-- Boaz Nul, head of the "Maavak HaFreierim" - the fight of the suckers (group working towards equality in sharing the burden of army service) - in response to Rav Ovadiah's statements last night that even yeshiva students and avreichim must stop learning and join the campaign going house to house to get the votes. Rav Ovadiah said SHAS needs every vote so they can grow to 15 seats and thus be able to dictate to Netanyahu and get an important ministry, and to make it impossible for Netanyahu to establish his coalition without SHAS..
Nul's response is on target, and it was my initial response as well, when I first heard Rav Ovadiah's statement. However, it is not really a good working argument, because one could argue that it is worth temporarily stopping Torah study so as to make the future possibility of study even better - by helping SHAS become a stronger party. Though theoretically one could also say that about army service, it is not quite as direct an affect.
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The oly time Torah learning can be put off is Tisha B'Av. Some of the Chasidim have added Christmas Eve, but to get more votes. Disgusting, disgraceful, and hippocrytical.
ReplyDeleteWhy could one argue that it is worth temporarily stopping Torah study....? If they believe Torah-learning is what protects us physically to the point where they can have others do the dying for them, why can't they believe that it ensures their success in the election? Which just goes to show how much faith they really have in Torah study. What a disgrace
ReplyDeleteCharedim have really boxed themselves into a theological knot and whenever they're criticized or attacked, all they can do is circle the wagons.
I would have thought that fighting off Hamas terrorists would ALSO increase the future tora learning from the potential victims (and other nearby Jews). Just sayin'
ReplyDeleteGranted that sitting in yeshiva all day studying is not easy, and I admire those who do it, but I do think it's a big problem to see so many datiim get into such a frenzy for elections, something they do not even do for Torah. I see guys running around putting up banners and stickers, often it must be in the middle of the night so we can see it in the morning before the city crews take them down. Have these people ever done this for Torah? Have they went house to house for Torah? This is the part about the elections that puts datiim and haredim in a bad light to ourselves. What are we showing our children and what are the rabbis showing their congregants when they get into such a frenzy for these elections, but rarely get worked up for anything else?
ReplyDeleteJosh
This shows up this Ovadiah (I cannot bring myself to afford him any honorifics; he simply no longer deserves any) in his true colors: a conniving, scheming, and totally unethical politician - masquerading as a "great religious leader".
ReplyDeleteNo wonder the secular population of Israel curse him and spit at the sight or the sound of this charlatan.
Football with a hechsher. Even haredim need a little excitement in their lives once in a while, even if they don't want to admit it to themselves.
ReplyDeleteAs Rafi hinted to, it is the Shabbat for Piku'ah Nefesh argument. Violate one Shabbat in order to be able to keep other Shabbatot.
ReplyDelete