The Three Weeks

What a way to begin the week in which the Fast of 17 Tammuz ushers in the Three Weeks, a time of national and personal mourning for all Jews all over the world.

Shame, Shame, that so-called frum yidden behave in such a revolting manner over what they perceive is a boosha (embarrassment) to the Shabbos.

Hashem allowed the "pioneers" to come to this Holy Land and begin the work necessary for all other Jews to move to and make it their home. Hashem allowed these "pioneers" (who worked together, and created songs about the Land, who fought, and struggled to plow and plant, to build up the Land, and create a fledgling society to enable the rest of the Jews to flee their repressive societies where they were strangers in a strange land, not accepted, but looked down upon, even if they say that the days of their living there were pleasant. We see now, that all the countries that Jews have lived in are eager to have them leave. It is a blessing that Jews have a place to call home, to go to, to flee to, and to make a new life therein. Especially with a government (of those very 'pioneers') that offers incentives to relocate and settle.

One needs to be worthy to live in the Land of Eretz Yisrael. The Torah tells us that three things are earned through difficulty, and the main one is immigrating and settling in Eretz HaKodesh. The Land ejects out those who are not worthy (Parshas Achrei Mos, Vayikra 18:28). So everyone living in the Land right now is worthy, until they do something to destroy that privilege.

Now, we have so-called frum yidden creating havoc and destruction in our Land.

They should just look around the rest of the world to see that it is in upheaval.

• The people in Persia are fighting against their oppressive regime;
• The people in Honduras have ejected the oppressive leader from their midst, and will not let him back;
• The common people in Western China have heard and seen what other oppressed people are doing, and have decided to join the revolt;
• In America, the descendants of the pioneers that created this country are making "tea parties" to show their dislike for the dismantling of the cultural and moral heritage that founded the great nation being perpetrated by the current administration of "historical teenagers" in the world political arena;

The world may witness more "peoples" revolting in other repressive countries; because the people are tired of being mistreated. The governments in these lands spout words of hope, promise, and change. However, they end up serving themselves only. The people are tired of this, they want true democracy, the democracy that created the Malchut Shel Chessed, of which America's previous president spoke. That was why America went in to liberate the Iraqi people. The intention was for a good reason. The Iraqi people, if they can maintain their independence, will create their own style of democracy.

So, these so-called frum yidden should look around at where they live, and the blessings they have, and thank Hashem in appreciation. It is called HaKoras HaTov. None of what has been developed in the last 60 or so years would have happened without the Blessings of Hashem. No one should doubt that?

Rabbi Yaakov Horowitz, who fights to protect Jewish children, has asked of us:

I respectfully ask my readers to take a moment to cut and paste the following text and send it to the Jerusalem Post and Haaretz; two newspapers with worldwide readership, which covered this story – and to pass this on to people on your email lists and ask them to do the same. It is my goal that each of the two newspapers receive a minimum of 1,000 emails within 24 hours, and that then, hopefully, there will be a news story that Torah Jews stood up for the values we hold so dear.

“As a Torah Jew, I am deeply distressed by the desecration of Shabbos in our holy land -- all the more so when it is government sanctioned. However, nothing can ever excuse the type of violence and wanton destruction of public property that has been reported in recent days such as the throwing of rocks at police officers and the burning of garbage dumpsters – all of which is diametrically opposed to the teachings of our Holy Torah. Lest our silence be misconstrued as passive acceptance of the violence, we condemn it in the strongest terms, as do the vast, overwhelming, majority of Torah Jews worldwide.”

These days of the months of Sivan, Tammuz and Av are days in our mesora that are frought with bad decisions, fighting, historical upheaval, and sinning against G-d. One need only remember our sojourn in the Desert, the incident of the Spies, the turmoil during Dovid HaMelech's rule, and his son Shlomo HaMelech after him, then the dissolution of the Shevatim, and the ensuing dispersions. Be objective about this and take it to heart.

Thousands of years of pain and upheaval have chased us around the globe.

But, look around you now; Hashem has brought the Jews back to Eretz HaKodesh. Because of a lack of appreciation and dedication to a halachic way of life is taking much longer, we are experiencing travail.

You can only bring yidden back to a Torah way of life with kindness, sharing of your selves, and patience.

The problem of the abuse of children in the frum community coupled with the myriad of children who break away in pain and confusion from what they see and experience as hypocrisy, as I see it, is a reflection of the dichotomy between religious beliefs and religious behavior. This is the same paradox we are witnessing by the so-called frumma yidden in their so-called zealotry vis-a-vis Shabbos.

Shabbos is a day of pleasantness, a day of heightened spiritual blessings, a day to thank Hashem for the world He created. Hashem 'rested' and likewise we rest in the splendor and oneg of Shabbos.

Who do the zealots think they will convince with their hooliganism (reminiscent of the joyful cheering by the arabs whenever they cause pain, terror and suffering to the Jews), burning and rock-throwing. Do they see who they immitate?

Someone has convinced them that the opposite of goodness and kindness is a moral perrogative in achieving their misguided goals.

When we show the world and Hashem that we do not value and respect the 'other' Jew, it opens the door for the nations of the world to do the same to us ch'v's. The opposite of goodness and kindness is the enemy. That is what we should be fighting, not our brothers and sisters.

Fighting our brothers and sisters destroyed the First and Second Betei Mikdash. That is what we are reminded of each year when this week, the week of 17th of Tammuz arrives. It heralds all the above and so much more!

Other commentary:

Is the עדה החרדית becoming zionist?
Police Break Up Rioting Ultra Orthodox Jews - Israeli police fired water cannons at hundreds of ultra-Orthodox Jews in Jerusalem who threw stones in protest on Saturday against the opening of a public parking lot they see as a violation of religious law. Micky Rosenfeld, a police spokesman, said six officers were injured by stones and five protesters were arrested in the scuffles that erupted at the Israeli city hall building. The protest pointed up continuing tensions between Israel's largely secular Jewish population and an Orthodox Jewish minority that insists the Jewish state follow religious laws that proscribe driving or working on the Jewish Sabbath.

5769 (2009) on Gimmel Tamuz (3rd of Tammuz) marked the 15th year since the passing of the last Chabad Rebbe. Here is historic footage from Hoshanah Rabbah 5744, September 28, 1983. After Maariv the Rebbe turns to address the crowd. More than just a Sicha (speech), the Rebbe launches into an impassioned plea: Why the Golus? The Rebbe's voice is broken with emotion. The Almighty can surely find a way to give us all of the benefits of Golus without the Golus. The crowd is silent, stunned, every eye is moved to tears. How can Hashem ignore such a plea!