“Seek Yahweh while He may be found. Call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return to Yahweh, and He will have compassion on him. Turn to our Elohim, for He will abundantly pardon.”
Isaiah 55: 6-7
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Ultra-Orthodox Jews in Israel (Part 1)
Yesterday, Noam’s father, Ishai, sent me a WhatsApp message. Actually, it was just a short video clip. There was no explanation.
The clip was from a funeral for a renowned ultra-Orthodox rabbi a couple of days ago in Jerusalem. There were no captions on the clip, so I couldn’t tell where it was or what was going on, but thousands of people filled the streets. They stood shoulder-to-shoulder while they sang a beautiful song in English. Few of them were wearing masks.
I responded by saying that the song was beautiful, and I asked where it was. Ishai filled in the details.
I said, “Social distancing doesn’t seem to bother them.”
That’s when Ishai let his feelings be known. He was furious, because the ultra-Orthodox community in Israel is largely responsible for the spread of Covid-19 and the lockdowns that infringe on everyone’s freedom. Large numbers of them refuse to cooperate with their fellow citizens by protecting themselves or anyone else. Everywhere they go, they spread the disease, and they don’t seem to care. The ICUs in Israel’s hospitals are filled with members of the ultra-Orthodox community at great expense to working, taxpaying Israeli citizens.
Below is a short video clip from the funeral. It’s not the same clip that Ishai sent me, but it’s the same funeral:
I don’t know for sure where the video was taken, but I’ll bet you just about anything that it was taken in Mea She’arim. It’s an ultra-Orthodox community in Jerusalem very near the Old City.
Residents of Mea She’arim are notorious for resisting anything having to do with the government of Israel. Many of them are unabashedly outspoken about their belief that the State of Israel should not exist. Young ultra-Orthodox men from Mea She’arim who dare to join the IDF are physically attacked if they walk down the street in uniform. That is not a rare occurrence.
Ultra-Orthodox Jews in Israel don’t complain about the generous welfare support they receive from the Israeli government. In fact, their political leaders position themselves to play the role of power brokers in the Knesset. Thanks to Israel’s parliamentary form of government, they have succeeded magnificently. Every election cycle, they look for new ways to syphon off taxpayer shekels to support their causes which translate into increased welfare payments.
It’s a shameless display of opportunism void of principles.
The more I thought about it, the more I came to understand that the ultra-Orthodox Jews in Mea She’arim are very much like the Pharisees who condemned the Messiah. They were ultra-Orthodox Jews, too.
The Messiah attracted a huge following in Israel. That should come as no surprise. He healed the sick and raised the dead. The rabbis were no match for Him. He threatened the social, economic, and political standing in Israel of the entire priestly class.
The priests had abandoned Yahweh completely and replaced faith in Him and His word with blind obedience to their man-made rules. Together, those rules are called “the Oral Law” and “the traditions of the Jews”. They are contained in the Talmud and other religious writings. Ultra-Orthodox Jews wrote them, and they made sure that condemnation of the Messiah became a prominent part of their traditions. They left a sad and dangerous legacy.
To prevent the Messiah from advancing His agenda, they conspired with the Romans to kill Him. Little did they know that He came to die as our atoning sacrifice. He is our Passover Lamb. They ended up helping Him complete His mission.
As I watch the ultra-Orthodox Jews in Israel today, I can’t help seeing parallels between them and their counterparts 2000 years ago. They are from the same stock.
Katie and I have walked through Mea She’arim just one time in more than 20 years of exploring Jerusalem, and we did it on Shabbat when the residents were likely to be on their best behavior. Noam won’t go into Mea She’arim. She doesn’t dress immodestly, but she doesn’t dress like ultra-Orthodox women. In Mea She’arim, she might be physically attacked for wearing shorts.
Some of my readers may think that I am exaggerating, but I am not. My daughter Rebekah looks Jewish. When she visits the Temple Mount, she is warned to be careful because she looks so Jewish.
One day, we were walking down Jaffa Street near Mea She’arim, and an ultra-Orthodox man stopped Rebekah on the sidewalk, got in her face, blessed her out in Hebrew, and spit on the sidewalk in front of her. What was Rebekah’s offense? She was wearing shorts. It was July, and the temperature was about about 95 degrees. As I said, I am not exaggerating.
At Noam’s wedding, one of her friends told Katie and me that we were taking an unnecessary risk by walking in Mea She’arim any day of the week. She was probably right. I don’t plan to do it again.
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“I am the good shepherd. I know My sheep and My sheep know Me — just as the Father knows Me and I know the Father — and I lay down My life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also. They too will listen to My voice, and there shall be one flock and one Shepherd. The reason My Father loves Me is that I lay down My life — only to take it up again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of My own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from My Father.”
John 10: 14-18
