B"H
There is No Shame in Supporting Change
Miriam and I visited one of the wonders of the world. The Grand Canyon is majestic and mesmerizing in an almost spiritual sense. I couldn’t help but think about the words echoed in our holy Torah “mah norah hamakom hazeh” - how awesome this place is. Indeed, the sheer grandeur and splendor is beyond anything I have ever witnessed. However, more than its sheer beauty, is the respect accorded it by all in its presence. It was hallowed land and humanity was the guardian over the cavernous rocks. Voices were hushed and people behaved with reverence as if they were in the presence of a higher deity.
The Talmud writes “asara kabin yofi yarda l’olam, tisha natlah Yerushalayim, v’achad l’kal haolam” - ten measure of beauty descended upon earth, nine were taken by Jerusalem and one for the rest of the world. Is it too much to ask that people appreciate the grandeur of Jerusalem and behave with at least the same reverence as those standing at the Grand Canyon? Is it too much to expect that those who claim to believe in the authority of the Talmud follow their dictum and have reverence for the sanctity of our holy city?
Israel’s democracy is facing one of its toughest battles. This time it is not only between Arabs and Jews, although that issue has reared its ugly head during the recent attacks from Gaza. I was shocked by the virulent anti-semitism shown by Israeli Arabs residing in mixed Israeli Arab cities. I would never have believed Israel could accept synagogues being torched and Jews being attacked because they were Jews. However, what is even more troublesome to me is the intra-Jewish fighting. Death threats against other Jews instigated by those who believe Likud and Netanyahu were robbed of their rightful throne. Or those who believe that Naftali Bennett is a traitor and castigate him as evil, using vitriolic diatribes and describing him as an enemy of the Jewish people. A Knesset member likened Naftali Bennett to Hitler and Stalin and labeled him as the nemesis for trying to eradicate Judaism. This level of animosity is unconscionable and pits Jew against Jew which only serves the desires of our enemies.
Inasmuch as my heart enjoyed the years of conservative dominance in Israel, I was also able to see the drawbacks of their governance. For many citizens the status quo of a right wing government was divisive and unpopular, leading to four elections in the span of two years. Undoubtedly, under the new regime there will be changes, albeit far less draconian than depicted by the opposition. Elections have consequences and previous elections that saw the Likud and Haredim parties retain power certainly had consequences on almost half of the population that didn’t vote for them. And yes, I expect those who voted against the new governing powers to control themselves . L’man tzion lo echesheh - for the sake of Zion we can’t be quiet. For the sake of the sanctity and spirituality of Israel and the Jewish people we can’t sit back and allow the irreverence to take hold.
I have much respect for the ultra orthodox in Israel but they constitute less than 13% of the population. As part of the Netanyahu coalition they gained enormous clout, far beyond what they deserved. And quite honestly, the parties on the left had little recourse and accepted defeat. They played by the rules and executed laws that were advantageous to their constituents. I applaud them for their political acumen and marvel over what they accomplished. However, the tide has shifted and much of what they gained will be subject to a new agenda with vastly different priorities. They have every right to be disappointed, but to be vindictive against the victors is offensive, disingenuous and goes against the spirit of Judaism.
I realize that some may disagree with my positions and I respect that their differences may be motivated out of deep love for the Jewish people. However, I will clarify some of the issues that shaped my thought process.
Below is a list of some of the proposed changes.
1. Replacing the current Chief Rabbis with more Zionist leaning rabbis. Currently, only ultra orthodox rabbis who represent 13% of Israeli citizens are ever elected as chief rabbi. Logically, 87% should be supportive of more diversity in those leadership positions.
2. Allowing public transport for people that choose to use it. Once again I would not like my personal choices to be trampled upon so why should I trample on the personal choices of others? Obviously, respect should be given to ensure the sanctity of areas where only shomer Shabbat people reside.
3. A more lenient policy for accepting converts. It’s a policy that I have been advocating for years as I believe the rigidity of the current policy is humiliating and disrespectful. I believe that the sanctity of an individual is of paramount importance and those undertaking conversions should be treated with dignity and respect. However, the current system is corrupt and often used to protect their political power. This needs to be modified. Furthermore, conversions performed by my peers are often deemed unacceptable or put under the microscope by rabbinical authorities who are philosophically opposed to modern orthodoxy. This delegitimization of orthodox rabbis is unconscionable and will hopefully improve under the new government.
4. More secular education in Yeshivot. This policy will be strongly opposed by their leaders as this will give ultra orthodox students a chance to broaden their horizons. It might even give them job opportunities and a quality of life outside their isolated communities. Unfortunately, their position on this subject vastly differs with mine. I’m not against Torah study or the pursuit of Torah study, however, children who are not cut out for a life of Torah study should have the necessary tools to prepare for life in the real world. Personally, I believe the current system where every ultra orthodox student has to study in kollel (Yeshiva for married men) after marriage is also contrary to Jewish law and long held (mesorah) Jewish tradition of the head of the house provides for the needs of family.
5. Everyone should join the army. Once again, it will never happen because the uproar from the ultra orthodox will be unnerving and cataclysmic. However, a compromise might exist if yeshivot started acting as academies of higher learning and demanded testing of their students on a regular basis. Those who pass their exams can receive a deferment to military obligations.
6. The new president, Isaac ‘Bougie’ Herzog and a place at the western wall for the non-orthodox. It would be refreshing if all Jews supported Israel and believed as I do. But it’s just not the case. The majority of diaspora Jews feel more and more alienated from Israel and religion. The AIPAC policy conference finds more and more Orthodox Jews in attendance every year. As much as I’m delighted that Orthodox Jews support AIPAC, less and less secular, reform, and conservative Jews are attending and openly supporting Israel. On the contrary, they are shifting support to BDS and J-Street, further alienating themselves from Israel. Bougie has made tremendous inroads into those communities and may be the perfect person to stem this tide. Furthermore, people should be able to feel a spiritual connection to Hashem even if their prayers look different to mine.
The majesty of the Grand Canyon can only be experienced by taking a step back and looking at the bigger picture. If you get too close and hone in on an individual stone, all you see is an unimpressive piece of stone. The view will be neither spiritual nor magnificent. The same is true about the Jewish people; their majesty can only be found by taking a step back and looking at the bigger picture. Individually, we are just people; collectively we are Am Yisrael. Perhaps it’s now the time to make Am Yisrael Chai more than a slogan.
Shabbat shalom,
Rabbi Jack Engel
