Hamas War

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Ashamnu Bagadnu אשמנו בגדנו In The Plural

Hat tip: I thank Hadassa for getting me on this track.

Most Jewish prayers are in the plural.  Many Jewish prayers and rituals are only permitted to a minyan, quorum of ten men.

The words Ashamnu Bagadnu אשמנו בגדנו  "We have become guilty, We have betrayed G-d," from the "Vidu'i," are the cornerstone of the Yom Kippur Prayers, when we ask G-d for forgiveness for all our sins.  Note that they end with the suffix "nu" "נו."  That's the first person plural, "we/our."

How will supposedly Torah observant people reply to G-d when asked why they only supported Jewish rights to their little corner of the world?  People like Meir Rubinstein, mayor of the haredi town Beitar Illit, don't see themselves as part of the Jewish People's mitzvah, G-d given commandment, to settle the Land of Israel, Eretz Yisrael ארץ ישראל.  A call for "exceptions" to the YESHA building freeze brings us back to "you can't be a little bit pregnant."

Rubenstein is no different than the secular Lefists in Tel Aviv who don't understand that without recognizing Jewish Rights to places like Shiloh, Shechem and Hebron, they have no right to be in Tel Aviv.

We are in this together, whether they like it or not!  It's not enough just to say  "Ashamnu Bagadnu אשמנו בגדנו."  We must sincerely admit where we have sinned as members of the entire Jewish Nation/People and do everything in our power to correct them (our sins.)

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

in fact, he lives in israel and is fulfilling that mitzvah.
in fact, he lives beyond the green line.
in fact, he is a torah-observant jew, and in this way is far different from your stereotypical secular leftist.
i imagine he recognizes good and well that the land of israel belongs to the jews. he may have a different view of the political landscape, or a different order of religious priorities, etc.
do you really think he deserves this un-nuanced opprobium?
he is trying to protect his constituents' interests, which is exactly his job as elected official.

Hadassa said...

Shalom!
It was my husband who mentioned the letter to Obama to me so give him credit for that.
A few points:
He claims that the residents of Beitar Illit only live beyond the Green Line because they were forced to.
They don't want to be "settlers" according to him, so claiming that he gets a mitzva for living over the Green Line is ludicrous.
And yes, he is being very much like the secular Jews who say that Tel Aviv is part of Israel and Ariel is not. He's being divisive, which is unforgivable for a Jew who has learned Tora.
How a Tora observant Jew can speak the way he does about his fellow Jews, and to the head of a non-Jewish country is beyond me. He may think that he's Tora observant, but he's missing a few key mitzvot.
It is actually much worse when a so-called "Tora Jew" voices opinions like his.
He's trying to protect his constituents' interests at the expense of the safety of all of Israel. His "political landscape" includes plans so misguided that they threaten his own community as much as any other community in Judea and Samaria. Does he really think that anyone is going to care that they didn't want to live over the Green Line? Is anyone going to believe that there was no other available land for housing?
His "religious priorities" include abandoning his fellow Jews in hopes of attaining a favor from an American president who has shown that he's no friend of Israel or Jews at all.
His recognition that Israel belongs to the Jews is not at all clear from his actions.
He should be embarrassed about groveling to the goyim as if he was stuck in a European shtetl with no choice other than to beg for mercy from the local government.

Batya said...

Hadassa, please thank your husband for me. Great points.

a, sorry, but you haven't a clue, and your "i imagine" is so far from the facts. Don't "imagine;" listen and read carefully.

Anonymous said...

do you really think an orthodox jew living in israel does not think he has a right to israel?!

Batya said...

Certainly
a, don't be naive. Read and listen carefully.

Unknown said...

, the Jews in Tel Aviv have less of a right than Jews in Yerushalayim, Shilo, Beitar, etc. After all, it was a brand new city set up from nothing with no previous existence. If one is going to pretend that only those areas that are based on already exiting (or previously existing bu destroyed) sites are valid, ..... (the conclusion is obvious)

In any case, dealing with Obama has shown that he is not to be trusted in any case. He treated Honduras and Britain the same way he is treating Israel.

Batya said...

Sabba HIllel, so true. thanks

josh said...

It's very sad how the Haredi settlers leaders choose to play the 'denial' card. Shas minister Attias claimed that no one is living in Beitar and Kiryat Sefer for idealogical reasons but we know the truth is otherwise. The Haredi street is very pro-land of Israel and pro-settlement. I'm sure that many of the 60 000 residents are proud to be settlers and sticking it to the Arabs, but their leaders are told (by the head rabbis) not to play the Eretz Yisrael card at all, IMO, in order not to A) not get closer to the dati-leumi community, B) the knee-jerk galut mentality to deny involvement and perhaps to not look bad in eyes of the seculars.

It is very sad the Haredim cannot, or rather, will not, differentiate between the urban dati-leumi, and the rural [Mercaz haRav]] settler / torani rising influence. I'm sure we could find so much common ground to fight side by side for Shabbat and Eretz Yisrael, but the Haredim are afraid of any legitimacy of the 'Mizrachnikim' and precedent of joining with Zionist forces.

Batya said...

There is no such official "Haredi settlers leaders." And there isn't a strict separation between "urban dati-leumi, and the rural [Mercaz haRav]] settler / torani" Jews. I don't go for all the categories you've made.

We must see ourselves as one Am Yisrael, People of Israel, united to fulfill G-d's commandments.

Hadassa said...

Shalom!
Josh, I've also been wondering how many residents of Beitar Illit agree with what their mayor said. I've also always thought that the residents of Kiryat Sefer went there for ideological reasons. And how about Emmanuel? They've suffered terrible terrorist attacks and still grown afterwards.
On the other hand, the constituencies of Shas still support Shas even after the Oslo Accords and the expulsion from Gush Katif and the northern Shomron. The other hareidi parties in the Knesset also haven't lost votes despite their actions towards Yesha. Also how many people from Beitar Illit, Kiryat Sefer and Emmanuel have publicly stated, "I am a 'settler' just as much as anyone from Gav HaHar is"?
Are the hareidim trying to have their cake and eat it too?

JDL London Canada said...

The problem is greater than what's being described here. One thing that is noted is the lack of PR that can make a big difference in the eyes of the world who judges us. The term settlement(I prefer development) is a negative aspersion that has been 'floated' around for years by the media. Even in my shul I've had heard the odd comment made regarding 'those' people. This attitude coming from people in a 'comfort zone' - "the pot should never call the kettle black." My response to those people is that I have nothing to do with them. We must draw line in the sand of those who are with us and those who are against us - even if it means a fellow Jew.

This 'settlement freeze' business is unfortunately the beginning to the end of what we once knew them as. I'm seeing the same 'pattern' as in Gush Katif: Heredi types as described here that don't give a rip, almost dead silence from the Jewish communities in the West, and a 'Pandora's box' that has been opened and can't be closed. Bibi is expecting the protest and the anticipating the violence possibly to come. The xtian Zionists' - like the John Hagee types - in the US don't want to loose there tax statuses so, I wouldn't expect much help from them. Nothing short of a civil war will stop this, and we can't be and shouldn't be 'nice' about it. I live in Canada but the Indians were here first. If this 'freeze' were to happen on their land, all hell would break lose and, - it has. The gov't and people respect their ability to fight back ... unfortunately you will have no choice but to do the same ... There will be some loss of life but it would all be for the better. So, what is it all worth to you ...

Batya said...

JDL, actually it's not new. Building starts in Judea, Samaria and neighborhoods in liberated Jerusalem have been well-under what's needed for years.

Are you protesting? demonstrating?

JDL London Canada said...

We are protesting and demonstrating in Toronto Dec 27th. BTW, I was in Shiloh last year with my wife and daughter. We had Shabbat lunch with David Rubin (former Shiloh Mayor) and had a great time. We stayed with a lady named Sofi and got a tour of Tel Shiloh with Yair. I had a great and memorable time. At my daughters bat Mitzvah yesterday, I mentioned the 'seed' that I intended to plant that would last her a life time from being in Shiloh - the place of the Mishkan. While in Shiloh, leaving the Mishkan Shiloh Shul walking down the step back to Sofi's, and man greeted me a kissed tallit and tefillin bag ... I must say I was deeply moved by that. The real tenets of Judaism are where you live with a the remnants of biblical history and, if that is some how removed from you, as in the case of Gush Katif, so goes the nation of Israel; to only become the nation of Yishamel ... G-d forbid. Chanukah Sameach!!

I took some photos back then, please have a look.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/32623805@N07/sets/72157612733030516/

Batya said...

jdl, please let me know what happens at the demo, thanks

So I trust you had a great time in Shiloh. Yes, of course, I know David, Sophie and Yair.

JDL London Canada said...

I had a wonderful time but sensed that there was an bit of concern over the future of the Shomrom and Yehuda. We were guest's of the Ben Avraham's (Yoel). Everyone we met wanted us to stay and live there but it can sometimes be a 'gauntlet' traveling to and from the area. It did give me a sense of empowerment. What was also neat was the fact we met Yishai and Malka Fleisher from Arutz 7.

I'd say there's an up battle ahead that we have to win one way or another.

Pesach

Batya said...

They're all great people.
The more you're here, the stronger and more confident you become. That's especially true when you walk the Land.