Gedolei Yisroel are extending blessings to MK Rabbi
Yaakov Cohen to remain stalwart and unafraid in his battle to
provide for chareidi education despite the recent violent
attack on him by Justice Department official Atty. Amnon de
Hartoch.
Rabbi Cohen visited the homes of Maran HaRav Eliashiv, HaRav
Shteinman, the Admor of Gur, the Admor of Belz, the Admor of
Tzanz and the Admor of Sadigora, who offered encouragement to
Rabbi Cohen and the other chareidi representatives
campaigning to meet the needs of Torah, educational and
chessed institutions.
MK Cohen told them about the heated exchange leading up to
the forceful slap by Atty. de Hartoch, who was subsequently
suspended after a long period of hampering Torah institutions
at every turn.
After Rabbi Cohen recounted the incident, HaRav Eliashiv
shlita replied, "In Tehillim it says, `Ki
hikiso es kol oyvai lechi' (3:8). And why did Dovid
Hamelech want all of his enemies to be struck in the cheek?
Because a blow to the cheek causes not only pain to the
person slapped, but also embarrasses the person who is struck
more than another type of blow.
"However, in this case there is no reason to be ashamed. The
gemora says, `Hakol lefi hamevayesh
vehamisbayesh.' In cases of shame one must assess who is
the person doing the shaming and who is being shamed. In this
case the person causing the shame is insignificant, thus
there is no shame to the person shamed. In fact, you should
wear it with pride..." Maran later blessed Rabbi Cohen for
success together with the other UTJ representatives in their
efforts to pass the Education Law, calling it a "dovor
shegufei Torah teluyin bo."
HaRav Shteinman shlita also asked for an account of
the incident. After hearing the details he expressed
astonishment, saying, "We believe that everything comes from
Above, but sometimes we have an opportunity to clearly see
how things are handled up Above. The Torah world has long
awaited the moment this man would be removed from his post
and how it would transpire. Through humiliation and having
his disgrace publicly known, Hashem's Hand can be clearly
seen. Happy is your lot that the Name of Heaven was
sanctified through you." HaRav Shteinman offered a blessing
that Sheim Shomayim be openly sanctified again and
again through him. He also offered encouragement to all of
the teachers to be wary of what awaits them now that the
Education Ministry seems to be enforcing the Core Curriculum
Program, blessing them for "Parnossoh berevach vesiyato
deShmaya."
A delegation of prominent Vishnitz activists arrived at Rabbi
Cohen's home at the behest of the Admor of Vishnitz to convey
his blessing: "When one acts for the sake of the [Torah]
institutions, one sees siyata deShmaya."
MK Rabbi Cohen visited the Admor of Gur in Arad and received
his blessing: "In the merit of the Torah and hevel pihem
shel tinokos shel beis rabbon may you have the merit to
continue successfully sanctifying the Name of Heaven."
Rabbi Cohen also received a special brochoh from the
Belzer Rebbe, who inquired into his well-being following the
grave attack. "May Hashem Yisborach help him regain
his strength and may he have the merit to increase kovod
Shomayim with robust health."
The Admor of Tzanz said, "Happy is your lot that you were
caught for involvement in Torah ["shenitfasto al divrei
Torah"]. You are a representative of the Torah world and
as such we are all obligated to protest the harm done to you.
All of us must unite to encourage and support him and to
protest against he who harmed a public emissary loyal to
those he represents." The Admor concluded by blessing Rabbi
Cohen "to continue sanctifying the Name of Heaven and may you
have protection and success in all your endeavors."
The Admor of Sadigora offered words of encouragement and
blessing. "Mei'oyvay techakmeini" (Tehillim 119:98),
he quoted, saying we should use the same fervor shown by
those who sought to harm Torah institutions, and redouble
efforts to build the foundations and strengthen them.
Meanwhile, on Monday Justice Minister Daniel Friedman told
the Knesset, "Nobody denies that Mr. de Hartoch's conduct
toward Knesset Member Rabbi Yaakov Cohen was unacceptable and
should be condemned. There is no room for resorting to
violence of any kind by a civil servant or any other
individual, in reaction to verbal expression, as harsh as it
may be." Friedman was replying to a no-confidence motion
submitted by UTJ for "the Justice Minister and Attorney
General's failure to denounce the attack against MK Rabbi
Yaakov Cohen by a ranking official in the Justice
Ministry."
MK Rabbi Gafni, who presented the no-confidence motion, said
that a large portion of the public in Israel, some one
million people whose children study at chareidi schools, woke
up last Wednesday morning, the day after the slap, "and they
were sure the entire secular media would be irate and deliver
a severe criticism on this issue. They woke up in the morning
only to find the whole media was justifying the slap. A Galei
Tzahal reporter said, it's a shame he didn't give him a
harder smack and knock out all his teeth, too, while
Ha'aretz wrote that it was a very desirable slap.
"Such sights of beating members of parliament we thought were
only in places like Taiwan, but last week it came to the
Knesset, too."
Rabbi Gafni complained that the press, including top
journalists who have won prestigious prizes, wrote in favor
of de Hartoch's deeds in the Justice Ministry without looking
into the matter at all and without any knowledge of de
Hartoch's decrees and the claims against him. "The media
lowered itself to a level it should never have reached."
He also lodged criticism against de Hartoch's claims that he
lost control because he was the son of a Holocaust survivor.
"Who among us here in the Jewish people is not a child of a
Holocaust survivor? Who? MK Cohen isn't? Three hundred people
from his family perished in the Holocaust. To use a defense
like that? It's a disgrace that people are still talking
about that. There is one dispute. He acted violently, he gave
a slap, a slap which was not a tap but rather he flung all
his rage for [me] at Yaakov Cohen. The first thing the
Justice Minister should have done was to issue a condemnation
of the deed."
According to Yated, the events leading up to the slap
were:
There was a heated exchange in the hallway outside the
committee meeting rooms over the amount of funding the State
should provide chareidi educational institutions.
Irate over de Hartoch's remarks, Rabbi Cohen said, "Why do
you lie to us? Why do you scheme against us? You're
destroying the Torah world."
"You're an animal," de Hartoch replied. "You're like the
Germans."
Rabbi Cohen responded to the harsh words by saying, "What
you're doing is like the Germans who wanted to destroy the
body and soul."
"Stop talking like that," said de Hartoch. "You don't know
me. I'll give you a smack."
"Let's see you," said Rabbi Cohen.
At that point de Hartoch failed to control his rage and
slapped the MK very hard across the face.
Most of the media do not report that de Hartoch was the first
to accuse Rabbi Cohen of being like the Germans. de Hartoch's
lame excuse that he is the son of Holocaust survivors does
not account for the fact that the was the first to introduce
the theme into the insults.
