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Misc 8 While I have always held back from making direct statements concerning issues in the press in these Fax Sheets, today I wish to express support for the Chief Rabbi's statements last week concerning Masorti. Throughout our history, those wishing to throw off the responsibilities of Jewish life, have developed movements which have stolen the language and slogans of authentic Judaism. The Christians have made themselves the "New Israel and the Church the new Zion ." The Reform and Liberal movements claim to be valid expressions of a pluralistic Jewish tradition, following the path of Hillel, while discarding the Halochos and Takonos which he so actively preserved. Today, the Reform and Liberal movements, while having a number of Jews associated with them, can not be described in the Jewish tradition. Some years ago, on a tour of Israel which included a Reform minister from the United States, he commented to me that he found more in common and a greater kinship with his non-Jewish friends and neighbours than with the observant Jews whom he met. And indeed he did have more in common with them. In response to these attempts by deviant movements to justify themselves in the language of the time, the observant community found other ways to distinguish ourselves semantically from those who would destroy the traditions of our forefathers. We became Halachic or Orthodox Jews rather than just normal Jews living with the Torah of our forefathers. Today the English Masorti movement attempts to justify itself by stealing this title for themselves. They too believe in Halacha, while undermining its basis as the words of a living G-d. They too are Orthodox, while espousing and practising Heterodoxy. They state that they while they understand their marriages are not recognised by Jewish communities which follow Halochah such a marriage "does not disadvantage the status of children of such a marriage." In fact, this too is a distortion. If the parents are not married in accordance with Halachoh the children are born out of wedlock. Rashi in Gitten states that such children are Paggum - tainted. Nevertheless, they are not Mamzarim and as such prohibited from marriage to most Jews. Of course, those who feel that they may change and distort Halachoh as they see fit, may also come to sanction relationships which are not permitted - as Reform and others have done, thus causing Mamzarim. There will be those who feel that comments such as these are intemperate and add nothing but anger to the debate. Unfortunately such reticence has not been reciprocated by the deviant movements who have run an evangelical campaign for membership which has painted the observant community in dishonest terms. Now when they are replied to in the language which they have been using constantly against the Orthodox community, they cry foul and plead for peace etc. It is this which has created the atmosphere of distrust of which they now complain. They have no positive contribution to make. They only will lead the unlearned down the path of removing the yoke of Jewish tradition and observance of commandments. Together with an understanding that these deviant movements will destroy the Jewish continuity of those who associate with them, we, the observant community, must recognise our positive responsibility to make all Jews welcome amongst us. We must be seen to build warm and welcoming communities that provide something real for those involved in our communities and for those who ought to be involved in them. Let us therefore support the Chief Rabbi in all his attempts to bring true Torah values to every Jew wherever they may be. |
