Yated "letters to the editor" answer anti-Zionist "letters to the editor"

Three weeks ago in the "letters to the editor" column of the English Yated,  a reader spewed hatred and venom against the State of Israel and its founders! 

Two week ago a reader refuted the anti-Zionist garbage the initial writer wrote. 

Last week the Yated chose to print a bunch of hateful letters backing the initial  writer who bad mouthed the Zionist founders of Israel!

Here, read this week's response from two different readers!

Letter #1

Dear Editor 
Two weeks ago, the Yated printed a letter to the editor purporting that Jews lived peacefully with the Arabs until the advent of Zionism, and that Zionists colluded with the Nazis to kill Jews during the Holocaust. I found this letter's message horrifying.

In my naivete, I sent a letter, which your paper titled "Indoctrination." My goal was to try to refute the hate-filled canards of the first author. I tried to show that, historically, the Arabs always oppressed the Jews. I also hoped that anti-Zionist readers might be encouraged to examine their anti-Zionist beliefs with which they may have been indoctrinated from early childhood. The unfortunate result of these beliefs is mindless hatred, sinas chinam, of wonderful Jews, and hatred of Israel.

I was horrified to open the paper this past week and find that you gave a public forum to more letters filled with hatred that would gladden the heart of any anti-Semite.

These letters disillusioned me totally of my naive belief that underneath, all Torah Jews love on another. I always suspected that many streams of Jews were indoctrinating and infecting their children with hatred against other Jews. These letters brought the "machalah" the cancer of deep hatred, out into the open in great detail. These horrific letters shattered any illusions that this illness was not so profound and pervasive as it seems to be.

The entire Jewish nation is now under siege. Jews from every stream of Jewish life are being brutally murdered in Eretz Yisroel daily. The entire world is boycotting us economically, and anti-Semitism is rampant and spreading.

Eis tzzarah hee l'Yaakov

We are fortunate to have Gedolim, Ashkenazic and Sefardic, Yeshivish, Chareidie, Chassidish and Zionist. 
Gedoilim are teaching Am Yisroel to collectively work on the middah of achdus, and ahavas yisroel.

From past experiences with anti-Zionist and anti-Israel articles in the press, I am certain that if you showed Rav Chaim Kanievsky, or Rav Ahron Leib Shteinman the letters you published this week, they would pasken not to publish such letters, because they only result of reading them is to stir up hatred against
Jews.

Especially during the great eis tzarah in which we find ourselves today, the way to awaken Hashem's rachamim towards Am Yisroel is to show Him that we love and care for one another.

My father z"l was a survivor of Warsaw. He used to tell me how some Jews went to the boxcars still arguing with each other about socialism, Zionism and whatever beliefs they had. The enemy did not care who they were. They were all slated for annihilation.
Yidden, isn't it time to learn something?
A Reader
Yerushalyim

Letter #2

Dear Editor,
Your 8 Kislev/November 20 Readers Write column contained two lengthy letters severely castigating the approach of certain Zionist leaders during World War II, including the following representative statement:
"It is actually well-documented that the Zionist leaders were at best indifferent and at worst actively helped move along the destruction of European Jewry."

Regardless of whether or not the extreme allegations of these writers are entirely true, partially true, or misleading, the very expression of these statements in your paper is incredibly distressing.

The Gemarrah Kesubos 112a clearly indicates that Eretz Yisroel is so suffused with kedusha that it is considered motzei sheim ra to say something critical even about the inanimate objects of Eretz Yisroel (the condition of the roads, in the Gemarrah's example).
I would think that this principle would be so much truer in the case of slander of the people of Eretz Yisroel. What to'eles could there possibly be that would justify in any way the scurrilous statements made by these two letter writers?

At a time when it seems that the entire world is against us and our brethren are being brutally murdered on almost a daily basis, are these letters the method by which those readers hope to gain the sympathy and rachamin of Hakodosh Borch Hu?

It also seems a bit incredible that one of those letter writers admits to having spent several hours gathering facts for his letter and encourages others to do the same in order to verify his allegations.

Does this letter writer believe that those few hours, with no apparent purpose other than digging up dirt, were well-spent, when he could have used that time to be engaged in Torah learning, performing chessed, or davening heartfelt tefillos on behalf of our besieged brothers and sisters in Eretz Yisroel?

Could these letter writers conceivably be motivated by a bizarre belief that the current prime minister of Israel and his cabinet are willing to callously sacrifice Jewish lives in order to promote their political agenda?
If not, then why dredge up, almost gleefully it seems from the tone of the letters, what allegedly happened over 70 years ago?

As we all know, in an extreme manifestation of the severe and lasting damage lashan hara about Eretz Yisroel can cause, the slanderous statements of the meraglim managed to turn an ordinary day into Tisha B'Av for the ages. At a time when our main task should be to turn Tisha B'Av on its head into a day of geula, is it really productive to spend one's time and energy digging up old dirt and publicizing it?

Let us hope that future letters will reflect the achdus we so desperately need that such letters will lead us in a constructive direction, rather than fostering resentment and divisiveness for no conceivable good reason.
Respectfully
Thomas Furst
Great Neck, NY

Letter to Yated Editor says that Rav Yaakov Ruderman's pro-Israel views are now irrelevant

When a guy writes that what a Godol who passed away said years ago, is now irrelevant because if he were alive today he would have changed his mind, then how do we now know if anything any Godol says now, is relevant?

 How do I now know that what any Rishon or Achron said is true? 
Maybe it was true only when he was alive?
More of my thoughts after the letter:

Dear Editor,
In the last edition of the Yated, there was an interesting interview with the previous chief rabbi of Israel, Rav Yisrael Meir Lau.

One of the points in the interview was, in my opinion, mis-leading.

 Rav Lau mentions that when he met with Rav Yaakov Yitzchok Ruderman zt"l, the rosh yeshivah was talking to someone about whether it was permissible to have a Magen Dovid in a shul (as there was a machlokas whether a particular shul should allow this). 

Rav Ruderman said in Kovna, this was a common practice and therefore it was not a problem. When one of the people in the room argued that this was before the founding of the State of Israel, the rosh yeshiva said, "What's bad about the state? It saved many Jews from  death. It saved many Jews from death. It opened the gates of Aliyah to people with nowhere to go. Please leave the paroches as it is. The Magen Dovid is not  treif. The man is correct. There is nothing wrong with it, and you can tell that to the people in the shul in my name."

It would appear that even if the rosh yeshiva had this opinion at that point in history, we can't say with certainty that he would utter such a statement after the current terrible matzav in Eretz Yisroel, with a government under Yair Lapid that has caused such terrible damage to Torah in so many ways. To publicize something that the rosh yeshiva said so many years ago, when the matzav is so different now, could lead to a lack of clarity to our olam and/or a lack of respect for the gadlus of the rosh yeshiva.
An Alumnus of Yeshivas Ner Yisroel

DIN: 
What a chutzpah from a conceited smarkatch! ... 

Rav Ruderman clearly said :

"What's bad about the state? It saved many Jews from  death. It saved many Jews from death. It opened the gates of Aliyah to people with nowhere to go. Please leave the paroches as it is. The Magen Dovid is not  treif. The man is correct. There is nothing wrong with it, and you can tell that to the people in the shul in my name."

What changed about that statement?

He writes: 
"Yair Lapid that has caused such terrible damage to Torah in so many ways."

First of all: Yair Lapid is no longer in the government....

Second of all: What did he do that's knegged Ha'Toirah?

He wants Yesivah boys to go to the army? 
Didn't Rav Shach and Rav Ovadia Yosef say many times, that any boy whose "Torah isn't Umnusoih" should not a get a Petur from the army?
see the attached letter from Rav Shach

He cut money from Yeshivos and Kollolim?

I never ever saw so much as a "thank you" to the State of Israel that wrote checks for over 60 years to the Yeshivos and kollilim...
I would think that if they had shown a bit of appreciation, things would have turned out differently!

About the Magen Dovid...
The Satmar Shul in Satmar where Reb Yoel davened had a Magen Dovid...
see the photo from DER YID!

Notice the Magen David above the Aron Kodesh

Satmar Yiddish Newspaper Headlines Blame Zionists for Forbidding them to Beat their Chickens!

Dear readers,
 I'm getting loads of emails complaining about the fact  that I keep knocking the Satmar Yiddish Weeklies and that I'm spreading Loshon Hara  .....

Read the headlines yourself, and if you can't read yiddish, get someone that can. The ones spreading "Loshan Hara" are the Satmar newspapers themselves, I'm just translating and reporting back to you.
Instead of writing about the upcoming Yomim Toivim, they are busy with "pista maasis" bashing the holy State of Israel on every single opportunity!
They are upset that the Chilonie Government is concerned about "Tzaar Baalei Chayim" and they, with the long beards, who chap sherayim from the Rebbe's soup, don't care that chickens are being tortured by their little children and don't give a hoot, that the live chickens are broiling in the sun!

These papers  came out today, Erev Yom Kippur! 

Der Blatt

 The above headline reads: 
"The Evil (dark) Decree from the Heretic Government stop Jewish residents of Eretz Yisroel from carrying out their custom of beating chickens!

Dee Zeitung

 The above Headline reads:
The State of Israel prohibits the custom of Kapporis with the excuse that they (the government) are concerned for the health and pain (of the chickens)

Der Yid

The above Headline reads: 
Zionist Government attempts to stop the Chareidim from carrying out the minhag of "Kapporis" on Eseres Yemei Teshuvah

Now, in great contrast, see the Headlines of the Yated and The Jewish Press! 
So tell me, who are the ones lying, spreading Loshon Hara, and spewing hate on Erev Yom Kippur??? Hmmmmmmmmmmmm?

Pinny Lipshitz editor of Yated a Liar!

Pinny the liar Lipshitz

From the Emes Ve-Emunah Blog

Yated editor Rabbi Pinchos Lipshitz is an anti Semite. I’m sure that sentence will raise some eyebrows. That’s because he really isn’t an anti Semite. But if I were to follow his lead (and those of like minded individuals in his community) this would be an article of faith. His abhorrent attitude about clearly observant Jews whose only goal is to serve Klal Yisroel is spread all over his latest editorial. And it is filled with hate.

What he and others have said or implied is that the things said by non Charedim about Charedim should be considered anti-Semitic. Just substitute the word Jew for the word Charedi in many of those columns and the world would be screaming anti Semite at whoever uttered them.

His editorial is filled with the usual crop of hyperbole, lies, and innuendos. Here is one of the more egregious lies: 

People can disagree, but to call 50,000 frum, peaceful people murderers because they gathered to daven is abhorrent... 

This falsehood has been repeated numerous times by various Charedi media. It is based on Yori Yanover’s ‘cry from the heart’ about Charedim avoiding being subjected to a military draft which can entail dying for one’s country - while everyone else is subjected to that possibility. To say that this is calling them murderers is not only a flagrant distortion of the truth, it is designed to whip up the anger and animosity of his crowd. And just like any big lie, the more it is repeated, the more it is believed. That is what makes this type of yellow journalism so disgusting. They are losing the battle for the hearts and minds of masses of observant Jews so they resort to hyperbole, exaggeration, distortion, and outright lies.

The rest of his article is filled with derision, invective, and ridicule about religious Jews. He doesn’t even acknowledge that someone like Rabbi Dov Lipman is observant, calling him a Kipa wearing Jew as though it was some sort of disguise and not an indication of his being observant!

Here is a particularly disturbing comment: 

Those who stoke fires, create diversions, and fuel division in the pursuit of any goal expose themselves as guilty of hypocrisy and a refusal to examine the real facts the way they are. Throughout the ages, we have been victimized by blood libels. It is shameful that religious people are now utilizing the methods of Eisov and tactics of Haman to further their agendas. 

I agree with the first sentence:  Those who stoke fires, create diversions, and fuel division in the pursuit of any goal expose themselves as guilty of hypocrisy and a refusal to examine the real facts the way they are.

But it is the pot calling the kettle black. It is Rabbi Lipshutz and his fellow travelers that stoke those fires, create diversions, and fuel division. And he has the nerve to say that religious Jews are using the methods of Eisav and the tactics of Haman? We are not the ones lying about things. He is! 

Here is yet another lie: 

The people who give those speeches, write those articles, and post and publish them are using their words to further their battle against the much despised lomdei Torah. 

Does he really believe that people like me despise Lomdei Torah? And that our mission is to battle them? Whether he believes it or not, it is a lie. And frankly I think it is a deliberate lie. Any sane person who reads any of my posts on this subject knows that it’s a lie!

Here is a ridiculous question he asks: 

Might it be that the secular camp and their Orthodox enablers are the inciters? Might it be that those who so vehemently decry the chareidi leadership are guilty of far worse? 

Vehemently decry? Who among us has said anything vehement about Charedi leadership? I certainly haven’t. That I and others like me strongly disagree with some of what they say is not done with any kind of vehemence. Certainly not anywhere near the vehemence expressed by Rabbi Lipshutz in this editorial. Is Rabbi Lipshutz ready to call Rabbi Berel Wein a Kippa wearing Jew? …an Orthodox enabler of secular Torah haters?

Rabbi Lipshutz also takes umbrage at another comment made by Yori Yanover: 

The post-Holocaust Haredi world is all about fear. Fear of new things. Fear of books. Fear of voices. And above all, fear that the education a young man receives during his 20 years in a Haredi yeshiva is worthless, because as soon as he encounters the outside world, those 20 years would vanish, melt away like cholov Yisroel butter on a skillet.” 

While I agree that this was worded indelicately, how false is it, really? This too probably stoked the fires of hatred… which is Rabbi Lipshutz goal in repeating it. He wants those fires to be stoked – against detractors!

But is it not fair to say that there is a fear of books that do not exactly parrot the Charedi version of history; books that turn human beings into heavenly angels; free of sin; born that way from the womb, and staying that way till the tomb?

Is it not true that they reject for their students in Israel any secular education – if not out of fear, then out of the belief that it is Bitul Torah – wasteful of the time one should instead be studying Torah? Is it not true they fear the kind of challenges one might face on the outside world (e.g. the internet)? ...that it would shake their beliefs and that 20 years (of the Charedi version of Jewish education) might vanish, melt away?

Rabbi Lipshutz says nothing to dispel these notions. He just says: ‘There you have it’. As if to imply that these challenges are so absurd they do not justify a response. 

Really, Rabbi Lipshutz? I think they do. Because without any explanation, these values are exactly what Charedim constantly espouse. How many times have I heard the argument that history is only as important as the inspiration it can provide. So that any bio that does not make its subject larger than life and ignores truths about a Gadol that makes them uncomfortable, is worthless… and perhaps even detrimental. They do in fact fear facing the truths of history.

Rabbi Lipshutz uses this paragraph to ‘prove’ that a war is being waged against Charedim. And fuels the outrage with the claim that food is being taken out of the mouths of Charedi babies because entitlements have been cut.

That is total distortion of the facts. Why every single able bodied Charedi who chooses not to work should be entitled to welfare that is basically designed to help those who cannot help themselves - is beyond me. This is not taking food out of the mouths of babies. 

As I’ve said a million times, we do need to support the elite Torah students among us. They should be given a fully divinity exemption and be paid a living wage. But to do that for every single able bodied Charedi just because he wants to - is unfair and wrong. And reducing (not eliminating) welfare to them is not taking food out of the mouths of babies.

I doubt that Rabbi Lipshutz will respond to anything I wrote here. Probably because he can’t. But even if he does ‘respond’ it will not be with any rational arguments or proofs. It will be with more lies; more innuendos; and more distortions. He will not prove his position at all, just as he did not do so now. He will instead attack, attack, attack and continue to promote the ‘big lie’ until he’s satisfied that everyone believes it. 

Israeli Yated blames Israel for global anti-Semitism?

 An op-ed in the popular Israeli ultra-Orthodox daily newspaper Yated Ne’eman on Thursday says that Israel is to blame for the increase in global anti-Semitism, and that as long as the Haredim continues to be harassed, and religious adherence continues to slip—-it will only get worse.

THE TIMES OF ISRAEL  reports that the op-ed particularly calls out Israel’s founders, saying they “hoped that the established state would solve the problem of anti-Semitism. They sought to save the bodies at the cost of forsaking the souls.”

“Salvation is dependent on one condition—-that the will of God be done,” the piece states. “The more Haredim and torah scholars are harassed, the more Jews will be harassed around the globe.”

The op-ed comes on the heels of Sunday’s release of the Annual Anti-Semitism Report from Israel’s Information and Diaspora Ministry, which said that despite the fact that actual violent attacks on Jews worldwide was down in 2013, anti-Semitic sentiment is increasing.

How Absurd? How crazy can one be to believe this stuff?
 And what a vile and disgusting piece of printed word. If it wouldn't have been for the "Zionist "state, the Jews of the camps and europe who not have had a safe haven. 

If it wouldn't have been for the "Zionist" state, the chareidim of today would not be riding the number 2 bus in safety to daven at the Kosel. 

If it wouldn't be for the "Zionist" state they wouldn't all be able to schnor from the very government that they hate while other Jewish souls, somebody's son, husband , father or brother die and spill blood so they can live in safety with their hands out.

This article implies that its ok that 1/3 of the country, and increasing, not only don't work but also expects this very "wicked government" to support them as well. 
Kids are starving and living in gaza-like conditions but its all mesiras nefesh for torah. Where else in the whole wide world can you find this situation feasible?

Do Girls Learn Anything In Seminary!!

My wife is a Shadchan, who did many shiduchim just this year alone. She is not a professional, she does it totally L'shem Shomayim. The very first question the boy's family usually asks is "which Seminary did she attend?" They are basically not interested what the girl actually learned there, or if she  possesses good or special character traits. She just wants to know so that she can boast her new daughter-in laws credentials to the Yenta next door. Then they want to know, how is this boy going to be supported, but this question requires a totally separate post. 


In a  letter to the editor in the March 11, 2011 edition of the English Yated Ne'eman, a young girl still in Seminary in Eretz Yisroel warns her parents that she will be coming back to the States a "changed person," since she had adopted "chumros" etc. She writes that her parents should understand that if you send your teenager to study in Eretz Yisroel and spend a lot of money getting the teenager there, then they better be ready to basically adopt the stringencies in  Halacha that the teenager learned in Seminary!
Now read an answer to her letter from a reader in this weeks Yated Ne'eman!

MENTCHLICHKEIT BEFORE CHUMROS

Dear Editor,

I was appalled by the letter from the girl in seminary in Eretz Yisroel to her parents. The letter reveals that this girl has learned little, if anything, of what one would have expected her to learn. There is clearly something wrong with this system. While she may have learned lots of chumros and, undoubtedly, numerous complex commentaries, she has not learned basic elements of mentchlichkeit, hakoras hatov and kibbudav v 'eim.

I do not know the economic status of the family of this seminary student, but if they are like most people, they struggled mightily to scrape together at least $20,000 of hard-earned money to send her to seminary in Eretz Yisroel. They may have even gone into debt over it. Yet, the only message conveyed in her letter is a warning shot across the bow to her parents. She has not even come home and she has already criticized her parents.

How about some hakoras hatov? Did you ever consider how difficult it is to make $20,000, particularly in these times? Do you know how many hours of work and how much effort, toil and heartache it takes to make that money? Were you ever taught in seminary to appreciate what your parents have done for you? This is the very first middah that the Torah teaches us. Adam was criticized for not being makir tov that G-d gave him Chava. This comes well before any chumros that you learned. Don't you think that your parents, at the very least, deserve at least one word - "thanks"?

Your year in Eretz Yisroel is a privilege and a luxury. No, it is not coming to you. It is not your birthright. It is precisely this "kumt mir" attitude that is so distasteful and the cause of much discord. It has fostered arrogance among some of our youth. You should be in awe of your parents. Ten months in a seminary apparently did not make you smarter, better, wiser or more experienced than your parents. That you may know a few more chumros, Rambans and halachos than your parents does not render them inferior to you. Indeed, the tone and content of your letter show that you have much to learn.

A Parent With Priorities In Order

Dusiznies: 

Now that the Rabbonim are in a mode of doing “Takonis” for weddings, I thinks its time to make a “Takana” to scrap the whole "Seminary in Eretz Yisroel" business. There are really great Seminaries here in the States. As far as having your daughter have an "Experience in Israel" is concerned, I propose sending our daughters to Israel for the summer after High School in a supervised controlled camp. It will save thousands upon thousands of dollars!

It won't happen though! Why?

I want to know why there isn’t any “Takones” for the prohibitive costs of the tuition of an Israeli based Seminary? Why are the costs of these Seminaries that brainwash our daughters to marry men that will never carry out what they promised in the Ketubah,  the same as a wedding?

Maybe, just maybe, the Rabbonim want these Seminaries to continue in business to push the "learning" agenda to keep the Rabbonim in business. 

I want to know why there aren't any Takones to stop the bleeding of Jewish Hard Earned Money!

Its ok to limit the number of musicians at weddings (thereby ripping away the Parnassah of many hard working family supporting young men).

But its not ok to stop stuffing tens of thousands of dollars in the pockets of the Seminary Administrators.  Makes sense???