As soon as we hear about the "Neturei Karta", we immediately think of those "rabbis" who went to Iran and met the anti – Semite Achmedinejad. We think of Moshe Hirsch who served as the "Minister of Jewish Affairs" in Arafat's cabinet. Thus, we conclude that the members of the Neturei Karta must be a bunch of loonies who, for strange reasons, don't accept the present State of Israel.
What basis does the Neturei Karta ideology have ? Who are the group members and is the Neturei Karta always the Neturei Karta ?
The name "Neturei Karta" comes from the Aramaic and means "Guardians of the City". Their extreme anti – Zionist policy is based on the Talmud Tractate (Masechet) Ketubot 110a – 111b. It says in Masechet Ketubot that only G – d decides when the Meshiach is coming and when a new "Eretz Israel" will come back into existence. And only then, the Diaspora Jews are returning to their land. The secular present State of Israel is not at all considered as the biblical "Eretz Israel" let alone a forerunner for the Ge'ulah (Redemption). However, not only the Neturei Karta doesn't accept the present State of Israel; there are even chassidic groups in the Agudat Israel (with its Knesset party "Yahadut HaTorah), Vishnitz, Gur or Belz) which are not really in favour of our country. Many Chassidim refuse to make Aliyah and keep their foreign citizenship, as they don't agree with a secular Israeli government and a secular state not run by Torah laws.
Anti – Zionists do not only take their reasons from Talmud Ketubot. Another source for them is the book "Va'yoel Moshe" from the founder of Chassidut Satmar, Rebbe Yoel Teitelbaum (died in 1979). Also Rebbe Aharon Roth, the founder of Chassidut Toldot Aharon, condemns any Zionist ideas in his book "Shomer Emunim".
"Zionist ideas and activities are among the reasons why the Holocaust took place", so Rebbe Teitelbaum and Rebbe Roth.
"G – d punished the Jews for their behaviour".
A statement which many of us consider as totally crazy. How can anyone make such a claim ? None of us knows why the Holocaust happened but only G – d. Believe it or not, I have even heard many litvishe rabbis making similar claims. The Holocaust happened because G – d punished the Jews for being reform and not keeping the Mitzwot. People making such claims seem to have a direct connection to G – d or they even know more than Him.
A popular mistake people like to make is identifying Chassidut Satmar with the Neturei Karta. Both are independent entities and are anything but the same. Even the Neturei Karta itself is not always "THE NETUREI KARTA" because there are a few splits within the movement.
The famous "friend" of the Iranian president, Moshe Friedman, loves to refer to himself as a member of the Neturei Karta. However, when he and his insane friends went to Iran, the Neturei Karta denied any connection with this group. Friedman only uses the name of the movement in order to get the world's attention.
Moshe Hirsch, a former head of an extreme movement within the Neturei Karta, was even a minister (Minister of Jewish Affairs) in Arafat's cabinet in Ramallah. Today, Moshe Hirsch suffers from Alzheimer and his son Israel has taken over his father's position. Not as a minister but rather as the head of the Synagogue "Ohel Sarah" in the Mea Shearim market. Israel Hirsch's more than extreme group is only a few meters away from the regular Neturei Karta Synagogue "Torah ve'Yirah". It is important to add that even the Mea Shearim inhabitants consider Israel Hirsch and his clan as outlaws.
How does one become a Neturei Karta member ?
As soon as you start going to their synagogue on a regular basis and participate in their activities. Nevertheless, the Neturei Karta Synagogue "Torah ve'Yirah" is considered to be the most beautiful in Mea Shearim. I have been there once but unfortunately, it was closed for women. Never mind, I will go again another time.
A chassidic woman from Mea Shearim once told me that today's Neturei Karta in Mea Shearim doesn't have a leader anymore. In the past, everything used to be so different. Don't we Jerusalemites all still remember the name "Rabbi Amram Blau (Bloi) ? Rabbi Amram Blau (passed away in 1974) was the most famous head of the movement in Jerusalem and very active in the 50ies, 60ies and even in the 70ies. It was him organizing wild demonstrations against the "Zionists". He fought against the traffic on Shabbat in Bar Ilan Street and got beaten up by the police. Several times he also got arrested. He demonstrated against the Edison – Theatre. The Satmarer Chassidim look at Rabbi Blau's riots against the Edison – Theatre with a certain kind of sarcasm. The theatre was demolished some time ago and who bought the estate ? Chassidut Satmar in order to build a new Kiryat Yoel.
Last August, one of the two Satmarer Rebbes, Rabbi Aharon Teitelbaum, visited Jerusalem in order to lay the foundation stone.
The Neturei Karta was founded around 1940. Most people probably think that the members of the movement are all chassidic Jews. This is totally wrong, as the Neturei Karta is a litvishe movement. The members are mostly followers of the ideas of the Vilna Gaon.
There are different connections to the anti – Zionist umbrella organization "Edah HaCharedit" as well as to Chassidut Satmar. Although the Neturei Karta is not a member of the Edah, it is said that they have a certain level of influence through Satmar. Whatever, I cannot say anything about the present situation. As we all know, Satmar is split and has two Rebbes fighting each other. It is hard to say if Rebbe Aharon keeps up the ties with the Neturei Karta, if his brother Rebbe Zalman Leib does so, if both do or if none of them does.
You choose…
Today the Neturei Karta consists of 500 families all over the world. Their lastest activity took place a few weeks ago. Then they sent a letter to the one of the main terrorists in this world, to the head of the Lebanese Hizbollah, Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah.
The Neturei Karta encouraged him to destroy the present State of Israel.
Well, so far, I haven't met any Jewish Israeli being friendly with Nasrallah but the Palestinians definitely love him.
As you can imagine, Israeli reactions to this letter were not too friendly either. How can Jews fight other Jews ?
Well, the Neturei Karta would probably deny that they are fighting other Jews. Just the opposite. According to their ideology, they protect other Jews from sinning. As long as the Jews have their own secular state, G – d will continue punishing them, as they are breaking the oaths. If there wasn't a state anymore, then G – d would bring about the Meschiach and thus, the Ge'ulah (Redemption).
As soon as I am telling friends and acquaintances that I am going to the Neturei Karta Synagogue, they are shocked. But in this blog, I am trying to write about many different groups and movements and the Neturei Karta has a part as well. No matter what there ideas are. At least I have been trying to explain their point or even to understand their reasons. I do get the point but for me, they are far too extreme. Whatever their reasons, based on Talmud Ketubot, are, they maybe overlook other Gemarot (rabbinical discussions) in the same Tractate; only a few pages before the Talmud speaks about the oaths. In Ketubot 110 it is also seen as a Mitzwah living in Israel, as only here we are able to fulfill all the Mitzwot. But neither the Neturei Karta nor other extreme anti – Zionists see a contradiction by living in Israel. One is allowed to live here but should, no matter what, participate in any activities of the secular State of Israel. Therefore, they don't participate in any kind of elections, don't use EGGED – buses or the public health services. Nevertheless, as soon as someone is seriously ill, the public health services (Kupat Cholim) does accept and pays for them.
I am not totally against the Neturei Karta but most of their ideas and ideologies are too extreme for me. I cannot understand why they meet the enemies of the Jewish people or stand in front of a Parisian hospital in order to pray for a recovery of Arafat.
A while ago, a Chassid said to me the following:
"Why is everyone only jumping on the Neturei Karta ? Look at all the Israeli leftist politicians such as Olmert and Livni ? What about them ? Don't they meet with terrorists ? Instead of judging the Neturei Karta you should face today's political reality.
The homepage of the Neturei Karta:
http://www.nkusa.org/
It should be noted that many Gedolim of the 1850-1945 Foresaw and prophesied the coming of the Holocaust. Only G-d knows the punishment for individuals, but as for Klal Yisroel as a whole Hashem has outlined the outcome in Torah both written and oral. When we stray from his mitzvos and desecrate his shabbos, he will rise our enemies who will slaughter us and when we run they will chase us down. The Holocaust is a 100% Devine response to the Jews straying just like the Temples being destroyed, the exile, and all the punishment we endured for thousands of years due to our sins.
ReplyDeleteIts nothing new. Ive heard shuirim and read books that hold this stance. they come from mainstream sources.
good shabbos.
B"H
ReplyDeleteI do agree with you up to a certain point.
It is true that Gedolim foresaw the Holocaust. I have to look it up again but one Rebbe even said in the same year Hitler was born that now a Rasha was born who will be a disaster for the Jews.
And it just listed in this last Parasha Bechukotai the punishments for Israel when they don't keep the Mitzwot.
However, I think that the Holocaust is such a great catastrophe that I personally rather keep away from judging why it happened etc.
It simply is too complicated.
On the other hand, there are even opinions that the 100,000 Jews being killed by the crusaders in Germany (on the first crusade) was a punishment for the Jews because they didn't come back to Jerusalem when Ezra built the Second Temple.
After the destruction of the First Temple, Jews had already settled in small German communities.
So, I don't really know what to answer you.
Shavua Tov !!!!
The thing is that people, Jews included tend to forget the fine details of things good or bad after around 80-100 years. If you read the midrash on Behukosai its quite interesting outlining how truely punished the Yidden were during the destruction of the temple. Millions of Jews also died. They starved to death, ate their children and their children at them. There is story of the Romans crucifying over 100,000 Jews on the roads leaving Jerusalem. No one seems to rememeber that but there are many Jewish books written on it. The Holocaust is considered the greatest catastrophe because its fresh on our mind. It was brought up in Daf Yomi today at a Chabad shul. Their Rebbe says like many Gedolim that it cant be explained. However there are many jews that openly explain it. A perfect example is the shuir I heard online given by Rabbi Gotlieb of Ohr Somayach. This type of thing could be argued all day though. Bringing Moshiach is a more pressing matter. Gut Vach.
ReplyDeleteB"H
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, many people don't see that the Holocaust was only one of the disaster in Jewish history. And unfortunately, many other catastrophes, e.g. those you mentioned, are not to known or seem to be a little forgotten.
Probably because the Holocaust was the most organized and horrifying genocide.
I know many litvishe Rabbis who claim that the Holocaust took place because of the assimilation of Europe's Jewry. But I still don't think that humans are able to know the real reason but only G - d. Despite Midrashim and other texts, we can only guess.
We look for an explanation because it was such a great disaster we are unable to grasp.
But you are right, we should deal more with bringing the Meshiach.
Shavua Tov - A Gut Woch