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Category: Attitude
Written by the Rabbi of Young Israel of Forest Hills
... I could not get my mind off of the scandal that had blown up in Washington DC just the day before, and the worry for what it meant for the future of the Orthodox community ate at me deeply inside.
I leave it to the reader to discover the unpleasant details of the scandal surrounding Rabbi Barry Freundel elsewhere. For me, it was extremely disheartening, upsetting, infuriating and saddening to see the huge Chillul Hashem (Desecration of G-D's Name) that would result from the incomprehensibly bizarre, ugly - and frankly stupid and creepy - actions of a formerly highly respected colleague, who had done a great deal of good for the American Jewish community. The pain that we all feel for the victims, for the Freundel family, for his congregants, and for all of the converts who feel betrayed by him is beyond description. I write here only to offer the following thoughts.
No One is Above Temptation
(Part 2)
Our tradition has always had a very healthy respect for the Yetzer Hara (Evil Inclination). The Talmud in many places invokes the principle "Ein Apotrupos Le'arayos", which (loosely translated) means that no one is above temptation, when it comes to sexual matters. This terrible incident brings this home in a more powerful way than any mussar shmuz. One has to have a great deal of humility in knowing that temptations are powerful, and that it is all too easy to be drawn into a sinkhole in which one's morals are irreparably compromised.
But this story illustrates another problem - that goes beyond mere sensual temptation - which can also be very dangerous. The first question that anyone hearing this story surely asked themselves, after hearing that a respected Rabbi had stooped so low, is: Why? If the motive were mere sexual gratification, or the desire to view inappropriate matter, surely there is sufficient material all too easily accessible in the depraved society in which we live, whether in the media or on the internet, or any number of other places? Why engage in such a risky and crude activity?
The obvious answer, is that it comes from something deeper than sexual proclivity. It will not engage in any attempt to psychoanalyze this, certainly not publicly. I write about it only to emphasize this: Anyone, and I mean anyone, can slip into crazed behaviors that can ruin their own lives and hurt many others, if they allow themselves to think that they are above temptation and can engage in behavior that Halacha forbids, while being able to set limits that will only allow it to go so far. There are thousands of people who have learned that this is not so, many the hard way.
As a Rabbi you get to hear all sorts of things, many which you would rather not. Unfortunately, I know of many cases where respectable people, including leading professionals, Rabbis, Roshei Kollel, Rebbeim in Yeshivos, Doctors, Lawyers, you name it, women and men, have been ensnared at a variety of levels by an addiction to pornography and worse. None of them meant to arrive at the depths they found themselves, of course. Most allowed themselves this or that indiscretion, this or that ego trip or pleasure trip, and found themselves drawn into the quicksand from which there was little hope of escape without great damage being done.
If anything good can come out of this situation, perhaps it is this. If you know of anyone (including perhaps yourself) who has found themselves subjected to temptation and inappropriate use of the internet or other lustful activity, please refer them to the literally life saving website, www.guardyoureyes.com . It is a tremendously important resource, and it deserves all the support that can be given to it in its holy work of combating the insanity that surrounds us.
May Hashem have mercy on His people, and help us to restore honor to His Holy Name and Torah.
Editor's note:
Jack wrote to us today: "Whenever I hear of a story like that, it helps me stay clean because I don't want MY name in the news."
