By Echad Min Hachaburah, Lakewood, NJ
I never in my life thought I would have to write something like this. The Lakewood Tzibur and its Torah manhigim are people who shouldn’t need someone to rise to the occasion to defend. Unfortunately, like many things these days, the circumstances demand something so abnormal.
We are living in incredible times. Times that fit every description Chazal gave of the Ikvesa D’Meshicha, as enumerated on Sotah Daf Mem Tes Amud Bais. Hopefully, we can capitalize on this unique moment, doing our part to bring Moshiach, by engaging in teshuvah mu’etes – each one of us in our own way as we are instructed by our rabbeim.
But what if we don’t? Well, then, we may just be left with all those downsides of this period and none of the upside. It is a scary thought – and one we can already see play out before our eyes to some extent. The very idea that I have to write this, a full-throated defense of Lakewood’s rabbanim and poskim – all outstanding talmidei chachomim who spend their days and nights immersed in the highest level of Torah scholarship – is incredible on its own, and is just one symptom of that more significant problem.
The assault on them using social media and some “frum” websites, the attempts to manipulate them using falsehoods and – when that no longer works – threats, should insult to us all. The fact that it doesn’t seem to be the case frightens me more than anything else.
Make no mistake: The assault is not really about “porch minyanim.” It is not about the public safety of those minyanim – not due to the risk of transmission, nor due to the risk of an increase in “aivah.”
It is about the rightful authority our rabbanim have in our lives as the final decisors of all matter of halacha.
If it were about the risk of transmission of coronavirus, there would be nothing to talk about. The list of “regulations” the Lakewood poskim released essentially forbids anyone to be part of such a minyan unless they are in a clearly-defined self-contained area within their own property, which is not near the property of others. Anyone can go there whenever they would like to – even if only for fresh air. There is no added risk of transmission to anyone taking the opportunity to say Amein Yehei Shmei Rabbah while there.
There is no risk of “aivah” either – and there never was. Contrary to what some people will have you believe, there is no government regulation prohibiting praying while on your porch. So even if some enterprising bigot would call the authorities on such a minyan, there is nothing to fear – and the police will tell you that as well.
The media, whether local or national, has never – not even once – reported on a “porch minyan” as an instance of non-compliance. There were, however, many reports about school busses delivering food. I might have missed the calls to stop all those deliveries because of “aivah,” but I don’t think I did. Even the avowed anti-Semites on social media haven’t figured out a way to portray it as something they can exploit to foment their hate.
No, that’s not what this is about. If it were about safety, we might have seen the people behind the push to ban these totally safe and compliant “porch minyanim” speak up when there were people lining up in the street to buy pizza Motzoei Pesach, demanding all the pizza shops be forced to close. But they didn’t.
Someone cynically joked that it’s a good thing nobody waiting on that line tried to make a Borchu or they would have.
But that didn’t stop these self-appointed leaders from calling the rabbonim and pressuring them to recant entirely – demanding a blanket ban on these completely safe minyanim. One of these “leaders” – who does not live in Lakewood, NJ and probably has never even been here – told a posek that he would put together a letter signed by “150 doctors” condemning our poskim, while sending voice notes around social media blasting “the rabbonim.” Another yelled over the phone Erev Yom Tov that the posek would have “blood on his hands” unless he agreed to a ban.
Shame on them both, and on others who promote the same corrupted outlook.
What is the real issue here? It would seem to be about control and the ability to position oneself as the final authority. Because the actual question of “porch minyanim” is simple enough.
It is as follows: Do we make a “Lo Plug” in this case – and disallow perfectly safe minyanim to have a blanket rule or not?
But here’s the thing. That is not a question for askanim, no matter how vitally important they may or may not be. It isn’t even the realm of doctors – though we rely on them entirely for pikuach nefashos. That itself is a question for our gedolei haposkim – and only them – to decide.
But these “leaders” don’t seem to think so. And this may just be what Chazal mean in saying that in Ikvesa D’Meshicha, the Pnei HaDor will be K’Pnei Hakelev, that Chutzpa Yasgeh, and that these Nearim Pnei Z’Kainim Yalbinu.
The only question remaining is whether we, those who recognize that Al Mah Yesh Lanu L’Hishaein – Al Avinu Shebashamayim, will allow them to continue doing so.
{Matzav.com}