Separating the Sexes - Just Like the Nazis Did

How dare I call Rabbi Aviezer Piltz, a prominent Charedi Rosh Yeshiva, a clown? That’s because of my respect for the Charedi world. I don’t want to say what I really think of him.  Being a clown is an honorable profession. Just like being a Rosh Yeshiva is. Both provide a valuable service. A Rosh Yeshiva teaches our young Torah. And clowns make people happy. In my view  Rabbi Piltz doesn’t deserve to be a Rosh Yeshiva of a dog pound.

If I were a parent of a child in his Yeshiva, he would be out of there in a New York minute after hearing about what he had to say recently in Bnei Brak as reported by JTA. In reference to Israeli law forbidding separation of the sexes on public buses he said: 

Obviously this fellow is not a survivor - or a child of survivors. Because if he is, he would have never said that. The idea of separating men and women as they marched to their deaths in Nazi death camps is in any way comparable to separating men and women on separate buses is offensive in the extreme! What does a survivor who lived under those conditions think about such a comment? 

The idea that anyone would make that comparison disqualifies them from any position of leadership and responsibly. Much less  be in a position of influencing young people that often treat their Roshei Yeshiva like icons.

How stupid this fellow must be. It doesn’t matter how ‘brilliant’ he might be in his Torah knowledge. He is still stupid if he does not know enough to make such comparisons even in private, let alone in public. I can only imagine what else he says to his students in private.

No matter how anyone feels about separating the sexes, even if they are strong supporters of separate buses for men and women, Piltz’s comments are condemnable. And yet, maybe I’m wrong but I have not heard any condemnations from his colleagues on the right. Where are they? Why the silence? Do they agree with him?

I understand their views and their passion. A crowded bus filled with men and women by its very nature would mean inadvertent contact between men and women. I get it. Separate buses is an understandable request. But there are other ways to solve that kind of problem. For example to simply limit the number of people to the number of seats on a bus. That would eliminate crowding. Nevertheless, I can understand why they might be upset by a law that forbids separating the sexes. But declaring what the Nazis did is better?! Really?!

Why not give them what they want? That is because buses are there to serve the public. Not just a limited constituency. If a half empty ‘male’ bus stops to pick up passengers who want to get to their destinations without delay – and there are women waiting at that stop - why should they be inconvenienced by a stupid rule? Why should they forced to wait for the ‘female’ bus?

There are some in the more extreme portions of the Charedi world that believe that all public transportation should be gender specific. They will never sit next to a member of the opposite sex on a bus.  But this is not a mainstream standard and should not be made a matter of policy on any public conveyance. 

There is a well known Teshuva (responsum) by R’ Moshe Feinstein that states (if I remember correctly) it is not a violation of Halacha to sit next to a woman on a bus. Should Israeli law require a a religious standard that is greater than that of R’Moshe? 

There is a famous story about R’ Shlomo Zalman Auerbach where an immodestly dressed woman sat next to him on a bus. He stood up and walked over to the exist as though the next stop was his destination. Even though it wasn’t. He walked the rest of the way so that would not embarrass that woman by just moving to another seat. She might have taken offense at that.

I mention this story to show not only his great Midos (good character) but in this instance to show that one of the most respected Gedolim of the 20^th century had no problem traveling on a bus where the sexes were not separated. Is Rabbi Piltz more religious that R’ Shlomo Zalman? He must think so! But as far as I’m concerned he is as phony as a 3 dollar bill. And the lack of any critical comment about that from the right does not speak well of them either. It will only encourage more statements like that. And as I said, I am not aware of any such criticism.

Where, oh where are the R’ Shlomo Zalmans of our day? They do not seem to exist. 

Chazal tell us that just before the advent of messianic era the face of our leadership will be like the face of dogs. They might look like leaders, but they are followers. Just like a dog might run ahead of their master and look like they are leading him, the truth is that they are always looking back at their masters to see which way they are going. Despite appearances, dogs do not lead. They follow. This seems to be the order of our day as leaders tripping all over themselves to prove how Frum they are to their colleagues and the people that look up to them as leaders. They are looking over their shoulders. Not leading. 

I guess Moshiach really is on his way.