Article by Aharon Schwartz

Who is a 'Foolish Chassid'?

Anyone who does not immediately go out to protest!

The Gemara (Sotah 21b) states: "Rabbi Yehoshua would say: A 'foolish chassid,' a 'cunning wicked person,' etc... these are destroyers of the world." The Gemara provides an example of a 'foolish chassid' as someone who sees a woman drowning in a river and does not immediately rush to save her because he thinks it is not proper conduct to look at a woman and jump in to save her.

In Tosafot, regarding the question of what constitutes a 'foolish chassid,' it brings in the name of the Jerusalem Talmud a more severe implication, such as one who is already prepared to jump to save her but waits to remove his tefillin and does not jump immediately.

Similarly, in the Gemara (Yoma 84), a case of doubt regarding life-threatening situations overrides the Sabbath, and these actions are performed by the greatest of Israel. The one who is swift is praised, and there is no need to seek permission from a Beit Din. All prohibitions of the Torah are set aside for the sake of saving a life, except for three transgressions.

And we say in the Rishonim (Ramban and others) that anyone who delays in desecrating the Sabbath in a situation of life-threatening danger is also considered a 'foolish chassid.'

It is obvious that such a person also violates the Torah prohibition of "Do not stand idly by the blood of your neighbor," beyond what is defined by the aforementioned Gemara, as all his 'chassidut' (piety) is vanity and he is considered a fool without knowledge.

This is said even regarding the least of Israel, to save his soul from the hand of a pursuer rising to kill him; how much more so for his teacher who taught him wisdom that brings him to the World to Come, whose loss takes precedence over the loss of his father (Bava Metzia 33a), and how much more so regarding the loss of the soul of his teacher, for which he is sevenfold obligated.

In a place where the name of his teacher is being disgraced, he is obligated by law, for the sake of his teacher's honor, to protest and make a clamor against those who revile and disgrace him on earth, and not only toward Heaven through Tikkun HaKlali or prayers.

And now, a wicked kingdom has arisen with its twisted laws to destroy, kill, and annihilate the soul of a Jewish tzaddik with predatory cruelty. How can we stand by and remain silent in the face of such a heinous, intentional act of murder?

Blood of the souls of tzaddikim will be found on our hands if we do not rise and cry out the cry of our father and teacher, who is being tortured with suffering and iron combs by the hands of the wicked kingdom.

What kind of life do we have without him? He sacrificed his body, his soul, and his family for our sake, and shall we not jump to save him from the hands of those who seek his harm and rise against him to kill him?

Is a chassid who does not rise up against the murderers of his teacher not a 'foolish chassid'?

Certain Pikuach Nefesh (Saving a Life)

Due to false fears that are not even Rabbinic in origin, and because of delusions of 'foolish chassidut,' people are abandoning the Torah obligation of 'arise and act' to save a life.

We see clearly that since the arrest of the Rav about 10 months ago, his medical condition has deteriorated to the gates of death, Hashem forbid, according to several testimonies that arrived just recently, stating that they saw the Rav's figure looking extremely emaciated, like the figures seen in the Nazi concentration camps, may Heaven protect us.

According to all the data before us, this is a matter of certain Pikuach Nefesh, and we are obligated to transgress even severe Torah prohibitions, even to attempt to save him with an act that has a doubtful chance of success, because the rule is that in matters of doubt regarding life, we are lenient according to Torah law (the dispute between Rashi and Tosafot in Bava Batra 50: whether by logic or by tradition), and we are stringent regarding saving lives and lenient if one needs to commit transgressions even for a doubtful act of rescue.

When there is doubt in reality, we ask the professionals (Rashbam in Bava Batra 50b: "He challenged him, etc., and I asked the farmers").

Based on the opinion of professionals and what we see in the current reality in Israel, it can be determined that demonstrations and protest rallies work and help to advance various goals, especially in matters of human rights and justice for the release of detainees held unlawfully.

Even for a doubtful success, according to their words, we are commanded by the Torah to go out with a great noise and protest demonstrations on the roads of Israel, and no student of the Rav can exempt himself or others from this obligation.

On Thursday, the eve of Shabbat Vayetzei, at the prayer rally at the grave of the 'Chalev' (the Milkman), Rabbi Aharon Stern said in public in the name of his father, the Kabbalist Rabbi Alter David Chaim Stern, that:

"Whoever does not participate in the demonstrations in the streets and in public protest over the spilling of the blood of Rav Berland will have a claim against him in Heaven."

Tzaddikim and great Torah scholars and authorities command us to go out and protest, yet we are silent and do not protest against the murder by the hands of our teacher, the Rav shlit"a.

If there is a Torah obligation to rise and act, upon whom does the duty of protest fall primarily, if not upon his students and members of his community?

If we do not rise to cry out and awaken the public regarding the severe risk to human life by the authorities, to the point of Pikuach Nefesh - who will do it in our place?

To everything there is a season and a time for every purpose

Yaakov Avinu in this week's Parsha prepared himself with a gift, prayer, and war – to be ready to use all these means to be saved from the hand of the wicked Esav.

The deeds of the fathers are a sign for the children. We have fulfilled the obligation of prayer with hundreds of thousands of prayer rallies and Tikkun HaKlali, and we have not yet been saved.

We have also fulfilled the obligation of a 'gift' by paying a fair and exorbitant legal fee of over 2 million shekels to act against the laws of the wicked kingdom, and even they did not help us –

Why do we not use the third option – war – especially since we are commanded by law to carry it out?

If a tenth of the aforementioned legal fees had been dedicated to public relations and public struggle, perhaps we would not have reached such a terrible, severe miscarriage of justice to the point of real danger to the life of the Rav shlit"a?

We have reached the red line from the spilled blood of our teacher, the Rav shlit"a; his health is failing in a severe state, and all other attempts to save him have failed. We must understand that the time has come to cry out in a war of protest in the plazas and streets as a protest should be done.

Even our holy Rebbe was strict with his chassidim not to go out on foot outside the city and wait with sticks to save him when they knew that others were trying to harm him during his return journey.

Would our Rebbe not have called us 'foolish chassidim'?

A prisoner cannot free himself from prison

This was said about King David in a time of danger when he was suspended between heaven and earth and asked Avishai ben Zeruiah to save him. The Gemara says that David could not save himself because a prisoner cannot free himself from the house of suffering (Sanhedrin 95a), and this was said even about David Malka Meshicha – the root of the souls of Israel.

A severe distortion that cools the heart has spread in our community that we are not obligated to act for the salvation of our teacher, the Rav shlit"a, with all sorts of imagined arguments. But as we have seen, this is not the opinion of our holy Torah, and it is not even in the category of chassidut, but rather 'foolish chassidut' and distorted.

We must rise and act - it is forbidden to sit quietly - we must make our voice heard throughout the land!!

Everyone must register for activity for coordination: 0533-155-313 or by email: ashwarts111@gmail.com (donations are also needed for printing signs)

Everyone is coming to the permanent protest tent opposite the Supreme Court at Agranat Square in Jerusalem

Prepare for a massive protest demonstration at one of the central intersections in Gush Dan with the participation of all the chassidim

Details to follow