Letter to the Editor By Rabbi AZ Ginzberg 12/25/2008

Dear Editor,

Until recently I thought I was the only one disturbed by the content and tone of my friend Shmuel Katz’s articles over the last few months; but the last installment seems to have touched a raw nerve in many others, as well.

When our friend and neighbor made the courageous decision to make aliyah with his family a few years ago he continued his valued and dedicated service to the community by keeping a diary of the challenges, problems, and benefits of the aliyah process. I, like others, read with great interest and concern Reb Shmuel Katz’s journey to the land of our fathers, and the minor setbacks and frustrations that he and his family faced, culminating with a successful aliyah.

His articles were informative, encouraging, even uplifting. I personally know of two families (and there probably were significantly more) that, after reading Shmuel’s weekly diary installments, were encouraged to take the final step to aliyah. V’chein yirbu.

But something happened.

In recent months, feeling the need to share with us some of the challenges of daily life in Ramat Beit Shemesh, in particular dealing with some of the extremists in the community; we have read descriptions of these chareidi extremists as gangsters, criminals etc.; the kind of terminology usually reserved by such secular Israeli newspapers as Haaretz or Yediot Achronot.

Most disturbing is why Reb Shmuel feels that we need to hear the “dark side” of life in Eretz Yisrael, and how this helps people become motivated about aliyah to Eretz Yisrael. If a particular person should ask him about the communal difficulties in Ramat Beit Shemesh, and it would be determined that there would be a “toeles” (purpose) in relating this information to that person, it would probably be acceptable to share this information; albeit without the name calling.

However, what heter is there to speak lashon ha’ra about Eretz Yisrael in a public forum without any toeles whatsoever. On whose halachic authority was this public criticism of life in Eretz Yisrael allowed?

Our Chazal point out that there were two terrible sins committed by Bnei Yisrael in the Midbar: one was the cheit ha’egel, and the other the sin of the meraglim. The fundamental difference between the two is that the cheit ha’egel was forgiven, but the sin of the meraglim was not. Why is that so? I once thought to explain that it was because the eigel was a sin against H-shem, and he was mochel on his kavod. However, the sin of the meraglim was a sin against Eretz Yisrael and on that there is no mechila.

Speaking publicly and disparagingly about Eretz Yisrael and about a specific group, no matter how disturbing, is a form of lashon ha’ra on the land, which the land does not forgive. Added to that is that the unacceptable categorizing of chareidim (even these extremists) as gangsters, etc. is unnecessary at best, prohibited at worst.

How did we go from advocating for aliyah to becoming an antagonist against the chareidim, or “chareidi bashing” as it’s referred to?

I once shared with your readers a story about the previous Amshinover Rebbe, zt”l, of Bayit Vegan. One day, the Rebbe’s driver, who usually wore a jacket out of respect for the Rebbe, commented, “It is so hot today, would the Rebbe mind if I take my jacket off?” The Rebbe replied, “For my part you can take off your shirt, but please don’t speak lashon ha’ra about Eretz Yisrael.”

The Gemara is replete with stories of how the Tannaim and Amoraim went out of their way never to utter a bad or unkind word about Eretz Yisrael, either the land or its people. It is related in Kesuvos (112A) that Rav Ami and Rav Assi would go from sun to shade and vice versa to avoid any feeling of discomfort in Eretz Yisrael.

Is the price of a successful aliyah to feel like an Israeli and take sides in a war against chareidim—even against the most extreme of groups? This will not encourage aliyah, nor will it inspire more Ahavas Yisrael and tolerance against even the most intolerant of us.

I miss the trials and tribulations of the aliyah process and the underlying love for the land and its people. I miss hearing of the experiences of the first yom tov, the first Chanukah, the kedushah of a Shabbos in Eretz Yisrael. And most of all I miss the wonderful inspiration that all of that gave to each and every one of us.

The consistent diary of the life and challenges of aliyah was indeed a valuable service; the chareidi-bashing and tales of communal strife in Ramat Beit Shemesh are not.

Rabbi Aryeh Z. Ginzberg
Cedarhurst