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May 11, 2014

Kneidlach-eaters vs Amalek


Kikar is running an interesting, and out of the ordinary for that site, editorial (op-ed, I guess) regarding the recent kneidlach issue.

To remind you, a panelist on a recent show on Galei Tzahal spoke about diluting, killing, haredim, saying they smell because they eat kneidlach, matza balls. The show host did not stop him, did not cut his mike, did not speak out against the statements that had just been said.

The haredi askanim, rightfully, demanded apologies, and more. They wanted the higher-ups at the radio station to censure the program, to apologize, to make drastic moves. When apologies came, the haredi askanim went on air talking about how it is not enough...

this editorial asks a simple question - why has no haredi ever apologized to him. The writer is, seemingly, a secular Jew. He says he has been called, numerous times, by rabbis and other leaders, all sorts of horrible names, such as "rasha", "amalek", animal, nazi, cossak, goy.. he been told his "wagon is empty", his army uniform is garbage, he is an ignoramus, when he will die his memory will not be a blessing, among others.

He says, no matter who said these things, the one thing in common between them all is that nobody has ever apologized. When called out, haredi politicians and askanim go on air explaining that the person had been misunderstood or that only a minority of people - on the fringe - say those things, or other sorts of explanations to get out of the uncomfortable position of what had been said, but never an apology.

he goes on to say what he says, you can read it there.

but he is right. if there is no respect or even decency going in one direction, from us religious people, whether specifically haredi or not (I am not sure all upsetting statements have been said only by haredi rabbis) to them, what right do we have to demand that level of respect, or even decency, from them to us? We can call them names and disparaging insults, but they can't say things about us?

I am not going to say we should be better than them, and I am not going to say they should be better than us. Whether true or not.

I am going to say, if we want respect, we have to give respect. If we want dialogue, we have to be a part of the dialogue. If we want to be treated with decency and dignity, we have to treat others with decency and dignity.



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7 comments:

  1. Very well said.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Rafi, we don't have to apologize for anything. Not a darned thing. There should be no balance in our attitudes towards one another because there is likewise no balance in our spiritual planes or entitlements. We are made more in the form of G-D than any secular could ever be, and as frum yiddin, it is a mitzva for us to show them the way and provide "toichecha", as the torah has mandated us.
    If our insults are provided in the context of l'shem shamayim then it should only be interpreted as a kiddush shem shamayim. Any other interpretation is inherently wrong, and those ignoramuses who take it the wrong way, quite frankly, deserve to be insulted. Not everything is fair and square in life, and if you think so you (and those who demand any type of apologies by the religious) are just as childish as a bunch of schoolchildren.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. An excellent demonstration of Rafi's point!

      Delete
    2. michael

      i think that SK is being sarcastic.

      Delete
  3. SB, Beit ShemeshMay 12, 2014 10:49 AM

    Rafi,

    While you are broadly correct, there is a big difference between asking those responsible for the original comment to apologize, and those completely unrelated other than wearing the same color hat. Halevai that those responsible on the chareidi side *would* apologize, or better still keep their mouths shut, but it isn't mechayev anyone else since the offensive ones generally *really are* on the fringe (you very very rarely hear that sort of thing on Kol Berama for instance, and when you do the hosts usually counter it)

    I would see the fact that Kikar published it - and the broad mix of comments - as a very positive step in the right direction. When Kikar put out that ridiculous childish 'official video' (sic) of the Atzeres, everyone jumped on them as being 'representative of the chareidi community'. Now they're not?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. A. They are often not on the fringe. Was rav ovadia on the fringe? Rav shalom Cohen? Rav shach?
      B. You are right. Others don't need to apologize for what rav ovadia said. Did rav ovadia apologize? Good apologists would go on the air explaining that people misunderstood him. If they want to defend him in public and speak for him, sort of, they can also apologize for him. Or he, and the others who say such things, can apologize for themselves.
      C. Better than apologizing is not saying it in the first place and trading people with respect even if you disagree.

      Delete


  4. nonsense! i hear it all the time and motti levi NEVER counters it. at most there is some apologetic (rav shalom cohen is a gadol and i don't comment on what gedolim say, blah, blah, blah).

    ReplyDelete

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