Good Morning! Today is Wednesday the 2nd of Nissan 5774 and April 2, 2014 Dear Precious Readers, The other night a young wet-behind-the-ears flaming Baal Teshuva came to my office and asked me a really hard question. In fact, his question was so perplexing to me that I have decided to throw it out to my readership and see what you say about it. Here it is: “Rabbi, I have just returned from six months in “The Revealed Truth” (name changed) yeshiva in Yerushalayim. One of the most important concepts that was imparted to me there was that: · “A person cannot even bend their finger in this world unless it decreed in the heavens” (Chulin 7b). · And that, “It is not the venomous animal which causes death; rather, it is the sin which causes death” (Brochus 33a). · And, “It is because of our sins that we have been exiled from our lands” (Mussaf for Yom Tov). Based on all of this and from numerous lectures, I came to believe that if we would be learning and doing mitzvohs properly we would not need an army and no one in the world could harm us and that the learning of Torah is the true protector and catalyst for all that is good in the world. However, if this is true, then I have one question.” I looked up at the new and eager recruit and asked him, “And what is that question?” “When I was n Yerushalayim, the question of the draft and the Yeshiva bochurim came up. And I -along with the entire Yeshiva- was told to attend this large gathering against the draft. However, I do not understand. While I was at the rally, there were many signs vilifying and denigrating the various politicians who legislated these new ‘decrees’. However, I don’t understand, if everything is based on our performance of mitzvohs and our proper learning of Torah, why are these secular politicians suddenly blamed for what is our own fault? Meaning, by demonizing them and actively blaming them for the decree, aren’t we empowering them? By protesting against them are we not contradicting everything we ostensibly believe in that Hashem responds to our doing of Mitzvohs and our learning of Torah and if we were doing them properly no one could harm us? Shouldn’t the rally have internally focused rather than externally focused? I could not understand why the rally was vilifying the politicians as it they are to blame to what were really our shortcomings? Should not a more theologically correct approach been to have cancelled the one month vacation from Yeshiva and Kollel during Nissan? After all, my father who is an accountant would never imagine taking an entire month off work during tax season? Is this not akin to the ‘tax season’? Shouldn’t the Gedolim have decreed that the Yeshiva semester continue for another week and resume the day immediately after Pesach? Why does the yeshiva population need an entire month off from their ‘serving’ their country while everyone else is still at work? Why are the 9 and 10 AM Minyanim packed with Yeshiva men at this particularly perilous time for the Jewish people? Should not ‘Bein HaZemanim’ (the month break) been cancelled at this terrifying time? However, instead I saw yeshiva people walking around leisurely and with no apparent recognition that we are living in a “state of siege”? Wouldn’t such an obvious strengthening of limud HaTorah been more favorable in G-d’s eyes than having four hundred thousand people clogging traffic and disrupting the lives of thousands of people, while leaving piles and piles of trash and discarded signs littering the holy streets of Jerusalem? I also do not understand the obvious exhibiting of bravado and self- confidence which was present at the rally. I thought bravado and bluster are diametrically opposed to the humility which the Torah requires of us? But most of all, I still do not understand how the Torah people ‘blame’ the politicians for their hardships? Is this not the key to all of Judaism? Namely, that it is Hashem who gives His bounty to those who are worthy of His Brocha and it is not (and can never be) a politician who grants our blessing? By virtue of empowering these politicians and blaming them for our problems aren’t we denying the basic principle which has been drilled into me from day one in Yeshiva, namely, “All is in His hands” and if we would improve then life would improve for us? I still cannot understand why we don’t blame ourselves for our misfortunes? So, as you can see I am very perplexed. Rabbi, can you help me understand this?” I looked up and my jaw dropped. Friends, can anyone help me answer him? Thank you for listening and I look forward to hearing from you, R. Y. Eisenman “If Not Now, Then When? - Hillel Ron Yitzchok Eisenman, Rabbi, Congregation Ahavas Israel, Passaic, NJ ahavasisrael.org/torah/the_short_vort/3890/
Posted on: Thu, 03 Apr 2014 19:50:36 +0000