What come before “walking modestly”?

This article was written before we heard the news about Israel’s assassination of Hassan Nasrallah, who sought to destroy Israel and kill every Jew within. We thank Hashem for giving the Israeli military and its security and intelligence services the ability to defend Jews in Israel and around the world. As we enter the week leading up to Rosh Hashanah, we pray that He continues to guide us, and help our enemies recognize, like Haman’s wife long ago, that, “If Mordechai – before whom you have begun to fall – is from the offspring of the Jews, you will not succeed; “you will surely fall before him.” (Esther 6:13) May Jews around the world find the internal strength to call out to God, asking him to help Israel be victorious so that our hosts will return home, so that our residents in the north can go back to their houses, and so that we can live our lives in peace with our neighbors.

My friend Rabbi Natan Slifkin wrote about a recent letter signed by the members of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah – the rabbinic leaders who are, according to the website of Agudath Israel of America, the “revered senior rabbinic leaders in the community (who) agree on a regular basis to provide guidance and oversee the activities of Agudath Israel of America.”

This public call for repentance mentions the many troubles that have occurred to the People of Israel over the past year, including the horrors of October 7th and, according to a free translation posted on the Agudath Israel website, “reports of bloodshed and captivity. Our eyes are lifted to the heavens, longing for the release of the captives and the return of those who have been lost in darkness. We have faced harsh decrees against the Torah and those who study it and practice its mitzvos, we’ve mourned the loss of our great leaders, and we’ve endured numerous calamities that have impacted all of us, from our youth to elders. Our means of livelihood have dwindled, leaving many struggling to provide for their families. “This year has brought us many challenges, and we find ourselves with no one to rely on but our Father in Heaven.”

I was disappointed that the letter failed to mention the hundreds of Israeli soldiers who were killed and the thousands who have been injured; perhaps, though, this is implied in the words “bloodshed and captivity” and “numerous calamities.” I also believe that the “harsh decrees against the Torah and those who study it and practice its mitzvos” are, at best, imaginary. However, a call for introspection is always welcome.

The rabbinic leaders continue by suggesting five specific behaviors which the Orthodox community should take more seriously: praying and saying Tehillim with a minyan; avoiding skipping any part of Pesukei d’Zimra; not talking during davening; increasing our faith in God; and being extra vigilant about modesty.

I certainly agree that all five are important, and readily acknowledge that our community would be better if these were taken more seriously. Admittedly, some may recoil at what appears to be an obsession with modesty; but no one can possibly deny that tzniut is an essential value in Judaism. We may well argue on how to define tzniutand whether everyone in the Orthodox world is defining it properly. Nevertheless, no religious Jew can ignore the words of the Prophet Micha, who wrote that, “You have been told, O man, what is good, and what God demands of you: only to do justice, and love kindness, and walk modestly with your God.” (Micha 6:8) Emphasizing Micha’s third requirement is absolutely imperative, however we define it. (I discussed tzniut on several episodes of the Orthodox Conundrum Podcast; listen here, hereand here.)

Later in the letter, the authors also suggest that we “increase acts of charity and kindness to uplift the spirits of the downtrodden.” Should we follow their directive, we would fulfill the second of Micha’s three clauses.

But what about the first clause? What about “only to do justice”?

It is ironic that the letter from the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah mentions that, “Our means of livelihood have dwindled, leaving many struggling to provide for their families,” yet fails to mention behaviors that appear to parallel the struggle for parnasah: namely, acting fairly and honestly. And this is an area in which, sadly, many members of the Orthodox community are failing miserably.

There are plenty of Orthodox Jews who are upright and honest and who are exemplars of Micha’s first requirement.

There are also, however, plenty of Orthodox Jews who are not; and this is especially apparent in the cavalier way they sometimes choose to defraud the government.

I spoke to an acquaintance who works in a company owned and operated by members of the Chassidic community. He was shocked at the chicanery and subterfuge used by many otherwise religious Jews – including such despicable actions as, for example, declining to register marriages with the state, and thereby being eligible for massive government subsidies as “single parents.” Including tax evasion on a massive scale. Including trying every trick in the book in order to unjustly and dishonestly take money from the government which is simply not theirs to take.

This is only one example of dishonesty towards the government of which some religious Jews are guilty. Again: there are fine and upstanding and honest Orthodox Jews who would never dream of defrauding the state. Nevertheless, it is obvious that others in our Orthodox world have no problem with such dishonest activities; Anyone who claims that such people are marginal and utterly unrepresentative is either ignorant or willfully blind.

If we believe in midah k’neged midah – punishments that are directly related to the crime – then if “many (are) struggling to provide for their families,” we should not first look at whether we are honest in business, especially when we are aware that this is an area in which our community has, unfortunately, struggled?

As Ashkenazic Jews prepare to recite Selichot this week, we should absolutely work on our minyan attendance, avoidingance of talking during davening, saying all the words of the prayer service, enhancing our faith, and trying to walk modestly with our God.

But let’s not forget that it is impossible to walk modestly with God while simultaneously taking money that is not ours. It’s stealing, and it’s a desecration of His name.

We, and all of our leaders, need to rectify all of our wrong behavior – including those from which we may rather avert our eyes.