Rav Metzger today directed a call to the rabbinic leadership of the right-wing, "settler" community. he called upon them to reign in their rhetoric, as calls to violence are unacceptable - not morally and not halachically. Even if it is for a good purpose - for guarding over the Land of Israel, it would then be a mitzva haba'a b'aveira - the ends do not justify the means. (source: Ynet)
I wonder why he did not, at the same time, call upon the rabbinic leadership of the haredi community in a similar call regarding the protests over the parking lot that opened on Shabbos.... Sure, they probably would not listen to him, but neither will the settler leadership, so what's the difference?
I'm not so sure there is a difference and I'm not so sure Rav Metzger is right.
ReplyDeleteResidents of Yehuda and Shomron, besides putting up a fight to actually save your neck and mine, have been slapped up and down by Israeli governments, ministries, the military, the police and especially the "justice" system for 40 years. There's is a life bordering on tyranny from our own side and terror from the other.
The sanctity of Shabbat and most everything else has been whittled away over the years throughout the country and more and more in Jerusalem, Ir Hakodesh.
So are we to remain silent? Stand on a street corner and go home after an hour?
I'm not convinced.
Rafi: I was thinking exactly the same thing.
ReplyDeleteThe "Shabbat" war is about a open on shabbat, free parking lot.
And Metzger doesn't even make mention of the war on that?
word verification: cometh
An interesting question, and I have only one comment: the correct spelling in this context is "rein", not "reign"... :)
ReplyDeleteI totally missed that.
ReplyDeleteI'v bean here too lawng.
funny thing is I wrote it first without the g and then looked at it and said that seems wrong, so I added the g.... guess I have been here that long....
ReplyDeleteBecause he's a tool of the charedi leadership. Why would he bite the hand that feeds him?
ReplyDeleteI find it interesting that the trade off has been overlooked under the protest. The parking lot opening was deemed necessary because they are blocking car access to the old city. Are the Haredim saying they prefer cars in the old city rather than a parking lot that is operating according to halacha, even if the people using it are not.
ReplyDeleteI lived a block from Bar Illan Street the year it was the big area of protest. I know what I saw with my eyes and how different it was from what my family saw in the news. I wonder how 'violent' the protests actually are.