Plage 4 - The Canadian Jewish News, Friday, August 30,1968
JEWISH NEWS
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Chrisfhns and Jews
*^ WHY DO ORTHODOX JEWS USE ELECTRIC SHAr VERS ONLY? '
* "You shall not round off the sidegrowth oh your head, or destroy the side-growth of your beard" (Leviticus 19j 27). From the context of this Biblical verse it would appear that theprb-hibition of removing beard and sidelocks is based on idolatrous associations. This is the interpretation of Ibn Ezra who adds the further reason that the beard was created as a facial adoirn^ ment Maimonides (Guide in, 37) states that it is prohibited to remove the corners of the head, and to mar the corners of the beard, be-
COMMON FIGHT
Toronto welcomes the International Conference of Christians and jews which opens here this coming Monday.
The 1968 assembly for "overcoming the barriers to communication" may not attract the attention it merits because of the interiiational politick situation. For who worries about interfaith rapport at a time when the worlds we built, the society of civilized men which we established, seem to be shaken to the very foundations?
Yet this perhaps is the time to rally all, transcending differences of religious belief in order that free men - - Catholic, Protestants and Jevvs, as well as nonbe-lievers - - should be able to labor
together and fight together for the propositibn that man cannot be pushed back into an animal's cage.
Jews and Christians now are under attack by the forces of a neo-Fascism disguised as was Hitlerism under the mask of "Socialism".
If the Communist dictatorship attacks Jews today, it may invade a Christian country tomorrow. Never in history was it so necessary for men of all religious persuasions to unite so that the biUical truth, common to all of us, replace the bigotry of Red Paganism.
Our Jewish contribution 'to this society of free men can be simima-rized in one sentence: that the f^ of God, His Law, extinguish the fear of man.
Politics in
by Moshe Bon
Finances
by BARUCH BER
Israel's economic revival after the recession preceding the June war last year is now in full blast. Although precise figures are not yet available, the Gross National. ri?.'TOW higheit ftage "
Overall figures ai^ar to show that in the first half of 1968 exports did increase by 11.7 per cent compared to the sam6 period last year, reaching 140 million pounds, jl^the firs^ half of 1967 , 3ed June.. the mbnth of
tHs again bec6mm| me'^SSx Day war, when ex-
evident
Wages and prices, however, are still stable, except for slight pressures in some specialized industries.
Some Ministers are patting themselves on the back for the "achievements" of the 18-month recession, but they did not rectify a basic fault of the Israeli economy - an imbalance of employment as between the service industries and the manufacturing Industries. Consecpientlyitis not at all clear whether exports will boom together with production and incomes.
ports were only half what they should have been.
Taking this and other relevant factors into account exports during the first half of 1968 were really running at much the same rate as in 1967 - and imports are much higher than they were then.
Nevertheless, there have been gains. The most en-coura^ sign lies, perhaps, in the fkct that "other" exports, meaning items too small for detailed mention in general statistics, have increased threefold in ajgri-culture and by 20 per cent in
industry.
Perhaps one of the most satisfactory developments in Israeli e^rts came in the field of machinery, where foreign sales doubled to .^TTO pounds. .;v^
To stim up: While some individual items are showing encouraging advances, exports as a whole do not seem to be increasing at a satis- . factory rate.
Progress in this field will depend, notonhig^rpiroduc-tion and income figures, but on whether the Government intends to pursue a policy of transferring manpower from the service industries to the highly important manufacturing industries.
At the moment nobody knows whether the Government intends to do this, and the Government ts not saying.
Tel Aviv - What happens elsewhere also happens in Israel. The youngsters are revolting against their elders.
Dr. Yehuda Rosiehberg, professor at Bar Dan University and an army officer, who is the son of Dr. J.S. Ben Meir (Rosenberg), Vice Minister Of the Interior, known from his days of being a Mizrachi leader in the United States, has assumed the leadership of the rebellion against the older leaders of the Religious National Party.
For five years the Party leaders have postponed elections. A short time ago the two main factions united: one group, led by Moshe Chaim Shapiro, Minister of the In^ terior; Lamifne, led by Dr. Josef Burg and Moshe Unna, both M.P.'s. These groups total approximately eighty percent of^Partj^ members.
Several days ago a heated meeting of the Party executive took place. Led by Dr. Yehuda Rosenberg, the opposition of the Party demanded an early date for Party elections. A. Beuer^ Vice Mayor of Tel Aviv and chairman of the meeting, moved to pos^mne the elections until November. The opposition stirredtq)astorm and internq)ted speeches of other members of the executive by shouting. They forcefully took over the rostrum and microphone. It got to the point where the leaders of the Party werie obliged to call the police.
Some<me cut the electric wires veiling the entire place in darkness. But the youngsters did not budge. They continued with the meeting 1^ themselves, which resulted in a decision to hold Party elections on August 20th.
This decision was, of
course, not accepted as legal.
The younger element advertised in all newspapers, declaring that scientists and teachers supported their demands. They stated that they intended to intensify their fight, against the Party leaders to strengthen the democracy in the National Religious Party according to the example of other parties in Israel.
What they want is a rotation system by which no one could serve more than two
terms in the Cabinet municipal councils and other public institutions. They maintain that the Party should not deal only with religious but with all state problems and should play a more active role in the economy, army. Foreign Ministry, police.
They accused the leadership of the Party of having been busy, up to now, with occupying the religious and rabbinical insUtutions of the country and neglecting all other phases of public life.
MALIK CANNOT
United NaUons, New York (JCN^ - Russia's representative in the Security Council, Mr. Jacob Malik, sought to use Israel as a red herring when he spoke last night in the debate on his country's invasion of Czechoslovakia.
In their attempt to overthrow progressive Arab regimes, he declared^ the United States had used Israel as its instrument encouraging
the Jewish State to undertake "repulsive and shameless aggression".
Mr. Malik also assailed Lord Caradon, the British delegate, who had not been able to find words of comfort "for Arabs under the heel of foreign occupiers".
The defenders of Israel were now posing as "thedefenders of socialist uni^", he declared.
The leaders of the Party reacted strongly to these accusations. At their last meeting they did not allow any access to "outsiders"; thus it ended peacefully.
Minister Shjg^iro criticized the publicity campaign of the youngsters. "They dare defame the names and honor of leaders who give their lives for the establishment of a national religious movement" he said. /'This is not an ideological struggle but a struggle for publicity and offices. The youngsters behave like small children. We honor the laws of the Torah and these forbid defamation and libel."
, When the vote, proposed by the Party leaders, to postpone the elections until November 9th was called for, the young executive members left the room in protest
Both sides are preparing a strong election campaign. The Party leaders claim that the entire "rebellion" of the youngsters aims only at obtaining some offices in the new leadership; it is a fight for political position. The youngsters maintain that radical changes are necessary in the Party and its leadership.
Letters to the Editor
OUR PRESS IS TO BLA/AE
Dear Editor:
I find the way the topic of Jewish refugees from Arab lands is handled in The Canadian Jewish News incredible, incongruous and suave. Of course, there are thousands of innocent Jewish refugees from Arab countries. Also, their plight has not reached the "world conscience". But whose fatilt is that?
If the Arabs have made enough noise to move world public opinioiL all the more power to their propaganda agencies. We Jews lack such agencies and in their absence it is our journalists whose function it should be to draw the public's attention to the plight of these poor people.
If matters of substance like the Jewish refugees and the fate of Jews in Eastern
Europe, for example, were given more frequent prominence in the Jewish press, plus the occasional article in the general press, rather than a cavalcade of interpretations and reinterpreta-tions of non events, "world conscience" such as it is might gain eventually a smattering of knowledge about our refugees.
Toronto. A. ISAAC
A drqmcitic stop'-press anaiysis^^ Czech tragedy from g Special Corespondent in Eastern Europe
PRAGUE: THE
LAST week the curtain has risen :_on the inevitable : tragedy that the free world has been dreading. Thirty years after Munich, Czechoslovakia has been invaded again
?'[Cross the same frontiers, from he ~south, the east and the north. This time it is the pussians who ^re occupying Prague.
It would be hypocrisy to try to find an alibi for Western jpas-iivity.  Even though the West ^an do nQthlng militarily about the events in Czechoslovakia, the stress laid bn its helplessness virtually told the Russians that they would have a free land in Czechoslovakia. And so t has turned but. This having )een said, let us bxamine the implications that this week's events arc bound to have for Jews here in Eastern Europe.
Jewish invoivement
As far as Czechoslovak Jewry Is concerned, the first striking thing to be noted is the com-par^tively^largejuimber of Jews. Iiivblved intone way or another ill Mr. /Dubcek's liberalisation /poliw.ylh fact, the last staunch iCzecn Sf alinist ofJe^ish origin was Rudblf Slansky, \((ho ironically faced a. Stalinist firing-squad seventeen years ago. His wife-i-paraddxlcally / enough-^ played an active^iole in the liberalisatioh movement.
The Ibng-drawn-out persecution of old-guard .lewisn Com-tnunists, including former volunteers in the Cz'ecli Brigades of the Red Army, had continued since 1953. With the new ttend iinder Mr. Dubcek all these were again recalled for active service by the democratic faction within the Party, par'-ticularly by President Svoboda.
Now, many top Jewish technologists who took a large part in reshaping the economy are likely to be the first casualties of a reinstated pro-Russian regime.
It is even possible thai the fate of men like the former Defence Ministeh General Bohumir Lomsky. will now be settled unceremonibusly for Ihft worse. Today, however, there' is an essentiat difference between the pattern of persecution to which Jewish officials and ex-bfliclals will be subjected In Czechbslovakia and what happened after tbe Hungarian ' ■ revolt.
In 1956 Jbwish Communists were- branded as ultra-conservatives who by their " lack of
{patriotism" and sectarian atti-ude had set off the explosion of counter-revolutionary forces in Hungary. Now. Czechoslovak Jewish artists, intellectuals and officials will, be accused of being responsible for formulating Prague's " CDunler-revoUitlon-.ary plot" as part of an "International conspiracy;" Tlie process Is much the same
as that which we have seen in Poland, with two aggravating circumstances: Novotny ~ unlike Gomulka—is a notorious antisemlte, and secondly, the Czech(»1ovak pres.s was quite vocal about resuming relalions with Israel, one of the few mar-: ginal freedoms Dubcek was supposed to have allowed himself m foreign pbliijy. V
These factors are bound to have an effect on all Czeclio-slovak Jews, not only those ' a1' the top." In its search for scapegoats, the propaganda of the pro-Russian camp can be expected to exert Itself against rank-and-file Jews also, exploii-' ing every aspect J not only t lie usual anti-Zionist line.
There is reason to fear lijat. antisemitif Communism w^^ to revive anti-Jewish" -feeling /among the workers, who Have long been bitter and fearful of changes in the economic staUii; qt(o, which guarantees salaries and   pensions   even   without / improved produclivity or eRlci-chcy.   (This was. in fact-, the basis of Novotny's more recent demagogic policy.)
But generally speaking, ant iv scmlti.sm "from the bottom" will be minima] and unlikely to increase, because now the fate of Jews is tightly linked with Ifie de.sfiny H tlie enllre Czechd; Slovak nation. The Impact of events In Czechoslovakia on Rumania will also have to be watched with great attention'. Will* we .see Bucharest in its
turn, capitulate, or will the Rumanians stand up to the Russian bear?
The Safest assiiraptlon is that conditions in Rumania will, as long ias tlie Russians are preoccupied 'with^ the. Czecho-_slovaks. remain unchanged; Altfioughthe Rumanian Government Will have to be more ;cautious about relations with Mrael, present trends are likely to continue. - In any case, the call for unity iii the face of possible Russian revenge wiU mean that Rumanian Jews will be hiQluded hi a " national soll-dari^" campaign. ^
The greatest blow to East European Jewry as a result of Ihis week's events; will not be i material one. but a moral bne. When I was In Russia, eariler his year, all eyes were "on Czechoslovakia, though at that ime developnoieiits there were still in an embryonic stage.
The belief in Russia then was that, in spite of everything, Ihere was still a chance to fouple humanity and brbthor-hood with the Communist movement through the Influence of •vents In other parts of the Communist world. It was for this reason that, even though Communism in Poland turned Openly to antlsemitism, some lews in Russia still retained their faiths that things would turn out differently as far as Czechoslovakia was concerned. In ordei* to understand this
propensity, to grasp at any straw, one must always keep In mind Uiaj^tion oLiM Jem in the Soviet Union Isolated, frustrated, fachig pauperisation and demoralisaubn. with the social status of declasises and the ethnic one of strangers in their own ccuntry.
Greater even than the tragedy of the displaced intellectuals and of the individual " unemployable" Jew in Eastern Europe, is the depression of the young generation.
Young Jews in Eastern Europe see no prospects for their own future and are depressed' at the sight of the Luftraenschen — the untranslatable term describing men without solid ground under their feet without regular employment living Vin the air" and —It would almost seem-Min air, the former "dreamers of the ghetto." For them In their ever-increasing numbers hi the overcrowded cities of Russia, the repression in Czechoslo^ vakla vril come as a terrible shock.
All East European Jews are nowadays extremely, sensitive about attiempts to democratise Communism which they regard as their only chance Of sUr^val —that or emigration to Israel,
Now that this disillusioned, morally unsettled and economlo* ally unpovcrlshod world Is freezing over once agabi, their depression will be almost UnoearaWe.
(Copyright JCNS ft The Canadli|n Jawlsh N«wt)
caiise it was the custom of dlolatrous priests. R. Jacob b. Asher (Tiir, Yoreh Deah 181) disagrees With the search for reasons in this matter. Since no reason Is stated exiilicitly hiScripture the Jew should Obey the f'decree of the Ktag" without questioning.
The Mishnan (Makkot 3,5) rules that the prohibition only applies to removal with a razor. Consequently, even strictly observant Jews remove the hair of the beard with scissors or a chemical depilatory or, nbwadays;, with an electric shaver. Although according to the reasons given the purpose of the law is for man to haye a beard, so that it would seem to offend against the law in whatever way it is removed, this isan example among many where the Halachah goes its own w^, as it were, and is not influenced by any reasons which may be advanced for observance.
For all that many pious Jews still consider it an offence to remove the beard in any way whatsoever on the grounds that there is point in men hav^ a special "Jewish" facial appearance and in men looking different from women.
In the Kabbalah the beard is said to reflect the supernal graces which glow from God's wisdom as the hairs of the beard emerge from the face. A noted latter-day Halachic authority, Hazon Ish, states (Letters, VoL 1, No. 197) that he objects to the removal of the l>eard with a depilatory because this offends against Jewish modesty and because Jews in exile only remove their beards to ape the Gentiles.
Many Westernized Jews, on the other hand, see no religious significance in wearing a beard since this is no longer considered to be a special Jewish practice and hence does not have the support of what Solomon Sch-echter calls "Catholic Israel". The compromise many adopt is to remove the beard but with an electric shaver to satisfy the requirements of the din. The Chief Rabbi, in reply to afaceti-
ous reference in a Jewish newispaper to the introduction of an automatic lift in his synagogue for use on the Sabbath, wrote: 'at looks as if the spectre of religious Jews in twentieth-century garb, equipped with electric shavers and automatic lifts to prove the compatibility bf their faith with contemporary civilizatirai is even mbre objectionable to you than the sight of ear-locked Jews hi medieval schtreimels and kaftans" (Journal of a Rabbi", 1967, 457-8).
* IS THE FIRST YAHR-ZEIT AFTER A PERSON'S DEATH TAKEN FROM THE DATE OF THE DEATH OR THE DATE OF THE FUNERAL? DO WE GO BY THE HEBREW OR THE ENGLISH DATE?
* The date is that of the death unless hro or more days separate the funeral from the death, in which case the first yahrzeitonly is on the date of the fUneraL It goes without sayii^ that the date is the Hebrew not
the English.
♦ ♦    ♦ *
* WHY ARE WE NOT ALLOWED TO CARRY THINGS ON SHABBAT? IN WHAT CIRCUMSTANCES ARE WE ALLOWED TO DO SO?
* The basic text here is: "And bear no burden on the Sabbath day" (Jeremiah 17, 21-22); The rabbis make a distinction between a "burden" (massaO and an "adornment" (tachshiQ. Thus it is forbidden to carry a par-cet etc., because this falls under the former heading, but it is permitted to wear rings, gloves, etc.
* •    ♦ ♦
* DO WE BLOW INTO THE LUNGS OF CATTLE AFTER SLAUGHTER AS THEY DO IN ADEN?
* The practice of blowing into the lungs is mentioiud in the ShulchanAruch(Yoreh Deah 39,1) but although it is there stated that some adopt this custom in every case, the actual ruling given there is that it only need be done when there is an adhesion about which there is some doubt
Sermon For The Week
JUSTICE
Justice. Ju^ice shalt thou pursue, that thou mayest live, and inherit the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee. (Deuteronomy 16, 20).
What a wealth of content is to be read into this remarkable iniunction, but how much is lost in the accepted English translation. The Hebrew word for justice In this context is tsedek. which is generally rendered as "righteousness", whereas justice in Hebrew is mish-pat. The former has wide and almost limitless implications, the latter is reserved for judges and courts of law,
Why then should the term tsedek be so confined in its translation thereby implying a measure of restriction? True, this passage speaks of the need to appoint judges and law officers whose primary t^ should be the dispensing of "ri^teous judgment", but can one not infer from the Injunction to pursue righteousness that this virtue is operative in the wictest circles of society?
indeed, the more one ponders on the inherent qualities of tsedek, the more one becomes conscious of its infinitive variety. Its praises have been sung by prophet and psalmist who invariably associate it with qualities of kindness uprightness charity and truthfulness. There is no abstract quality in this virtue; every facet of its application affects the life and advancement bf the whole human family.
The law-giver must, indeed, have anticipated the thoughts of later generations of social philosophers when he stressed that the pursuit of tsedek would guarantee liite and facilitate one's possession of the (siarth. He must well have realised that there is no value in life if kindness and charity, uprightness and truthfulness are denied, or if men are deprived of their benefits.. When society is torn asunder by brutality and rutblflssness; and when the warmth of humane considerations is regarded as weakness rather than strength, man is reduced to the level of the brute and the law of the jungle prevails.
What happens thisn to the promise of the earth's possession? This earthWas given to the sons of man that they might.woricit,make it give^forth its produce and satisfy man with its goodness. But with the absence oi tsedek, the earth becomes blood-sodden, God's handi- : work is marred, and instead of "man working in partnership with God in the work Of creation", he biscomes iEi wanderer on the face of the earth, rootless and powerless to enjoy the manifold blessings which are his by right.
Ours is a generation which has witnessed the truth of the Biblical injiihction. We have seen life and soil destroyed by demonic forces devised by man< We have seen the misery of human displacement resulting from cruelty, falsehood, viciousness and injustice. Jewry has every reason to acknowledge the validity of the Biblical command to pursue righteousness and justice, for as a people we have suffered more than most on earth because of the denial of these virtues. As Jevvs who wisltto live and possess their land, we have all the more reason to strive in order to foster these highest of human endeavours.
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