Q&A: Run Away? Or Believe the Kabbalists and Hasidic Rebbes?
Run Away? Or Believe the Kabbalists and Hasidic Rebbes?
Question
My family lived peacefully and in great wealth in Germany.
At some point they felt that the ground was burning beneath their feet, and some in the family thought they should leave for Palestine, while others thought they should stay because in the end things would be fine.
They couldn’t decide, so they consulted Hasidic rebbes and righteous men from Poland (who, apparently, received donations from them, and in return gave them religious inspiration and promises) who assured them that no harm would come to them. They stayed in Germany. Part of the family was destroyed, and part suffered, hid, survived, and made it to Palestine.
Today again there are some in the family who are afraid (even before the judicial coup, the Simchat Torah massacre, the war, the hostages, and the general situation) and think about fleeing. The only citizenship they have besides Israeli is… German. And some think things will be fine; kabbalists, Hasidic rebbes, and righteous men are promising that things will be fine.
What should we do?
And if we flee, is that reasonable for a nation whose voices still cry out from the ground?
Answer
One thing is clear: don’t believe anyone. Not Hasidic rebbes and not “righteous men.” All of these are usually just fools and snake-diviners, which is a Torah prohibition. But even someone who isn’t a fool should not be believed on matters like this. Do whatever seems right to you given the situation.
The questioner is funny: he’s debating whether to listen to kabbalists and Hasidic rebbes, so he brings his doubts before a rabbi.
Since religious people have proven that they don’t know a thing about life, I’d suggest deciding by numerologists, or coffee-ground readers.
I can recommend a wonderful coffee reader; search Google for “Coffee at Berta’s.”