“What Hitler did not believe and what Stalin did not believe and what Mao did not believe and what the SS did not believe and what the Gestapo did not believe and what the NKVD did not believe and what the commissars, functionaries, swaggering executioners, Nazi doctors, Communist Party theoreticians, intellectuals, Brown Shirts, Black Shirts, gauleiters, and a thousand party hacks did not believe was that God was watching what they were doing. And as far as we can tell, very few of those carrying out the horrors of the twentieth century worried overmuch that God was watching what they were doing either. That is, after all, the meaning of a secular society.”
― David Berlinski, The Devil's Delusion: Atheism and Its Scientific Pretensions
First, one woman came forward accusing Shimon Peres of "misbehavior". Now another. SHIMON PERES!!!!馃槼馃槻 [People are now commemorating the yahrtzeit of Peres' friend Yitzchak Rabin who also had a history... Not to mention the Altelena. Gilui Arayos AND Shfichus Domim].
This is the rule - everybody without Torah should be assumed to be "驻讙讜诐" in matters of Kedusha. It is every day's newspaper. In particular, powerful men will abuse their standing to take advantage of women. This is the story in Hollywood and Washington D.C., the IDF and other places with powerful men [often surrounded by attractive women].
In 2010, a poll revealed that 85 percent of secular Israelis admitted to cheating on their spouses!! [A cynic would say that the other 15 percent just wouldn't admit it...].
And this from 2020:
"Gleeden, a "marital affairs" site for women, reported that registration by Israeli women has increased by 250% since the beginning of coronavirus lockdowns. According to the site, of these new users, 41% are looking for a chance at "breaking free from their 24/7 cohabitation with their husbands.""
It is actually a pasuk in this week's parsha: Avimelech asks Avraham why he didn't just tell him that Sarah is his wife. Avraham's answer: 专拽 讗讬谉 讬专讗转 讗-诇讛讬诐 讘诪拽讜诐 讛讝讛 讜讛专讙讜谞讬 注诇 讚讘专 讗砖转讬. Just ONE THING - There is no fear of G-d in this place so you were liable to KILL ME for me wife.
That is the story of world history. If there is no fear of Hashem then anything becomes permitted. That is not to say that religious people don't sin. They do. But NOT b/c they believe Hashem is watching. It is b/c the moment they are sinning, they cease to be religious [yes, one can be irreligious and wear a yarmulke and tzitzis]. At that moment they don't believe that Hashem is watching. Temporary insanity, the Gemara calls it. And that is not to say that people don't do terrible things in the name of G-d. They do. But the ONLY way to have a moral and just society is if people believe in Hashem and in reward and punishment. There are probably a few moral non-believers out there but nothing is compelling them to remain that way so it is subject to change at any second.
In Bnei Brak and Kiryat Sefer people are not signing up on a marital affairs website and 85 percent don't cheat on their spouses.
So we shouldn't keep Torah only b/c it is true. That is the primary reason. But we must also know that there is no way to keep people in check w/o Yiras Shomayim.
