( ...old post relocated)
Haredi crusade against immodest clothing goes up in flames
Haredi extremists in Jerusalem discover reason for troubles befalling Israeli people: Immodest clothes worn by women. For months, activists go door to door collecting clothes that don't hold up to rabbis' modesty standards. Thursday confiscated clothes set ablaze, pamphlets with list of forbidden clothes distributed...
A Response
by Mordechai Z. Hecht
Protests, uproars and all sorts of demonstrations, nothing new to the Jerusalemite Hareidi community. At first glance when a common, secular or rational Jew see's and here's about something like this what is it that first crosses their mind? "These people are crazy","nuts" "attention seekers"! To what extent will these people go to make themselves heard?!
Indeed, this type of action is abbussive and counter productive!
No where in our holy Torah does it say "Embarras and shun your neighbor, sister daughter or wife".
No where in the torah does it say "Make your self great by putting someone else down". If I am not mistaken our sages in Avot teach us to the contrary, " Love peace, pursue peace and bring your fellow closer to torah".
Acting like a wild ranting loonatic, or whippering infant is not Jewish at all, or Hassidic in nature for that matter.
Rather, the hareidi and larger Jewish community need to explore the core of this supposed problem which is plaguing our sisters, daughters and wives. We need to approach this and many other vital issues of societal and peer pressure with wit and wisdom, not with hate and rage. We need to find ways to inspire and reinspire our generation to hold fast to our holy Torah, for it is indeed a tree of life to those who do.