Words From Rabbi White

Dear Chevra Shaas, Shearith Israel,

* Make sure to make the proper arrangements for mechirat chamets.

* On 6 Nisan, the yahrzeit of Moshe ben Pinchas, father of Raya Sukenik. May the neshama have aliya.

JEWISH VOICES FOR???

As you are aware, a couple of weeks ago, there was a demonstration outside of my shul here in New Jersey, protesting against an Israel housing program being held in the synagogue. As I wrote at the time, what was most upsetting to me was the number of chasidic looking Jews participating in the protest. [This is not, G-d forbid, to impugn all chasidim, most of whom would be furious at the protesters!]

Likewise, we know that among the protestors at Columbia and other institutions were several Jews. An organization called Jewish Voices for Peace (sic!) has prominently come out in favour of people like Mahmoud Khalil, and against Israel.

What if one of these JVP people were to come to our Passover seder? Do we relate to him/her as the “rasha,” the wicked child? Here is what the late Rabbi Norman Lamm, President of YU, [whom I had the privilege of knowing] wrote in his haggada: “There are many people today who openly violate many sacred Jewish institutions, yet are ‘proud to be a Jew.’… They vigorously assert their Jewish identity. They are generally good-natured, intelligent, sympathetic souls… this is a case of being a ‘rasha’ without ‘rish`ut,’ [i.e., being a ‘rasha’ without the soul of evil.] Perhaps then such a child should be called not ‘wicked’ or ‘evil,’ but ‘mistaken.’ Their waywardness is to be traced not to evil intent but to a lack of understanding… not to wickedness but to a fundamental mistakenness. The failure of such a ‘rasha`’ is intellectual, not moral. In the scale of wisdom represented by the Four Sons, the rasha` is one who, although well-endowed with natural intellectual gifts, has failed to make use of them in his/herJewish life.”

[This hagada, entitled “The Royal Table,” and edited by Joel Wolowelsky, was published in the halcyon days of 2010, before anyone had imagined the protests at Columbia, McGill, etc. etc.]

With best wishes for Chag Sameach, a happy and healthy holiday for all.

Shalom `al Yisrael,

Rabbi Menahem White, Chevra Shaas