העורך Editor

“The enemies of the Jewish people, in justification of their own conduct, have pointed out many times that, from the very beginning of its history, this people had found no sympathy among the nations. Instead, they say, Israel has met with nothing but hostility and hatred throughout the world. Israel’s enemies think this is sufficient reason for all future generations to cultivate and to transmit to their descendants the old hatred which the nations have long harbored against the Jews…it was not at the people of Israel, but at the ideals of Zion that this hatred had been aimed from the very beginning…the haters of the ideals represented by Zion became the enemies of the Jews.”

Rabbi Hirsch on Psalms, §ii, 392 (as copied from “Secular By Design”)

Bertrand Russel:

Mathematics may be defined as the subject in which we never know what we are talking about, nor whether what we are saying is true.

עדיות פרק ה’ ו’-ז’:

עקביא בן מהללאל העיד ארבעה דברים. אמרו לו, עקביא, חזור בך בארבעה דברים שהיית אומר ונעשך אב בית דין לישראל. אמר להן, מוטב לי להקרא שוטה כל ימי, ולא לעשות שעה אחת רשע לפני המקום, שלא יהיו אומרים, בשביל שררה חזר בו…

בשעת מיתתו אמר לבנו, בני, חזור בך בארבעה דברים שהייתי אומר. אמר לו, ולמה לא חזרת בך. אמר לו, אני שמעתי מפי המרבים, והם שמעו מפי המרבים. אני עמדתי בשמועתי, והם עמדו בשמועתן. אבל אתה שמעת מפי היחיד, ומפי המרבין. מוטב להניח דברי היחיד, ולאחוז בדברי המרבין. אמר לו, אבא, פקוד עלי לחבריך. אמר לו, איני מפקיד. אמר לו, שמא עולה מצאת בי. אמר לו, לאו. מעשיך יקרבוך ומעשיך ירחקוך.

One of the “Kedushas Tzion” folks gave an apt parable:

Imagine a Jew whose wife was kidnapped by non-Jews, while the husband was forced to flee. Many years pass by. Finally, the suffering Jew has the grand opportunity to redeem his long-lost mate from bitter captivity (Pidyon Shevuyim) and reunite with her.

But some rabbis absolutely forbid this. “After all,” they explain, “in the many years of separation, your beloved has certainly forgotten the complex laws of Niddah (which involves Kareis)! Halacha would prefer you rather leave her in the paws of her Goyish captor…”

CORONA UPDATE

Rav Sternbuch spoke again about the issue of people reporting alleged violators of Corona regulations to the authorities. Some people are even reporting Torah and educational institutions and shuls, or people making weddings. Rav Sternbuch noted that this is completely forbidden and constitutes the very severe sin of mesira lashiltonos (see Ch. M. 388).

It is only permitted to report people to the authorities in very specific situations where people are endangering the public and have to be stopped in order to save the public. Even then the violators have to be warned first and an authorized rabbi of stature must be consulted first, and each case must be discussed separately (Rav Sternbuch addressed this issue during the first Corona wave).

Rav Sternbuch reiterated that it goes without saying that every person has to be careful not to harm others, and we are careful about pikuach nefesh no less than the secular authorities. However, those who report others to the authorities in unjustified circumstances, cannot be counted as part of a minyan, no matter how religious they are, as ruled in the Shulchan Oruch, and they have no portion in the world to come (unless they repent).

Regarding the reopening of yeshivos and chadorim Rav Sternbuch already stated more than six months ago that this is of the utmost importance, and if they remain closed that is more dangerous than the dangers posed by the virus itself. Rav Sternbuch stated that if we demonstrate to the authorities that the yeshivos and chadorim are our lifeline, we will merit divine assistance and they will not prevent us from opening them, based on the necessary health precautions.

Rav Sternbuch also called on people who have recovered from the virus, and whom doctors considered to be suitable candidates for donating blood to do so, since doctors have stated that this may save those suffering from the virus, and Chazal have stated that anyone who saves a Jewish soul it is considered as if he has saved an entire world”.

From the English Parsha sheet