I was incensed when I first saw the following event posted on Facebook:
מבצע ביעור חמוץ - Operation Bi'ur HamutzI was all ready to rant and rave and vomit anger all over this blog.
Last Monday, the Malha Mall was the scene of a deeply disturbing incident in which some 300 individuals attacked workers and customers of Arab origin, while calling out "death to Arabs"
That is not our Jerusalem, and we won't sit idly by upon such an attack against a group that constitutes an integral part of the city's social fabric and life.
There is now a petition demanding that the perpetrators be brought to justice , but we don't believe that's enough.
We plan to meet this coming Wednesday at Malha Mall to counterbalance the sour taste left by that incident -- and distribute some sweetness (and sweets!) to the workers and to other visitors at one of the most notable centers of openness and coexistence in the city of Jerusalem. (continued below)
Then, I calmed down, and said to myself, "Wait a minute. Who's actually going to this?"
Now, that I have checked the guest list, I see that it is filled with lefties, mainly. At least I think. How דתיים בהר צופים (Religious Jews on Mt. Scopus) could be involved, I do not know. The guy running that page could be in the minority in views, or at the very least, completely ignorant of the various terror attacks carried out by Arab employees, including the 2002 Hebrew University Massacre on Mt. Scopus.
So, what's the big surprise about lefties going to an Arab love fest? One guy on the event page even mentioned the traditional Leftist custom of having people bussed in from Tel-Aviv. That is, after all, the only way the Left can achieve a decent attendance at any of its demonstrations in Jerusalem. It's just business as usual.
They will go hand out candy to the Yishma'eli (Arab) workers, who then will laugh to themselves at how stupid the mostly Askenazi and Ashkenazified Jews are. (The North African Jews and Jews from the East know first-hand just how insane this is).
They will banter back and forth in Arabic, making filthy comments about the women, of course, lie through their teeth a bit in Hebrew, then go home and give their wives and children a good laugh about the utterly insane Jews they saw at work that day. Their kids might even get some candy out of it, too.
I don't think anyone connected to this event would pay attention to anything I say. I will simply tell you that anyone even remotely connected to Torah (That is for whom I am bothering to write this response), and is also connected to this event is completely unaware that "Western-progressive-assimilationist sensibilities are not automatically compatible with Jewish ones." They are, in fact, quite distinct from one another.
After 2,000 years of living in exile, it is understandable that we, as a people, have gotten confused about this fact. I could say much more, but I do not think that there would any point to it. I would like to mention the misswath lo ta'aseh (negative Torah commandment) of "Lo Tehonem," and its various implications and applications (Deut. 7:2, Ramba"m Hil. AZ 10). I also wanted to mention several concepts related to a milhemeth misswah (obligatory war). But, what would be the point?
I knew that I would not bother mentioning the potential problem of mesirah. The concept is light years ahead of where most of the Jews attending Operation Bi'ur Hamutz are spiritually.
But, I HAD to write something, and לא תעמוד על דם רעך "not stand idly by." But, I also knew that what and how I said it would be crucial, if I were to succeed in reaching even one set of participants' ears.
A friend told me that he heard from Rabbi Ya'akov Haber at Yeshivat Darkei No'am, that there are three things which prevent a Jew from seeing the truth, when confronted with evidence of it:
גאווה תאווה והרגל
pride, desire, and habit
I knew better than to address the first two in this post. It would have gone into one ear and out the other. I stuck with "Door No. 3," hoping that would make some kind of impression, in spite of 2,000 years of it.
(continued from above) We'll meet at 7:30 p.m. near the fountain on the bottom floor, across from the Mega supermarket. At the end of the "operation," we will meet at the food court on the middle floor for dinner (to be covered by each participant individually) and informal discussion.
Come -- and bring candy! (This is a great opportunity to get any leftover Mishloah Manot and sweets out of the house ahead of the holiday! Alternatively, you can come a bit early and pick up some candy at the mall.)
Please wear a blue article of clothing -- a shirt, a scarf, a kippah, a headband, etc. -- in order to identify you with the group.
See you on Wednesday!
*****
The name of this event is a play on words -- "bi'ur hametz" is the process by which leavened products are removed from one's home and then burned ahead of Passover, which takes place next week. "Bi'ur hamutz" literally means "burning away the sourness," which is precisely what we seek to do with this small, "sweet" gesture.
When you are kind to the cruel, you eventually end up being cruel to the righteous.
Sickening. Its painful to see American "Jews" leading the way with this liberal lovefest garbage. I can only hope that the Arabs there behave like Arabs and either ignore these hippy fruitcakes or get violent. Not that either reaction would change the way these douchebags think.
ReplyDeleteIt's been a while since I read your "2 cents worth" blog, and it's still got the righteous anger that truth can provide in the face of lies. Keep up the good work! I'll be reading regularly again! (I got this forwarded by Jews News).
ReplyDeleteThanks, Pam. I tried not to be too angry in this post. I actually wanted "the other side" to listen this time.
ReplyDeleteYou asked me to read with an open mind and respond. I am doing so.
ReplyDeleteI am not a leftie, and I am not a rightie. I am staunchly, proudly and extremely in the middle. You asked me to respond because I stated on my Facebook that this is an important response. I stand by that comment.
I am ashamed and offended by the actions of the mob of Beitar Jerusalem fans that took place in the mall last week. I am more offended and incensed at the police's inactivity. I don't know how you feel about that, but I do not want to be connected with that as a Jew, an Israeli and a human being. Thus, I feel that those who feel the same way need to be very vocal in denouncing such activities -- distancing the actions of some extremists from the attitudes of the majority of Israelis.
I don't denounce the actions of people I disagree with (both the extreme left AND the extreme right) just because of who is promoting or taking those actions. I look at the action itself, and promote, denounce or ignore as the action deserves.
Thus, while handing out candy is certainly a bit silly, I think that any visual and vocal response to the prior atrocities is a good thing. That's MY 10 agurot!
Joel, Thanks for meeting my request by writing a comment.
ReplyDeleteI began writing a long and involved reply to your reply. But, then I realized that wasn't necessary.
All I need to confirm with you is that you are not coming from a halakhic perspective, like I am. If that is, indeed, the case, then we can just say that we are coming from different perspectives, and there is no argument, because we are both right, while adhere to each of our own set of rules.
In your comment I read hints of democracy (a concept mostly foreign to a Torah government), and Western sensibilities. I saw no suggestion of any interest let alone adherence to halakhah.
As a Jew, living in the Homeland given, and re-given to the Jewish People, having been taken away by God from the Canaanites, I do my best to live by His rules, ie. halakha, which if often counter to the Western sensibilities with which I grew up. Halakha to the Westernized Jew often seems counter-intuitive. No wonder. 2,000 years of living as strangers in a strange land trying to survive, not get killed or beaten up, has forced to behave, think and even feel like the goyim we grew up around.
Now that I am back where a Jew belongs, where we unfortunately, still lack the Miqdash, Melekh, and Sanhedrin, I have taken upon myself to shed as many of my qelipoth my neshama picked up from the West, as possible.
What say you?
Now, I see on Facebook that you are wishing Christians a Happy Easter???
In Galuth, such an innocent phrase may be ok, and even necessary. But, now in Israel where we are commanded to wipe avodah zarah, such a greeting makes no sense to me at all.
That brings me back to my original suggestion, that we are operating within different frameworks, mine a halakhic, and yours,...well I would rather not put words in your mouth.
I will conclude by saying that if (to the best of my ability) adhering to the Torah even when it is in contradiction to Israeli Law makes me an extremist, then I plead guilty.
Hag Same'ah!