“Beyond Words” is a newly-published seven volume collection
of Rabbi Meir Kahane’s writings that originally appeared in The Jewish Press,
other serial publications, and his privately-published works.
“Beyond Words” also includes a number of extra features:
Chronology of Rabbi Kahane's life.
“Beyond Words” now can be bought at Amazon.com Type, Beyond Words Kahane
Beyond Words
Selected Writings of Rabbi
Meir Kahane, 1960-1990
Volume 7
Ashamed of G-d
“Our fathers trusted in You: they trusted, and You did deliver them. They cried to You, and were rescued; they
trusted in You, and were not ashamed . . . "(Psalms, 22:5-6)
And the Rabbis comment: “They cried to You, and were
rescued, as it says
(Exodus 14:30): ‘On that day, G-d saved Israel . . .’
And why? Because of the merit of trust in G-d.” (Yalkut, Tehillim 22, 685)
For those who lived and walked the earth until perhaps a
century ago, the question would have certainly been a difficult one; but in these
days when, for the first time in the history of man’s sojourn on earth,
secularism rules the waves and land, heavens and the earth, the though is a
very familiar one.
The truth is that, today, in the era of the dictatorship
of the news media, the secular, liberal, arrogant, cynical, news media, it is
embarrassing to bring G-d into anything that smacks of this world, of political
events, of economic determinism, of social issues. It is absolutely medieval and backward to
speak of G-d as a meaningful factor, let along THE meaningful factor of life. It is stark bumpkinism and Babbitism to mix G-d
in the company of Gorbachev and Baker and Kohl; one simply does not invite Him
to the same party. And to state that our
troubles stem from our sins and refusal to obey His law, to state a belief in
the reality of Divine Providence and reward and punishment, is to bring down
upon one the worst of epithets: Fanatic, Zealot, and the worst of the worst –
Khomeini!
And that is enough to send people rushing into their shell
of caution. That is sufficient to shut
mouths and minds. For who wishes to be
called Khomeini or fanatic or zealot?
Indeed, who wants to be called any kind of name, to be held up to the
mocking and jeering of the intellectual and journalistic elite? We are, quite frankly ashamed of being
ridiculed, and so we do that which is best guaranteed to protect us from that
shame: We shut up and speak only those
things that are acceptable in this bright, new secular-liberal-intellectual Kingdom
of Man.
This fear of same and ridicule spreads throughout the land. No longer does Gush Emunim or any of the “religious
nationalists” base their claims to the Land of Israel, in public at least, on
the reactionary, ridiculous, backward concepts of G-d and Divine law. One can close his eyes and listen to them and
then to the Gandhis and Sharons and Eytans and Geula Cohens and never know the difference. The only ones who base their nationalism and
their demands to annex the lands of Israel on G-d and Divine law are the last
of the fanatics and zealots and Khomeinis – the followers of “Kahanism.” The last of the Middle Agers. And one understands clearly what the verse
means: “They trusted in You, and
were not ashamed.”
And this did the Rama write (Code of Jewish Law, Orach Chaim
1:1) in the very first paragraph of the great Code:
“And he should not be ashamed of people who mock him in
the service of G-d.” And more. The source of the Rama’s words is the Tur who
writes, in part: “For sometimes a person is ashamed before other people more
than he is before G-d. Therefore he is
warned to harden his forehead against the mockers and not be ashamed.” And concerning this the Beit Yosef (brought
down in the Mishna Brura) states that nevertheless one should not quarrel with
the mockers, since the trait of hardness is to be denigrated even in the
service of G-d. Which brings the
following comment from the Chofetz Chaim in the Biur Halachic (Orach Chaim 1),
a comment that should be instructive to all the righteous deplores of lashon
hara and invective against the wicked:
“Know that the Beit Yosef only speaks of one who does a
personal mitzvah and is mocked . . . but if he is in a place of apikorsim
(scoffers or unbelievers) who rise up against Torah and wish to make changes in
the community and lead people from the will of G-d, and he began peacefully and
they did not listen – concerning that the Beit Yosef never spoke a syllable,
and it is a mitzvah to hate them and to quarrel with them and foil their designs
as much as possible. And King David said
(Psalms 139:21-22): “Do I not hate, O
L-rd those who hate you? And do I not
quarrel with those who rise up against You?
With the utmost hatred, I hate them; I regard them as my own enemies.”
Ashamed of those who mock the follower of G-d? Quite the opposite. Let them not arrogantly set the standards so
that truth becomes a thing of mockery. Rather
stand up and decry them and call them the backward, fanatic zealots of
empty secularism that they are. Let them
bear the shame of “values” that destroy the soul and the world itself. Roll away shame and reply to those who mock
and shame G-d and those who follow Him.
And in the words of King David (ibid., 119:22-42):
“Remove from upon me scorn and contempt, for I have kept
Your testimonies . . . . And I will answer him who taunts me, for I trust in
Your word . . . “
We shrink from being taunted and ridiculed. We wish to be “accepted.” We are ashamed of criticism. That is the tragedy and that is the power of
the left-liberal fanatic know-nothings.
Let David, King of Israel, be our model.
David who said (ibid.; 46):
“And I will speak of Your testimonies before kings and I
will not be ashamed.” And in the
Talmud (Brachot 4): “Thus did David
say to the All Mighty: Sovereign of the
Universe! Am I not righteous? All the
kings of East and West sit in groups in honor and my hands are bloody as I rule
on the laws that will permit a woman for her husband . . . What is the verse concerning this? And I will speak of Your testimonies before kings
and I will not be ashamed . . . ‘”
Those who hate Torah mock those who practice it. They know the truth and because, for some
personal, psychological reason, they cannot or will not follow it – they hate
those who do and attempt to destroy them and their way of life through ridicule. As David said (Psalms 69:5,8)
“They who hate me without cause are more abundant than
the hairs of my head. Mighty are those
who would cut me off, those who are unjustly my foes; what I never stole I must
then restore. Because for Your sake I have
borne insult; humiliation covered my face.
They who sit in the gate talk about me, and I am the song of drunkards .
. . “ And not for a moment did David
retreat in shame. For he was a “zealot”
for G-d, a “Fanatic” for the creator, one who never cared what the loiterers
and drinkers said.
Written May 25, 1990
To view
previously e-mailed Rav Kahane articles go to:
www.barbaraginsberg-barbara.blogspot.com
To view MK
Michael ben-Ari’s blog go to:
No comments:
Post a Comment