The Rabbis’ Letter: Well-Intentioned, Fatally Flawed

The second stage is that of applying the results of his research. Here, the legist must carefully and judiciously parse the component parts of the question before him, and weigh both the immediate and long term consequences of different decisions. This latter stage, says the Hazon Ish, is much harder, much more challenging, and much more fraught than the first.

I thought of these remarks, when considering the much discussed ‘Rabbi’s Letter,’ that scathingly criticized the Israeli government for (at least, partial) responsibility for what it described as a ‘Human Catastrophe’ in Gaza.

The letter was initiated and, as far as I understand it, written by Rav Yosef Blau, the longtime Spiritual Guide (Mashgiah Ruhani) of Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary (RIETS), an affiliate of Yeshiva University.  Rabbi Blau and I have been friends for almost fifty years. I met him the first week I arrived at YU. He was under the Huppah at my wedding and spoke at my son’s Pidyon Ha-Ben. I love him as a mentor and like an older brother. His impressive Torah scholarship and innate moral sensitivity merge in him with a deep and abiding Yirat Shamayim (Fear of Heaven). Indeed, it was these qualities that prompted Rav Joseph B. Soloveitchik זצ”ל to urge him to assume the position of spiritual guide at RIETS. Later, it was these qualities, mixed with amazing personal courage, that led him to raise awareness of sexual abuse in the Orthodox Community, and to fight on behalf of its victims.

It was, therefore, to be expected that the claims of human suffering in Gaza should elicit a response on his part. The same is true for his deep concern that an apparent extremist bent had taken over the Religious Zionist community. To this cri de coeur he brought all of the tools required by the first stage described by the Hazon Ish.

It pains me greatly, yea intensely, to say that in applying his scholarship and humanity he, together with the signatories and their sympathizers have missed the mark, fatally. Their letter misreads, misconstrues, misjudges and distorts the reality which they would seek to ameliorate.

1) The letter fails to acknowledge, much less appreciate the deep, religiously rooted nature of the hatred of Israel (and Jews) not only by Hamas, but by the overwhelming majority of Gazans who participated in, and celebrated October 7. Everything that was done on that horrible day was undertaken because it was seen to be the Will of God, backed by the Sunna of the Prophet Muhammad.

2) Despite assertions to the contrary by the signatories, while there is hunger in portions of Gaza, it does not represent an unprecedented human catastrophe. You just need to follow the reporting of Times of Israel’s superb Haviv Rettig Gur or listen to Dan Senor’s podcast, Call Me Back, to know that.

3) Israel is the only country in the history of the world that is called on to feed an actively hostile enemy population. From the accounts of returned hostages, we know that the civilians of Gaza abuse, enslave and and turn in escaped Israeli hostages to Hamas (No Righteous Gentiles there). However, since Israel recognizes that there are innocent people in Gaza we agreed to so. It must be admitted that initially Israel failed miserably in its efforts. It has, however, markedly improved its performance, long before the letter was issued..

4) Everyone who knows or reads me here or on social media, knows my opinion of the so- called Religious Zionist Party, which I fully acknowledge, has a markedly extremist bent on both political and religio-cultural issues. They represent a small, vocal, worrisome minority with a sector of Israel’s population that makes up for roughly 15% of the total. However, as one involved in Israeli public life for decades, it is simply wrong to tar the entire community as their acolytes. Indeed, the integration of Religious Zionist Jews throughout the broad political, economic, and cultural spectrum of the State of Israel totally refutes that contention and bears out its multi-faceted character.

5) Publishing this letter was a superfluous act that caused and causes harm to Israel’s efforts on the eighth front of the war, the media war. Israel’s government has been ham-fisted at best, and negligent at worst in making its case to the world (though one wonders how much credence Israeli officials are given, generally). That vacuum has been filled by hundreds, nay thousands, of wonderful advocates, Jews and non-Jews who devote time and resources on social media and elsewhere, to rebutting the haters of Israel and the Jews; and to revealing the lies that they spread. But taken as a whole, we Jews, Israelis and our friends are, by definition, on our back foot against the unholy forces of a massive, well-financed, carefully strategized Jihadi Islam and its radical, progressive allies. This letter needlessly gave serious ammunition to our enemies, who seek to murder every last one of us.

6) The letter, finally, ignores the unprecedented nature of this war and the central question it does raise: How does one save one’s life and soul in an existential war with an enemy, in a neighborhood, that does not share any of the human or religious values that we hold precious. Exploring that would have been a real contribution to the Jewish Soul.

This letter doesn’t even come close.