Shabbat Parashat Devarim
Shabbat Chazon
8th Menachem Av 5772
July 28th 2012
Shalom,
I have received an unusual number of emails responding to my column of last week, so I feel it is important to give you an update.
As some of you might already know, Moshe Silman, who set himself on fire as a protest, died last Shabbat after a week in the hospital. Unfortunately, Silman was only the first to act so radically and start a "new summer trend". Nearly 15 individuals throughout the country tried to follow in Silman's footsteps and set themselves on fire as a protest, or to publicize financial difficulties. Most of them were saved before the fire was lit, but others are hospitalized in critical care.
The debate is raging; some think that no matter what, some people will always commit suicide. It may be fate, or depression, or perhaps there is a genetic component, but it has nothing to do with protest or advocacy or publicity. Others believe that some social imperative increases the frequency of such incidents. A society that praises its "shahids," also manufactures other crazy murderers. A society that allows people to think that the authorities are the ones to blame for a suicide attempt is deliberately encouraging others to follow suit. We must sit by the hospital bed and pray that the victims will survive the burnings and recover. If not, we must silently and respectfully follow the coffin and mourn. It is necessary to empathize with their destiny, but never allow even one iota of justification for their act. We need to do that in order to save the others. Above all, we stand for the sanctification of life.
Speaking of updates, last week, Rabbi Elyashiv, the chief posek of the orthodox world, passed away at the age of 102 after spending the last few months of his life in the hospital. Over 300,000 people came to the funeral, which began at 9:00 PM and ended only after 3:00 AM. That is a small indication of the enormous impact Rabbi Elyashiv had on the Jewish world. A few months ago (March 2, 2012) I wrote about Rabbi Elyashiv and his great impact on the Jewish world and Israeli politics.
Even though Rav Elyashiv hardly left his house in Meah Shearim and 20 hours of every day were dedicated to Torah study, Rav Elyashiv greatly influenced the chief Rabbinate, the courts, IDF, the business world and other institutions. It is not easy for someone who is strongly Zionist, to identify with some of Rabbi Elyashiv's rulings, as he did not provide the answer for my Halachic questions. Nevertheless, the entire State mourned the giant Torah scholar who left our world. May his Memory be a blessing.
As soon as Shabbat will end we will commemorate the saddest day on the Jewish calendar, the 9th of Av. I have written before about my feelings as a resident of Jerusalem, who enjoys this great city, and focuses on living in it and not necessarily upon the "destruction". As we know, this day is dedicated to self examination and introspection, especially from a communal point of view. I would like to tell you of a special project called "No Torah Study Tonight" that is taking place throughout the country on the night of the 9th of Av, and has already made history after being launched in 1999.
It is a night of dialogue and discussion, with panels among people who are religious, secular, haredi, left, right, men and women. This year it takes place in nearly 30 centers around the country. It started with a group of students in Tel Aviv who wanted to change the nature of the commemoration in Israel; for most people it is a day dedicated to watching movies on DVD or playing board games, since all Israeli TV shows are dedicated to Tisha B'Av and all clubs, coffee houses, restaurants, cinemas etc., are closed by law. It is an effort to publicize the true nature of the day and the need for unity. In the first year 100 people participated but since then it grew and now thousands are participating. The evening starts with the reading of Eicha, then moves to a dialogue on a topic decided in advance, and the public is invited for discussion groups on a variety of issues.
This is one of the very few times when one can watch a haredi Yeshiva student passionately argue with a secular university student! Unlike most debates, here, the goal is to listen to the other rather than convince him. Well known figures from every field, academia, journalism, social figures, artists, humanists, clergy, writers, politicians, rabbis and more, who are also in the midst of controversy, are taking part. That creates a unique combination of individuals trying to share, listen, and solve conflicts in a positive atmosphere.
"No Torah Study Tonight" is an evening when people talk of our challenges and issues today in light of our history; instead of trying to convince our opponents we try to better understand them. We try to fix what was destroyed by baseless hatred with baseless love.
Wishing you all an easy, meaningful and beneficial fast and Shabbat Shalom from Jerusalem,
Cantor Arik Wollheim
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