Beit Shemesh Tznius Riots, The Horror!

בס"ד

I have been watching and listening over the past few days as my neighbors and friends express shock and outrage over the Beit Shemesh Tznius riots. I love you all, but I think it is time we all face some uncomfortable facts, foremost of which is the fact that the mainstream Orthodox Jewish attitude toward the halakhic process is the very cause of what we are seeing on the streets of Beit Shemesh. What am I getting at?

No matter if you are a Litvak or a Hussid, knitted kippah or black velvet, sheitel or tichel; the general attitude that you were either taught or raised with is that when it comes to halakha, you must keep to what your parents did....... unless of course, you want to go more mahmir. It's just a given. I remember about 8 years ago, wanting to reduce my waiting time between meat and milk. My request was rejected based on the assumption that I had accepted a vow upon myself. I then asked about a certain Rabbi I knew, who threw off his parents custom of waiting 3 hours between meat and milk and upped it to 6 hours. I was bluntly told "You can always go more mahmir! You don't need a heter for that!"

Along these same lines, every year we are met with all sorts of senseless and downright silly practices on Pesah. Stringencies whose only basis is found in the familiar adage "You can never overdo it on Pesah". This ridiculous belief has resulted in such hashgachic gems as, certified "No kitniyos" bleach, kosher l'pesah brooms and other such nonsense. Friends, this is beyond the pale of classical Judaism.

But what does all this have to do with spitting on girls, wearing burkas and attacking the police in Beit Shemesh? The sad fact is, these disgusting and immoral acts are nothing more than the obvious and natural outcome of a Judaism that tells people "You can always go more mahmir". At first glance, this way of thinking may seem like playing it safe. But it's not safe at all. It's wrong. It has always been wrong and it is not the way of our sages of blessed memory.

Contrary to popular belief, it is not the job of a Hakham to maintain the existence of a knot that can be tightened, but never loosened. His job is not to perpetuate a system in which things that are broken can be broken further, but never fixed. His job is to teach the people of Israel the way they should walk and ensure that they keep the path of Hazal, turning neither to the right nor to the left. If things get out of line in any direction, it is the responsibility of the Hakham bring the people back onto the path.

Ahhhh, but this is easier said than done. It's hard to buck the system. Who cares what Hazal say? If one even suggests an adjustment (no matter how well founded) he could be accused of being, halilah, lo aleinu........meikel! As horrifying as that may sound, it is very necessary to a healthy Judaism. With authority comes responsibility. The rabbinic establishment has become utterly paralyzed and the average Yid is going to have to step up to the plate and give common sense a chance. "In a place where there are no men, strive to be a man!" You may not succeed. But for crying out loud, STRIVE!

We must draw our halakhic lines where Hazal drew theirs. If we believe in a halakhic minimum, we must believe in a halakhic maximum, and we must hold both lines with equal fervor. We must have the courage to stand up to so-called leaders of the Torah world who created and encouraged these attitudes and now condemn their implementation.

When a Hareidi drone burns a bus stop, it's easy to call him a fanatic. But when one of the "poskei hador" wrote in Kol Korei that a woman who drives a car is "Oiver al das Yehudis", none of the newly awakened religious moderates made a peep. Nothing, nada, zilch. No one seemed to be outraged. Don't get mad at the spitter or the arsonist. He's just acting out on everybody else's perverted hashkafah.


It's time to admit it. It's time to own up to it. It's time to fix it before someone's daughter gets beaten or worse (G-d forbid) for having no veil. And mark my words, it WILL come to that if we don't make the necessary adjustments to our own faulty views.

It's time to get back to the primary sources. It's time to reacquaint ourselves with Hazal. We've piled so much on top of them that hardly anyone knows or even cares what the actual halakhah is on any given subject.

Am I generalizing? Yes, I am.

Is what I'm saying generally accurate? Yes, it surely is.

"As for me and my house, we shall serve the L-rd". We shall serve Him through the Torah as taught by the Judges of Israel, from Moshe Rabeinu down to Ravina and Rav Ashei. It is to them that we are and ever shall be loyal. May the Almighty help his people Israel and renew our days as of old.