36 JUDAISM
27 MAY 2021
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ASK THE RABBI
Looking for answers? Send your question to Rabbi@RabbiSchochet.com GENOCIDE IN ISRAEL Dear Rabbi I really appreciated what you had to say last week about Israel and our response. But how do I retort to someone who says Israel is genocidal? Harris Dear Harris For one thing, you can point them in the direction of some influencers on social media who realised after the fact that their inflammatory remarks triggered all sorts of anti-Semitic responses. So they backtracked, acknowledging, as in the words of one, “This is no time for hyperbole.” In other words, the claim is hyperbole – which only reflects how dangerous it is, and the damage it can cause. Second, let’s consider the numbers. It is true Israel dropped 1000 bombs on Gaza (Yes, you read that right). 230 people were killed as a result. Of those 230, 160 were Hamas terrorists. Israel can give you their names, where they lived and what they did. That leaves 70 civilians, and that is not to be undermined in any way whatsoever. Israel takes no pleasure in taking civilian lives. Take note, however, that of the 4000 missiles that Hamas sent into Israel, one third of them didn’t make the distance and fell back on their own population. So we can assume that the total number of civilian casualties caused by Israel was 47. 1000 bombs, 47 causalities. Either Israel has really bad aim (and these are high tech precision fighter jets), or – wait for it – Israel wasn’t
targeting civilians, though alas that was an inevitable reality when Hamas continue to hide amongst civilians. I think the facts speak for themselves and I don’t have to preach the obvious in this column. But point that out to any hater and see what they have to say. The bottom line, as we all know is, Hamas sends their rockets over indiscriminately, hoping to kill as many Israeli civilians as possible. Israel drops its bombs with precision, hoping to avoid all civilians altogether. Ours is a false world, and, as I observed last week, the singling out of Israel for condemnation and ignoring the blatant facts, has nothing to do with anyone’s care about the Palestinians and everything to do with the undercurrent of anti-Semitism that is much like a sleeping dog – waiting to rear its ugly head once more.
TREATING INTERMARRIAGE Dear Rabbi I know that you often talk about tolerance of our fellow Jews. I am dealing with a real situation that I could use your guidance on. If a Jew (whom I know) who knows better and intermarries, how should one treat his or her spouse? Coldly? Warmly? Somewhere in between? Elliott Dear Elliott The Talmud (Sotah) relays two separate incidents of individuals who ought to have known better and in either instance, the Talmud makes the point that one should “push away with the
Pirkei Avot
left hand but draw close with the right hand.” Treatment of the non-Jewish spouse is paramount when looking to make a difference to the Jewish individual’s life. My rule of thumb is to never do anything that implies, even in the slightest, a “sanctioning” of the relationship. He or she knows you don’t recognise the spouse and you should never soften your stance in that regard. It doesn’t mean, however, that you should be offensive to a point where the Jew in questions stops engaging with you. But your left hand is reserved for the spouse while your right hand is intended for your brother or sister. To be sure, “one doesn’t sin unless possessed by a spirit of folly.” Even as we presume the individual to “know better,” no Jew, in their right mind, would risk severing their bond with their roots. As such, there really ought not to be a distinction between the treatment of those who “know better” and others who don’t. Moreover, the verse in Samuel (2:14:14) states: “so that no one may be kept banished.” This oft-cited verse is a fundamental principle of kiruv. Regardless of the background and awareness of the individual, they have a pintele Yid – a Jewish spark which flickers within. The fact that you are now encountering them is no mere coincidence. It means that it is now your responsibility to trigger that soul thus enabling the spark to become a passionate spiritual inferno. Find the balance between the rejecting left hand and embracing right hand and look
For Refuah Shalema for Eitan Moshe Ben Tal
ֲעשָׂ ָרה,ַר ִ ּבי ֲחלַ ְפ ָּתא ֶבן דּ וֹ ָסא ִא ׁיש ְּכ ַפר ֲחנַ נְ יָ ה אוֹ ֵמר ׁ ֶש ֶּנ ֱא ַמר,יהם ֶ ֵ ׁ ְשכִ ינָ ה ׁ ְשרוּיָ ה ֵבינ,ׁ ֶש ּיוֹ ׁ ְש ִבין וְ עוֹ ְס ִקין ַ ּב ּתוֹ ָרה , ו ִּמ ַּניִ ן ֲא ִפלּ ּו ֲח ִמ ּׁ ָשה.(תהלים פב) ֱאל ִֹקים נִ ָ ּצב ַ ּב ֲע ַדת ֵקל ו ִּמ ַּניִ ן ֲא ִפלּ ּו.ׁ ֶש ֶּנ ֱא ַמר (עמוס ט) וַ ֲאגֻ דָּ תוֹ ַעל ֶא ֶרץ יְ ָס ָד ּה ו ִּמ ַּניִ ן. ׁ ֶש ֶּנ ֱא ַמר (תהלים פב) ְ ּב ֶק ֶרב ֱאל ִֹקים יִ ׁ ְש ּפֹט,לשה ָ ׁ ׁ ְש ׁ ֶש ֶּנ ֱא ַמר (מלאכי ג) ָאז נִ ְד ְ ּבר ּו יִ ְר ֵאי ה’ ִא ׁיש,ֲא ִפלּ ּו ׁ ְשנַ יִ ם ׁ ֶש ֶּנ ֱא ַמר, ו ִּמ ַּניִ ן ֲא ִפלּ ּו ֶא ָחד.’ ֶֹאל ֵר ֵעה ּו וַ ַ ּי ְק ׁ ֵשב ה’ וַ ִ ּי ׁ ְש ָמע וְ גו ָ ֶ(שמות כ) ְ ּבכָ ל ַה ָּמקוֹ ם ֲא ׁ ֶשר ַאזְ ִּכיר ֶאת ׁ ְש ִמי ָאבֹא ֵאל יך ָ ו ֵּב ַרכְ ִּת :יך Rabbi Halafta of Kefar Hanania said: when ten sit together and occupy themselves with
Torah, the Shechinah abides among them, as it is said: “G-d stands in the Divine assembly” (Psalm 82:1). How do we know that the same is true even of five? As it is said: “This band of His has established on earth” (Amos 9:6). How do we know that the same is true even of three? As it is said: “In the midst of the judges He judges” (Psalm 82:1) How do we know that the same is true even of two? As it is said: “Then they that fear the Lord spoke one with another, and the Lord hearkened, and heard” (Malachi 3:16). How do we know that the same is true even of one? As it is said: “In every place where
to bring them home.
THE JEW COMPLEX Dear Rabbi You are the only thing I read that is Jewish. Please, please don’t see this as an attack on Jews, but don’t you think if Jews didn’t call themselves “the chosen people” or if Israel didn’t exist, that maybe there wouldn’t be anti-Semitism? Claudia Dear Claudia Tell that to the non-Jews: American president, John Adams (not Jewish): “I will insist that the Hebrews have done more to civilize man than any other nation.
If I were an atheist, and believed in blind eternal fate, I should still believe that chance had ordered the Jews to be the most essential instrument for civilizing the nations…” Russian novelist, Leo Tolstoy (not Jewish): “The Jew is that sacred being who has brought down from heaven the everlasting fire, and has illuminated with it the entire world. He is the religious source, spring and fountain out of which all the rest of the peoples have drawn their beliefs and their religions…” PS: If you think there would be less anti-Semitism in the world if Israel didn’t exist, let me refer you to all of human history between 136 CE and 1948.
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Perek 3: Mishna 6
I cause my name to be mentioned I will come unto you and bless you” (Exodus 20:21). This Mishnah is reminiscent of much of how Gemara (the Talmud) works, quoting many verses as proofs to build up arguments. The main point to take is as the children’s song goes; namely that Hashem is here, Hashem is there, Hashem is truly everywhere. Even a person learning or praying by themselves will be in the presence of G-d. Of course it is much better to be in the presence of ten, but don’t be despondent to learn Torah alone. Hashem is always around!
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