Were you upset that I wrote against the secularists during the days of reconciliation? Here's a story with a reply.

May 4, 2017   

Last week, a fairly clear text was written here, about the position of Haredi Judaism in the hierarchy of the people who live in Zion. For some reason, the words managed to upset one or two Jews, who saw them as arrogance and a sense of superiority at the expense of someone else. Most of the responses contained various and strange claims about my audacity and daring to write against the secular public, precisely at a time when their hand was beginning to be raised for peace. And precisely in the days of reconciliation and brotherhood of peoples. I think that in the following story before you, there is the answer.

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A cloud of melancholy clouded the triumphant and glorious journey of Napoleon Bonaparte, the great general. Now his army was subject to a frontal attack by Russia, Austria, and Prussia (now Germany), who had formed a bloody alliance with each other, with their sole goal being to depose Napoleon from his throne and annex France to their ranks. The emperor's mighty army, which at the beginning of his career numbered about a million obedient and determined soldiers, now stood at only about a hundred thousand. The life of a commander at such a time is not easy, and the lives of his subordinates are certainly not easy. The general paced back and forth in his private room, with various and strange strategies rising and falling in his mind, with their sole goal being the continuation of his powerful kingdom over France. There were moments when he considered attacking at once and betting the whole pot. There were moments when he considered approaching through cunning and deceit, and making an alliance with one of the powers, while giving up a small part (which would later be conquered) of France's territory, thus creating a fifth corps in the enemy camp. Either way, the thought of surrender or surrender never crossed the Emperor's mind. And then, while he was lost in his thoughts, the guard officer entered his room with the news: "A special envoy from the three armies is now waiting in the courtyard, with a peace proposal in his hand." Napoleon ordered the envoy to enter the room immediately and gave him permission to speak. The man bowed, and after opening with the peace of the kingdoms, he laid out before him the proposal of the powers, according to which Napoleon would give up a considerable area of ​​the lands and states he had conquered and withdraw his armies from them, and in return for this he would be guaranteed to sit on his throne forever and ever and remain in his position as Emperor of France. The compromise proposal stood in the room, with all present hoping and hoping that Napoleon's response would be positive. It seemed that this 'peace deal' was a godsend for the emperor and his army, since the future state of warfare looked dire, and a situation in which Napoleon would return and reign over France would seem as far from reality as a politician is from the truth. The shrewd general asked the envoy of the Great Powers for a little time to think, and began to pace back and forth around the room, with all those present, including the esteemed envoy, standing erect and tense, waiting and anticipating the leader's positive response. As he was pacing around, Napoleon's royal hat suddenly fell off and fell near the feet of the peace envoy. The emperor continued on his path for several minutes, then, with his head uncovered, he looked directly at the envoy, raised his voice and declared: "I refuse to accept the offer, get out." The astonished subordinates of the revered general stood open-mouthed. His refusal seemed to have gone mad, and his mind had turned away from him. But none of them opened their mouths or uttered a word, all of them eagerly awaiting the emperor's words, hoping to hear the reason for his refusal of this tempting offer. Then Napoleon's vocal cords produced a whole torah on the essence of the human soul. Thus he said: "In these situations of frontal and continuous warfare, great skill is required to distinguish between good and evil. Between a proposal that has substance, and an exercise in voluntary dismissal. "When I dropped my royal hat at the feet of the envoy, I tested his future vision. If he had spoken the truth, and France had indeed been offered to me for sure, he would have immediately bowed and returned to me the only symbol of royalty that was before him. "When I saw him looking at the hats trampled in the dirt with equanimity, I realized that his mouth and heart were not equal and my kingdom was no longer in sight." Needless to say, Napoleon's predictions were confirmed one by one, until the moment he was exiled to a deserted island when he was defeated by the three powers.

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When the secular public in the Land of Israel despises the most sacred symbol of the Jewish people, and treats the Shabbat of the Queen with contempt, it seems that no proof is needed of their true intention hidden beneath their raised hand for peace, dialogue, and brotherhood of existence. Please save me from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau. • Menachem Man is an ultra-Orthodox writer and publicist: [email protected]