Two More Opinions On Renting To Arabs, Etc.

Fast of the Tenth Month
Erev Shabbath Qodesh Parashath Wayehi 5771

Yeah, I know that these articles are from last week. But, I believe this topic will continue to make its way into the Israeli news media, as rabbis will continue to debate the issue.

My comments are interspersed among pertinent snippets of the following two opinion pieces. The articles are indented.

This Fire Is Still Burning: Racism Is Spreading (JPost.com)
Michael Marmur, Dec. 7, 2010

Rabbis' ban on the rental or sale of property to non-Jews demonstrates lack of understanding for the basic currency of life in a liberal democracy.

First off, Israel is not even a true democracy, otherwise we would have true representation of the people in government, true free speech, and no, or at least very little in the way of, double standards.

Second, what does democracy have to do with the proper way to run a Jewish government? Absolutely nothing. Democracy is a Greek (ie. Hellenist) concept. Yeah, we're not there, yet. Nonetheless, it is frustrating when a particular segment of the Erev Rav wants to distort what it means to be and to act Jewish. They want to convince us that how we lived in "enlightened," Western galuth, is the ideal way in which Jews should conduct their lives.

It is not. An un-censored, un-abridged, non-distorted Torah way of life is the ideal for the Jewish People.

Judaism should never add fuel to our basest prejudices and lowest emotions. It is meant to give form to our highest aspirations and deepest yearnings.

See the above. (major eye rolling)

WE ARE coming to the end of Hanukka, our fire festival. Some see it as a mandate for intolerance.

Yeah,... some people,... like me. Intolerance of our enemies, intolerance of Jew-killers, intolerance of denial and/or distortions of Torah sheb'al Peh (Oral Torah), intolerance of Hellenism, intolerance of un-Jewish values.

After all, Mattathias lashed out against the Hellenizing assimilators.

Um,...yeah,...at people like Michael Marmur. Let us also not forget that Mattithiyahu lashed out at practicioners of avodah zarah (foreign, thus forbidden, worship).

Let's face it. Hanukkah is a very politically-incorrect holiday.

Fortunately for me, I don't give a damn about political-correctness; I do care about halachah.

Here again, the question at stake is how you understand Judaism. Are the candles symbols of bigotry or of boundary maintenance, of hatred or of hope?

Both.

Hatred of evil, hatred of our enemies, hatred of avodah zarah, hatred of Hellenization.

Hope for Am Yisra'el, hope for completely reclaiming our homeland, hope for complete t'shuvah.

(sigh) I am beginning to sound like a broken record!

The fire in the Carmel is finally out. The fire of racism and intolerance is still burning.

Good. See above.

Indeed, it is spreading. If you are a Jew who cares about Judaism and Israel, regardless of your denominational affiliation, you need to stand up and say: This rabbinic ruling is wrong.

How is it wrong? Oh, whoops! I forgot. You do not seem to care much about Torah (ie. halachic) values and reasoning, just about Western (Hellenist) values and sensibilities. Sorry, Michael, but the idea that Western values and sensibilities are automatically compatible with Torah is a result of 2,000 years of residing in galuth (diaspora), succumbing to the very assimilation, we fought against over 2,000 years ago, and the desires of people like you to distort the Torah to fit your "feelings."

This is NOT Judaism.

Those within the four ells of halachic discourse will conduct the struggle from their vantage point. Those outside will use the tools available to them.

Yeah,... as in anti-Torah tools!

Let's face it. The goal of Michael Marmur's "movement" is to destroy Torah by purporting to have the same, if not greater, status as HaZa"L, when is comes to authority to interpret the Torah, forgetting that much of HaZa"L's work was actually already handed down to us through the Avoth, Moshe Rabbeinu, and Nevi'im (Prophets).

This is another example of how Michael Marmur's perspective is not a Torah one; it is an anti-Torah one, denying, distorting, and otherwise profaning Torah sheb'al Peh (Oral Torah).

We have seen this throughout history,...the Tzadoqim, the early Christians,...and the so-called "movement" of Michael Marmur. (Movement of what? That's what I would like to know.)

And, now, on to number two....

This one comes from a Jew who is seen sporting a kippah, and his articles appear regularly on Israel National News.

The State Of Israel's Democracy (JPost.com)
Yitzchak Klein, Dec. 7, 2010

The real motive behind the Loyalty oath proposal is to exclude political opponents from the ballot, dressed up though it may be in patriotic flummery.

The Israel Democracy Institute’s latest Democracy Index reports that 54 percent of Israelis favor requiring citizens to take an oath of loyalty to Israel as a “Jewish and democratic state” as a condition for being allowed to vote. This bad idea should be opposed on principled and pragmatic grounds alike.

Freedom means that society may not coerce the expression of an opinion.

Society is not free if government may impose sanctions upon those who refuse to express orthodox opinions....

I only have two questions for Yitzchak Klein...

1. Just exactly where in the Torah is there ANY mention of Democracy? (Hint: There isn't any.)

2. If by "Orthodox" you mean Torah-believing/Torah-observant, are there any other legitimate opinions, which are not in line with Torah? (Hint: No, there are not.)

And, there you have it, ladies and gentlemen, two more opinions on Arabs, democracy, racism, and everything else in between,...Torah being completely absent.