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12 Kislev 5772 - December 8, 2011 | Mordecai Plaut, director Published Weekly
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OPINION & COMMENT
`New Chareidim' and `Post Chareidim'

By Tzvi Weissenstern, Modi'in Illit

Like many others, I was astonished to see a photocopy of an article written by Natan Slifkin and recently published in The Jerusalem Post which demonstrated the extent of the distortions constantly promoted on the fringes of the camp, in the form of "new chareidim," of various kinds.

The article was written by Natan Slifkin, whose books were banned by gedolei Yisroel in Eretz Hakodesh and the United States. The gedolim spoke out firmly against the publication of his books, which stood in stark contrast to the fundamentals of Jewish faith. As a result he published his op-ed piece under the headline, "The Making of Post-Haredism," because as a result of what happened he decided to drop out of the chareidi world, defining himself in the article as "post-haredi"! Rachmono litzlan.

There is no need to quote all his shallow remarks about "dissatisfaction with the narrow boundaries of haredi thought," and the like. However from our standpoint it is worthwhile to pay close attention to the conclusion of his article, where he voices his approval of various developments on the fringes of the chareidi world, saying "the haredi world itself is undergoing a process of reversal from its previous excesses."

To support this claim, Slifkin cites the increasing number of chareidim entering the work force and military service, and the intensive use of "chareidi websites," as well as "weekly magazines such as Mishpacha [that] feature positive profiles of non- haredi figures and delicately air a variety of criticisms of haredi policies, despite the shrill protests of `establishment' publications such as Yated Ne'eman."

I think these remarks once again point to the foresight and wisdom of gedolei Yisroel shlita, who declared a milchemes mitzvah against the various weeklies. Here we see the "post-chareidim" — whose specialty is undermining the fundamentals of emunoh — sing the praises of the "new chareidim" for systematically gnawing away at the fundamental principles of the chareidi sector and applaud these weeklies and encourage them to continue to pave the way for foreign worldviews to work their way in. Can anyone continue to put his head in the sand and not take note of the danger?

The matter should not be taken lightly, for this is how the Enlightenment Movement was able to wreak havoc in the Jewish people, because some people failed to immediately discern the danger they posed (especially since many wore yarmulkes, spoke in the lexicon of Chazal and adopted a chareidi style).

I write these lines as one who is part of a group of avreichim whose goal is to raise awareness of this issue and battle against these threats, and be'eizer Hashem we're seeing that the general public is accepting and internalizing the message.

Every one of us has an obligation to encourage his acquaintances and to persuade those he is in contact with that the weeklies should be carefully avoided — bal yeiro'eh ubal yimotzei — and all the more so must we denounce those who cooperate with them by providing them with information or backing and help in distributing copies, etc. As gedolei Yisroel shlita have stated, we may not assist them and anyone who cooperates with them in any manner lends a hand to transgressors (mesayei'a le'ovrei aveiroh).

Previous articles about Natan Slifkin:

Gedolei Yisroel Ban Rabbi Nosson Slifkin's Books

To see letters issued in Kislev, 5766 by HaRav Shmuel Kamenetsky, HaRav Aharon Shechter, and the Novominsker Rebbe, click here.

Previous articles about Mishpachah:

Letter About "Weeklies" (including Mishpachah), Radio and Internet, Parshas Emor 5771

Letter About Mishpachah, Parshas Emor 5771

General and Specific Letters Against Mishpachah Reissued with Chassidic Rabbonim

Letter About "Weeklies" (including Mishpachah), Radio and Internet

Letter About Mishpachah


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