Guess what Jewish communities. Now that I am almost 40, I have learned in the last year that there is a special consideration that stems from the middle ages and to the best of my knowledge has been gone from most jewish worlds for about 200 years called Cherem. This is the excommunication of a Jew from the synagogue and jewish community. Though I am certain that situation can and may call for a person to be disciplined and perhaps if that person is so destructive to a community that the person could be legally asked never to come back such as with a protective decree of a legal ordinance in the general community, there really is not way that I can think that you can excommunicate a Jew from a synagogue and from Torah.
True that there are persons who are truly criminals in the general community; these people likely will not be in your synagogue as if they are indeed guilty of a crime against sociey, they will not be in synagogue since they may indeed be in jail perhaps. And if they return to the community they really deserve a place to worship unless they are continuing to be dangerous. Thus perhaps there is truly a stigma, but I think that Torah calls us to be forgiving and to work with the persons we have in our lives.
That aside, I will remark here that the contrary to the above is true today. I have been reading stories on an ongoing basis of the fact that some True Criminals are actually Sheltered by some religious communities. The ChaBaD recently had a male who was guilty of beating a black man on a street whom he had no previous contact (hate crime). The ChaBaD sheltered this person for 2 years sending him first to Canada and then to the USA. It is reported on the internet web sites (failedmessiah.com and I think matzav.com) that this person whose name I am not responsible for myself is indeed being extradited to the USA after 2 years in Israel, though with much difficulty as the ChaBaD is continuing to protect him.
Thus I can segue into the commentary about cherem that is on my mind here.
The ChaBaD is the group that today I am familiar with that frequently I am learning uses Cherem as a custom to silence voices of opposition. It is known that the Lubavitch Rebbe would frequently call upon others to excommunicate other jews who may have not supported him politically or have disagreed with him. I have been reading that this practice continues today.
I am not certain if I am in cherem right now from the entire ChaBaD movement, though I bet that if I continue to make commetaries like this one, I most certainly will be excommunicated from being able to daven in almost every jewish community run by the ChaBaD. I have indeed been assaulted in my own community for doing what qualifies as defending Torah Values. I am not welcome to the best of my knowledge in the synagogue in my town which is ChaBaD run. I have not sampled any other ChaBaD places nor do I think I ever really wish to do so.
I will say that this clearly limits a jew as in my town, the ChaBaD is the only religiously acceptable synagogue. A jewish soul needs to say kaddish. I am unable do fulfill this commitment unless I drive to a community where I am essentially unknown in a sister city which is about 45 minutes away.
Simple matter? Not really. I can do my daily prayers at home when I so choose. It is fine, but there is no minyan. Having faith in G-d, I am knowing that my Creator is aware of this major situation and I know that he is a G-d of justice. If I was truly defending Torah Values as I know that I was, I am not guilty in the eyes of our Lord and I can only assume that my limitations are considered and of course there will always be justice in this world or the next. No problem for me.
But to be quite honest here, I am increasingly concerned with this Cherem that is imposed on religious jews and likely the ones who are law abiding jews who simply are different from the rest of may speak out where noone else would dare speak against a group of officials who are bent to make their own laws and regulate the community with an fists of steel and iron. I simply can not accept that there is heresy in our day and I must continue to push the Laws of Moses where applicable. This is for the greater good of the world, although perhaps I may contradict the authority and preferences of a star player in the synagogue world if it need be and of course money is the major axiom today. Do not aggreive your fellow jew, that is written, but you should indeed reprove him where need be. And today's law is that if the other jew is making alot of money and giving to the synagogue, you just keep your mouth shut and abide by their dollar value. I find this completely disorderly and unjust and I will admit I am not a major muck raker in any sense, but if I am spoken to in a way such that Torah is Violated and I am aggreived, I will most certainly make a comment in my best fashion to honor Torah and to keep our values intact.
So I will obey the laws and if you want to do the same, perhaps we can all be friends.
If I am in cherem, G-d will hear my heart cry out and I am certain that my pleas will be heard high above. Perhaps you will be endowed with much financial pleasure and happiness today. What about the world to come? Good luck and may there be peace at high points, but if you are away from Torah, you are in serious contention for some dissay to come.
I can not be certain that if you want a place to eat your gefilte fish and drink your coffee on the weekend without the parlay of fear of another person saying something you just are not prepared to discuss is going to be the best situation in the long run! But enjoy your day!
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