Why won't I vote in the upcoming elections?

Sherry Roth
March 11, 2015   
Rabbis are hurling insults at rabbis and no one is free to speak up and shout • Yesterday's great rabbi becomes a respect-seeking, stupid and extremist, today • One party disqualifies its member • Where there is desecration of God, no respect is shown to the rabbi, and I do not intend to participate in this journey of disgrace
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Before I tell you what I have to say, let me tell you who I am.

For about 15 years I have been studying as a rabbi in an important Lithuanian yeshiva, perhaps the mother of Lithuanian yeshivahs, at least in Jerusalem. I am a father of 7 children.

 myself I call As a full-fledged Haredi, and not only because that's how I think of myself, but also because I align with the social laws of the sector: I don't have a non-kosher phone, and there's no internet in my home.

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And now, for his sake, I and Eti have gathered.

Maybe I'll start from the end: I don't intend to vote for any party in the upcoming elections.

All my life I was raised that voting for parties was a "legitimate order" and an "order of the hour" that was accepted and published by the great men of the generation.

Indeed, all my life, when I would approach behind the curtain, I would feel like a general, or at least an outstanding soldier, faithfully carrying out what was assigned to him, and in his action he would save the generation from destruction.

But over time, I sobered up. Or, more precisely: the stirrers of Haredi politics and everyone involved in them (without exception) - enlightened my eyes.

Indeed, if until today there were several Haredi parties, each claiming the throne, today each one also disqualifies its member. I do not intend to take part in this chaos.

Some will say: "Don't treat the common people" - but what about the rabbis?

Well, the rabbi of yesterday who was honored at the eastern table of the great generation, zt"l, is today not a scholar at all, and all his actions are for the sake of honor and evil inclination.

And this phenomenon of rabbis attacking rabbis has crossed borders and sectors.

Even yesterday's rabbi, who was one of the most knowledgeable in Kabbalah, not to mention Shas and poskim, is now excluded from the council's yeshivahs, his students are "shunned" from the kollels, and he is referred to in the community's language as "the old man of Mamre" and a "stupid extremist.".

And there is no one opening his mouth and beeping.

Not a single statement of condemnation was issued by the leaders of the party for the attack on the leader of the other party.

It's better to sit back and do nothing.

In general, it's amazing to see how far we've come. Everyone feels like they own the house over Haredi and its world. Everyone feels the 'for heaven' crying out from within them, and the idolatry crying out from within their fellow man.

I also saw the pamphlet written in clear language about the "evil one" who dared to leave his party. I saw everything that was written and said, the venom and hatred, the slander and defamation, and I ask myself - let's assume that the things are true. What about slander? What is the permission to distribute tens of thousands of copies of a document that is not supported by evidence and "murder" the character of a person who chose to vacate his seat in favor of another party?

Where is the Torah and where is the Halacha? "For the sake of Heaven" can we cry out? "For the sake of the world of the Torah" can we claim?

It was amazing to hear the sermons of the rabbis and their representatives in the sector, who never cease to claim thatRAnd that a person's values ​​for his fellow man, on the one hand, and on the other, to absorb the amount of gossip, slander, bad name, and other transgressions that emerge into the world, at a rate that would not shame the oppressor of Israel, or any other exterminated person who devours Haredim to his heart's content.

As long as each party claimed to be the truth, I would feel the need to decide what my truth was and support its path. But when each party continues to claim that not only is it the absolute truth, but that its membership is the lie in the making - how can I choose one of them, since perhaps my choice is the real lie?

And therefore, I am left only to cling to the true Torah (not the one we are taught during election season), which rules: "Where there is blasphemy, one does not show respect to the rabbi.".

And Chazal further taught us that when we are faced with a no that involves an active action and on the other hand there is a no that does not involve an action, then the instruction is, "Sit down and do nothing.".


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