TheYeshiva.net - Rabbi YY Jacobson

Basics of Emunah #20: Why the Jews?

Antisemitism: The Mechanism, the Cause, the Solution

2 hr 2 min

Public Menorah lighting at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany.

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Class Summary:

The Emunah Series with Rabbi YY Jacobson has resumed, and continues every Thursday evening (save holidays), at 20 Forshay Road, Monsey, NY, followed by Q and A. For Men, Women and Teenagers (separate seating). You can send questions in advance by email to [email protected] or submit written questions before or during the presentation. Anonymity of the questioners will be respected. Hot food will be served. No admission fee.

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Judy -6 years ago
Why was the Jewish nation subject to the challenges of Christianity and Racism?  What Tikun were we to achieve to recalculate our values and align ourselves with Hashem and our mission?

Christianity:

Up until the birth of Christianity the challenges that faced the Jewish people were of a practice, culture or philosophy that was foreign to Judaism and explicitly prohibited by the Torah. This would include child sacrifice, ever min hachai, inscest and paganism.

Christianity presented a ‘religion’ that was a subtle corruption of Judaism.  Christianity professed charity, humility, caring for the sick and brotherly love. These are ideas we understand and value. As the dominant society Christians outnumbered us with wealth, strong armies and political power.

In this environment, away from land and leaders, the Jewish people developed a strong identity to retain and further develop their connection to Hashem. We honed super sensitive antennas, and even an untutored, simple Jew living in an isolated village could discern Truth from imposture.  A Jew could live in any country or culture, even without a community, Yeshiva or Bais Yaakov would not be swayed and would commit to the sacrifice needed to perpetuate Judaism.

Racism:

The secular world has clearly expressed the message of Racism loud and clear.  Racism is Zionism.  The concept of racism, the holocaust and our return to Eretz Yisroel are all connected.

Please refer to the Torah enclosed.  It clearly connects the Holocaust to the Loshon Hara of the Meraglim and our return to Eretz Yisrael.

Historically, before WWII Jewish society was culturally fractured, we perfected racism before the German's distinguished us with racist laws. Loshon Hara, our nemisis, is the ultimate form of racism.

Prior to WWII.  A Jew in Greece could not identify with a Jew from France, a Jew from the city could not identify with a Jew from the country, secular reviled the religious and vice versa.   Even with in the frum 'mainstream' world of my grandparents in Hungary to make a shidduch your wealth, your town, and even your specific geographic location within the country (oberland or unterland) defined you.  Can you imagine if today it would be impossible for someone living in Pennsylvania to make a shidduch with someone from New Jersey? The Holocaust democratized the Jewish people.

Perhaps, return to our land is predicate on becoming more ‘democratic’ within our communities, to respect one another despite our differences (this is a very different concept from ‘Ahavas chinam’-to love everyone). The Torah considers Loshon Hara antisocial behavior, or in today’s terms ‘racist’ behavior.  The German’s perfected the idea of the ‘perfect race.’  We should not Ch’V follow in their way to demand a ‘perfect’ frum society. ‘Racism’ got us into golus, and being more inclusive and understanding will get us out.
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Anonymous -6 years ago
Tolstoy
He, similar to Bilaam, waxed and waned in his admiration of Jews. Some of his works portray us negatively.

His praises of us are however, indeed, spectacular.
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MSB
Mrs. Sarah Birnhack -6 years ago
A question on the Shiur "Why the Jews?"
Rabbi Jacobson,

This shiur is amazing and it is obvious that you invested much resarch preparing it. I learned a lot and was (and am) deeply inspired. However, I'd appreciate hearing from you why, during this wideraning shiur you never mentioned the universally known and accepted reason for antisemitism: Halalchah yadu'a sheh'Aisav soneh l'Yaakov. I look forward to hearing back from you, and thank you in advance.

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Anonymous -6 years ago
Amazing
Can you supply source sheets for the different sources and quotes? Like the trotzky article?
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Anonymous -6 years ago
Do you sense that we are on the eve of a new possible holocaust?
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