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Ask JTF For Motza'ei Tzom Asara BeTevet, Sunday, December 31.
jdl4ever:
Second question: You say that the problems facing our people today is as a result of the Chassidik movement. I differ slightly on this issue and I think it is a combination of factors. Please me know if you agree or have anything to add.
I think that the Chassidik movement did have some effect (I am Misnagad and my grandfather privately told me some bad things about the Chassidim based on his traditon). The primary reason why Rabbis are no longer Rabbis and most Jews know nothing about their religion is due to them not learning the Tanach in my opinion. Rabbi Kahane Zs'l menchaned this and based on my experience, I see this to be true. Most Yeshivot, especially in the Galut learn almost NO prophets. They just learn Breishit and maybee Shemot in first to third and then start learning Gemara right away like in fourth or fifth grade, skipping learning the Mishna and the Tanach entirely except for Shoftim. They violate the Mishna verse that said Jews should first start learning the Torah completely (at 5), then learn the Mishna (at 7) and then learn the Gemara (at 13). The Yeshivot violate this ancient traditon that was still practiced in Europe. My grandfather told me that this is exactly how he learned Torah in Europe (Torah first, then Tanach, then Mishna, and then Gemara) and he too criticised the modern educational system of most Yeshivot. What happens is if the students only learn Gemara and skip the Prophets and the Mishna, it is like trying to reach the top of a ladder with the bottom rungs missing, and they get completely confused because they lack the basis of our religion. I've talken to several Talmudic students (they learn in Bait Medrish) and their heads were completely scrambled if you ask them about something not menchaned in the tractate of the Talmud they learned but was said in the prophets; and they lack a basic understanding of everything.
The second reason why Rabbis are no longer Rabbis is that many Yeshivot sever the chain of tradition that keeps Judaism alive, which is that every child should listen and respect their parents and more importantly absorb their traditions. Absorbing the traditions of your parents is the basis of Judaism since before the Torah was given the Jews in Egypt maintained their religous identity for over 300 years soly on the oral transmission from the forefathers Abraham, Yitzchak and Yaccov. Most Yeshivot are Chassidish or Yeshivish and if you are Misnaggad, they don't respect your ancient traditional beliefs handed down to you by your parents and open tell you to not listen to your parents, that their way is the only correct way and you should do exactly what they say like a slave. This is why their are so few Misnagdim left. The Yeshivot brainwash them to become Chassidish or Yeshivish and they leave their precious chain of transmission.
The third reason is a combination of Chassidism and the Reform and Conservative movement. The Torah says that you shall not go to the right or to the left of what Hashem commanded, and these movements violate this verse. Although I personally like certain things about the Chassidim (my essay is too long already to explain) even though I admit they caused some probelms, they could have made up for that by what they contributed to Judaism. Certain Chassidim like the Lubovitch and the Bresslovers are very good Jews and I've encountered other richeous Chassidim.
Gerard:
Greetings, Chaim
I think it's degenerative to procreate outside one's race.Up until the mulattoes in Cuba,Cubans followed
that theory: Mulattoes procreated with mulattoes, Schwarzes procreated with Schwarzes etc...
they seem to be a well balanced nation run by a White man with a white plurality. Not that I'm in favor of a
Bolshevist Communist state. What is your take, Chaim? Pardon my ignorance but is it permissible to cross breed in the Judaic faith? I am not referring to Ashkenazim and Sephardi Jews having children together.
Thanks , you give splendid answers.
judeanoncapta:
Dear Chaim, I see that the Ask JTF threads are filling up quicker than ever and Yaakov Menashe Said that he will cut them off after a predetermined amount of questions instead of a set time. Therefore, I will have to write you without hearing your response to my questions last week.
I notice that you criticize so-called chassidic garb, by saying that it comes from the polish and prussian aristocracy. While your information is correct and these clothes are not essentially Jewish, you left out criticism for the mitnagdim who wear the same garb. What do you think the Vilna Gaon wore? A cowboy hat? Jeans? Sunglasses?
He wore the same exact clothing that Chassidim do today as did other mitnagdic rabbis like Rabbi Akiva Eiger and the Chatam Sofer, both of whom had portraits taken of themselves wearing streimels.
In fact the Yerushalmi followers of the GRA still wear what one would call chassidic clothes but is in fact the clothing that the students of the GRA wore when he sent them to Israel to start the Old Yishuv.
The fact that the mitnagdim have mostly switched to fedoras doesn't change the criticism. A fedora is no more jewish than a streimel.
True Jewish dress, if you read the Torah would probably be a turban and a tunic, as the yemenite jews still wear.
I don't see you advocating that either, just criticizing those jews who continue the customary dress that their forefathers wore in eastern europe.
As an aside, The leader of the Neturei Karta Moshe Weiss Yemach Shemo Vizichro is not a chassid at all. I don't mean to say that he is not a "real" chassid because of his evil behavior, althought that is certainly true, I mean that he is a follower of the Vilna Gaon. He put together a new edition of the Siddur of the GRA called Siddur Vilna. Most of his followers are Yerushalmi followers of the GRA. Just for your information.
I haven't learned much of the Torah of the Vilna Gaon, but please tell me how both you and Weiss Y"SH could pull such wildly different interpretations from the GRA's teachings on the zionist movement?
Also I heard last week in your answer to the question of whether the Kahanists would put people to death for violating the Sabbath, you said that you would simply educate them and not coerce the israeli people into Sabbath observance. You also said that this was the optinion of Rav Kahane ZT"L.
I beg to differ, in the debate with alan dershowitz that is on kahane.org, The Rabbi is asked about this and he said "That's like saying we should educate people not to rob banks. True! But until then we have the police. The Torah mandates a coercion." please listen to the debate to hear his full answer. Is there something that he told you later? Did he change his mind?
One last question, a recent poll taken in Israel of Dati Leumi youth found over a third wished to become less religious. Do you think that this poll is true, and if so what can be done to reverse this horrible development?
Thanks as always for answering my questions, Judea Non Capta
imaknick:
chaim,
Do you believe that all gentiles who go against Israel's policies are anti-semitic? Do all Jews who believe in making peace with arab neighbors are self- hating Jews?
Can you be against Israel's policies and not be anti - semitic?
Do you equate pro- arab as anti- Jew?
You are obviously against israel's policies and are not self- hating, but is that different from Alan colmes, Pat buchanan, and others who are against israel's policies?
Christian Zionist:
Chaim,
What is your opinion about Moses Hess? Was he a true Zionist? He proclaimed that Jerusalem is for Jews only and he spoke against intermarriage between Jews and gentiles but he was also very close to Karl Marx? He sounded like an oxymoron to me.
Thanks In Advance!
Happy New Year!
Christian Zionist
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