Scandal of Scandals!

Submitted by David Sabghir (United States), Dec 30, 2007 at 13:31

The pheonomenon that I have observed in the religious community is a widespread inability to put faith in front of expediency. Yes, this is precisely my experience. You can hear 1 million shiurim, from the greatest rabbis, but if you ask the attendees, or those who gave the shiurim to put their money where their mouth and to stand up for principle, by and large, you will be sadly disappointed. That is not their job. This was the greatness of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, who stood up when most others hid under rocks.

I have seen that there are few Pat Robertsons in Judaism. It has taken a stupendous effort to galvanize so-called religious people to stand up for Jonathan Pollard.

The intellectual dishonesty and religious equivocation is laughable and emasculated the Jewish religious community.

Do we have people who are willing to stand up for principle? Show me them!

We have more learning than probably at any time since the gaonic period, but do we have people who are truly spiritual and moral giants?

We have been blessed with such people in our history. Where are they today?

Most religious Jews are afraid to say that the Sharon stroke has anything to do with the foolish and amoral withdrawal from Gaza. Perhaps they have something to learn from the hashkafa of Pat Robertson. Chas V'Shalom. In fact, most religious Jews will refrain from ever expressing an opinion about the causal effect of aveiros, but they may give or listen to shiurim all day on this topic. Oh yes, such things existed in the distant past of our people in the desert, at Sinai, in Canaan, in the times of Dovid HaMelech and Shlomo HaMelech, but today? Hardly. These are different times. HaShem is on vacation in Boca or on a cruise in Hawaii!

That is Judaism today.

Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments".