The people of Israel are a unique and special people in the history of the peoples of the world. Even though we were exiled and dispersed, faced trials and terrible tribulations, we always remained one people. Despite countless efforts to destroy us and divide us, we have always remained the chosen people. God gave us the land of Israel as a gift and a promise to our forefathers -- a promise that was fulfilled thousands of years ago and continues to be fulfilled today. Sadly, ever since we returned to our land and established a successful, flourishing and independent state 68 years ago, every once in a while a good Jew will come along and manage to sow the seeds of disunity and disharmony among us. Only two weeks ago we read the Torah portion about Korach and his assembly in which a terrible occurrence is described: The earth opens up and swallows men, women and children, just because of a quarrel. Ever since Saturday, when well-liked veteran film critic Gidi Orsher came out against "Mizrahi culture," spicing up his rant with words of hate and disrespect for his brethren who are only different from him in one respect: the country their parents came from after a long exile. He clearly forgot that these are his brothers -- Jews living with him and beside him. To my understanding, this is not a one-time lapse of judgment by some random figure -- Orsher's rant was indicative of a burgeoning trend. Every once in a while a writer, journalist, academic or some other cultural figure lashes out against Mizrahi Jews, their culture, their customs, their faith and the traditions they inherited from their forefathers. Every time this happens, alongside the waves of backlash and public debate, baseless hatred and disunity ensues. There is nothing worse than baseless hatred -- it is the reason that the Temple was destroyed. Jews mourn it and fast over it. We remind ourselves over and over but we have not yet learned our lesson. So what makes the average man write and think such terrible things about his own brothers? Specifically, Orsher's rant indicates a fundamental failure to understand what faith means. In fact, his remarks suggested a profound ignorance regarding the Mizrahi culture of prayer, blessings and rituals that promote success. I have no doubt that if he investigated the matter a little deeper and saw the kind of miracles that can be performed with the help of earnest prayer, blessings and rituals, he would change his tune. If he had visited the homes of kabbalists and saw the kind of people that seek help and guidance -- Jews from every walk of life -- he would learn that there is no discrimination when providing assistance, regardless of origin. I have been fortunate, thanks to the grace of God, to offer assistance to a large number of Jews in Israel and around the world, and I have never asked anyone about their ethnic background or their faith. All I care about is the wellbeing of Jews who need counseling or help, just as a doctor or legal expert would provide assistance to anyone who seeks it. I am saddened every time a Jew disrespects another man's faith. It pains me when a person lashes out against another person's choices without investigating, learning or studying them, just to make himself feel better. This coming Thursday, I will be marking the annual celebration for my grandfather, Baba Shalom Ifergan. Hundreds of believers, rabbis, public figures and businesspeople will be attending the event -- both Mizrahi and Ashkenazi, religious and secular. And yes, the celebration will offer tools to strengthen faith in God and love for God. There is nothing wrong with that -- it is a blessing. I invite all those who look down upon an entire sector without knowing them to be my guests of honor. I invite them to come and see for themselves that Mizrahi culture is not as bad as they think it is. Division and disunity will lead us to the edge of the precipice. They serve no useful purpose and only lead to loss and destruction. Keep Korach's fate in mind. Netanel Shriki is the rabbi of Netivot.
Renounce disunity
מערכת ישראל היום
מערכת "ישראל היום“ מפיקה ומעדכנת תכנים חדשותיים, מבזקים ופרשנויות לאורך כל שעות היממה. התוכן נערך בקפדנות, נבדק עובדתית ומוגש לציבור מתוך האמונה שהקוראים ראויים לעיתונות טובה יותר - אמינה, אובייקטיבית ועניינית.
