חנניה ווייסמאן Chananya Weissman

Dear Diaspora Rabbi: Kindly Sign Your Own Name at the Bottom and Hand This Out

Letter from a Diaspora Rabbi

Dear Congregant,

In the last few weeks, our lives have dramatically changed. Our routines have been interrupted. We are confused, frightened, and unsure what will be from one day to the next like never before in our lives. This period has been a time of reflection and soul-searching for us all, and I have come to a painful realization that I must share with you.

I have misled you.

I didn’t do this on purpose. I didn’t even do this consciously. But deep down, a small part of me always knew that I was misleading you, and today I have to come clean.

Let me explain.

I developed a love for Torah in my yeshiva years, and wanted to continue learning throughout my life on the same level. Becoming a rabbi was virtually the only way to ensure that. Our community is full of professionals and businessmen who serve the community in many ways. They also have a great love for Torah; they attend shiurim, they make time for learning whenever possible, they seek guidance when questions come up, and they run their homes in the spirit of Torah. I have the greatest of respect for them. But I needed more. I needed to be surrounded by Torah at all times.

I knew that becoming a “Torah professional” and earning a living at the same time would be very challenging. Desirable positions are scarce, and there is great competition every time an opportunity opens up. At the same time, those fortunate enough to obtain one of these positions have to walk a tightrope to keep them.

Nevertheless, making it as a rabbi was my goal. I studied diligently, built my resume, and did everything I could to make connections in the right places. I accepted internships and entry level positions at prominent institutions to get my foot in the door. Eventually, I received an opportunity for a full-time position at a small shul, and I stayed there for two years to develop my skills and make a name for myself. When a better opportunity opened up, I jumped on it. One thing led to another, until I became the senior rabbi of our wonderful kehilla, a position I have enjoyed for more than fifteen years – an eternity in this profession.

I realize now that my career path as a rabbi has been little different than that of a secular professional. I was little different than the doctor, lawyer, or businessman I always secretly felt were spiritually beneath me. Every step of the way I was simply trying to climb my version of the corporate ladder, and when I reached the peak I wanted only to maintain my position.

I was always on the lookout for those who could bolster my career, and I shamelessly groveled to them. I would immediately identify those who pulled the strings in the shul and the community, and made sure to stay on their good side. When they engaged in behaviors that were unseemly or worse, I looked the other way. I rationalized. It was the only way to become a rabbi and remain a rabbi, I told myself. It was the only way to influence the community in the long term, I told myself. If I didn’t do this I would be out of a job and someone else would do it; better me than the next person, I told myself.

All of this is probably true. Too many of my colleagues lost their positions after ruffling the wrong person’s feathers, or giving the community mussar that it didn’t want to hear, or failing to sufficiently please the big shots. I had to choose between making some difficult compromises to serve as a rabbi and make any kind of difference, subsisting on a part-time rabbinic position in no-man’s land, or leaving the field entirely.

I cannot fault myself for making the difficult compromises. But I fault myself that they were not difficult. I lost my way. I cared more about making it as a rabbi than living up to the great responsibility of being a spiritual leader, a true teacher of the Torah. I lost sight of the ideals of my youth, of the mission I was supposed to be on, and became just another corporate professional with a title and an office.

The past few weeks have helped me to realize what I always knew deep down. I refrained from giving you tough mussar because I was afraid of jeopardizing by job. I discouraged young people from making aliya because I was afraid our membership would age and die out. I discouraged older people from making aliya because I didn’t want to lose their money and stability. I discouraged myself from making aliya because I wouldn’t be able to make it as a rabbinic professional in Israel.

I always had reasons, of course. I knew all the right Torah sources and practical arguments to justify my position. But deep down I discouraged aliya because of fear, for myself and my personal dreams, not because I really believed it was what Hashem wanted.

I lied to myself, and I misled you. I cannot live with this lie anymore. I’m sorry. From the depths of my heart and soul, I beg your forgiveness.

Maybe it is easier for me to realize this now because our shuls, yeshivas, and organizations are all closed. We don’t know when or if they will be able to reopen. Economic hardships might make it impossible for many of them to survive even in a best-case scenario. Dreams of climbing the ladder in one’s rabbinic career are less relevant than ever before, as the only pulpits these days are virtual.

So be it. My repentance may not be perfect, but repent I must. I now encourage us, all of us, to make aliya. Enough with the excuses. Enough with the personal considerations. Enough with the biased arguments. We know deep down that Hashem wants us to return home, all of us. We need to do everything possible, both individually and as a community, to make that happen without further delay.

My final service to you as senior rabbi will be to serve as a true spiritual leader and faciliate our return to Israel, starting with me and my family, and whoever is willing to join us. I am prepared to sacrifice my prestigious position and lucrative salary to settle for being an ordinary citizen in Israel, if that’s what it takes. I am prepared to sacrifice my inflated notion of serving the Jewish people to return home and bring others with me. Indeed, there can be no greater service than that. Once I am there, I will find another way to serve the Jewish people, if necessary.

My family has already started preparing for aliya and I encourage all of you – all of you! – to do the same immediately. Let us reunite in Jerusalem with joy, and march forward bravely through the unknown toward a wonderful, glorious future.

 

Signed,

Rabbi ___________

Reprinted with permission from Chananya Weissman.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Rabbi Chananya Weissman is the founder of EndTheMadness and the author of seven books, including “Go Up Like a Wall” and “How to Not Get Married: Break these rules and you have a chance”. Many of his writings are available at www.chananyaweissman.com. He is also the director and producer of a documentary on the shidduch world, Single Jewish Male, and The Shidduch Chronicles, available on YouTube. He can be contacted at admin@endthemadness.org.

Will Rabbi Kahane Be Proven Right Again (on Widespread American Antisemitism)?

The Impending Kristallnacht

Chananya Weissman

[Note: this article was censored by the Slimes of Israel on March 15, 2020 on an absurd pretext and they terminated my blog when I objected.]

The following is an excerpt from an article I wrote this past Tisha B’av, August 11:

“There are only two reasons why Jews will return to Israel: inspiration and desperation. Roughly half of the Jews in the world are already here, primarily because of inspiration. The rest of you will return eventually, one way or another, because that is the destiny of our people. It would be far preferable if you will return because of inspiration, but if you won’t do it for any other reason than desperation, that can be arranged.

Just consider what life in your foster home of choice looked like last Tisha B’av compared to today, just one year later. Even in America, the last stop on the train, the last year alone has seen the following: open anti-Semitism from the Wicked Witches of Congress the likes of which we have never seen before; normalization of open anti-Semitism within the Democratic party, major media outlets, and college campuses across the country; a surge of anti-Semitic attacks in Brooklyn and other major Jewish communities; multiple mass shootings in synagogues; Jews across the country getting used to the fact that their institutions require armed security and members require training to respond to attacks. All this in just the last year!

The country can no longer unite on even the most basic issues, like whether they should have borders, or babies should be allowed to live even after they are born, or whether America is good or evil, or whether the Constitution should be rendered irrelevant, or whether there should be celebration or disappointment if it turns out the President was not a Russian agent. Is America even a country anymore, or just a bunch of groups who loathe each other and are itching for a fight?

Maybe you would still be shocked if sometime in the next year we have a Kristallnacht in America, but I wouldn’t.”

Here we are just a few months later, and the America of Tisha B’av looks like Gan Eden compared to the America of today. Galus Jews – many of them extremely religious and devout – are desperately clinging to the belief that somehow this is all going to blow over and they can return to business as usual. Their faith in Galus continuing to tolerate them while they have a detached interest in Jewish destiny is rivaled only by their belief that moving to Israel “isn’t for them”.

My brothers and sisters in America, please listen to me. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how you look at it) the life you knew in Galus is over, and it’s not coming back. You need to come to terms with this. Your lives are in real danger.

Even before the Corona virus became a serious problem, the situation in America was rapidly deteriorating. Criminals in New York have been emboldened by drastic changes to the law, allowing them to commit serious crimes and quickly be released back onto the streets. The police have themselves become targets, and have little incentive to risk their lives confronting criminals. On the national level, the country is more divided than ever before in its history. The Civil War, as bad as it was, was primarily over slavery and a few related points of contention. Today the country is polarized over every issue under the sun, including the very foundations of the country. The rift is irreparable, and Jews are front and center in every controversy and scandal. The Goyim don’t need a reason to hate the Jews, but they don’t have to work hard to fabricate reasons today.

Now the Corona virus is on the verge of devastating America. There are still those who are pooh-poohing everything, just as Jews pooh-poohed the death camps even as they were being led to the showers. That will change. Just a few days ago, everyone was saying it’s just a flu and making fun of people for overreacting. Now they are davening like it’s Yom Kippur, but they are neglecting to say Vidui. Yes, it’s that dire.

If they are lucky, it will still be a few weeks before there is an explosion of seriously ill people in the country and the hospitals are completely overwhelmed. Most likely it won’t take that long. Quarantines and lockdowns are going to become more severe, and will probably need to be enforced by martial law. The stock market won’t be able to be pumped up with helium anymore, and there will be an economic crisis unlike anything we’ve seen before.

The average American didn’t have a few hundred dollars saved up for an unexpected bill before the virus hit. A large portion of the population is about to be completely wiped out, if not by the virus then by financial ruin.

In the past when there were wars or financial downturns, Americans could escape their troubles by turning to their religion, sports and entertainment. Unfortunately, their god has been slain. No longer can they paint their faces, go to a ball game, and howl for a few hours to relieve their stress. No longer can they line up for the latest movie about a fantasy world or the end of this one to take their mind off their problems. They can’t even go to a bar and enjoy a few drinks with their friends.

When a Jew is quarantined or otherwise separated from his leisure activities, he will pick up a sefer, listen to a shiur, learn with a chavrusa, or simply pour out his heart to God. What do you think tens of millions of sick, scared, bored, frustrated, broke, angry, armed Americans are going to do? Pick up a Bible? Binge watch Netflix for days on end?

The Goyim have been split across all racial and political lines for many years now, boiling with anger, itching for a fight. Now their world is about to come crashing down on them, and it’s going to be every man for himself, every tribe and gang for itself. This is not going to pass peacefully.

Meanwhile, the Jews generally have a higher standard of living, they are not armed, they don’t fight, they are not in shape, everyone knows where they live, and they hate you anyway. I know you defiantly proclaim “Never again”, and some of you took krav maga lessons, and a few of you even started carrying a gun. How long do you think you will be able to hold them off, Rambo?

The police are not going to be able to protect you, and many of them won’t want to. Despite all the outreach you do and appreciation you show, many of them don’t care for you at all. Even the good ones might be ordered to stand down to “deescalate tensions”, or they might be unwilling to risk their lives when the riots get out of control.

Rav Yissachar Shlomo Teichtal writes in Eim Habanim Semeicha that when Jews choose to stay in Galus for their money, eventually Esav takes away their money anyway. Esav is going to need a lot of money – and food, and medicine, and basic supplies – very soon, and they are going to do whatever it takes to get it. When they are finished ransacking and looting the stores like Black Friday on steroids, they are going to think about who to target next. It won’t be the Italians.

I am not a prophet, but we have been through this enough times in our history that it’s easy to predict how this plays out. The next time a good Galus doesn’t turn into a bad Galus is going to be the first time in history that happens. Those of you who think you will be the lucky exceptions are deluding yourselves and endangering your lives.

Reprinted from Chananya Weissman, over here.

Hashem Used Evildoers to Achieve Jewish Independence so All Jews Feel Welcome

Why God Chose the Early Zionists

Chananya Weissman

Sep 11, 2019 The Jewish Press, also The Jerusalem Herald

One of the most troubling theological questions of modern times is why the return to Israel was spearheaded predominantly by non-religious and even anti-religious Jews. This question is not just an intellectual mystery; it has broad implications for how religious Jews relate to and engage with the current state of Israel, which continues to have an uneasy relationship with Judaism.

Many Torah-observant Jews have concluded that the ultimate redemption can’t possibly occur in this fashion, and therefore reject the return to Israel as a religiously significant development. Even those who embrace the state as “the first flowering of the redemption” struggle to reconcile the continued ambivalent — at times hostile — actions of the government toward religious sectors and movements that promote Torah observance as inseparable from Jewish nationhood.

The most extreme manifestation of this is the Neturei Karta sect of Jews, which align themselves with Israel’s most savage enemies in seeking its destruction, all in the perverse name of performing God’s will and undoing the work of Satan. Thankfully their influence is minimal; their appearance as “ultra-Orthodox” Jews provides fodder for the media, which gobbles up any opportunity to portray all religious Jews as extremists or fools by association, but it seems their value as useful idiots is confined to that. This small sect of deranged traitors is an embarrassment and a desecration of God’s name, but not worthy of serious attention.

Many Orthodox Jews (typically referred to as haredi — but I am against the use of labels and categories, as they needlessly divide us based on arbitrary, often dubious externals) are indeed convinced that the ultimate redemption cannot blossom from the work of the early Zionists. However, they are at a loss to provide a plausible explanation for how and why Israel continues to grow and prosper more than 120 years later if this is indeed against God’s will.

Surely there are many prolonged historical situations that we cannot fully explain — we need look no further than 2,000 years of exile and persecution. The difference is that Israel could not possibly have grown and thrived —  let alone existed altogether — for so long without God’s continuous miraculous intervention. If this were something that went against His will, He would simply need to look the other way for a short time and that would be the end of it, God forbid.

Despite this clear evidence that God supports the existence of Israel, for all its warts and imperfections, hard-core “haredim” seek to disassociate themselves from the state as much as possible and reject the secular Zionists as agents of God’s will. It has become dogmatic for them, an inviolable belief tantamount to the Rambam’s Thirteen Principles of Faith, and a prerequisite for acceptance into many of their communities. This extreme social pressure keeps people in line who would otherwise have a much more favorable view of historical developments, but are otherwise attracted to the lifestyle in these communities. It’s most unfortunate and against Torah principles for a perspective on an ambiguous matter to be imposed on people this way — yet this is how much of the so-called “Torah world” operates.

If you ask someone from this camp for the proper religious approach to the Holocaust, they will respond that we have to accept it as God’s perfect will, even though we cannot fathom His ways. This is a proper response. Yet, in a most bizarre irony, these same people cannot accept the return to Israel of millions of Jews under Jewish leadership — unworthy as this leadership may be — as God’s will! We can accept thousands of years of destruction and persecution as God’s will, but the rebuilding of Israel is the work of Satan?! Only a clever Jewish mind can contort itself to rationalize such an absurd conclusion. If anything is the work of Satan, it is that.

The rest of religious Jewry is openly supportive of the modern state, with varying degrees of ambivalence. On the extreme end of this spectrum we find religious Jews who are so ebullient about supporting Israel that they are unwilling to criticize the government. Most likely this is an over-reaction to the anti-state crowd, who will never express support for the government, as opposed to a thought-out position. It is not a rational theological approach; no one short of a prophet acting on God’s clear instructions deserves a blank check — certainly not a government composed of nothing resembling divine actors. This group of religious Jews cannot explain why God chose the early Zionists, but they prefer to ignore the issue, for better or for worse.

Then we have everyone else. They firmly believe that Israel is “the real thing”, but they are befuddled by Israel’s identity complex. There is a clear dichotomy between how Israel should look if it were guided by true Torah leadership and how it looks today, with a seemingly insurmountable chasm between reality and this vision, which itself is murky.

The fact that Israel started as a clearly secular entity that made some room for religion, and has continued to marginalize Judaism as a personal choice — rather than part and parcel of who we are as a nation — creates a deep internal tension. “We support Israel, we love Israel… but there is something fundamentally wrong with Israel from the very moment it was re-established, and we don’t know how to reconcile that.” It is no surprise that many religious Jews vacillate between the opposite extremes of supporting Israel and rejecting it, and if they don’t, their children do. There is no clear comfort zone.

This tension is also one of the main impediments or excuses for the many thousands of religious Jews across the world who choose to remain behind in foreign lands. This is perhaps the greatest consequence of this theological issue remaining unresolved. As long as it is not abundantly clear that the early Zionists were in fact agents of God, it is convenient for these Jews to overlook modern Israel as being God’s will, and taking the logical step of fully participating in its development.

With this backdrop in mind, I will present four explanations for why the non-religious and anti-religious Zionists were not only agents of God’s will, but the redemption could not possibly have occurred without them specifically orchestrating the return to Zion. Two of these explanations come from the monumental sefer, Eim Habanim Semeichah by Rav Yissachar Shlomo Teichtal, HY”D, and two are based on my own understanding of the subsequent history as it has unfolded.

All of these explanations are complementary and interrelated. Together they form a compelling argument for accepting and embracing the modern state of Israel as God’s will, an unmistakable harbinger of the ultimate redemption in progress, and a divine call to world Jewry to return home to their motherland.

In Eim Habanim Semeichah (Chap. 2, Sec. 12), Rav Teichtal addresses the troubling question of how and why the secular Zionists could play such a vital role in the redemption process. He begins by stating the ultimate answer: we cannot possibly understand all of God’s ways, and we must accept the fact that sometimes He chooses agents that are not palatable to us, for reasons that are beyond us. Everyone and everything is an instrument of the Divine Will, and it is not our place to deny God’s intervention simply because we don’t like the intermediary. Consequently, we should embrace the opportunity to return to Israel and work hand-in-hand with even the worst of Jews in settling the Land.

He then cites a gemara, which records a tradition from the Sages that the redemption will be signaled specifically by the call of impure birds, which is a reference to sinful Jews. We know from many places that when we have a tradition from the Sages we accept it even if it runs counter to logic. Being that we have an authoritative tradition that the redemption process will begin through the actions of sinful Jews, we therefore accept it as God’s will.

Rav Teichtal acknowledges that this answer will not be satisfying to everyone; indeed, it requires an extremely high level of faith. How can it be that God would choose men who exhibit no vestige of Judaism to be the orchestrators of the return?

He offers two explanations, both of which are based on kabbalistic texts and conventional Torah sources. His primary explanation, which covers the bulk of the essay, is that it was necessary for the early Zionists to be secular in order to circumvent a spiritual prosecution against the redemption. The time was ripe for redemption, but the Jewish people as a nation were not worthy of being redeemed.

We know that the redemption can come with open miracles or with hidden miracles cloaked in a chain of natural events. The manner in which the redemption occurs depends on our spiritual state. Had the return to Israel been spearheaded by the spiritual giants of the time, the Heavenly prosecution would have rightly argued that the masses did not deserve it, and the return would have been thwarted.

God therefore chose the least likely spiritual candidates to lead the return to Israel, essentially flying under the radar of our heavenly adversaries, who were fooled into thinking that this couldn’t possibly be the ultimate redemption. “These people belong to us!” they said. Once the facts on the ground were already established, it was too late for them to undo the process.

Rav Teichtal gives other examples of critical redemption-oriented events occurring in a similar fashion, with a mixture of impurity to throw off the guard of those who would try to prevent them, as explained by the great kabbalists. Chief among them is the Davidic dynasty, whose very inception came about through the unflattering episode with Yehuda and Tamar, and our first redeemer, Moshe, who grew up in the house of Pharaoh. The beginning of the return to Israel after the Destruction of the First Temple followed a similar pattern.

In light of this, we should not be surprised to find the same subterfuge with the beginning of the final redemption. While this explanation is far from down-to-earth, it is well founded in Torah and tradition.

Rav Teichtal provides a supplementary explanation (Chap. 2, Sec. 18) from the Vizhnitzer Rav, who recognized the secular Zionists as spiritual descendants of the biryonim. These tough but spiritually empty Jews lived at the end of the Second Temple period when Jerusalem was under siege by the Romans.

The residents had enough food to hold out for many years, but the biryonim wanted to fight, believing that they could defeat the powerful Roman army. To force their way, they burned down the storehouses of food, which led to the destruction of Jerusalem. According to this Torah giant and kabbalist, the secular Zionists were unwittingly performing a tikkun (repair) for their Second Temple era ancestors, rebuilding what they had destroyed and caused to be destroyed.

Let us consider two additional explanations for why God purposely chose the secular Zionists to spearhead the return to Israel.

Imagine that the leaders were the most righteous and pious of Jews. In this scenario, the early settlement is dominated by religious Jews, who naturally control the government. The secular Jews largely remain behind in foreign countries, uninspired and uninterested in living in a religious state. The religious Jews continue to build the Land and infuse the country with holiness. Eventually the Messiah comes and completes the redemption process. Before or after this time, secular Jews become impressed with what’s happening in Israel, or else need to flee persecution abroad, and decide to join their religious brothers.

I like to believe that they would be warmly welcomed at that time. Recent history, however, suggests that the reception would be quite different. Most likely they would be met with an onerous list of religious demands to be granted entry, lest they upset the spiritual condition of the country.

Even religious Jews would be subjected to an inquisition of sorts to determine if they were sufficiently observant to be worthy of acceptance. What type of kippah do you wear? Who is your rav? What is your standard of kashrut? Do you daven with a minyan three times a day? How much Torah do you learn every day? Do you have the internet or a smartphone? Do you have a television? Do you watch movies or read secular literature? Are the women sufficiently tznuah? And on and on.

I’m all for more meticulous Torah observance, but counter-intuitive as it seems, God sometimes has different priorities. Back then and still today, the main priority was bringing the Jews back to Israel en masse, irrespective of their level of observance. The spiritual return would be a gradual process following the physical return.

God in His infinite wisdom recognized that this could only be accomplished precisely with secular Zionists in control, at least initially. Despite their indifference and even antipathy toward Judaism, any Jew can return to Israel and even receive support from the government. The Jews in Boro Park, Lakewood, and Williamsburg can all come tomorrow and build more yeshivas in Israel, and no one will stand in their way. The reverse would likely not be true.

This brings us to the fourth explanation for why God chose the secular Zionists. Had the state been built primarily by religious Jews, they would claim that the state existed entirely due to their spiritual merits and their physical efforts. Even though the less religious would be admitted to the country, they would forever be looked down upon as second-class citizens who don’t really deserve to be there, subsisting entirely on the merits and good graces of their more holy brethren — a concept I discuss in my book Go Up Like a Wall (Chap. 21).

Because the early Zionists were primarily secular, this can never happen. Even the most spiritually bankrupt Jew can forever hold his head up high for his sacrifices and contributions to the settlement of the Land, without which the redemptive process would not have been possible. This is in no way a substitute for Torah-observance or an excuse for un-Jewish behavior, but it is a feather in their cap that no one can take away from them.

This is exactly the way God wanted it to be, for He loves all Jews and wants all Jews to feel their right to the Land and ownership of it. It was also the only way to ensure the potential for true unity among the entire nation, for all Jews can rightfully say that their contributions to the state are vital. Being that unity is also a prerequisite for the redemption, we can now understand in very practical terms why God purposely chose the secular Zionists. It was the way it had to be, plain and simple, both in spite of their serious flaws and because of them.

We look forward to the complete return of world Jewry to their motherland, the gradual spiritual return of the nation, and the completion of the redemption process that is already very much underway.

This article appeared in an abbreviated version here. Click here to read more of this writer’s work on the subject.

From Chananya Weissman, here.

Meet Mordechai Hatzaddik: Exiled Three Times, He Keeps Coming Back to Israel…

What Mordechai Teaches The Galus Jew

By Rabbi Chananya Weissman 3 Adar 5780 – February 28, 2020

Mordechai is introduced to us in Megillas Esther as follows: “He was exiled from Jerusalem with the group of exiles that were exiled with Yechonya, king of Yehudah, whom Nebuchadnezzar, king of Bavel, exiled” (2:6).

The Vilna Gaon makes an astonishing comment based on the repetitive mentions of Mordechai’s exile in this single verse: “[This is] to inform us of his love for Eretz Yisrael, for each time [he was exiled] he returned to Jerusalem, and he was exiled three times.”

Mordechai lived through the gradual destruction of the original settlement of Israel, which had been forewarned for generations and whose end was by then a fait accompli. Israel was a sinking ship, both materially and spiritually, the Beis HaMikdash was all but doomed, and most of the Torah scholars were already in exile. Israel’s kings were puppets without power, and the vast majority of the land was already under foreign occupation. The end was a matter of when, not if.

The “rational” thing for Mordechai to do was set up shop in Bavel with his rabbinic colleagues, build a nice frum community, and pray for the welfare of the government that would rule over them and hopefully not persecute them too badly.

Instead, Mordechai did just the opposite. At the very first opportunity, he turned around and returned to Israel, a trek of hundreds of miles.

It wasn’t long before the situation in Israel deteriorated further. Once again, Mordechai was forcibly exiled. Once again, the moment the dust settled, he turned around and trekked back to Israel.

Not long after, Mordechai was exiled for a third time, and he probably could have given directions by then. This time, there was nothing left to return to, so Mordechai became a leader of the Diaspora community, an honored member of the Persian king’s court, rescued the king from an assassination attempt, taught Torah to the masses, and saved the Jews from Haman’s plan to destroy them. Mordechai even managed to receive approval from most of his fellow Jews, the rarest of feats. He had it made.

Nevertheless, when the opportunity arose to return to Israel and rebuild the Jewish settlement, Mordechai left the exile once again, this time making the trek at a very advanced age. He is named as one of the men of the Great Assembly during the times of Ezra.

Mordechai single-handedly throws cold water on every justification Jews have for remaining in exile:

  • There was greater Torah scholarship in Bavel.
  • The Israeli government was anti-Orthodox, and spiritual leaders were persecuted.
  • Jews in Israel were in constant danger, and it was safer in exile.
  • The prophets had made it clear that exile had been decreed by G-d; Moshiach certainly hadn’t announced his arrival.
  • Enemy attacks and sieges had caused famines and plagues; it was definitely easier to make a living in exile.
  • There was greater Jewish unity in exile.
  • It was definitely easier to raise children in exile.
  • The trek to Israel was arduous and dangerous, especially for older people.
  • Many rabbis were clearly in favor of remaining in exile.
  • Mordechai had already tried to make aliya multiple times, only to be forced to leave Israel again. He had every right to conclude that he was absolved, and it was G-d’s will for him to remain in exile.
  • Mordechai had a terrific life in exile, and returning to Israel would mean lowering his standard of living in many respects. Exile was far more comfortable.
  • Mordechai was a vital member of the community, a leader in both the spiritual and secular worlds, and he was doing holy work in the exile.

Despite all of the above, Mordechai returned to Israel twice during the period of its downfall, and then again 70 years later when it became feasible to do so. The vast majority of Jews voluntarily remained in exile when they were no longer forced to be there for all the reasons Mordechai repeatedly dismissed. This is the main reason Bayis Sheni was handicapped from the very beginning and doomed to fail (see Kuzari II:24 and my sefer, Go Up Like a Wall). When push came to shove, most of the Jews did not truly love Eretz Yisrael, and they preferred to remain in exile.

Mordechai had every excuse to remain in exile, and he wanted no part of it. Mordechai never forgot what it means to be a Jew. He was forced into exile three times, but he never let the exile be forced into him. When others rationalized and compromised, Mordechai remained staunch and proud. When the gates to Israel were once again opened, Mordechai didn’t hesitate or make calculations. Returning to Israel – regardless of the challenges and sacrifices – was a no-brainer.

Today we universally recognize Mordechai as a national hero and a spiritual role model. He is introduced to us as someone who refused to live in exile when there was any opportunity to get out. If Mordechai lived today, he would be in Israel, no ifs, ands, or buts.

We celebrate his example every year. It’s time to follow it.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Rabbi Chananya Weissman is the founder of EndTheMadness and the author of seven books, including “Go Up Like a Wall” and “How to Not Get Married: Break these rules and you have a chance”. Many of his writings are available at www.chananyaweissman.com. He is also the director and producer of a documentary on the shidduch world, Single Jewish Male, and The Shidduch Chronicles, available on YouTube. He can be contacted at admin@endthemadness.org.

Reprinted with permission from The Jewish Press here.

Judaism Is Shallowly Misogynistic AND Misandric!

It Seems the Talmud Really is Sexist

I don’t often agree with radical leftists, but it’s encouraging to find common ground with one’s adversaries, especially when they are fellow Jews. I have learned Gemara every day for decades, and, much to my chagrin, it appears as if our Sages were sexists.

This bias appears throughout the Torah, but it appears most prominently in the laws of marriage. Here are some of the many examples of the rabbis demonstrating bias and inequality:

1. It is the way of a man to pursue a woman (Kiddushin 2B).

As if dating isn’t difficult enough! Nowadays a man cannot possibly pursue a woman, or even express the slightest bit of romantic interest. If she is religious, she will likely report him to shadchanim and have him blacklisted for being immodest. If she is not religious, she might report him for harassment. Pursuing a woman today means risking your job, your friends, your chances to get married, and possibly even your freedom.

A man must first ascertain that the woman wishes to be pursued. Mind you, she will never state this clearly. She will always be coy about it, and he must catch the signals and properly decode them. Only then may he so much as compliment her, and even then he better tread carefully.

Pursuing a woman is about the most reckless thing a man can do, yet the rabbis urge him to do exactly that! Why couldn’t they encourage women to pursue men? The men would be flattered, and the women would enjoy not having to talk to any man who is “beneath” them. This situation is totally unfair to men, and should be reconsidered in light of modern advances. Let women muster the courage to approach a man, come up with a clever line, and risk frequent rejection for all manner of petty reasons. Women are powerful; let them deal with it.

2. If your wife is short, bend down and listen to her whisper (Bava Metzia 59A).

This is extremely biased. Why are the rabbis encouraging a husband to listen to his wife? Were the rabbis trying to score points with leftists by being so one-sided here? This teaching needs to be modernized to reflect equality and mutual respect. If she is short, let her stand on a chair and listen to him, at least half the time. (They did not discuss the case where the husband is short, because of course she would not have married him in the first place.)

3. A man must love his wife as much as he loves himself, and he must honor her more than he honors himself, even beyond his means (Yevamos 62B, Chullin 84B).

Clearly the woman has the upper hand here. It should be equal, no? Why should a husband not honor his wife exactly as he honors himself, with a similar instruction given to the wife? That would be fair. Shouldn’t this be changed?

4. When a man marries a woman, if he has a higher socio-economic standing, she is raised to his level. If she comes from a family with a higher standing, he cannot compel her to downgrade it to match his (Kesubos 61A).

Sexist, no?

5. A man may not marry a woman unless he gives her a kesuba.

This contract is intended to provide her financial security after his passing or in the event of divorce. All of the man’s property is mortgaged to the kesuba, and if he sells it she may seize it at a later time to pay off the kesuba.

The rabbis made no provision whatsoever for a man’s financial security. He must work like an ox to support his family, and although he may enjoy his wife’s assets during the marriage on a limited basis, he bears the full legal burden of providing for his wife.

When he’s done working like an ox, the burden of learning Torah and teaching Torah to his children is placed entirely on him. A woman can learn if she feels like it, and everyone will trip over each other to celebrate her.

To make matters worse, the rabbis ruled that if a woman earns a high income, she may choose to keep her assets and support herself in lieu of sharing her assets and receiving support from her husband (Kesubos 58B). The deck is totally stacked in the woman’s favor, and this is completely unfair. In light of the fact that women today are earning more money than ever before, shouldn’t this be changed? Women don’t need men to provide for them anymore, and men shouldn’t be at such a disadvantage. Let everyone take care of themselves. No more free rides and perpetual ATM’s at the expense of hard-working men.

6. A man may not divorce his wife unless he pays her kesuba.

The rabbis of the Talmud suffered at the hands of their very own ruling! Rabbi Yossi Haglili was married to an abusive woman who shamed him in front of his students. He was unable to divorce her due to the cost of the kesuba, which he could not afford. His colleagues started a collection on his behalf to free him from being chained forever to this abusive wife. How humiliating!

Not only that, but when she fell on hard times after she remarried, he generously supported her and her second husband. Did this man not have an ounce of pride?

At least Rabbi Yossi was ultimately able to free himself, but what about all the other victims of abusive wives? Why could the rabbis not find a solution for these suffering men?  Instead, the rabbis encouraged a battered husband to buy gifts for his abusive wife, for she protects him from sin (Yevamos 63). How insensitive!

Why did they not advocate public protests against abusive women? Why did they not enact strict legal measures? Why did they allow a man to be chained to an abusive wife for the rest of his life if he cannot afford to pay a contract that they forced him to sign in the first place? It seems as if the rabbis were self-hating men who used their broad powers to inflict pain on themselves and other men! And no one is talking about this! We need to wake up and make things fair and equal and for everyone.

7. A husband must buy his wife jewelry and new clothing for the holidays (Pesachim 109A).

As if all of the above is not enough! A husband is obligated to spend significant sums of money to “make his wife happy” several times a year, while she is obligated to spend money on him…absolutely never. This is in spite of the fact that the rabbis teach that a woman wishes to be married more than a man (no wonder). If the man needs more “encouragement” to be married, shouldn’t she be the one buying him new suits a few times a year, out of her own earnings? Either both parties should be obligated to buy each other gifts, or they should be entirely optional for everyone. Fair is fair.

8. A wife is not obligated to tend to the home if she has hired help (Kesubos 59B)

The rabbis ruled that, in exchange for the husband working like an ox to support his wife for all eternity, she gets to work from home taking care of her own home. Not only that, if she comes from a wealthy family and brings servants into the marriage (or she earns enough to hire her own) she is free of these responsibilities, except for one task just so she doesn’t go crazy from boredom. If she has all that time on her hands, how about going to work and giving her husband some time off to loaf around the house? Why couldn’t the rabbis have come up with that ruling, which seems so obvious and fair?

9. A husband must be intimate with his wife before undertaking a distant voyage, and upon returning home (Yevamos 62B).

Because obviously he has nothing better to do before preparing for a long time away from home so he can earn money to support his wife forever and ever. And because upon returning home he obviously doesn’t need to rest and unwind for a little while. No, the rabbis obligated him to be intimate with his wife at these times so she will know that his love for her is his main priority – as if that weren’t crystal clear already!

10. A man must be intimate with his wife at fixed intervals if she so desires.

No headaches for hubby! No “sorry, honey, but I’m not in the mood”. The rabbis established how often a man must be with his wife, whether he likes it or not, based on his profession and his availability.

No such responsibility is placed on the woman. They did rule that a woman who refuses to be with her husband ever is considered a rebellious wife, and she can forfeit her kesuba, but they placed no obligations upon her in this area. She holds all the cards. In fact, if her husband becomes physically blemished and she finds him repulsive, she is relieved of any responsibility to be intimate with him. The husband has no such “get out of jail free” card.

Not only that, but the rabbis ruled that a husband must make sure his wife desires to be with him and be sensitive to her needs (Eruvin 100B). There is no corresponding ruling for the women. In light of modern views on equality and intimacy, shouldn’t these laws all be changed?

Due to this extreme imbalance against men, I can easily see Jewish men having little interest in marrying.  Once again, the rabbis stepped in and forced their hand.  Even if a man was married and had children when he was young, they instruct him to marry again in his old age (Yevamos 62B).  Find another woman to love, respect, and support for life, buddy.

Needless to say, there is no corresponding halachic obligation on women.  I can’t imagine why one would even be necessary.

11. A yevama spits in the face of the brother-in-law who refuses to marry her if her husband dies without children.

The rabbis have ruled that, out of consideration for women who might be taken by the brother for selfish reasons, they must all be set free to marry other men. Did they do away with the law that the yevama should spit in the face of the brother, being that they took away his choice to marry her even with noble intentions?

What do you think?

Maybe it’s time to reconsider this one. Is it really appropriate to have women spitting in the face of men by rabbinic instruction?

12. If either party wishes to divorce, the other is obligated to accommodate them.

That’s where the equality ends.

A recalcitrant husband may “have the yetzer hara” beaten out of him to “encourage” him to grant a divorce. The rabbis of the Talmud ruled that the court may literally beat him to the point of death if he refuses.

Needless to say, the rabbis never condone laying a hand on a woman. If a wife is recalcitrant and refuses to accept a divorce, she may forfeit her kesuba, but she must pay nothing out of pocket, and no one will ever beat the yetzer hara out of her. It’s true that in very limited cases the rabbis allowed a man to take a second wife, but it’s not for nothing that they called having two wives a tzora. This is hardly an elegant solution for men who are chained to recalcitrant wives, and it’s astonishing that the rabbis of the Talmud couldn’t come up with something more equitable.

It should be noted that there are hundreds of recalcitrant wives in Israel. Are they being thrown in prison to rot forever until they acquiesce? Are they having their bank accounts frozen and their wages garnished, their driver’s license and passport revoked, persecuted by the system and society until they hang themselves? Of course not. This happens only to recalcitrant husbands. Totally unfair.  (Don’t expect to read editorials posing as news stories covering these cases in the leftist media, either.  Doesn’t fit the narrative.)

It should also be noted that the rabbis of the Talmud made special accommodations for women because “it is not the way of women to go to court” (Shevuos 30A, Gittin 41A). The rabbis felt it was beneath their dignity and they should not be subjected to the rigors and humiliation of standing before a court unless absolutely necessary.

Today’s women have proven that, not only are they entirely comfortable in the courtroom, they are quite adept at working the system. More power to them! In light of this, perhaps the halacha needs to be changed to bring it up to modern times and make things truly equal.

These are just a sample of statements and rulings by the rabbis that appear sexist. There are many, many more, and it should infuriate the moral saints among us who preach respect, tolerance, equality, and love for one’s fellow Jew. No one should be persecuted or placed at a disadvantage because of their gender, men and women alike.

At the same time, I recognize the Talmud as God’s inalienable Torah and the rabbis of the Talmud as His most holy and faithful transmitters of the Torah. Therefore, as a man, I am forced to submit to their teachings and humbly accept their words as God’s truth, even if they are difficult and unequal.

On this I part ways with the self-righteous radicals who wage constant war on the Torah, undermining the rabbis at every opportunity, while their moralistic lectures consist of empty slogans and talking points. But at least we can agree that sexism is something we should all be concerned about – no less when men are the victims.

It’s time for liberated women, who no longer need men for anything, who scorn men, and who insist they can do everything just as well, to forfeit the numerous privileges and advantages that the rabbis granted them.

Fair is fair, and equal is equal. Sexism in all its forms must be eliminated.

Note: For a deeper Torah perspective on the subject, I recommend my sefer, “Tovim Ha-Shenayim: A Study of the Role and Nature of Man and Woman”, available on Amazon.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Rabbi Chananya Weissman is the founder of EndTheMadness and the author of seven books, including “Go Up Like a Wall” and “How to Not Get Married: Break these rules and you have a chance”. Many of his writings are available at www.chananyaweissman.com. He is also the director and producer of a documentary on the shidduch world, Single Jewish Male, and The Shidduch Chronicles, available on YouTube. He can be contacted at admin@endthemadness.org.

Reprinted with permission from the Times of Israel.