Am Kshe Oref - Good or Bad?

Shmos (Exodus) 31:9: Hashem said to Moshe "I have seen this nation and it is a stiff-necked people." In this case, Hashem was obviously referring to Bnai Yisrael as a stubborn people bent (pun intended) on doing the opposite of Hashem's bidding and unwilling to change.

For the Jewish people, this has been both a blessing and a curse. As a blessing, it has, with lots of help from the One above, helpled the nation to survive thousands of years of persecution. no matter how downtrodden we have become, we have ALWAYS persevered. As a curse, this stubborness has kept us in Golus, in exile for nearly two thousand years, or more if one accepts that the return to Erezt Yisrael after Golus Bavel, the Exile of Babylon was not a true return since so many opted to stay in Golus and the face of the Jewish people truly changed after the destruction of the first Bais Hamikdash (Holy Temple) and the subsequent exile.

As with any other attribute a person or people may have, stiff-neckedness may either be used for the betterment of a person or to a person's detriment. Take, for example, the attribute of being humble. Moshe was the humblest man who ever lived. He never wanted leadership, never wanted to be the head of a nation. In his argument with Hashem, we see this exemplified, almost to a fault when Hashem finally becomes angry with him and tells Moshe to just get on with his mission and accept his destiny. Moshe goes, reluctantly. Not too soon after this, after Moshe asks Pharaoh to "let my people go," and Pharaoh instead makes things much worse for the Jewish people, Moshe again asks Hashem why he had to be the instrument through which things would become so much worse for the Children of Israel. At this point (Exodus 6:1-8), Hashem basically tells Moshe "Trust Me." He tells Moshe that he should trust in Hashem and not question, just as our forefathers had trusted and not questioned even though they, unlike Moshe, did not know Hashem Divine Name. From this point on, Moshe becomes a true leader. And while he remained humble all his life, when it came to standing up for what was right he did so, whether it was standing up to the Almighty Himself and preventing the destruction of the Jewish people after the sin of the Golden Calf, or whether it was leading an army and killing the giant, Og. And when Moshe makes a mistake, like when he hits the rock instead of talking to it (Numbers 20:11-12), he acknowledges his mistake and accepts his punishment. Moshe understands that Anivus is a constant state of mind of which one must always be aware, and when one slips out of that state of mind, one can make mistakes.

So, being stiff-necked can be a good thing. I've heard hundreds of stories that have taken place throughout the last 3300 years of Jews standing up for what is right and suffering or dying, but in that suffering preserving the integrity of what it means to be a Jew and in dying, spreading that lesson across the world. These stories go from Avraham all the way down to the Holocaust and beyond.

But here's the trick. We have to know when to be stubborn and when not to be. When do we let things continue as they are and when do we stand up and say "Enough!" When do we continue a road where no other form of halacha following Judaism is kosher except for the one to which we belong, and when do we stand up against this kind of small thinking. When do we continue to think that any other form of Halacha following Judaism isn't "emes" and when do we object and say "that's just ridiculous!"

Hashem sent us into Golus not as individuals or small groups, but as an entire nation, all of us, because of two reasons.
1. Sinas Chinam - senseless, pointless, just for the heck of hating hatred.
2. Because we left Hashem's Torah - al asher azvu Torasi.
We are still in Golus because of these two reasons. In nearly two thousand years not only have things not gotten better, they've become far worse.

In this blog, I would like to examine our stiff-neckedness, the reasons for our still being in Golus, and what we, as a nation, can do about it. There will be times when I rail against Yeshivish, others against Chasidish, ands till others against Modern Orthodox and still others against Religious Zionism. If you want to try to niche me, I promise you won't be able to do so. Someone once tried and failed miserably. The best answer I will ever give is "I am a Halacha following Jew." Please feel free to comment. I will be moderating, and I probably won't be posting some comments. I will try to post at least once a week. I hope you enjoy this blog and look forward to constructive discussions.