already.
-----stingray-----
I agree with Dean. The only thing that will bring the Am back to Torah is a harsh event or ruler, even more harsh than what happened on Simchat Torah. Because as we know that brief moment of unity didn't last, although many people have done teshuva as a result of it. The power of the yetzer hara and influence of the goyim way of life is too strong. Perhaps Trump will turn out to be that evil ruler if he doesn't get his way in Aza. But rebuke, as the nevi'im did, will not work today.
Delete...rebuke, as the nevi'im did, will not work today.
DeleteThis sentiiment comes from the same "ahavat chinam" crowd. The Torah never changes and tochachah is a mitzvah (Vayikra 19.17). Furthermore, we are told that we have these nevi'im because they apply for all time. Rebuking is not a pleasant thing and most sensitive people would love any reason to excuse themselves from it, but that is perhaps precisely why we are in such dire straits today - because this mitzvah has been abandoned. Granted there is a right way and a wrong way to go about it. Why are we never taught such things?
It seems to me that the trend has become to abstain from any mitzvah that carries any risk. And we wonder why Mashiach has not yet been revealed.
Truth is, for the most part, "rebuke, as the nevi'im did," didn't work then either. There's a value in rebuke nonetheless, at least as it says in Sefer Yechezkel, that "they should know a prophet was amongst them."
DeleteAnd what's the value in that?
That they should maintain their faith after calamity strikes. Because without the prophet's prior warning that disaster is imminent if they fail to do teshuva, the people will naturally tend toward questioning "where was G-d?", maybe he doesn't exist, maybe he's abandoned us, etc. As happened after the shoah. The prophet's prior warning comes to "reassure" the doubters that G-d indeed controls the world, and THEIR failure to do teshuva is what led to their downfall and suffering. It actually serves to strengthen their faith post-facto and keeps them in the fold.
But that's the realm of prophets.
Personal tochacha, delivered to our fellow Jews to help them get back on the straight path, is a supreme act of ahavat Yisrael. And this, as you mention, too many avoid because it's uncomfortable.
Dean Maughvet
Excellent points, DM.
DeleteAren't we living in the generation of the 'last chance souls', included in are the 'best of the best' souls sent to help them?
ReplyDeleteI guess, knowing or at least hoping that I am at the very least working towards the latter ...helps me when I help others. I cannot change anyone, any therapist will tell you, only change yourself and let the small or large circle around you be affected. They do. I see it. I hear a lot: you are so Good, I wish I had your Emuna, or Hashem really loves you. They like having me around and I keep in mind Tzelem Elokim and try to keep on doing them Good. But I'm tired. And I look to support of the rest of you Do-Gooders, so keep it up, in whatever info you find important to send out. We can filter it. Yes, I'm skipping the Missionary messages, a bit too now, but I send some to my goyish family, so ...
-leah
...and as for Trump, there's a reason Gog is buried in Yerushalayim..
ReplyDelete-leah
Gog is supposedly to be buried in the Jezreel Valley near Megiddo NOT in Yerushalayim.
Delete