One Rabbi...

I have never been so disenfranchised from rabbis in my life. The stories being told of how rabbis have treated congregants who do not vaccinate are so so so disgraceful. From kicking adults and children out of shul with a letter, from physically confronting them when they try to daven in shul anyway, from strong-arming and calling names, to just being downright unsympathetic, unempathetic, and not even listening to a different point of view.

This has led to tremendous hardship to hundreds, if not thousands of families, who refuse to accept the party line that vaccination is so safe and harmless. They have been ostracized from their communities, former friends now hate them (that's really normal and rational - to hate someone over a vaccination stance), their children are not welcome in school, and their rabbi has been party to all of this terrible behavior.

So here is another breath of fresh air. Perfect for the 3 weeks! (Those who are blinded by their hatred will surely say, "This isn't talking to me!")

We say, GOD BLESS THIS RABBI! APPLAUSE APPLAUSE!!!

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It's customary to study about the Holy Temple in Jerusalem during these three weeks. So I'd like to share an excerpt from Hilchos Beis Habechira 1:12 of Maimonides' Mishneh Torah:

 הכל חייבין לבנות ולסעד בעצמן ובממונם אנשים ונשים כמקדש המדבר ואין מבטלין .תינוקות של בית רבן לבנין בית המקדש ואין בנין ב"ה דוחה יום טוב 

"All are obligated to build and assist with its construction (of the Holy Temple), both bodily and monetarily, men and women alike, just like during the construction of the Tabernacle in the desert. But we may not interrupt children from studying Torah in their teacher's class, nor does the construction of the Holy Temple override [the prohibition of working on] the holidays (and certainly not Shabbos either)."

I'll repeat that in case you missed it.

We may not interrupt children from studying Torah, even to build the Holy Temple in Jerusalem.

To all the rabbis in New York State:

There are scores of children in your communities who are being prevented from studying Torah. Children are being interrupted from studying Torah in your communities throughout your state.

It's great that you are teaching laws of how to construct the Holy Temple during this solemn time of year, but there's something far more pressing that you need to attend to RIGHT NOW:

Go out and find those children who have been prevented from studying torah.

Go and ensure that all those holy and precious Tinokos shel beis rabban (upon whose פיהם הבל the world exists) are able to receive Jewish educations. Reach out to those families who feel distraught and abandoned by you and the rest of your community.

Go teach them the above law in Hilchos Beis Habechira.

Go assure them that your will NOT neglect your holy calling and will NOT abandon them, and that you will NOT rest until their children are ensured a Jewish education like all others.

Every moment that you neglect these precious children and their families, it is far worse than neglecting to rebuild the Beis Hamikdash.

Don't say: "But it's dina d'malchusa. The state is preventing them from attending school. Nothing I can do."

Note how the Rambam juxtaposed interrupting children from learning Torah to working on Yom Tov.

If the state required you to work on Shabbos or Yom Tov, would you comply?

I hope the answer is no.

Well, by sitting by idly while Jewish children are barred from school and cruelly denied a Torah education in your community, it's like YOU are violating shabbos or yom tov.

Let's get out there and find these children and teach them Torah. Teach them Hilchos Beis Habechira too. Get them back into school.

That is undoubtedly the surest way to hasten the construction of the Beis Hamikdash, may it be in the most immediate present. Omein!