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The following is from Rabbi Chaim Dov Rabinowitz's The History of the
Jewish People From Nechemia to the Present, Volume I pages 561 to
562<br><br>
<font size=3>Q.
</font><font face="Times New Roman, Times" size=3>According to your
description, internal enemies </font>among
the<font face="Times New Roman, Times" size=3> Jews arise<br>
during each generation, and with the aid of the gentiles </font>succeed
<font face="Times New Roman, Times" size=3>in creating<br>
spiritual devastation within the nation. But the facts thems1ves
require<br>
explanation. How came it that the Jews of Babylon sank to such a level
that<br>
they were able to produce men of such low character?<br><br>
A. Rabbi Sadiyah Gaon testifies (quoted in the Sefer HaKabbalah of the
Ravid<br>
and in Yeuchsin p. 207), that he once saw grade-school teachers
teaching<br>
Torah according to the distorted views of the most famous heretic of
that<br>
age, Chavi Habalchi. This heretic's works were not preserved, but
judging<br>
from the statements which appear in the books which were written to<br>
counter him, we realize that he presented a view which was meant to<br>
undermine the basic principles of Jewish faith. In this he was influenced
by<br>
similar movements taking place among the gentiles, actually comparable
to<br>
what is taking place nowadays among the non-religious public. Chavi
died<br>
about 60 years before the birth of Rabbi Sadiyah Gaon7. The fact that
Rabbi<br>
Sadiyah Gaon speaks of him, is sufficient to demonstrate that his
influence<br>
was great and even percolated downward to the level of grade-school<br>
teachers.<br><br>
Based on similar events which took place in Europe in more recent<br>
times, it appears that the process of the perversion of Jewish
concepts<br>
which occurred in Babylon followed an identical course. Many young
school<br>
pupils had distorted views regarding the principles of Judaism and
an<br>
erroneous understanding of the Scriptures, and they had no books or<br>
teachers to provide them with proper guidance. Therefore, when
someone<br>
appeared on the scene who was ready to fill that void, even if in a
fallacious<br>
manner, he was accepted by men who were involved in the field of
Jewish<br>
education. There was small chance for children who had been educated<br>
according to the views of Habalchi, to later mature and become assiduous
in<br>
the study of Torah.<br><br>
</font>The defects inherent in their concepts of Judaism, made these
former<br>
pupils of Habalchi natural allies of the Karaites and other sects outside
the<br>
realm of Torah. Thus, the Jewish slanderers, whose nature is identical in
all<br>
ages, could have originated from such a class of people. Earlier (Chap.
31),<br>
we described the character of a person who lived during the Second
Temple<br>
period who became the first informer in Jewish history. He was inspired
to<br>
commit his act of wickedness after a much-needed disciplinary action
was<br>
taken against him, which was done only after it became obvious that
there<br>
was no hope of rectifying him by other means. All outcasts, slanderers,
and<br>
informers who have ever arisen in Jewish history, are the product of<br>
inadequate education and a lack of proper instruction in spiritual
values<br>
when they were young. They develop, and eventually reach the stage
where<br>
there no longer is a possibility of them ever making a character<br>
transformation for the better.<br><br>
Q. You seem to relate immense importance to the subject of hashkafah,
i.e.,<br>
instruction in Torah concepts and beliefs, both in the field of education
and<br>
as a means for coping with crises which may arise in one's personal
life.<br>
But the fact that the yeshivah of Sura closed its doors in the days of
Rabbi<br>
Sadiyah Gaon, should indicate that the advancements made in his time
in<br>
the field of hashkafah and Jewish concepts is no wonder cure. How came
it<br>
that a master instructor of the concepts of Judaism such as Rabbi
Sadiyah<br>
Gaon, didn't succeed in preventing his own yeshivah from closing
down?<br><br>
The simplistic approach of those who attribute all mishaps to the<br>
machinations of the evil impulse, seems to me to be correct. There
aren't<br>
always proper explanations for why the evil impulse sometimes gets
the<br>
upper hand. Whatever happened then, happened, and why trouble
looking<br>
for explanations of how the evil impulse succeeded in overwhelming
the<br>
Jews of Babylon?<br><br>
A. First of all, Rabbi Sadiyah Gaon was active in Sura (or to be more
exact, in<br>
Matta Machsia, not far from Sura), for only a short time. This was
because<br>
he was interrupted in his work by constant strife, and his good name
was<br>
besmirched among his own disciples by the slander spread by his<br>
opponents. Moreover, Rabbi Sadiyah Gaon appeared on the scene too
late,<br>
and no doubt was unable to change much of the damage which had
already<br>
been done even among the grade-school teachers, not to speak of the<br>
spiritual defects which already existed in other realms. This rot
continued to<br>
spread and develop, until the day arrived during the time of Rabbi
Shreira<br>
Gaon that Jews were able to denounce the sages of Israel before the
gentile<br>
authorities and have them imprisoned.<br><br>
I have no doubt that knowledge of Jewish hashkafah and concepts, is<br>
the main foundation of Jewish education and in fostering readiness to
study<br>
Torah. Whenever this area is neglected, damage is caused which can
last<br>
for generations and is difficult to amend. This would be analogous to
a<br>
hard-to-cure disease which is the result of long-standing neglect, which
if it<br>
had been treated in time could have prevented much future trouble.<br>
Of course the evil impulse is powerful, but in regard to its activities
it is<br>
said: "I have created the evil impulse, but I have also created the
Torah as its<br>
remedy.'' The subject known as "Torah" is very general, and it
includes both<br>
the sanctifying study of the Talmud, and the instructive study of
hashkafah<br>
found in Aggadah and associated literature. Neglect of either of the
two.<br>
study of the Talmud or of hashkafah, opens the door wide for all sorts
of<br>
spiritual ills. This idea can be demonstrated by numerous proofs
derived<br>
from Jewish history, although there are many even among those who
are<br>
considered loyal to the Torah who disregard this observation.</body>
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