It's not Iron Dome [saving us] it's Hashem

By Guest Writer :The Jewish Worker

So writes Chaim Cohen in a column on the Charedi website Kikar Shabat. He is upset that all we hear about in the news is praise for Iron Dome and that no one gets up and says that we are being saved by Hashem in the merit of our Torah learning and mitzvos. He even claims that Hamas believe this quoting an interview on CNN where he claims that someone from Hamas said that their rockets are very accurate and that 80% of the rockets are diverted to uninhabited areas by your god.

I have a few issues with this article
.
1. Why is it that when it comes to the good things done by the government they always come from Hashem but yet the bad things are always from the government? 

If you really believe that Iron Dome has little to no role in protecting us, it is all from hashem then where is that faith when it comes to other things like government money? 

Why scream, kick and yell when the government cuts funding, after all that also comes from Hashem? 

Why bring in the top heart specialist to treat R' Elyashiv (see Should we go to the best doctor?) when everything is from Hashem?


2. As many people pointed out in the comments on Kikar Shabbat, there was no such interview on CNN, it looks like he simply made it up. The claim that their rockets are accurate is laughable and ridiculous. Everyone knows that their rockets are very inaccurate especially the home made ones and therefore 80% landing in uninhabited areas is perfectly reasonable.


3. Where is the Hakaros Hatov to the soldiers and the defense establishment? 
Soldiers are dying in Gaza protecting him and his family and is pontificating about having faith.


4. His argument is silly. He can claim anything but he has no way to prove it.

Updated 10:30PM

R' Aviner has what I believe is a much truer Torah perspective. He says that we need to understand that Iron Dome is from Hashem. He quotes a Ran in his Derashos (10) where the Ran explains that in truth a person should be able to say that כחי ועוצם ידי עשה לי את החיל הזה because we see that different people have different talents and some people are truly gifted. However, the Torah tells us that we need to remember that these כוחות are from Hashem and therefore ultimately it is all from hashem. This is the way that we need to look at Iron Dome, Hashem gave the Jews who built the system the intelligence and skill to build it. Therefore, Iron Dome is itself a נס  and worthy of praise.

Part 2

The article  It's not Iron Dome [saving us] it's Hashem, where Chaim Cohen claimed that Hashem is diverting the Hamas rockets to non-inhabited areas and that our hishtadlus (Iron Dome) has little to no effect, started me thinking about this question. 

The article is perfect example of the current Charedi approach that a leaf doesn't fall without it being decreed from heaven (see my post Hashgocha Pratis, what does it mean? for an elaboration of this). I believe that this shita has taken over the Charedi world in the last 50 years for the following reasons:

1. It is theologically simple. It is a very black and white answer which fits into the current Charedi mindset and it promotes emuna peshuta
2. It is as the Chinuch wrote far-removed from the intellect, which fits the current anti-intellectual climate
3. It fits very well with a Torah only mindset. If everything (even a leaf falling) is from Hashem then Torah only makes a lot of sense. Everything else doesn't count anyway.

While this shita is certainly legitimate and has it's sources, it creates a lot of serious questions about man's role in the world. 

Basically, according to this shita, man has no real role in the world. This world is simply a test and nothing that man does has any real effect (see R'Dessler). 

The problem is that we see with our own eyes that this isn't true. Of course R' Dessler says that we are simply mistaken and it is all a test, but I think that most people have a very hard time with this. We see that people take initiative and do things and do have success. People work hard and get promoted for their hard work, get good grades and based on that get high paying jobs, etc. While this shita may have made sense for people in earlier times when man had basically no control over anything, today, when we do have limited control, and we can see the direct results of our actions this shita is much more difficult to accept.

In fact, even in the real Haredi world we find that this shita is not accepted when it comes to certain things, medicine for example. 

Haredim many times move mountains to see the top specialist in the field (for a famous case see Should we go to the best doctor?). However, according to R' Dessler (and the Chazon Ish) this really should be considered too much השתדלות and a lack of בטחון.After all, Hashem is doing the healing not the surgeon and once we have done our השתדלות, going to the doctor and having the surgery, why should it matter whether the surgeon is the best in the world or simply Joe surgeon who is competent? As long as we do our השתדלות to avoid requiring a נס, the rest is a גזירה מן השמים. If the גזירה is that the surgery will be successful, then it will be successful even if done by the average surgeon, and if the גזירה is that it won't be successful then it won't help that you have the best surgeon.

In fact, what does it actually mean that someone is considered the best surgeon? After all, הכל בידי שמים, our success is actually an illusion to make it look like it is our skill. In fact, our success in worldly matters is simply a גזירה מן השמים so the fact that he successfully operated is not due to his skill but due to the גזירה מן השמים. This is essence Chaim Cohens claim against Iron Dome, all hishtadlus is simply an illusion and doesn't really matter.

There is however, a different approach, that while there certainly is hashgacha in the world, man also has the ability to take initiative and accomplish things. As I pointed out yesterday, the Ran in his Derashos (10) explains that in truth a person can say that כחי ועוצם ידי עשה לי את החיל הזה as long as he recognizes that his raw talents come from Hashem. because we see that different people have different talents and some people are truly gifted. With this approach, Hashem has given every person certain כוחות and it is up to us to use those כוחות in the world. According to this approach, Iron Dome itself is from Hashem because he gave the designers and implementers the intellect and skill to build it. However, it didn't just come down from heaven, people had to actually use their initiative and skills to make it happen.

This is much more theologically complex position, but ultimately one that fits in much better with the way we see the world working and I believe gives more meaning to what we do in our lives.

Hamodia reader very upset that the newspaper referred to the Israeli Army as כוחותינו, our forces

Translation in English

"The Real Power"

"As subscribers to your important newspaper, Hamodia, the newspaper of Charedi Jewry, I was very surprised to see time after time during the military operation the words, "our forces" ...

It is important to point out that we never relied on or put our trust in flesh and blood and our true forces are -- only Torah learning and the students who learn Torah.

The Jewish Worker Blog 

Says that  this letter is idiotic for a number of reasons:

1. The fact is that whether you like it or not, the soldiers are fighting for every Jew who lives in Israel and if given the chance Hamas would slaughter the Haredim just as much as they would slaughter any other Jews.
2. Did Moshe Rabbenu not raise an army to fight Amalek, Midyan, etc.? Did Yehoshua, Dovid Hamelech etc. not fight wars? Why didn't they just sit and learn? The answer is very simple, we need to do our hishtadlus when it comes to war (just like anything else) and that means having an army and fighting. Why does the writer see a contradiction between our army and faith in Hashem?
3. Why can't the writer show a little hakaros hatov to those who are putting their lives on the line so that he can sit and learn?

Source: Kikar Shabbat

New York City: Anti-Semitic thugs rough up Jewish couple, drive off flying “Palestinian” flags

Islamic Jew-hatred is becoming increasingly open, increasingly violent, and increasingly common. 

What will Mayor de Blasio do? 
Convene a task force to combat “Islamophobia”?

“Thugs rough-up Jewish couple, drive off flying Palestinian flags,”
by Aaron Feis, New York Post, August 26, 2014:

A gang of anti-Semitic thugs roughed up a Jewish man and his wife on the Upper East Side on Monday evening before fleeing in cars flying Palestinian flags, police sources told The Post.

Two cars and multiple motorcycles pulled up to the couple on East 63rd Street near Third Avenue just after 8 p.m., and the assailants began yelling “anti-Jewish statements,” the sources said.

One of the goons threw a water bottle that hit the wife, and the 27-year-old husband was punched in the side of his head when he came to her defense, according to law enforcement sources.

Police sources said the creeps then raced back to their waiting vehicles, some of which bore Palestinian flags, and took off.
The victims, who live in the area but were not identified by authorities, were not seriously injured and refused medical attention at the scene.

The hate crimes task force is investigating the assault, and police sources said that the victim may have been targeted because he was wearing a yarmulke.

There were no arrests as of early Tuesday morning and a description of the suspects was not immediately available.

Jimmy Carter To Give Keynote Speech At Muslim Convention In Detroit

On Monday, The Toledo Blade reported that former President Jimmy Carter, the same President who accused Israel of practicing apartheid and called for the U.S to "legitimize" Hamas, will be giving the keynote speech at the 51st annual convention of the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) held in Detroit this Friday, September 1st.

The speech will be held at a luncheon August 30th.

That very same evening, a session will be held titled, "Generations Rise: Elevating Muslim-American Culture," the same title as the conference's theme, where ISNA's outgoing President, Imam Mohamed Magid and four other Muslim speakers will offer ideas over Muslim-American advancement over the next five years. 

A "secret special guest" is also billed to appear, no indications are made whether that will be Carter or not.

At the convention's opening session Friday, Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder and Bishop Elizabeth Eaton, the national leader of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, will make remarks. 

U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.), the first Muslim member of Congress, will also be speaking Saturday.

Missing American yeshiva student’s family demands IDF intervention

Three days after being reported missing in the Jerusalem Forest while hiking with a friend, the family of 23-year-old American yeshiva student Aaron Sofer said they are dissatisfied with the progress of the search, and demanded military intervention.

Despite hundreds of police officers, volunteers and the emergency response and rescue organizations ZAKA and United Hatzalah actively searching for Sofer since Saturday, no clues as to his whereabouts have surfaced as of Monday evening.

“A physically, mentally and emotionally healthy young man does not go missing for 72 hours,” said Sofer family spokesman, Dov Hirth on Monday. “The family is not satisfied with the way the search and rescue operation has been handled thus far.”

Moreover, Hirth cited the Muhammad Abu Khdeir murder in the same forest last month, allegedly by Jewish assailants, compounded by heightened tensions with Palestinians, as cause for alarm.

“It’s well known that a murder took place in that forest, and especially with the ongoing tensions with Palestinians, we feel there should be a military presence and involvement in the search for Aaron,” he said.

Sofer, who is haredi and from Lakewood, New Jersey, was last seen in the Beit Zayit area of the woods Friday morning, before he and a friend became separated while navigating a steep incline.

Concerned after not reuniting with him several hours later, the unidentified friend contacted police to file a missing person’s report, which led to the intensive manhunt, as well as Sofer’s parents flying to Israel to aid in the growing search.

While the manhunt initially generated numerous headlines, Hirth said the family is now concerned that the story has since lost traction.

“The fact of the matter is we have a young man missing for no apparent reason, and it was on page one of all the newspapers and then the coverage just stopped,” he said. “This needs to continue to be a major story.”

Police describe Sofer as approximately 5 feet 9 inches tall, slender, with a close-cropped red beard, wearing glasses, a white shirt, yalmuka and black trousers at the time of his disappearance.

Anyone with information that may assist in locating Sofer has been asked to call 02-5391520, or the Israel Police hotline at 100.

Neo-Nazis don't like herring, Video

Maybe they think herring is a Jewish fish.

A group of neo-Nazis complained that they were assaulted with herring during a rally in Sweden.

The party of the Swedes held three rallies over the weekend without much opposition.

However, in Gothenburg, the public threw stinky herring at some members. A large police force guarded the event. Officials estimate that about 2,300 people showed up at Gotaplatsen Square to protest.

On Saturday, a demonstration against the neo-Nazi party spiraled out of control as police and protesters clashed leading to several injuries.

Ten people were taken to a hospital, five with serious injuries with one of them requiring treatment in the emergency room. Police arrested six people after taking dozens into custody.

An estimated 1,500 people gathered at Limhamn Square in Malmo, to protest a planned appearance by the leader of the party of the Swedes.

Finally the conclusion of the Bobov Psak Din

Reb Shlomo center, with his 2 sons, Reb Naftalche on left, Reb Benzion right

Reb Mordacha D Ungar left with Reb Benzion right, in better days

This fight is over 9 years old.

Reb Benzion Halberstam the son of Reb Shlomo Halberstam took his brother-in-law Reb Mordechai Dovid Unger to secular court, because R' Ungar called himself the "Bobover Rebbe". 
Reb Benzion, felt, that since he was  the son of the Reb Shlomo, he had the exclusive right to call himself "Bobover Rebbe".

So here is a bit of history made very simple:
Reb Shlomo Halberstam, had two sons: Reb Naftalche who was the B'chor, and Reb Benzion.

When Reb Shlomo was niftar in the year, 2,000, naturally Reb Naftalche became Bobover Rebbe. 
Reb Benzion the other son and brother, was called "Rav Hatzoer" "the younger Rebbe." 

But then, just 5 years into his reign, Reb Naftalche passed on without any sons; he only had daughters.

His youngest son-in-law, Reb Mordechai Dovid Ungar, now claimed that he was next in line to be Bobover rebbe,
 Reb Benzion said "no dice" "I'm the Rebbe, period!"

Followers of  both sides began to grab the Bobover properties, worth in the millions of dollars. 
There were fist fights between the followers of both camps. 

So finally, Reb Benzion took his brother-in-law to Bais Din, but Bais Din wasn't coming to any resolution's that was satisfactory to any of the parties, and Bais Din was dragging their feet, so they went to Secular Court, in violation of our Holy Torah in Parshas Mispatim!
But the Gentile Judge told the Holy Rabbis, that as Holy Rabbis they should go to Bais Din to resolve their differences!

So each side appointed one Rabbi and both of these Rabbis appointed an impartial third Rabbi to adjudicate the case!

After 9 years they concluded that Reb Benzion is the genuine Bobover Rebbe, and Reb Mordachi Dovid Unger can no longer call himself Bobover Rebbe, Reb Benzion keeps all the properties, just that Reb Benzion must give 6.5, million dollars to Ungar payable over 5 years.

Of course, Reb MD Ungar's camp is screaming "fowl" and says that the Bais Din was biased, even though he himself chose a Rabbi to advocate his position and that this Rabbi chose the third impartial Rabbi!


The following are some of the important highlights:

· Only R' Benzion Halberstam Shlita, the son of R' Shloime Halberstam Zatzal, can be called the "Bobov Ruv and Bobov Rebbe".

· R' Mordechai Dovid Unger and R' Shia Rubin may not be called "Bobov Ruv and Rebbe". This applies to the US and everywhere else in the world.

· It is the responsibility of Rabbis Unger and Rubin to make sure that they are not so called in any way shape or form. They must inform all newspapers and make sure that they are never so announced at weddings or anywhere else.

· It is further their responsibility to make sure that whenever someone refers to "Bobov", it is understand unequivocally to mean the faction of R' Halberstam.

· R' Unger and Rubin have the option to call themselves with an additional name of a town along with the name of Bobov, so long as the new town name comes before "Bobov". (For example they may choose to be called "Sanz Bobov" or "Rupshits Bobov". They also have the option to choose to call themselves "Bobov 45"). They must quickly choose their name. Once their choice is made, that name will become final and they may never change to a different name along with the name Bobov.

· The Unger faction may not call their Moisdos and Corporations by any of the names being currently used by Bobov. Including but not limited to: Kehal Sharei Zion, Yeshivah Bnei Zion, Bnos Zion, Mesivta Eits Chaim, Kollel Zichron Chaim, Ameidei Zion, Camps Shalva and Gila.
·
· The Unger faction must change their Emblems. And they may not use the same uniform for the girls as Bobov is currently using.

· EVERY SINGLE Bobov asset belongs to the faction of R' Halberstam. Including but not limited to the following buildings: New Beis Medrash, Old Beis medrash, Yeshiva buildings on 48 and 42nd streets, Mesivta buildings, Bnos Zion Buildings, Kerem Shloime Building, Mesivta camp in the Poconos, Camps Shalva, Kerem Shloime and Camp Gila.

· The Unger faction shall receive $6.2 million - to be paid out over a period of 5 years. 

R' Yoel Teitelbaum, Satmar Rebbe said that it's far better to Violate the Shabbos or to bow to a cross than to vote in Israeli Elections!

Loose Translation of a conversation with R' Yoel Teitelbaum z"l in reference to Israeli elections!

They were trying to convince the Rebbe, to give his blessings to have  his followers vote, so they would have more influence in Israeli politics.

"As soon as the Rebbe zy"a heard these words, he became totally enraged. His holy face became red like fire, and banged hard on the table and said with a holy fire:

"This is final, I won't speak any further, It is prohibited to vote in the elections! Do you know why?

Because the holy Torah say so!"

While uttering these words, the Rebbe again banged very hard on the table and fell back into his chair.... and said:

"Do you know what I am going to tell you" the Rebbe raised his holy hand and pointed with his finger and said:

"better to smoke 20 cigarettes on Shabbos then to vote once in the elections."

The Rebbe continued, and again raised his hand :

  "And I will add one more thing, better to bow down 5 times to a cross then to vote once in the elections."

Then the Rebbe pointed with his fingers toward the 3 book shelves and said: "The Holy Torah says this!""

DIN: I just did a Bar-Ilan search on the entire Torah, and didn't see anywhere that you cannot vote in the Israeli Elections!

What I did find is that one is prohibited to violate the shabbos and one is prohibited to bow down to the avodah zara.

And what I did see is that the Agudah (Moetzes Gedoilei Ha'Torah) required every one to vote and so did Rav Shach, who had his own party. Ger, Belz, Chabad, Kloizenberg, Bobov, Rav Ovadia Yosef who had his own party, Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach, Rav Eliyashav, Reb Chaim Kanievsky all advocated voting in the elections!

So did they all violate the non-existent Halacha? 

Or was the Satmar Rebbe the only one at Har Sinai, and in his Torah it says, that you cannot vote in Israeli Elections?

Or was the Satmar Rebbe at Har Sinai and the rest of us on another mountain? 

5-Year-Old Child Struck & Killed By Vehicle In Woodridge UPDATED!

Tragedy has struck the Catskills on Sunday afternoon, when a 5-year-old girl, Rivka Weinman,  was struck and killed by a vehicle in the town of Woodridge.

 The child was struck by a vehicle in front of Village Park Bungalow Colony on Tabaczynski Road around 3:00PM.

Catskills Hatzolah rushed to the scene and did everything they could to save the child’s life. 

Unfortunately, she was Niftar shortly after arriving at Catskill Regional Medical Center (Harris Hospital).
The Woodridge Police Department is on the scene investigating the incident. They are being assisted by the Sullivan County Sheriff Department and the NY State Police.

UPDATE: 

The Levaya of Rivka Weinman A”H will tentatively be taking place at 11:30 PM this evening in Lakewood at the 7th Street Chapel.

Police launch intensive manhunt in Jerusalem Forest for missing American yeshiva student

Less than 48 hours after being reported missing Friday evening in the Jerusalem Forest, helicopters, canines and hundreds of police officers and volunteers are scouring the area to search for 23-year-old American yeshiva student Aaron Sofer.

According to police, Sofer, who is haredi and from Lakewood, New Jersey, had been hiking in the Beit Zayit area of the woods with a friend Friday morning when they reportedly became separated while navigating a steep incline.

Concerned after not finding Sofer several hours later, the unidentified friend contacted police to file a missing person’s report, which has led to the intensive manhunt, as well as Sofer’s parents flying to Israel on Sunday to aid in the growing search.

Asked if police suspect the Torah Academy student’s disappearance may be terrorist related, national spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said “all directions are being looked into.”
“It’s not clear yet as to what has happened,” he said. “In the meantime, police have set up a command center at the foot of the forest to aid in the search.”

Emergency response and rescue organizations, ZAKA and United Hatzalah, have also joined the manhunt in the woods since Shabbat. Additionally, surrounding neighborhoods, including Ein Kerem and Bayit Vegan, are being searched.

Police describe Sofer as approximately 5 feet 9 inches tall, slender, with a close-cropped red beard, wearing glasses, a white shirt, yalmuka and black trousers at the time of his disappearance.

The Jerusalem Forest made international headlines last month after the badly burned corpse of Muhammad Abu Khdeir was found there following an alleged revenge murder for the three yeshiva students murdered by Hamas operatives in June.
Police have requested that anyone with information that may assist in locating Sofer call 02-5391520, or the Israel Police hotline at 100.