Polarization and Hatred Reach Record Heights
Two weeks have gone by since my last column, but given the eventful nature of these times, one could be forgiven for thinking that it has been two months or even two years. Events in Eretz Yisroel are unfolding at a dizzying pace. It is hard to decide what to write about and what to omit.
The most important topic for us, of course, is the plight of the bnei yeshivos. Yes, the war is also a topic of extreme importance but let us not forget that the people of Eretz Yisroel survive through miracles, and the zechus of Torah is of vital importance. Which means that preserving the world of Torah learning should be our top priority. Unfortunately, the secular leaders of the State of Israel lack a simple, basic understanding: When the government fights against the country’s Torah learners, it is undermining its own existence. This situation is the topic of a separate article.
For a recent example of the miracles that sustain this country, we need look no further than the events of last week. Last Thursday, there was a massive right-wing protest outside the Supreme Court. There were many people in attendance, with some estimates putting the crowd size at 100,000 people, and there were numerous (i.e., too many) speeches. At 9:45 that evening, the event was at its height when an air raid siren sounded, not only in Yerushalayim but throughout the country. According to the official instructions of the Home Front Command, anyone who is outdoors during an air raid siren must lie down on the ground to protect themself. One can only imagine the sight of 100,000 people diving to the ground while the siren blared. It would have led to an unfathomable tragedy if the missile had actually hit the area of the protest, or even if a mass panic had resulted from the siren. This could have caused a stampede, with thousands of people trampled underfoot as panicked protestors raced for shelter. Boruch Hashem, this did not happen. The missile was intercepted before reaching Israel, which was a miracle in its own right. Many missiles have been fired toward Israel over the past two years, and the number of casualties has been extremely low, boruch Hashem. And the missiles have come from multiple directions—first from Gaza, then from the north, and now from Yemen. The miracles are unmistakable!
After the protest, it was discovered that a window in the Supreme Court building had been shattered. It isn’t yet clear how this happened, but that revelation alone was enough for a new campaign of incitement to begin against the political right. Even without clear knowledge of what happened or how it happened, the incitement apparatus got into full gear. Somehow, even though left-wing protests typically involve much more egregious acts of violence, no one feels the need to utter a word in protest when that occurs, but even the whiff of a possibility of violence at a right-wing demonstration leads to a cascade of condemnations.
An official statement from the court linked the broken window to the demonstration, despite the lack of conclusive evidence that a protestor was at fault: “This was an unusual, severe, and unprecedented event. The proximity to the demonstration that took place at that time and the messages that were heard against the Supreme Court is disturbing. If it is determined that this was a deliberate act, it should be handled with the appropriate severity, and the perpetrators should be brought to justice.” The court administration added, “An attack on the Supreme Court, the highest court in Israel and one of the symbols of governance, crosses a red line and represents an attack on the basic values of Israeli democracy. Regardless of the circumstances, there is no justification for violence of any kind against government or law enforcement institutions.”
Tekumah, the organization that organized the protest, did not take this lying down. Their response was equally accusatory: “The statement issued by the court administration is aggressive and offensive, while the participants in this demonstration behaved with exceptional decorum and maintained order. It is unimaginable that a public entity that is meant to act in a statesmanlike fashion is inciting against over 100,000 demonstrators who took part in a legal, respectable demonstration. We have never heard a word of criticism from the court against the left’s violent demonstrations during over two years of such violent protests, which still include wild displays of incitement, some of which is directed personally against the prime minister and the ministers of the right. This statement from the court’s spokesman is a blood libel against the 100,000 right-wing demonstrators, while the facts haven’t been investigated and no one knows the cause of the damage to the Supreme Court’s window.”
The police also denounced the statement from the court, which hurried to pin the blame on the right wing while the investigation is underway.
Arson at the Rishon Letzion’s Shul
The impact of the nonstop incitement became very clear on Sunday morning. Late at night on motzoei Shabbos, sometime around 3:00 in the morning, an arsonist set fire to the Ohr Chaviv shul in the neighborhood of Sanhedria in Yerushalayim, where Rishon Letzion Rav Yitzchok Yosef regularly davens. An adjacent building was sprayed with graffiti and crosses. Footage from security cameras shows the arsonist breaking into the shul and setting the aron kodesh on fire. The sifrei kodesh in the shul were heavily damaged. Investigators from the Yerushalayim district of the Fire and Rescue Service reported that they estimated, based on the findings in the area, that there was a “very high likelihood” that the fire was due to arson. But there is no need to guess, since the arsonist is plainly visible on the security video.
The first report was received by the firefighting service at 4:15 a.m., when thick smoke began billowing from the shul at Rechov Yam Suf 22. Firefighting teams who arrived at the scene quickly identified the source of the fire and worked to extinguish it. The fire damaged furniture and siddurim, but there were no injuries. The police launched an investigation, and detectives were summoned to the scene to gather evidence.
The arson attack was denounced by the prime minister, the president, the ministers of the government, rabbonim, and the leaders of the Shas party. Prime Minister Netanyahu wrote, “I am shocked by the criminal arson attack and desecration of the Ohr Chaviv shul in Yerushalayim. We must not permit the occurrence of these scenes that are reminiscent of the dark periods of our history. I call on the law enforcement authorities to locate the criminals with the greatest possible expediency and to bring them to justice. It does not matter whether they destroyed a shul or a court, and whether their violence targeted an official body of the State of Israel.” Of course, this was an allusion to the uproar over the broken window in the Supreme Court.
The minister of national security wrote, “I am appalled by the disturbing scenes of the arson and graffiti at the shul of the Rishon Letzion Rav Yitzchok Yosef, the spiritual leader of the Shas party. This is a disturbing incident with severe anti-Semitic overtones. There should be zero tolerance for anti-Semitism, especially in the Jewish state.”
Foreign Minister Gideon Saar wrote, “This is a serious and shocking crime. I am convinced that the perpetrators will be caught, and I call for them to be brought to justice immediately.”
Aryeh Deri conferred with the director of the Shin Bet and then declared, “The Shin Bet views this incident with the highest severity, as a nationalistic terror attack. A rapid investigation is underway, and they hope to identify the perpetrators soon and bring them to justice.” Deri gave orders for Rav Yosef to be equipped with private security guards until the government arranges bodyguard service for him. “This is a serious hate crime,” Deri added, “which is directed not only against one of our generation’s gedolim but also against the entire traditional public and the values of Jewish identity of the State of Israel. We cannot allow this serious attack against the rabbonim of Israel and this sacred place to pass in silence. We demand rapid, firm, and determined action on the part of the security and law enforcement agencies. Of course, I do not know the identity of the arsonist or his motives. We may ultimately find out that this was the work of a deranged person, but one thing is clear: This is the result of the incitement against Torah learners!”
Lieberman’s Irresponsible Comments
My next topic is somewhat related to the story of the arson, and it is certainly connected to the terrible tension pervading the political scene in Israel. Last Thursday, Yvette (Avigdor) Lieberman, chairman of Yisroel Beiteinu, announced publicly that the IDF, on the orders of Prime Minister Netanyahu, has been clandestinely supplying criminal gangs in Gaza with money and weapons. In a radio interview, Lieberman said, “Israel has provided machine guns and light weapons to crime families in Gaza on Netanyahu’s orders. I do not believe that this move received the approval of the cabinet. The head of the Shin Bet is aware of it, but I am not certain that the chief of staff of the IDF is aware. These gangs are counterparts of ISIS in Gaza.”
Lieberman’s claims may well be true, but regardless of whether he is right or wrong about the facts, it is certainly improper to speak about this matter in public. The Prime Minister’s Office responded with a statement that did not deny the claims: “Israel is working in a variety of ways to defeat Hamas, following the recommendations of all the heads of the defense establishment.” Ministers in the security cabinet claimed that they were not aware of the distribution of arms to Arab clans in Gaza, and government officials confirmed that the cabinet hadn’t approved arming these entities. On the other hand, they also confirmed that Israel is actively working to create discord between Hamas and other elements in the Gaza Strip. A senior government official explained, “The cabinet didn’t approve providing weapons to any organizations in Gaza, but Israel is trying to drive a wedge between Hamas and the other forces.” Another senior figure in the government condemned Lieberman for exposing the information to the public: “Lieberman is an irresponsible serial leaker who seems to prefer that our soldiers endanger their lives rather than using local weapons in certain situations. When it’s all about political jockeying and personal vendettas, his thought process becomes twisted as well.”
Segregation at Muslim Prayers Goes Unopposed
Now that I have mentioned the Shin Bet and the right-wing protest in Yerushalayim, there are a couple of other topics that must be discussed as well. The first is the lack of progress on the appointment of Major General (res.) David Zini as the new director of the Shin Bet. Zini’s appointment has stalled, while June 15, the date when Ronen Bar is due to step down from the position, is rapidly approaching. Meanwhile, Bar has avoided meeting with Zini to help him transition into his new role.
In related news, the government announced on Sunday that a ministerial committee had been established to advance the dismissal of Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara. The committee is officially tasked with submitting a recommendation to the government, which is part of the process of removing the attorney general from her position. As anyone could have predicted, the appointment of the committee was immediately challenged in the Supreme Court. It is worth noting that two of the ministers on the committee, Betzalel Smotrich and Michoel Malchieli, wear yarmulkes. Will the court issue an interim order prohibiting the committee from convening until the petition is heard? That, of course, depends on which judge will be on duty to make the initial call upon receiving the petition. And the attorney general, meanwhile, has issued a statement declaring that the entire process is illegal. Of course, everyone immediately asked how she could possibly issue a legal opinion on her own dismissal, which is the most egregious conflict of interest imaginable—and Baharav-Miara never tires of telling Prime Minister Netanyahu that his supposed conflicts of interest render him unfit to take action on various issues. Somehow, she seems to feel that she is personally not subject to the same rules.
In recent days, Justice Minister Yariv Levin has been showing greater determination than ever in his battle against the Supreme Court. When he spoke at last week’s right-wing protest, he was forceful and combative. “We have come here to say, ‘No more!’” he declared. “The takeover of the Knesset and government by a handful of judges is not a new thing, and the ugly selective enforcement has been taking place for many years. We all remember the young people who were arbitrarily thrown in jail during the struggle against the Disengagement. But ever since I presented the judicial reform, the truth can no longer be hidden. Over the years, these people have violated the law in the name of the rule of law. We will put an end to the tyranny of a handful of judges and a single attorney general who are trying to stop the great change, who think that they can continue overruling the will of the voters and that they can cancel the people’s decisions and their rights. Today we say to them, ‘No more!’ We will carry out the will of the people, and the people are demanding judicial reform. Together, with Hashem’s help, we will create justice.”
On the topic of justice and incitement, the following story speaks volumes: Last week, there was an Arab prayer service in Tel Aviv associated with a Muslim holiday. It was attended by a huge crowd, and there was complete segregation between men and women, yet no one uttered a single peep in protest. The hypocrisy was glaring: When men and women were segregated at Jewish tefillos, it evoked a massive outcry, petitions were filed with the Supreme Court, the mayor of Tel Aviv went berserk, and protests shook the streets. After all, it is considered improper to “exclude” women. But when the same thing happens at a Muslim prayer service, no one objects or condemns it in any way.
Why Do Soldiers Enter Dangerous Buildings?
There are two issues that are constantly looming over everyone in this country. One is the heavy price that we are paying for the war in Gaza. Last weekend, four more soldiers were killed in a tragic incident, after an explosion in a booby-trapped building caused it to collapse on them. An officer in the reserves was seriously wounded in the same incident, and four other soldiers were moderately wounded and evacuated to hospitals for medical treatment. Prime Minister Netanyahu wrote in response to the tragedy, “This is a sad and difficult day. On behalf of all the citizens of Israel, my wife and I send our heartfelt condolences to the families of the four heroic soldiers who fell in Gaza during the battle to defeat Hamas and recover our hostages. These four soldiers gave their lives for our security. The entire nation of Israel embraces the families.”
This incident triggered a debate in Israel over the question of why the soldiers are taking the risk of entering buildings that are suspected of being booby-trapped. The critics of the policy question why the buildings aren’t simply bombed from outside. Of course, this is an operational matter, but the question is whether the IDF is endangering its own men in an excessive quest for morality.
This past week was the deadliest week in Gaza in five months, since the middle of January. Eight soldiers fell in Gaza this week, bringing the number of IDF fatalities since the beginning of the war to 866. For the people of Israel, the death toll is utterly unbearable. May Hashem avenge the soldiers’ deaths.
Hostages’ Families Terrified for Their Loved Ones
The other issue weighing on the entire country, of course, is the plight of the hostages in Gaza. With every passing day, there is greater fear that yet another hostage might die, whether due to the horrific conditions of their imprisonment or as an unintended consequence of the IDF’s operations. On Shabbos, Hamas released a picture of Matan Zangkauer, one of the hostages still languishing in Gaza, with a written message: “IDF forces have besieged the place where Matan Zangkauer is being held in Gaza. We warn you unequivocally that the enemy will not succeed in retrieving him alive. If he is killed during an effort to free him, the occupying army will be responsible for his death, after we have guarded his life for the past year and eight months.”
Hamas’s statement was publicized against the backdrop of Palestinian reports on “battles” in the vicinity of the European Hospital in Khan Yunis, in the southern Gaza Strip, which included a significant presence of IDF forces and the use of artillery fire. Those “battles” refer to a couple of IDF operations, including the recent extraction of the bodies of several terrorists from the Khan Yunis area, including Mohammed Sinwar. This will enable Israel to prove that Sinwar was killed by the IDF several weeks ago, and possibly to use his body as a bargaining chip. The army also recovered the remains of a Thai citizen who was abducted on October 7.
Last Thursday, the media also reported that the bodies of Gadi and Judith Weinstein-Chagai had been recovered from Khan Yunis. The couple was abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7; Gadi was an American citizen and his wife held both American and Canadian citizenship. The IDF spokesman announced, “This operation was made possible by precise intelligence collected by the IDF and Shin Bet.” After the bodies were identified in Israel, they were buried on the kibbutz.
Matan Zangkauer’s mother reacted to the latest news of her son’s predicament in a speech at a public demonstration: “Today, Hamas announced that my Matan is in mortal danger. The military pressure is approaching him and placing him in immediate danger. The decision to increase the ground maneuvers comes at the expense of Matan’s life and the lives of all the hostages. I can no longer bear this nightmare.” As usual, she attacked the prime minister: “Netanyahu, the angel of death, is continuing to sacrifice the hostages. He is using the Israel Defense Force not for the sake of defending Israel but to continue the war and perpetuate his government.”
Other family members of hostages expressed fears about their loved ones. Here are the words of Merav Svirsky, the sister of Itai Svirsky who was murdered in Hamas captivity and whose body was subsequently retrieved by Israel: “This week, the chief of staff met with the representatives of the families of 41 hostages who were murdered by the terrorists or killed due to the military pressure. We came to warn about the danger that the hostages will face if the fighting continues. We know better than anyone else that it is impossible to protect the hostages with battles taking place above their heads.”
Tal Kuperstein, the father of Shuvu graduate and hostage Bar Kuperstein, said at the protest, “Bar has been held in tunnels 50 meters below the ground for 610 days with no food and no exposure to daylight. How is he sleeping? Is he injured? He also has to cope with fear of the IDF bombings. We must sign a deal now that will bring him and all the other hostages home. In my own precarious medical condition, I call on the prime minister to agree to a deal that will bring them all home now.”
Blood Libels Within
Last Wednesday, Minister Amichai Eliyahu responded in the Knesset to a series of motions for the agenda on behalf of Ministers Chikli, Kish, and Smotrich. Eliyahu was the minister on duty, and it is a common practice for other ministers to take advantage of a colleague’s presence in the Knesset and to have him read their responses to various questions that come their way, rather than showing up to deliver those responses in person. This sort of substitution requires the approval of the Knesset speaker, to prevent it from becoming an everyday occurrence. But Minister Eliyahu decided that, as long as he had the floor, he was entitled to throw in his own comments as well.
One of the motions dealt with the resistance in public schools to young men who wish to put on tefillin. In his response on this subject, Minister Eliyahu said, “Before we address the issue of the tefillin, I would like to ask this question: How did someone like Yair Golan reach a place in which he incites against the soldiers of the IDF and the government of Israel? In my view, the answer is simple: People like Yair Golan, who are completely cut off from their heritage and traditions, can develop such a warped sense of morality that they participate in the most despicable blood libels against Israel society…. When you look at how the people who followed in Herzl’s footsteps have become completely disconnected, both morally and ethically, it is a great cause for concern. Everyone should be worried about the lack of moral values that leads people to fight against Judaism.”
Prior to this address, Eliyahu delivered Amichai Chikli’s response to a motion concerning anti-Semitism in France. In this case as well, he deviated from the script that had been prepared for him. “Anti-Semitism did not begin today,” he said, “but how can we complain about anti-Semites from without when there are people in our midst who spread blood libels against the Jews in this country, who slander their brethren, and who say things that are no less heinous than the libels that accused Jews of baking their matzos with the blood of non-Jewish children? How can anyone claim that we delight in killing, when we are a people who pursue peace, who desire peace and who desire life?”
Another motion dealt with the lapses in government oversight of the country’s banks and the resultant harm to the public and the economy. In this case as well, Eliyahu was no less bold and daring. He held a copy of a speech that had been prepared for him by the Treasury, but he prefaced it with remarks of his own. “In my personal opinion, you are completely correct,” he said. “I believe that this issue must be addressed. It is unthinkable for there to be a group that receives so much funding at the expense of the State of Israel…. In my view, the Treasury isn’t taking sufficient measures to return these funds to the citizens of Israel. It is searching in the places where money can easily be found, instead of making the changes that I think the opposition and the coalition would both agree are necessary. Now I will read the response of the minister of finance. I don’t know if I agree with it, but I will read it to you,” he concluded.
Appreciation for Yungeleit
It wasn’t easy to come down from the spiritual high of the Yom Tov of Shavuos and to return to the drudgery of day-to-day life. On Shavuos night, we had a sublime experience of connecting to the Torah and its Giver. The botei medrash were packed, and that, in my view, is the ultimate response to the erev rav among us and the forces who are using their energy to combat anything that is holy. These forces of tumah are aware that their end is near; the most recent study on emunah among Israeli youths, which I will discuss at greater length in the near future, will increase the death throes of the sitra achara.
I quote a letter that was sent to the yungeleit in the Friday kollel in the Pressburg bais medrash on erev Yom Tov: “During these days, when we are exposed to the power of the great day when we all stood at the foot of Har Sinai, it is an opportunity for us to provide a small glimpse of our tremendous appreciation for you and your choices.” When the yungeleit left the bais medrash to return home on erev Yom Tov, each of them found an impressive cheesecake addressed to him as a gift from the kollel, with a letter bearing the logo of the shul and the names of its rabbonim. These yungeleit dedicate Fridays to learning Torah—the day of the week when the average kollel yungerman tends to feel that he can relax and enjoy a break, and the day that Rav Shach implored the Torah world to save from the status of a “meis mitzah.” Rav Boruch Weisbecker once remarked, “Fridays and Shabbosos together make up almost a third of our lives.”
There was also a hachnossas sefer Torah at Yeshivas Ponovezh in memory of Rav Gershon Edelstein, as well as a very special event held at Yeshivas Ateres Shlomo, which is under the aegis of Rav Shalom Ber Sorotzkin. And these were only a couple of the events held in various venues throughout the country to honor yungeleit. In the Mir yeshiva, Rav Nesanel Cohen distributed hundreds of packages of dairy delicacies for Yom Tov to the members of the Chullin chaburah headed by Rav Moshe Finkel (the son of Rav Gedaliah Finkel), and Rav Yeruchom Finkel (the son of the late Rav Yitzchok Finkel) handed out similar gifts to the members of Rav Ezra Yellin’s Niddah chaburah. Every cheesecake was accompanied by a letter of appreciation addressed to the wife of the yungerman receiving it, with the uplifting message: “You have an extraordinary privilege. Everything that your husband has achieved is to your credit, and he can take pride in you. Your reward is immense and eternal.” While the price tag on these gifts was higher than the average yungerman could afford, their value lay in the show of appreciation and respect for the yungeleit and their acknowledgment of the true contribution of a person who spends his days learning Torah.
The Mizbeiach and the Menorah
At the Shabbos sheva brachos following the Levi-Getter wedding last week, Reb Yosef “Yossel” Tabak delivered a delightful dvar Torah that was incisive and innovative. The Torah states that the mizbeiach must be accessed by a ramp; it is forbidden to build stairs leading up to the top of the mizbeiach. Rashi explains that since a kohen would have to make large strides when climbing a flight of stairs, it would be disrespectful to the mizbeiach for them to do so. Instead, they were required to walk up a ramp, where it was possible for them to walk in short strides. “There is also another difference between climbing a ramp and ascending a set of stairs,” Reb Yossel added. “When a person walks up a flight of stairs, the size of every stride is dictated by the height of each step. Whoever built the staircase has already determined the span of each step that he takes. His own desires or level of ability will have no impact on how far he climbs with each step; he might be technically capable of taking a smaller or larger step, but the structure of the staircase restricts him. On a ramp, however, a person can decide whether to move in large or small strides; his own feelings, abilities, and decisions dictate his steps.
“The avodah on the mizbeiach requires a person’s ascent to match his abilities,” Reb Yossel continued. “The menorah, on the other hand, represents Torah. Avodah is individualized, based on a person’s level of attainment, but the Torah has specific rules; there are thirteen middos of exposition and 48 kinyonim of the Torah, and there are darkei limud that have been transmitted to us through the generations. The manner of Torah learning isn’t up to every individual; a person cannot approach the Torah in his own way and through his own decisions. That is why the mizbeiach was accessed by a ramp; it symbolizes avodah, and every person’s avodah is based on his individual nature and abilities. On the other hand, the menorah symbolizes Torah, and there are very specific, measured ways to learn Torah; for this reason, as Rashi and the Midrash teach us, the menorah was accessed by steps. When a person learns Torah, he cannot decide on the process himself; he must follow the path that has been laid out for us by our mesorah.”
