Tuesday, November 15, 2005

Jew vs. Jew

Throughout the millenia, Am Yisrael has lived with the tag of being the "Am Hanivchar". We understand that to mean that Hashem has chosen us for bigger and better things. (Critics over the last fifty years have criticized us asking what makes us different than the Nazis (yemach shmom) who claimed to be "chosen" as well, but in a different way. I digress, but just to answer that dilemma, they chose themselves for greater reward and glory, we say that Hashem chose us which gives us greater responsibility. ) Our enemies have chosen us as well, but chosen us as a target.
As a frum jew, it's hard to live with sometimes, but I can accept that. What kills me is when jews fight among themselves.
No, this is not a new concept. The bais hamikdash was destroyed around 2000 years ago for this very reason. Obviously, although so much time has passed, we have yet to learn our lesson and once again earn back the glory that once was.
If you look back there were always splits in judaism, in fact, it's the source of numerous jewish jokes (i.e. a guy alone on an island yet has two shuls...). Let's look at what we are left with now.
We have sefard and ashkenaz. Within sefard we have numerous different factions. My sister was at a wedding a few years back where the kallah's brother stabbed the choson's because his family were frum iraqi sefardi jews and his sister had the gall to marry a frum libyan sefardi jew. Even among the ashkenazim we have the split between chassidim and misnagdim, this goes back hundreds of years with tremendous gedolim on either side of the argument so I won't touch that. (I admit, I'm out of my league on that one). Misnagdim have always been somewhat split, and there are many different groups of chasidim. (what's the difference between a chosid and a misnagid? one rebbe) . For now, I'm going to focus my attention on the chassidim.
Chassidus though used to stand for warmth and achdus, and my stomach is turning at what I am seeing now. Almost "Ain bayis asher ain shom mais". With the exceptions of Belz (coincidence that my family is somewhat affiliated with Belz?) and Ger, there is no longer any other united group of chassidus. Munkatch with the three rebbes (the rebbe zl, the rebbe yemach shmo and the rebbe zol er leben un gezundt zain), Skwer and Vizhnitz have been split for years as well. Lubavitch, also split between the normal ones and the others (don't get me started on that, yet. perhaps a later post). Now Bobov and Satmar, with fights and arguments among brothers and cousins, that are now public displays of major chillul hashem. Why are they fighting? In my opinion (and it's not just mine) it's all about money. That's what I see, that's what the world sees, and frankly, it disgusts me. Why can't we all just get along?????

5 Comments:

Blogger FrumGirl said...

I think that it was set up that way by G-d. Bais Hillel and Bais Shamai... etc. The difference is that once upon a time the debates were friendly and about achieving for Hashem. Today it seems its more about power, fortune, the very human ego. I am not saying, G-d forbid, that I am judging... but we are in chevlei moshiach and we know that this world is olam hasheker. On a brighter note, more Rebbe Sukkah hopping every year!

November 15, 2005 12:34 PM  
Blogger A Frum Idealist said...

true enough, frumgirl. As it says in pirkei avos, "ayzehu machlokes l'shaim shamayim, shammai vehillel. v'she'ayna l'shem shamayim, korach vchol adaso". Shaamai and hillel's machlokos had nothing to do with kavod. It was purely about what is correct in torah. Korach on the other hand was all about kavod.
Secondly, if you notice, it doesn't say korach v'moshe, it says korach v'chol adaso. the biggest issue there was the infighting even amongst themselves.

November 15, 2005 12:42 PM  
Blogger Josh said...

My two cents - the Rebbes are often egged on by the Chassidim. Each Chassid wants to be the Shamash, so they encourage their Rebbe to seize more power. It's not about money. That is just the weapon. It's all just a way for people to feel bigger in this world and the world to come.

November 16, 2005 10:02 PM  
Blogger Pragmatician said...

I feel the same way, it hurts so much when it is frum Jews who wage battles against each other.

November 17, 2005 5:40 AM  
Blogger Stacey said...

And then there is the frum Jew vs. secular Jew. They are worlds apart. Sad really, for we are all Jews.

November 20, 2005 1:18 AM  

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