1.
On a normal weekday, it's a village that doesn't really generate scandals. But this week, it managed to place itself in the eye of the storm, when the chairman of the Chabad Hasidic Association, Yosef Aharonov, decided to host the Israeli prime minister.
On the surface, what an honor. In practice, not a great honor when it comes to the ultra-Orthodox public's attitude towards the 'show.' The ultra-Orthodox media went out of their way to ignore, even disparage, the visit.
The Prime Minister's Office took the trouble to invest and sent celebratory photos. Almost complete disregard from the ultra-Orthodox media was the unofficial response they received.
2.
A few days ago, a notice was posted on the wall of the large yeshiva in Kfar Chabad, informing the young men that they were being registered for a special group. They registered, arrived at the meeting where they were given the details of the supervision, the decorations, and the kashrut, but then the young man who was the 'organizer' added a strange addition: you have to bring an ID card to enter...
Here's how it is: A visit by a prime minister entails unusual demands.
The baking itself, on Monday morning, became a labor-intensive scramble for Passover Eve workers. They woke up at 5:30, prayed Shacharit (Rosh Chodesh, a long prayer), marched to the bakery, and were then greeted by police checkpoints. As at the entrance to the Prime Minister's Office in Jerusalem, they had to be checked one by one, plus ID.
For two whole hours the guys stood at the bakery's door, doing nothing. If they're still angry, they should send a letter to Netanyahu's office.
3.
Behind the scenes, it turns out that a lively Chabad abbot, a representative of the Chabad Hasidim Association, is busy all year round sending out invitation letters to (almost) anyone who wants to come and visit the matzo bakery. MKs, ministers, and other VIPs - they all receive the invitation letter. Those who respond are honored and welcomed with open arms.
A persistent rumor claimed in my ears as early as Sunday that Finance Minister Yair Lapid had approved such a visit, but the village rabbi, the gaon Rabbi Shmuel Mordechai Ashkenazi, refused to allow it. To Netanyahu, he said, welcome. After all, Chabad is a movement that brings every Jew, with true love of Israel, closer to his Father in Heaven, and if it is necessary to bring the man to a matzah bakery, welcome he and his entourage. Has he long since voted for a conscription law that harms the Haredi public and its children? Is he heading a government that boycotted the Haredi parties? None of this has anything to do with bringing hearts closer. Even if an MK from a left-wing party were to come - we would be welcomed with open arms, many Chabadniks declared to me.
Since this is a Jewish practice, there is no point in criticizing it, especially since the village rabbi, the Rabbi of Datra, participated in the visit.
At the same time, it is worth noting that there are voices in Chabad who criticize the unfortunate timing of bringing an anti-Haredi prime minister to a Haredi village. Among these voices were also voices of Chabad rabbis, although officially none of them came out publicly against the visit. A persistent rumor claims that there are Chabad rabbis (not from the village) who were invited to participate, but declined.
What is interesting is that the Lithuanian daily Yated Ne'eman chose to ignore the event and did not attack, as was customary there in the newspaper's previous era, during the days of the editors who were fired and defected to the newspaper Hapeles. The other Haredi dailies also chose to ignore the visit, if they do not change their minds by the end of the week, and the same applies to the weeklies.
4.
As if he knew in advance about the criticism that would be directed against him and the hosts, Netanyahu chose words that were appropriate for the situation. ""In every generation, people rise up against us to destroy us, and the Holy One, blessed be He, saves us from their hands," he began, saying, for it is impossible for him to give a speech without explicitly or implicitly mentioning the Iranian threat.
And hence, to repel the criticism. "The Haggadah mentions four different sons: wise, wicked, innocent, and one who does not know how to ask, but in each of them there is a Jewish spark and you maintain this Jewish spark.".
And if we interpret it, we get the following words: It is true that the Haredi public believes that I am evil, because I supported the conscription law, and that I supported the conversion law, and that I supported the government that excludes Haredim... But there is a Jewish spark in me, even according to them, and this is what Chabad Hasidism does, remembering the spark in me and making sure that Chabad lights it in the fire of the matzo ovens...
And on a more personal note, he ended with a story. "Every year, for decades, I eat these matzos at home. Today, for the first time, I also make them myself. I am very excited and wish all the people of Israel a happy Passover." Either I eat - or I don't, or I get excited - or I don't, to health and a happy holiday to him and his family, to the employees (and those who are retired).
5.
This is not the first time that Haredi Judaism has ignored the man.
It was in March 1993, about 20 years ago, when he was elected to the position of chairman of the Likud. The Haredi media not only did not congratulate him on his election, but also attacked him fiercely. Both because of the fact that he "did not pass the test of Jewish morality" (and we will not go into detail on this point) and also because of the support of the Reformers that he received during his Likud election campaign.
""We do not expect the Likud to elect a leader who observes the commandments, but at least who will respect Jewish values," Yom Yom wrote at the time. "Bibi Netanyahu passed the television test, but he did not pass the test of Jewish morality. It is a pity that thousands of Jews see someone who kicked the institution of the family and even did it publicly as a leader. In a period of cultural and moral rupture, in a period when Jewish blood is being spilled in the streets, we do not need party unity, we need national unity, we need moral strength. This strength cannot be derived from American models; our model is the Torah of Israel and the tradition of Israel. The support of the Reform movement in Bibi's election campaign is just one piece of evidence of the new leader's approach to the tradition of Israel and the values of the Israel of his grandfather.".
Rabbi Shach, zt"l, also attacked sharply. "Bibi Netanyahu's position regarding Jewish values is questionable because of his close ties with the Reform movement, and we must examine and see how he will act so that we can determine a position when the day comes, as it is said, 'Your actions will bring you closer, and your actions will distance you.'".
And there is no doubt that Netanyahu's actions over the past year have pushed him very far.
6.
A few weeks ago, in the Knesset plenary, MK Moshe Gafni recalled the painful historical episode surrounding Netanyahu's election as prime minister.
""In 1996, you ran for your first term, and Rabbi Shach, who was already very old, along with the rest of the great men of Israel, decided to support you. We also supported you in your second term in 2009, and we also supported you in the last elections. I want to tell you, I never said this - senior journalists admitted to me that they were attacking the Haredi public solely because it supports you. The same goes for the judicial system, which is a left-wing system. But that did not deter us from continuing to support you. Without the Haredi public, Netanyahu would not be prime minister of the State of Israel.
""You, the Prime Minister, promised that there would be no criminal sanctions on yeshiva students. And so, even though we are in the opposition, I refrained from attacking you for many months. I had a tough argument with Litzman about this matter. He claimed that you should not be believed. Now I know that he was right. Mr. Prime Minister, during your time in the State of Israel, Torah students were declared criminal criminals. What will your parents say about this? What will your grandparents say? It's like in Rome. Torah students will be declared criminals," Gafni lashed out at the Israeli Prime Minister.
He never dreamed that only a few days would pass since the draft law was approved, and Netanyahu would become an honored guest at the Chabad village.
But what does his good 'friend' Yaakov Litzman say? He's so happy and so simple...
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