The Matzav Shmoooze: Giving Bibi Credit for Keeping Shabbos When He Deserves It

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netanyahuDear Editor,

I saw a very interesting news item in the Israeli press which caught my attention:

There was a story regarding the Israeli prime minister, Binyomin Netanyahu, who encountered a uncomfortable experience which he managed to turn into a קידוש השם.

The downstairs floor in his house, where the kitchen and dining room are located, got flooded on Friday night. He decided to not allow anyone to be called, not to move מוקצה items, including paintings,  until after שבת was over, and for the rest of the שבת he ate his meals upstairs.

I was very moved and impressed. This is a secular man who doesn’t keep many, if any, מצוות, but out of respect for the people he represents, he decided to inconvenience himself and to lose money with those paintings and other items, including the floor, which got ruined as a result of being kept untouched until שבת was over.

I thought to myself, “!מי כעמך ישראל.” Even those he knows so little, he tried to make a קידוש השם. And although the man is obligated according to הלכה to keep much more then he keeps, he did not grow up in a frum home and so judging him favorably is definitely the way to go.

I was saddened and dismayed to see some frum commenters claiming that this was only done for publicity reasons and long-term political  gain. I know that the man is a politician, but come on, does this turn everything he encounters into a political gain?

I was thinking that our negative approach to things is what causes people to fall away in their Yiddishkeit. Let’s be a lot more positive and compliment others. Perhaps by doing this, we can regain the lost Jews amongst us.

I was also thinking and wondering out loud, where are all the people who say that  the leaders of ארץ ישראל today are the ערב רב and really hate Hashem and his תורה? Why do they think that their negative approach and hatred to secular Jews in ארץ ישראל is something Hashem admires? And who said that their manner of disengagement with the secular is desirable in Hashem’s Eyes? Maybe the opposite is more likely.

It is known what אברהם רביץ ז”ל said. He said after the Six Day War that many secular Jews were returning to the fold after witnessing such open miracles, but then came the הפגנות in Kikar Shabbos, and the hatred engine was then turned on. The secular media had a field day thereafter.

Let’s remember that positive generates positive and negative generates negative. It’s a fact. That’s the way Hashem made us and it is most likely the positive way that Hashem wants us to approach his lost sons and daughters.

A Yid, Z. P.

*****

The Matzav Shmoooze is a regular feature on Matzav.com that allows all readers to share a thought or analysis, long or short, one sentence or several paragraphs long, on any topic, for readers to mull over and comment on. Email submissions to [email protected].

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26 COMMENTS

  1. I will divide what you wrote about into two parts.

    1.) Being impressed that Bibi did not allow that desecration of Shabbos. That’s fine and commendable.

    This is all good as long as you don’t use the “favorable judgment” deal of a bank thief to now make him the overnight security gurd at that bank.

    [If you would like to now go ahead and use this favorable judgment in order to trust him with your personal belongings, due to his actions here, then caution as well as looking at other possible motivations is advised.

    2.) Are you suggesting that Hashem does not desire the Steipler’s judgment, but he desires yours? There are clear halachos of favorable judgment, when it must be used, when it may be used, and when it may NOT be used.

    Please review those halachos and then write another letter. Thank you

  2. In these days when Klall Yisroel needs zchusim, we should accept them wherever we can. We are a Holy Nation and even the worst are Meleim Krimmon with Mitzvos.
    Halevai that he keep every Shabbos. That would really have an effect on the Nation and show an example.

  3. The Yetzer Hora is hard at work! He doesn’t wish for us to do any Mitzvos, let alone find a limud z’chus for a Yid. We were all at Baarg Sinai and we all said Naaseh Venishma and HaShem said of all of us, Mi K’amcho Yisroel Goi Echad B’aretz!” The Satan don’t like it and he seeks to make a deeper rift between us and Kudsha Brich Hu wherever and never misses an opportunity! If only we were as diligent and vigilent in our Avodaas Hakodesh!
    Let’s all vow to love every Yid all the time! What a way to be Keemu v’kiblu – keemu mahb Sh’Kiblu kvaar!

  4. Well said. What u said is the pure truth!! If everyone was like u, then Mashiach would probably be here already. Peace among us is the most important protection from Satan as well.

  5. Lets remember the Halacha that we are required to judge all people favorably however if the person is wicked we are supposed to judge him to the side of chov not zchus.

    The fact is that the prime minister is a man that does not keep the Torah. He does not wear a head covering, put on tfillin, keep shabbos, make brachos etc etc etc

    Therefore, even though you are bending over backwards to make him look good, according to this Halacha, we should surmise that he did it for politcal gain.

  6. Bibi is free to do his shabbas as he feels is acceptable. I do not feel any need to smear the hardest working Israeli official on his adherance to the ultra strict code of some of our yidden when there is alot that someone does to bring himself close to Hashem.

  7. He has children and eineklach that are more frum than him, some that are ‘chareidi’. So perhaps he himself is better than some people think in terms of Yiddishkeit and/or is moving in the right direction.

  8. #11
    . I do not feel any need to smear the hardest working Israeli official on his adherance to the ultra strict code of some of our yidden when there is alot that someone does to bring himself close to Hashem.

    what?!

  9. “It is known what ????? ???? ?”? said. He said after the Six Day War that many secular Jews were returning to the fold after witnessing such open miracles, but then came the ?????? in Kikar Shabbos, and the hatred engine was then turned on. The secular media had a field day thereafter”

    simplistic

  10. WHEN SPECIAL OCCASIONS AND GALA EVENTS ARE SCHEDULED MEN ON ONE SIDE AND THE WIVES ON THE OTHERSIDE OF THE BALLROOM AND WIVES GET TO ENJOY THE FESTIVITIES

  11. Bibi’s wife Sara is shomer shabbos and his 3 children attend Dati schools. His in laws and brother in law spent time in Yeshivos…so just sit back and enjoy the sensation of a PM that will have it appear that Shabbat is an essential part of life.

  12. In these days when Klall Yisroel needs zchusim

    Morai verabotai,

    Once and for all, can you please remember that the Hebrew word ???? is feminine?

    It therefore follows that the plural of ???? is ??????.

    It matters not one whit whether or not you pronounce it in the Ashkenazi manner (‘zechuyos’) or in the Sephardi way, (‘zechuyot’), but please: at least get a matter of simple grammar right.

    After all are the Jews not known as ?? ?????

  13. “’It is known what ????? ???? ?”? said. He said after the Six Day War that many secular Jews were returning to the fold after witnessing such open miracles, but then came the ?????? in Kikar Shabbos, and the hatred engine was then turned on. The secular media had a field day thereafter”

    simplistic'”

    Simplistic yes – but also terribly true. We bring tzarot upon ourselves by our own actions.

  14. THANK YOU for sharing this beautiful post.

    As an aside, I believe many members of Bibi’s family are currently Dati, shomer shabbos etc. And I understand Bibi has recently started engaging more seriously in studying tanach.

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