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Nov 4, 2012
Letter to the Editor of the Week
The following "Letter to the Editor" (translated by me) was published in the local Bet Shemesh haredi paper "Chadash", and made me laugh. So, here goes...
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Last week a letter was written from the parents of a certain school about a major failure regarding their needs, and amongst what was said it was also said there a very jarring sentence: "We will not elect you again...".That was my entertainment for this past Friday afternoon.
It seems to me that without intention the words were emitted from their pen, since every intelligent person knows and it is clear to him that we don't vote for a specific party or for a specific representative, but only according to the decisions and instructions of the rabbonim shlit"a and the expectations we have of our representatives is not connected and will not be connected to any system of elections (I am not getting into the issue and of the serious distress of the parents, but I think that even in the most frustrating situations there is no place for these types of sentences).
I think that even the Chadash needs to do some introspection on this issue, as from so much describing of the parents distress and the problems of the various neighborhoods every week causes a feeling that the elections are connected to some sort of independent decisions by haredi residents, we get dragged unknowingly into a spirit of representation, factionalism, interests, etc.
The community should be reminded that we are led by the rabbonim shlit"a, and fortunate we are that we have merited so.
M.M.
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Is it just me or is the grammar of that letter really bad? I had to read it 3 times until I was sure I understood it.
ReplyDeleteI read the original - the grammar was fine.
Deletethe letter was in Hebrew. I translated it here. Any grammar mistakes are probably due to my trying to get as close to a strict translation as possible, and I paid less attention to grammar.
ReplyDeleteAh ok, that makes more sense then. I still have an issue with the whole idea that one should let someone else make every possible choice in life. But it would explain why I am not Haradi
ReplyDeleteThat there should be a disconnect between the election instructions of gedolim and the results is a problem. The writer should have said take the complaints to the Gedolim. But I agree overall the letter that describes the ways of "every intelligent person" is entertaining.
ReplyDeleteThe sentiments expressed in the letter are yet another nail in the coffin of democracy in Israel. Within a very few years Israel will have become a blinkered and benighted theocracy along the lines of that in Iran.
ReplyDeleteIs there no one among Israeli religious Jews who still retains even a vestigial sense of self-respect and an ability to use the intellect and the intelligence that HaShem gave them?
Or is it an unwritten chumra that obliges charedim to let others think for them?
Take a look at machonshilo.org It's basically only for Israelis and it is the future of Judaism in Israel.
DeleteLook back at this blog's recent post with the YU source sheets concerning democracy for some very relevant sources that the leter writer most certainly isn't aware of, especially the quote there from the Maharam mi"Rottenberg. It's quite clear from that source that people came to their own conclusions.
ReplyDeleteHere's the link again: http://download.yutorah.org/2012/1053/783111.pdf
Rafi, do you think "M.M" is Moshe Montag who might be concerned that people are thinking too independently?
ReplyDeleteits a stretch, and it cant be anything more than a guess. but you never know! it is possible..
DeleteI wouldn't worry too much about any monolithic voting. Haredim factionize as quickly as prominent ones get yorshim. As for independent thinking- forbidden under daas torah doctrine. Osur. Worse than a college education.
ReplyDelete