Charedi Bashing - Is It Justified?: An Impassioned Offensive

Charedi bashing is IN! There was an article in the Jerusalem Post [which for the record I don't read - there is no ahavas Torah one will get from that paper, or just about any other..] about Post-Charedeism. People who are still religious but have become fed up with the Charedi world because of their many failings.

In the Zionist parsha sheet given out in shul "Birosh Yehudi" there was an interview with an ex-Charedi who HATES Charedim and started a website designed to help people leave the Charedi world. The article left one with a horribly bitter taste in one's mouth.

I have two short things to say [in lieu of the book I could write on the topic if my time wouldn't be better spent on Gemara]: The VERY SAME person who conducted the interview with the Charedi hater [=Jew hater, Charedim are Jews too:-)] also wrote a GLOWING article on Rov Nosson Tzvi Finkel ztz"l. Who produced Rov Nosson Tzvi as we know him? Not Ida Crown [even though he went there for high school - no offense] and not any other modern orthodox school. He is a product of hard core Charedi'ism. He was a tzaddik yesod olam and nobody could claim otherwise. He has thousands of CHAREDIM who aspire to follow in his footsteps. Shouldn't that at least temper the hostility??

Number two: Are there problems in Charedi society. Of course. Are there Charedim with bad middos? Some have terrible middos! Should more Charedi men be working? Many people think so and have sources in Chazal to support that contention. Should I enumerate all of the problems? NO! Because my point is that people should focus on the positive [unless they are constructively able to change things and frankly no one person is going to change the Charedi world]. THERE IS A WORLD OF POSITIVE!!! Their chesed, their idealism, their willingness to live in poverty in order to study Torah. There are sooo many tzaddikim and MASSIVE Talmidei Chachomim walking around. People whose lives are dedicated to Hashem and his people.

We could look at a Satmar chossid and say "He is opposed to the State of Israel. Crazy!" or we could look at the same chossid and say "Look at how he goes to the hospital every day to visit the sick and to give them food". We could look at a Lubavitcher and say "Meshugena - he thinks the Rebbe is Moshiach." Or we can say "Wow, he lives in Vietnam away from his entire people, his family and friends, a shul, in order to help some [often drugged up] Israeli find some meaning in his miserable life." We could look at a 35 year old talmid of Ponovitch and say "Why doesn't he get a job?" Or we can say "Wow, 35 years old and he knows shas cold."

Let us focus on the good. There is an abundance of good in all segments of the Jewish community. EVERY society has their fair share of problems. No group has a monopoly on goodness and rectitude. If you want to be a happy person and find favor in the eyes of G-d and man - always look for those rays of light and holiness.

If you seek - you will find.

Love and blessings!!

PS - Thanks to my friend D.R. who brought the certain sources to my attention, enabling me to somehow try to restore the lost honor of tens of thousands of Jews.

PPS - In Tolna, the custom is not to say Mar-Cheshvan but RAM- Cheshvan. Exalted - not bitter.