In other words, defend truth and then Judaism, and the second will succeed on account of the first; defend Judaism and not truth and defense of the first will fail for lack of the second. Because truth without Judaism is still truth, but Judaism without truth isn’t really either.
So Tucker should be discredited because he believes in things we would consider strange. Are Orthodox Jews to be discredited because we believe there is a dangerous, spiritual force that remains on a person's hands when then wake up in the morning? And that the spiritual force can only be removed by washing your hands in a very specific way? I'm sure this will sound strange to many people. Should all the many Orthodox Jews who take the teachings and reports in the Talmud about demons be similarly discredited in the same way you want to discredit Tucker? I believe there's a famous story from the 1800's where Satmar Chassidim considered a child to be legitimate, despite the overwhelming evidence that his married mother had been violated by another man, on the basis that the violator was in fact a demon. I don't know how much you listen to Tucker and I certainly don't listen to him that much, but from the little I have seen he is obviously not an anti-Semite...unless you think being critical of Israel and opposing its policies and wanting America to discontinue its funding of Israel are by definition anti-Semitic. But in that case there are millions of American Jews who are also anti-Semitic since a majority of American Jews now oppose the current Israeli government. And no, they don't all hate themselves. Tucker has openly said that his criticism of Israel is meant for Israel's benefit, because as anyone can plainly see Israel is losing the PR war (quite badly) and a majority of Americans now have a negative view of Israel, not to even mention the rest of the world. So, no, from my vantage point in America I have to disagree with the notion that Tucker is "totally insane" and "pure evil". He is neither. And he may not focus on all things you'd like him to focus on, but it's his show just like this is your blog. He can talk about what matters to him. And there is certainly plenty of anti-Christian sentiment in Israel these days, one example being the YouTube video of a parade of Orthodox Jews spitting on the ground in front of the church as they pass in the Old City. The bigger problem for Israel and Zionists is that the history in Israel doesn't begin on October 7. It began decades before and not all of what happened earlier portrays Israel in a positive light. No conflict has one side 100% right and pure and the other side 100% wrong and evil. And it's not only Tucker and his friend in America who are saying it. It's Jewish Israeli historians, journalists, and human rights organizations that have been saying it for years, especially as concerns the situation in the West Bank which is hard to deny is not an example of apartheid. And no, they don't all hate themselves. It's only now, due to alternative media sources, that more of the American public, especially the younger American public, is getting the whole story.
Reminds me of the time a friend of mine was shocked to see a swastika in a Buddhist setting.
First reaction was shock. Brief explanation of the history and religious (pre-Nazi) significance; understanding.
As a teacher one of my fundamental rules in the classroom :
“ASK. If you have a question, or you don’t understand something clearly, ask. There are probably several others in the room with the same question.”(Sometimes the entire class!)
Tucker should be deemed insane if he believes insane things, as he does (NOT=“things we would consider” insane)— or maliciously sinister if he doesn’t really believe them but simply uses them to gain power. I don’t know which it is, but either way we have a problem with his influence over millions.
While I agree with Rav Slifkin that
reacting with falsehoods only plays into our foes’ hands, I am less sanguine about the positive outcomes from answering them with reasoned, truthful proofs.
"Tell me you've never helped your kids with math homework without telling me you've never helped your kids with math homework."
In other words, defend truth and then Judaism, and the second will succeed on account of the first; defend Judaism and not truth and defense of the first will fail for lack of the second. Because truth without Judaism is still truth, but Judaism without truth isn’t really either.
So Tucker should be discredited because he believes in things we would consider strange. Are Orthodox Jews to be discredited because we believe there is a dangerous, spiritual force that remains on a person's hands when then wake up in the morning? And that the spiritual force can only be removed by washing your hands in a very specific way? I'm sure this will sound strange to many people. Should all the many Orthodox Jews who take the teachings and reports in the Talmud about demons be similarly discredited in the same way you want to discredit Tucker? I believe there's a famous story from the 1800's where Satmar Chassidim considered a child to be legitimate, despite the overwhelming evidence that his married mother had been violated by another man, on the basis that the violator was in fact a demon. I don't know how much you listen to Tucker and I certainly don't listen to him that much, but from the little I have seen he is obviously not an anti-Semite...unless you think being critical of Israel and opposing its policies and wanting America to discontinue its funding of Israel are by definition anti-Semitic. But in that case there are millions of American Jews who are also anti-Semitic since a majority of American Jews now oppose the current Israeli government. And no, they don't all hate themselves. Tucker has openly said that his criticism of Israel is meant for Israel's benefit, because as anyone can plainly see Israel is losing the PR war (quite badly) and a majority of Americans now have a negative view of Israel, not to even mention the rest of the world. So, no, from my vantage point in America I have to disagree with the notion that Tucker is "totally insane" and "pure evil". He is neither. And he may not focus on all things you'd like him to focus on, but it's his show just like this is your blog. He can talk about what matters to him. And there is certainly plenty of anti-Christian sentiment in Israel these days, one example being the YouTube video of a parade of Orthodox Jews spitting on the ground in front of the church as they pass in the Old City. The bigger problem for Israel and Zionists is that the history in Israel doesn't begin on October 7. It began decades before and not all of what happened earlier portrays Israel in a positive light. No conflict has one side 100% right and pure and the other side 100% wrong and evil. And it's not only Tucker and his friend in America who are saying it. It's Jewish Israeli historians, journalists, and human rights organizations that have been saying it for years, especially as concerns the situation in the West Bank which is hard to deny is not an example of apartheid. And no, they don't all hate themselves. It's only now, due to alternative media sources, that more of the American public, especially the younger American public, is getting the whole story.
Reminds me of the time a friend of mine was shocked to see a swastika in a Buddhist setting.
First reaction was shock. Brief explanation of the history and religious (pre-Nazi) significance; understanding.
As a teacher one of my fundamental rules in the classroom :
“ASK. If you have a question, or you don’t understand something clearly, ask. There are probably several others in the room with the same question.”(Sometimes the entire class!)
What about the multiplication symbol? 🤔
*
Tucker should be deemed insane if he believes insane things, as he does (NOT=“things we would consider” insane)— or maliciously sinister if he doesn’t really believe them but simply uses them to gain power. I don’t know which it is, but either way we have a problem with his influence over millions.
While I agree with Rav Slifkin that
reacting with falsehoods only plays into our foes’ hands, I am less sanguine about the positive outcomes from answering them with reasoned, truthful proofs.
If only we could rely on Isaiah 56:17
וכל לשון תקום אתך למשפט תרשיעי.