Selling Out

I understand (and happen to agree with) those who support Netanyahy, because they believe that ceding land to the Palestinians will not result in peace, because they are likely to use it to attack Israel, and the international community will prevent Israel from defending itself.

I get, though I don't agree with, those who support Herzog/Livni, because they believe that we must cede land to the Palestinians in order to ultimately gain international legitimacy and peace. These people are sincere in their belief that it is very dangerous to continue the current situation.

What I don't get at all is people who do not believe that peace with the Palestinians is possible, or that the international community will ever be happy with Israel, and who think that any concessions to the Palestinians are very dangerous, but who are willing to do so in exchange for money.

I am referring to United Torah Judaism. MK Litzman said that they are willing to go with either Netanyahu or Herzog - the same Herzog who said that he is open to having Ahmed Tibi on the security committee. Whoever reverses the budget cuts and gives money to the kollelim and yeshivos will get their support.

How can they disregard the long-term safety and security of the country in exchange for money?!

The tragic reason is, of course, because they are desperate, since their society is incapable of surviving without extensive financial support from others.

National security is not the only sphere in which the charedim have sold out for money. Whether one agrees with it or not, the charedim place paramount importance on keeping women away from public roles and appearances. Kol kavodah bas melech penima! Women cannot take on any positions of leadership, cannot speak in public in front of men, and even their pictures cannot appear in any publications.

But when it comes to getting votes in order to get in the government in order to get money, these principles are tossed out of the window. UTJ is running a television advertisement which features a woman!

All this reminds me of an old column by Jonathan Rosenblum (perhaps someone can find it for me) about matchmaking. He lamented that the charedi world, which in theory is about valuing ruchniyos over gashmiyos, ends up being the most obsessed with gashmiyos when it comes to matchmaking. They have forced themselves into a situation where the most crucial criterion is how much money the girl can provide, since the young men have no means of supporting themselves.

Chazal say that if a person does not teach his son a trade, it is as though he has taught him to steal. If a person has no means to support himself and becomes desperate for money, he will end up compromising his integrity. Once again, we see that Chazal were correct.