[Avodah] If all the nations of the world

[Prof. L. Levine]

The following is from an address Rav Shimon Schwab gave at the 1987 Aguda Convention titled

The Jew in Golus: How High a Profile.  The entire essay is available at

https://agudah.org/wp-content/uploads/1988/02/JO1988-V21-N01.pdf

es. - Agudath Israel of America<https://agudah.org/wp-content/uploads/1988/02/JO1988-V21-N01.pdf>
THE JEW IN GoLUS The Struggles of the JEWINGOLUS -I£ LL &Q&J based on an address by Rabbi Mordechai Gifter N"IJ'J~. Rosh Ha yeshiva qf Telshe Wickl!ff e, Ohio, and a member qf the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah (Council of Torah Sages} qf Agudath Israel of America delivered at the recent national convention qf Agudath Israel of America THE ROLE OF THE JEW
agudah.org
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>From Rav Schwab's talk

If all the nations of the world and
it's a tendency today to think
this way-are depraved, foolish and
wicked, it is no distinction to be
better than those who are depraved,
foolish and wicked. That is no basis
for praise to the Ribbono Shel Olam.
By the same token, gratitude for
being given the Torah cannot be
meaningful if all non-Torah science
is nonsense. if all secular knowledge
is without value. What glory is
ascribed to Torah knowledge if its
distinction is simply that it is
superior to nonsense? To the contrary.
Chazal have told us that there
is indeed chachma (wisdom)
amongst the nations. As a matter
of fact. upon seeing a wise non.Jew,
one pronounces a blessing, praising
G-d "for having given of His knowledge
to [a creature of] flesh-andblood."
But all their knowledge-all
their sciences and all their wisdom-
sh rinks into absolute nothingness
before the majesty of one
kutzo shel Yud (small stroke in the
sacred Torah.

Yet an attitude of disdain for the
other nations Is to be expected. as
a natural outgrowth of having suffered
the recent decimating churban
in Europe-and I am a witness
to it. After such barbaric behavior
by one of the world's most civilized
nations, and silent indifference on
the part of so much of the rest of
the world, many of us have lost basic
respect for the opinions of mankind.
Because of our anger and our deep
pain, we have developed an attitude
of "Who cares what other nations
say?" We have seen their civilization
and culture collapse in a major
catastrophe. We have been deafened
by the silence of the so-called moral
majority of decent people. We no
longer care. Let them say what they
want!
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