I do not apologize for failing to accord titles to some of the people mentioned below. They simply are, IMO, undeserving of their titles.
On מוצי שבת Dvarim/Hazon, Shalom Cohen of Shas’ Council of Sages, called all who wear a knitted kippa (כפה סגורה) “Amalek.” while his Iraqi controller sat – or perhaps slept – in a chair next to Cohen. (To be fair, Yosef is old and he has been, perhaps still is, ill.)
The silence of the rabbis was deafening.
I have yet to see any so-called “orthodox” rabbi chastise Cohen publically.
There have been a few objections to the way haredi soldiers are treated in haredi neighborhoods, but NOTHING from any well respected rabbis in Israel or elsewhere – read the U.S. ABOUT Cohen’s remarks. Nothing.
R. Marc Angel, in a personal note, wrote “The words of Rabbi Cohen are despicable.” He also said that Rabbi Daniel Bouskila wrote a sharp critique on behalf of the Sephardic Educational Center (SEC) but where is the critique? The SEC Web site ( http://www.secjerusalem.org/ ) is “coming soon.” Perhaps the “sharp critique” is on Facebook. I don’t “do” Facebook or Twitter.
Both Cohen and Yosef have tried to back-peddle, claiming that what Cohen meant to say was that only the leaders of the political parties that refuse to cave to Shas are “Amalekim.”
I’m put in mind of the gossiper who finally realized the harm he caused.
He went to his rabbi and asked how he could make amends.
The rabbi told him to go home, take a feather pillow, cut it open, and scatter the feathers to the four winds.
The gossiper did as he was told.
Feeling no better, he returned to the rabbi and reported that he still felt bad. Was there more to the punishment?
Yes, said the rabbi, now go out and gather up all the feathers and make a pillow.
But, the gossiper replied, that’s impossible; the winds scattered them too far.
THAT, said the rabbi, is what happens when you utter untruths. Like the feathers, they cannot be retrieved, cancelled.
Cohen, in his self-centeredness – "If you are not like me, you’re not Jewish" – didn’t gossip but he most certainly caused a חלול השם. He disgraced himself. He disgraced his master. He disgraced Shas. He proved that the Council of Sages is misnamed, for a true “sage” never would utter the words he uttered.
We are told that the Temple was destroyed and most of us exiled because of baseless hatred – political and physical internecine warfare; Jews against Jews.
There is an abomination sitting where the Temple stood. I can write without concern of contradiction that the third Temple will not rise in my lifetime; if it did, it would be doomed as were the first two and we – Israelis – will be banished from the land (if not slaughtered by our enemies).
Why?
BECAUSE WE HAVE NOT LEARNED FROM THE PAST.
Simple.
We are proving we are not one people concerned for one another. We are opposing groups of people who refuse to compromise, to coexist with people of differing outlooks.
Cohen’s words have been scattered to the four winds, carried on the silence of the “gadolim” – the “name” rabbis.
Perhaps some rabbis have spoken out in the confines of their own synagogues – mine have not – but whispering that Cohen’s words are “despicable” isn’t enough; the rabbis have to cast off their fear of the rabbinical mafia in Israel; American rabbis have allowed themselves to be cowed too long by the Israeli rabbinute, an organization more political and profit-focused than concerned with the religious welfare of the average Jew.
Cohen & Company – Mizrahi and Ashkenazi haredim – are far out of line calling other Jews “Amalekim” simply because these Jews disagree with them. Whether they are referring only to the likes of Bennet and Lapid or to everyone who owns neither a black hat or black suit, the stupidity of Cohen’s remark is inexcusable. Yosef’s remarks are too little, too late (by a week).
As for the gadolim – they may remain “gadol” in their own eyes and the eyes of their followers, but from my perspective, their silence reduces them to “katanim.”
If my knit kippot make me less a Jew than Yosef, Cohen, and the misnamed Council of "Sages," that's fine with me. I don't WANT to be associated with such people.
On the other hand, I never will tell ANY Jew he, or she, is not a Jew because we have different perspectives.
I accept the North African (Sefardi) approach: I'm a Jew. You are (1) observant like me, (2) less observant than me, or (3) more observant than me.
But we're all Jews.
Even Yosef, Cohen, and the Council of Sages (from Chelm).
