Emuna: Our Public Reaction to Hurtful Remarks

by Rav Zalman Baruch Melamed, Dean of Yeshivat Beit El Institutions, yeshiva.org.il, translated by Hillel Fendel.

Last week, the head of an important yeshiva, Yeshivat Slobodka in Bnei Brak, who is a great Torah scholar and genius, one who has spread and taught Torah very widely, and a man with very many merits – publicly said something somewhat incensing. He sharply criticized the religious-Zionist sector, saying that the Torah it teaches, and that the Torah of the religious-Zionist rabbis, is "warped." It was hard to hear these words, and there were those who protested them publicly.

At first glance, hearing these words is truly infuriating. We are immediately inclined to protest this insult to the honor of Torah. Many Zionist rabbis, and many who are no longer living, taught and teach this Torah, and this is an insult to their Torah-imbued approach, and therefore it is incumbent upon us to protest and dissent.

On second thought, though, one starts to think that perhaps it would be better to be - as the Talmud states in Tr. Shabbat 88b - among those who "are insulted but do not insult back; who hear their disgrace but do not respond, about whom is stated, 'let them who love G-d be as the sun when it comes out in its might'" (Judges 5,31).

Then another day passes, and another thought arises: Maybe it's not as one-sided as it looks? What, actually, do the Zionist rabbis think about the hareidi rabbis? Do they believe that the hareidi approach is correct – or maybe that it is "warped?" Perhaps the Zionist rabbis believe that the Torah of the hareidim is incomplete and distorted in not including Land of Israel Torah and not focusing on Ahavat Yisrael and the Land of Israel? Perhaps Zionist rabbis also believe that a Torah that does not emphasize everything – is a "warped" Torah? So both sides believe that the other side is teaching a wrong type of Torah – so why should you be so angry at them for saying the same thing you might be thinking about them? The difference might be that you don't say it aloud – but there are those who do.

In short, there is a difference of opinion, and each side speaks against the other. What's not OK is that they don't know that the intentions of the others side are for the sake of Heaven – which leads, as we learn in Tr. Sotah 40a, to "out of both sides G-d will be praised." There is room for disagreements, and G-d's name is sanctified by the different opinions.

Even within the hareidi public there are those who speak against hareidi rabbis and leaders and say that their Torah is "warped" because they go along with the State and accept grants from the State. They say that it is "warped" to have anything to do with the secular State.

And there are also those within the religious-Zionist camp who say about each other that their Torah is "warped." Some say that the others are too liberal, while the latter say that they are Beit Hillel and the others are Beit Shammai [whose opinion is generally stricter and usually not accepted]. Those among the Zionists who are more Torah-oriented say that the hareidim are Beit Shammai and that they themselves are Beit Hillel. And some hareidim say this about each other.

These disputes are acceptable. But what's not acceptable is when one side feels that the other does not have intentions for the sake of Heaven, "because if they did, then they would agree with me – for after all, I'm right! And if he doesn't agree with my opinion, it means he has ulterior motives, for why else would he not agree with me, given that the truth is on my side?" But we know that two people can both have correction intentions and sincerely believe that the other is wrong.

And then another day passes, and still another thought arises. Perhaps the rabbi did not really say these things totally on his own, but rather the Master of the Universe wanted these words to be heard – and therefore we must be attentive to them. What he said might truly be something that we can learn something from; perhaps it can help us to improve ourselves. Why should we not accept these words of mussar (proper conduct) and see if we have something to improve? Everyone has where to improve, and every approach can be refined and become better and more perfect. So it is a good idea to be a person who appreciates being told that what he is doing wrong. In fact, this is one of the 49 ways in which Torah is acquired, as we learn in Pirkei Avot (Chapters of the Fathers) 6,6. When you hear someone rebuking you, try to think how it can help you become better.

And we can also think something else: It wasn't enjoyable for us to hear those words – so,

"that which you don't like, don't do to others" (Shabbat 31a). That is, we should not cause others the same discomfort that these words caused us by speaking badly about them. And if in fact his words taught us the right way to act, we should write him a note of thanks for having taught us to be more careful in our behavior and not say things that can make others feel bad. And in this way, everything will turn out be for the best and for blessing.
We look at our disagreement as a "dispute for the sake of Heaven." That is, we are sure that our path is right and complete, while we see others who focus only on selected parts. Still, we see that everyone adds a good point, so that out of it all "G-d's praise will arise."
But it is possible to think differently, which we do. We believe that the proper approach is to be partners with G-d in the national Redemptive processes. One group builds the Land of Israel, one group is busy with national unity, one group is busy with Torah – and in the end, from out of all of them, "G-d's praise will arise."

A Dispute for the Sake of Heaven

HaRav Kook taught us this approach. The things that were said against him 100 years ago were even more hateful than what the Rosh Yeshiva of Slobodka said about us. Yet he accepted them with equanimity, understanding that the dispute was for the sake of Heaven. Everyone has virtues, all of which join together and increase the honor of Heaven.

There are those who emphasize learning Torah over other matters, for reasons that they believe are correct. They believe that if we focus only on Torah and less on Eretz Yisrael and Am Yisrael, we will thus strengthen the Torah, and that this is "a time to do for the Lord - they have voided Your Torah" (Psalms 119,126). Of course we must fulfill the entire Torah, they say, but now there is no choice other than to build walls [between themselves and the secular world] until they are very strong.