Letter to the Editor [Responding to Yitzhak Bronstein]
December 21, 2011
To the Editor:
While I see no reason to respond to the personal insults of Yitzhak Bronstein, there are some important issues that he raises that (I feel) do require a response.
A. Da’as Torah
Homosexuality is described in the Torah as a to’evah (abomination). It is also one of the sins for which the Torah requires yehareg v’al ya’avor (one should allow oneself to be killed rather than violate this sin). It would seem quite logical that any discussion about such a religiously “charged” matter should certainly have the input of roshei yeshiva in terms of both halakha and hashkafa.
For Orthodox Jews – for whom Torah is central – I do not understand how there could be a thought of excluding such input. Mr. Bronstein cites an example of the rosh yeshiva who had “never been approached by a homosexual student” yet was most vocally opposed to the gay panel. First of all, there may be perfectly valid halakhic/hashkafic reasons for such opposition, anyway. I strongly doubt that Mr. Bronstein is halachically or hashkafically qualified to make such a determination (I know that I am not). However, giving Mr. Bronstein the benefit of the doubt, I noted in my original letter that there are “erudite, articulate, and knowledgeable rabbis in RIETS” who could certainly address this issue. Did Mr. Bronstein try to approach anyone else?
Further, if he really felt that the Rabbis were “ignorant,” there are fine experts (such as Dr. David Pelcovitz) who could certainly work with the rabbis in helping to develop an appropriate Torah response to the issue of having a “gay panel.” Mr. Bronstein’s reasoning appears to indicate a lack of interest in the Torah viewpoint and more interest in his own agenda.
B. Support of the Israeli Government
Rabbi H. Schachter shlita wrote in the name of Rav Soloveitchik zatzal (in “Nefesh HaRav“) that our support for the Israeli Government is only within the framework of Torah and mitzvot. The entire importance of the “State” is only in terms of its being a part of the rest of the Torah and mitzvot. If there is any contradiction between support for the [Israeli] Government and what Hashem demands, there is no question that we do NOT support the government. The Rav himself stated (as quoted in “Divrei HaRav“) that “the tie of the Jewish People with the State of Israel is ONLY based upon the eternal world of Torah…” And, in “Thinking Aloud”, the Rav complained that “Zionism – religious Zionism – has replaced Torah.” As Orthodox Jews, then, it behooves us not to “automatically” support the Israeli government. Rather, we must always evaluate the actions of the specific government and take respond appropriately. The incidents that I originally cited are not mere speculation and deserve critical analysis – not dismissal. In particular, the conduct of the Shin Bet appears extremely disturbing when one reviews the evidence.
C. “The Left”
I used the term “so-called left” to refer to the various secular leftist parties (such as Meretz) who have truly demonized the religious citizens in Israel. I specifically used that term because I recognize that there are some leftists who do not demonize the religious citizens. However, one has only to look at the history of the State (going back to before its founding) to see how parties such as MAPAI did their best to undermine and marginalize the religious. It is unfortunate, but this still continues in Israel. And, it is far more virulent than the “intolerance of the religious.” As an aside, Mishpacha Magazine had an excellent editorial pointing out that even though the “Chareidi” are actually getting, more involved in Israeli society, they are now being attacked for that. In other words, no matter what Haredi Jews choose to do, the “so-called left” will bash them, anyway. In that light (as well as in light of the historical commemorations of the Rabin Murder which often became events at which the “religious” were condemned), it is certainly accurate to say that “the left continues to be more intolerant than we (i.e., Religious Jews) are.”
The above are important issues and I do not claim to state how they should be addressed. However, they should not be ignored nor trivialized as Mr. Bronstein appears to do.
Zvi Weiss
YC ’71, RIETS ’74
(All rights belong to the Commentator)
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