Work of God? Or Work of the Devil?

Extremist Charedim burning an Israeli flag in 2017 (Ynet)

It takes two to Tango. As noted recently, one of my fondest dreams is to see unity among the Jewish people. And yet on this - Israel’s Independence Day, I realize just how illusive – if not impossible that is to achieve.

The reason for that is that some of our people will not Tango with us. They cannot countenance unity by virtue of their religious ideology. Which in my view is severely flawed and badly mistaken. Their ideology will not allow it. This is because of the theological views of R’ Yoel Teiltelbaum – the original Satmar Rebbe. One of the most charismatic and brilliant religious figures of the last century. A man that many Satmar offshoots (like Neturie Karta) see as the ultimate authority on matters pertaining to the land of Israel.

The Satmar Rebbe viewed the Jewish state as an abomination whose very existence is countered his version of Jewish theology. In his published writings the Rebbe applied terminology in the bible used for Haman (the ‘Hitler’ of his generation) to one of the greatest rabbinic leaders of the last century, R’ Avraham Yitzchok HaCohen Kook, the spiritual head of Religious Zionism at its founding.  

How much do these offshoots reject the Jewish state? They would cede it to the Palestinians if they could. 

It is the Satmar Rebbe’s attitude that is behind the hatred of those that follow his theology. A hatred that motivates  some adherents to act in ways that are so vile and disgusting that I cannot consider them my brothers,

These are the people who on one of Israel’s most solemn  occasions took to the streets and tore down Israeli flags in one of the towns that Israeli government put up in towns all over Israel. These disgusting excuses for human beings see the Israeli flag as the symbol of evil. And much like many Palestinians, Satmar sees Israel’s Independence Day as a day of mourning when Psalms should be recited. (See image on the left.) They probably consider any celebration of the state akin to devil worship. That is in fact how the Satmar rebbe saw the six day war that returned the Kotel to us in 1967. He called it the work of the devil. 

Now it is true that the Rebbe probably never intended things to go this far. He just wanted to make clear his strong theological opposition to the state. But it is that kind of fierce opposition that spawned so many followers to act the way these miserable excuses for human being did on Israel’s Memorial day.

I cannot see these people as my brothers anymore than than I can see Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Hosseini Khamenei  as my brother. Not much difference between them in how they view the Jewish state.

Well if the modern state of Israel is the work of the devil then it is he that is responsible for the greatest amount of Torah study in Israel of all time. Consider the following statistic quoted in another forum by someone I respect: 

According to Ben-Tsiyon Klibansky's book The Golden Age of the Lithuanian Yeshivas, there were approximately 4000 men learning in the higher level Lithuanian yeshivas before WW II. Today, there are more than that number learning in the Mirrer Yeshiva in Israel!  

There is also the following. When R’ Yitzchok Sorotzkin (a member of Agudah’s Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah and my ‘Eltera Chavrusa’ during my sophomore year in Telshe) visited Israel a few years ago during the height of the draft law controversy, he was asked for his view on the subject. He answered that what he saw was thousands upon thousands of Jews in unprecedented numbers learning Torah. 

Although I strongly disagree with an ideology that pushes virtually every male to learn in a Yeshiva or Kollel for as long as possible without the slightest bit of secular education at any time along the way – it is nevertheless a blessing to live in a Jewish state that allows its citizens to freely make that choice. And then backs it up with money. 

And it was through his Shaliach (messenger) Theodor Herzl, the founder of modern Zionism that God caused this eventuality to happen. That should be acknowledged by any honest observer.  How can they not express Hakaras HaTov (gratitude) to - not only God but to His facilitator? 

Nonetheless, while the rest of Charedi world has issues with the state - they do not see it as the devil’s work. They actually participate in its governance through their representatives in the Knesset and work very hard for their Charedi constituency. And as recently noted Charedi rabbis in Bnei Brak stood with respect at a memorial day service when the Hatikvah was sung. I can surely respect their views even though I differ strongly with them on certain very serious  issues.

All this being said, I still believe in the unity of the Jewish people albeit with the above-mentioned exceptions. It is in that spirit that I wish to quote Israeli President Yitzchak Herzog – a man that I have come to admire despite his having been the head of a left of center political party a few years ago. I think he would have been a great prime minister had he won. Here’s what he said  at a Memorial Day service at the Kotel: 

I appeal to you, my brothers and sisters, citizens of Israel, at this sacred moment, from here, the wall of longing and tears, from which the Divine Presence has never moved, and I ask us to mourn and grieve—together; may we let that feeling of longing envelop us—together. May we let that sound of our collective pain ring loudly on this Memorial Day, free of discord, as we cry for our sons and daughters. As we refuse to find comfort, for they are no more.

To this I say Amen. Happy Birthday Israel