JEWS FOR JUDAISM
A Special Message from Rabbi Schmuel Silber-Baltimore, MD
Dear Friends,

Today the 10thof Teves is significant for a number of reasons. Historically, it represents the beginning of the siege on Yerushalayim by Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon. It was this siege that began a string of calamities that resulted in the destruction of the first Bais HaMikdash. In Israel, many use this day as a memorial for the 6,000,000 kedoshim who perished in the fires of the Holocaust as well as a day of general mourning for those whose date and place of death is unknown to us this day.

According to some sources, it was on this day that the brothers sold Yosef into servitude. This first act of trueSinas Chinam
(baseless and unwarranted hatred) within the ranks of the Abrahamitic family set the unfortunate tone for generations to come.

It is this last theme of Asara B'Teves that resonates with me most this year. As many of you know I just returned from an uplifting and magnificent trip to Israel. During my short time there I had the opportunity to participate in a wedding, give Shiurim and lectures and spend a beautiful Shabbos with many current and former members of our Shul and with close to 20 of our young men and women who are currently studying in Yeshivos and Seminaries. I will IYH share all of the details (as well as pictures and video) with you in a separate email. While I enjoyed and benefited from the beautiful spirituality of our Land, my heart broke when I came to understand what is happening within our own ranks. Hatred between brothers, animosity between Jews, Sinas Chinam has reared its ugly head. When I look at what is happening in Beit Shemesh and now spilling over into Yerushalayim, I can't help but imagine that Yosef is once again being abused by his brothers.

There are those who will claim that yelling slurs at another Jew because he or she doesn't dress like you, look like you or believe like you are fighting for the honor of Torah. That calling someone a "shiksa" or spitting on a 9-year-old child is acceptable Judaic behavior. I call it a horrific desecration of God's name. But my dear friends, let us not simply blame the "chareidim." It is not fair and does not address the core issue. All one must do is look at the news yesterday and read about an 11-year-old chareidi boy who was hit in the face by two secular Jews or a 9-year-old chareidi girl whose life was threatened by a chiloni Jew. Is this what we have come to? We beat up, harass and spit on each other's children because we have different views and beliefs? After 2,000 years of Diaspora when our children were beaten and abused by others, do we now pick up where the nations of world have left off?

We know that the individuals who perpetrated these acts do not reflect the feelings and beliefs of the larger groups of whom they are a part. But the actions of individuals when unchallenged by the masses soon become the acceptable norm.

I am not a leader of masses, I am but a simply Jew - but on this day, when unchallenged Sinas Chinam led to the sale of Yosef HaTzaddik, I must make my voice heard. No one group has the right to impose its beliefs, hashkafa or halacha upon the greater public. There is no one group that can claim to have cornered the market on Torah and Judaism and dictate how the collective must behave. We must learn to respect each other despite our differences. We must learn that we can coexist beautifully and harmoniously even if we disagree vehemently. I say this to the chareidim and to the chilonim, to the chassidim and the misnagdim, to the daati tzioni and the chareidi daati leumi, to the modern orthodox, centrist orthodox, left-learning orthodox, right-wing orthodox, to the conservative, reform, to those from Lakewood, Yeshiva University, Chovivei Torah and every other group, denomination and faction. It is time to figure out a way to speak with each other. Creating a dialogue with a fellow Jew does not mean you have to accept or condone his beliefs or practices, you are entitled to feel that another Jew has totally missed the mark - but we can still speak, co-exist, respect and yes, even love each other.

This leads me to what I believe to be the core of issue-the factionalization of Judaism. Chazal warn us "
LO TAASU AGUDOS AGUDOS
" - we should not create subdivisions within our people. I believe that Chazal were teaching us we must sometimes put aside our personal agendas for the sake of keeping Klall Yisroel together. Our national relationship is no different than a marriage. In any good and meaningful marriage each spouse much be willing to sacrifice for the happiness of the other. Unwillingness to sacrifice is selfish behavior and more often than not results in the dissolution of the union. In our contemporary Judaism we want our Judaism to be what "I" want and if the current framework can't offer me what I am looking for, I'll just start something new - a new movement, a new stream, a new yeshiva - with little or no regard for the impact on the collective. People often ask me what my hashkafa is, which ideology do I identify with? To be honest I find it difficult to answer. I identify with the teachings of Chassidus and gain much from insights of Nechama Leibowitz, I am uplifted by the ideas of Rav Kook and Rav Soloveitchik and feel inspired by the Torah of the Samar Rebbe, and I say Hallel on Yom Haatzmaut with a beracha but do not feel that Religious Zionism is the most important aspect of Judaism. I wear a black hat and a velvet yarmulke but believe in L'Chatchila engagement of the outside world. So what is my hashkafa? It's simple, I'm Jewish. I believe in Hashem and believe that is my responsibility to observe His Torah, perform His Mitzvos and live my life in conformance with the mandates of Shulchan Aruch. I believe that I do not exist for myself, but exist for the benefit of the Klall and therefore it is my responsibility to contribute to the Jewish people in a positive fashion. I believe that we can impact greater society while never compromising our values and beliefs. I believe that Judaism is not about what feels good or is politically correct but is about what the Torah and Chazal tell us we must do. And at the end of the day I believe that
V'AHAVTA L'REYACHA KAMOCHA
(Love your fellow as you love yourself) is not to be selectively applied to people with whom I identify but should serve as the guide for dealing with those to the right and left of us.

It is time to stop assigning blame to one particular group or segment. We all bear the responsibility for the current state of affairs and we are all charged with trying to find a solution. There is no quick fix or particular selection of Psalms to remedy this situation, but allow me to suggest three things:

1. Make an effort to engage your fellow Jew.
I see every Shabbos how a new person can walk in and he or she can sit for an entire davening without someone coming over to wish him/her a Good Shabbos. Overcome the sometimes natural discomfort of going over to someone and just give a warm Shalom Aleichem. Whether the person looks more observant, less observant - go over, connect and help build the Jewish people. When thinking about whom to have at your Shabbos table, think about those who may not have a large social circle and include them at your meal. It doesn't have to come at the expense of your friends; there is room for everyone.

2. Do more chessed.
We are all busy with the various demands of life but we must make time to do for others. If the only thing a person is busy with during the week is his or her own needs or the demands of his or her own family, one can chas v'shalom forget that he or she is part of something bigger. We must create time and open our hearts for others. If you are interested in opportunities, please contact me and I will be happy to make suggestions.

3.Spend a little less time focusing on Hashkafa and a little more time focusing on Torah.
We spend so much time trying to figure out what religious label to attach to ourselves. We look at things that happen in Shul as a "shift to the right or the left" - trying to analyze the hashkafic implications of every move. Let's stop wasting our time. Torah is the great common denominator that unites us all. The more we are involved in Torah learning, the more we strive to understand and the more we try to implement its ideas and ideals, the more we will feel a part of something bigger than ourselves. The more we connect with the real essence of Torah the more we will feel connected with each other.

I hope and pray that just as the turbulent chapters of the relationship between Yosef and his brothers paved the way for familial unity and connectedness, may these difficult chapters inspire us to do our small part in bridging the divides, healing the wounds and reminding us how fortunate we are to be a part of such a spectacular people.

I wish you all a meaningful fast.

Kol Tuv

Rabbi Shmuel Silber

3506 Gwynnbrook Ave.
Owings Mills, Maryland 21117
JEWS FOR JUDAISM
(410) 602-0276
[email protected]