Let's let this one go. Nothing will change.
No, it wont change. We are not to be 'politically correct' in rebuke. The people OUT THERE do that. I curse the traitors, ALL over, Jew, Gentile, Christian, whatever. IF they repent, FINE, but the damage they have caused will have to be paid in full.
Who are you learning this from? The Jewish Torah gives us the mitzvah of rebuke and it is clear that we only rebuke people who are willing to listren to the rebuke. Hatred, anger, and insulting others is DEFINATELY not a Jewish trait... I recommend you go back to your Torah and learn a little before going on a Crusade {A definately xtian thing to do}. What I am saying here is not 'new age' or 'liberal' teachings about the Mitzvah of rebuke. I can bring you drash after drash about this concept, which you seem to misunderstand... You think this is xtian teaching, heck no! So many great sages have expounded on this fact.... Do you want to argue about it? I am willing to support my position with clear sources... Please bring some sources which say we are to rebuke with anger and insult? Go ahead...
And what do you accept as evidence that someone is a 'traitor' in your definition. Do you accept second hand or third hand gossip?
BTW: Cursing others is never considered a form of rebuke..
PS: I have quoted in a previous message the rules concerning who we are allowed to talk negatively about. Those people, the apikorsis and the wicked whom everyone knows, we can curse and deride... But to label all people as 'left-wing' as traitors is a bit too much, and goes beyond the letter of the law...
http://www.ou.org/torah/gelman/rebuke57.htmlIt is this weeks Torah reading that teaches us the obligation to rebuke. In defense of that Rebee, the literal translation of the verse is "rebuke, repeatedly rebuke your neighbor" if anything he got that part right.
Why does one criticize. What drives a person to rebukes? It seems to me that there are three reasons one would rebuke or criticize.
1. One is the obvious reason; that would be to alter a particular behavior. Now this could be in the religious sphere, if you witness an individual behaving in a way that you believe is religiously prohibited, according to the Torah you would be obligated to point it out. In the words of Shimshon Rephael Hirsch, "Rebuke imposes on every member of the Jewish community generally not to remain silent when they see their Jewish companion’s big or small sins." Likewise in the realm of interpersonal relationships, one is obligated to allude to misdeeds. Again Rav Hirsch recommends placing "...the matter openly....giving an opportunity to justify the behavior or of making amends for it." This is the first reason, an attempt, via rebuke to correct one’s behavior
2. The second reason for reprimand may be in order to avoid what the Talmud calls "silence is equivalent to acquiescence ." To borrow a legal determination from Talmudic legal precedent. If an individual claims ownership of your land by settling there and the rightful owner does not object within three years then the land is transferred to the squatter. The Talmud goes on to explain that even after that initial objection the owner must declare his disapproval at least once every three years. It’s not enough to object once or twice, there must be a consistent voice of disapproval. The reason is to avoid the notion that since there is no voice of objection, then the owner must not care. Similarly when it comes to rebuking someone for a religious or social fault, silence may often be construed as agreement. Perhaps this is what King David meant when he said " Seeing that you hate rebuke, and cast my words away....and if I keep silent, you would think that I am like you" This is the second reason, to "go on record" so to speak about your disapproval
3. The third reason for reprimanding is less obvious. I’d like to suggest that the reason we tell people of our disapproval of their behavior is in order to show them that we care about them. It’s the ultimate way to illustrate that what others do matters to you. I’ve often heard the expression "you can love me or you can hate me, but please don’t ignore me." No one wants to be ignored.
Let me give you an example from personal experience.
It was just a few weeks ago when I ran into an old student of mine. The truth is that he had cut school that day and his parents didn’t know where he was. He now had to go home and face parents. As soon as I saw him I knew that something was wrong. I asked him if he was O.K. he told me yes but as I started to walk away I felt that he wasn’t O.K. I asked him if he wanted to talk and he immediately opened up to me about all that had happened that day and that he was scared to face his parents. He was just
waiting for someone to pay attention to him, even if I did have to tell him in on uncertain terms that what he did was wrong, wrong to treat his parents that way, wrong to cause a scare in his school and dangerous. But frankly he wasn’t upset at my position, in fact he was relieved and comforted. So this is the third reason, to indicate to another that what they do matters to you.
Now all of these reasons are important, effort to change someone’s inappropriate behavior, indicating that you don’t agree with a particular behavior and showing that we care. Which one is the most important, or better yet which one was the reason that the Torah had in mind.
I think that the third reason is the primary reason. The reason I think so is based on a very odd juxtaposition. Before we are told about "rebuke your fellow" we are told "you should not hate your brother in your heart." Now if the primary reason for the Mitzvah of rebuke was to change behavior or to indicate disagreement then there is no inherent reason to connect the restriction of hating your brother. One may hate the individual they are trying to change. Sure it may not be the kindest or most efficient way to affect a change but fundamentally it can be done. On the other hand if the intention of "Tochachah" is to show others that you are concerned of course and essential ingredient would be removing hatred. It would be absurd contradiction of terms to think that one could indicate concern and care if you hate your brother in your heart. If you hate someone, then you don’t care if they behave in a way that is dangerous or hurtful to you. Simply, you ignore whatever it is that they do.
These are the words of the famed Avnei Ezel "True rebuke is only possible to those we love, whose behavior touches our heart and we wish for their improvement. Similar to a parent who rebukes a child and not someone else’s child. The closer you are to a person, the greater the love and the more sincere the rebuke. Rebuke that is the byproduct of love has the greatest affect....Without "do not hate" there cannot be rebuke.
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http://www.torah.org/learning/lifeline/5760/noach.htmlIn the Torah, we learn that we have a mitzvah to correct others when they make mistakes: "...you shall surely rebuke your neighbor, and you shall not bear sin because of him." [Lev. 19:17] But the word "rebuke" has harsh connotations which are entirely inappropriate in this context. What is supposed to take place is a heart-to-heart transmission of love and concern for the individual making the error. A person should correct himself or herself first, for otherwise, how can he or she claim to be motivated only by the severity of the issue? And similarly, Maimonides says that the rebuke must be delivered in a gentle voice -- and Rabbi Chaim of Volozhin said that this is a mandatory prerequisite. One cannot fulfill the mitzvah of rebuke by shouting.