24 of the Eighth Month 5771
Last Thursday at around 9:45 PM in Jerusalem, a Haredi man confronted a group of Christians from North America. They were walking up from the Old City toward Yaffo Street. Their paths met at the corner of King George and Ramba”n Streets.
The Jew told one of the women to tuck her cross, a three inch, golden cross, into her blouse, as it was offensive for her to walk around with such a symbol of idolatry in the City of Jerusalem.
Her response was to get into his face, and say that it was not a cross, but a crucifix (cross with Yoshke’s graven image), and that they can do whatever they want as they are on a pilgrimage, and are in the majority.
The Jew was puzzled, and asked, “How are you in the majority?”
The woman responded, “…in the majority, here.”
A man from the group then came up behind the Jew, and put him into a full Nelson. Fortunately, the Jew was able to get loose, fight back, and get away.
Personally, I believe he should have gone farther. But Kol HaKavod to his taking action, and not standing idly by.
The truth is that Christian tourists, particularly those overstaying their visas, are becoming increasingly hutzpahdik.
And frustratingly, Jews are increasingly oblivious to their true intentions and threat of Christians visiting, and residing in Israel, as well as those who send money to Israel.
They are fooled by their smiles, their declarations of friendship and support for Israel, and ...their money.
A brazen chillul Hashem that should have ended with a serious display of
ReplyDeleteJewish strength. The worst part is that there were probably many Jews observing the spectacle without intervening on behalf of the Jew and to a greater degree on behalf of yahadut.
Why did the Jewish Man even start up with the tourists?
ReplyDeleteThere are hundreds of Churches and Chrsitian sites all over Jerusalem (not to mention the rest of the country), it is not reasonable to expect someone visting these sites to have to hide their religion.
As a side note, I once saw a group of priests decending the steps to the Kotel, when they got to the area immediately before security, the priest who was leading the group asked everyone to put their cross inside their shirt so as not to offend Jews at their own holy site.
Why? Theoretically, he should have gone farther to fulfill the misswath 'aseh...
ReplyDeleteרמב"ם, הלכות עבודה זרה פרק ז
ז,א מצות עשה היא לאבד עבודה זרה ומשמשיה,
וכל הנעשה בשבילה--שנאמר "אבד תאבדון את כל המקומות . . ." (דברים יב,ב), ונאמר "כי אם כה תעשו, להם--מזבחותיהם תיתוצו . . ." (דברים ז,ה).
ז,ב ובארץ ישראל, מצוה לרדוף אחריה עד שנאבד אותה מכל ארצנו; אבל בחוצה לארץ, אין אנו מצווין לרדוף אחריה, אלא כל מקום שנכבוש אותו, נאבד כל עבודה זרה שבו: שנאמר "ואיבדתם את שמם, מן המקום ההוא" (דברים יב,ג)--בארץ ישראל, אתה מצווה לרדוף אחריהם, ואין אתה מצווה לרדוף אחריהם, בחוצה לארץ....
Good for the priests.
One could easily make an argument that it was not a good strategy starting anything with them.
But, al pi HaRamba"m, he could have done more.
We are supposed to chase them, not make it easy at all for them to stay here, prevent them from having influence on us, chase after them (ibid. ch. 10), and definitely prevent them from practicing their forbidden practices here in the Land, not invite them to come here,...whether to appease the goyim outside of Israel or to stam be friends with them, or not.
I want to emphasize that these were crucifixes with the carved image of the wooden stick god, not stam crosses. Apparently, there is a difference al pi din. I'm not sure, though. I haven't looked into this.