The article argues that the recent protests by Orthodox Jews over vehicles were a justified outcry against what it describes as prolonged persecution of the world of Torah by the authorities. It says earlier protests that used violence were rejected, but that when “water reached the soul,” leading rabbinic figures from across the Haredi spectrum concluded that silence was no longer possible and chose a harsh, public protest in defense of Torah honor and its students.
To explain the tone of the demonstrations, the writer tells a Karlin Hasidic anecdote in which a guest questions loud prayer and is told that when something hurts, people shout. The article then turns to Pinchas in Numbers, asking why his zeal was immediate and why the Torah notes that he took a spear. Its answer is that zeal against anti-Torah forces such as maskilim, Reform Jews, and other “impure” powers must be guided by the great Torah leaders of each generation, not by impulsive action.
The piece also cites the Talmudic saying, “The demolition of elders is building, and the building of the young is demolition,” and says Jews should study how earlier generations responded to crises, including enlistment decrees and other threats to religious life. It adds that Pinchas acted only after understanding, from the history of Israel in the wilderness, that the moment required it, and that the verse about the spear alludes to him taking all 248 limbs of his body into that struggle.
In its conclusion, the article says protest alone is not enough and that religious Jews must also correct their own conduct. It recalls a discussion at the home of the Chazon Ish about widespread Sabbath desecration in the Land of Israel, where he reportedly said religious Jews share responsibility, because their meticulous observance of Passover laws influences others positively, while laxity in Sabbath observance has the opposite effect. The text identifies Rabbi Chaim Moshe Katz as the rabbi of the Racham community in west Bnei Brak, a lecturer in Daf Yomi, and a radio host on Kol Barama.
