Elie Wiesel famously said that “the opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference".
Klal Yisrael is, as I see it, in a very dangerous and terrible place. A completely divided people. [Sorry - I MUCH prefer the upbeat positive messages. But I can't stand when things are sugar coated and problems are allowed to fester and grow as soothing words are uttered to dull the emotions].
One group can't talk about the supreme sacrifices of the *other* group which include loss of life, limb, livelihood, family stability and much more b/c they are too busy defending their position and way of life. The other group is just that - the *other*. *Othering* is a classic tactic to enable cruelty with no empathy. Here it is not about cruelty but definitely complete disinterest in the other including the fulfillment of the most basic of religious obligations - gratitude and appreciation. The Baalei Mussar teach that הכרת הטוב is a defining attribute of a human being and a mentsch. It's absence makes us subhuman. זה כל האדם. Serious business.
The other group also can't appreciate the incredible and wonderful qualities of their opponents. Their commitiment to Halacha, Tradition, Torah study, Avodas Hashem, Chesed etc. etc. They are just characterized as draft dodgers and nothing more. Full stop. Draft dodgers. Not doing their civic duty. Forcing us to serve extra days in the army. Unconscionable. No excuse and no justification. There is ZERO respect for the moral right of a massive community numbering in the hundreds of thousands to say that serving in the army is against our [Jewish] religion and in a Jewish state we will not be forced to do so. And people say "But the Rambam says that they have to go to the army??" As if the Chazon Ish and ALL the Gedolei Yisrael didn't know the Rambam and all the other sources quoted. Nobody is asking the other side to agree - just to respect that the other group sees things differently and part of being in a family is respecting the decisions of others even if we disagree and suffer as a result. That's life. That's being Jewish. We never have and never will agree on core issues. That doesn't mean that we can't respect and value others for all of their positive qualities and feel LOVE.
Is there LOVE in Klal Yisrael now [for the "others"]?? Isn't that a Charedi value? Like Rebbe Akiva who said that ואהבת לרעך כמוך זה כלל גדול בתורה was only talking about people who wear black hats?? Isn't that a Dati Leumi value? Rav Kook [the unofficial Gadol of the Dati Leumi world] never spoke about Ahavas Yisrael?? And even with those with whom you strongly disagree?? I am not talking about the Chilonim. They are lost souls and we must pray for their return. I am talking about people who believe in the One G-d of Israel and are letting this issue divide us into two nations. [Two States for two peoples?] Doesn't anybody really believe that שנאת חינם caused the destruction of the בית המקדש and that it is stopping the ultimate Geulah??
I am distressed not only by the reality but by the fact that nobody seems to be talking about it. This is bigger than our external enemies. We empower them both mystically and concretely when we feel such hostility towards each other.
Respect, sweet friends. Respect. Respect people who don't share your beliefs [as long as they are within the fold] and celebrate all the good they possess. Respect your spouse who disagrees with you. Their opinion has no less legitimacy than yours. Respect your neighbor who disagrees with you. And respect hundreds of thousands of people who were educated differently than you were and thus hold different beliefs [again - within the realm of permitted beliefs]. I am not talking about Apikorsim שונאי ה' ושונאי תורה. I am talking about people who daven from the SAME SIDDUR, read the SAME CHUMASH, believe in the SAME ONE G-D OF ISRAEL, have the SAME enemies who want to kill ALL OF US.
We ALL believe that a person must have good middos. One AMAZING middah is respecting others rights to live as they believe. Another is loving people with whom we disagree and even davening for them. Avraham Avinu davened for SODOM for crying out loud. The worst of the worst, the most degenrate of the most degenrate. I wonder how beautiful it would have been if a MILLION Charedim had gotten together even ONCE during the war and had an עצרת תפילה for the soldiers who were defending THEM. If you believe in the כח התפילה then you can imagine how many lives would have been saved! And how much אהבת ישראל and אחדות this would have brought to Klal Yisrael. And imagine if the Dati Leumi world had attended the עצרת התפילה last week to say "we love you, you are our brothers, and when you daven - we daven. Your Torah is our Torah. We love you because we love Hashem and you spend all day every day learning His Torah". But no. Two seperate people, distinct in dress, hashkafa, the rabbonim they follow, aspirations, where they live etc. etc. with little regard for the spiritual and physical well being of the other. Yes - a Dati Leumi person should say "You want to maintain your religious purity and I also want that for you - even though I disagree with your refusal to serve in the army". And the Charedi should not only be concerned with his spiritual well being but that of the Dati Leumi people - and not to mention their physical well being. They should know how many yesomim and almanos this war has created. Hashem loves yesomim and almanos - even if they don't identify as Charedi. They should see pictures and read about all the chayalim who gave up their lives and see pictures of those who lost limbs - defending ALL OF US. Rav Chaim Shmuelevitz and Rav Gustman and other Gedloei Torah had TREMENDOUS empathy and care for the chayalim. Why should we be more *frum* and only worry about protecting our own skin??
Of course there are exceptions on both sides of the fence but this seems to be the general state of affairs.
Does this situation make Hashem happy?
"כך אמר להם הקב"ה לישראל, בָנַי אהובי... מה אני מבקש מכם, אלא שתהיו אוהבים זה את זה, ותהיו מכבדים זה את זה, ותהיו יראים זה מזה". [תנא דבי אליהו]
To quote the Miami Boys choir "It's not a matter of hashkafa - it's something we all have to do".
I hope these words bring a toeles to awaken people.
