Q&A: What Is the Difference Between Missionizing and Bringing People Back to Repentance
What Is the Difference Between Missionizing and Bringing People Back to Repentance
Question
Hello and blessings,
In Israel there is a clear aversion to missionary activity, and it is perceived as manipulative and illegitimate.
Do you find a clear distinction between missionizing and bringing people back to repentance, in terms of either the goal or the methods used? Can a person who believes in neither religion (an atheist) reject the conduct of missionaries but not reject the conduct of, say, Arachim?
Answer
I already wrote here that I oppose restricting preaching activity of any kind. There is freedom of opinion and of forming opinions, as long as it is reasoned and done without improper means. Just to clarify: giving food or scholarships is not an improper means. An adult person makes his own reckoning.
Discussion on Answer
Wow, I didn't know that one. Beautiful!
Many thanks for the wedding gift I received from you. See you, God willing 🙂
With God's help, 8 Tammuz 5779
The Torah was stringent regarding the law of an inciter, "for he sought to lead you astray from the Lord your God," and it commanded regarding idol worshippers, "They shall not dwell in your land, lest they cause you to sin."
Sevenfold worse are the inciters who exploit the economic or emotional distress of unfortunate Jews in order to estrange them from their family, their people, their homeland, and their religion.
Even if a person becomes secular, he does not disconnect completely and still remains connected to national consciousness; but one who is captured by the inciters becomes alienated from his people, and it is very difficult to bring him back.
And since the Maharal was mentioned, he fought Christianity, both against its religious arguments and against the libels it concocted against the Jews, and he would be the first to call for a struggle against those mortal enemies who exploit the distress of miserable Jews.
With blessings, S. Z. Levinger
To the Rabbi,
Thank you very much! And don't mention it
We'd be very happy
Maharal of Prague:
"Therefore it is not proper to distance any idea that opposes one's view, out of love of inquiry and knowledge… even if the things are against his faith and religion, one should not say to him: Do not speak and shut your mouth, for if so, there will be no clarification of religion. On the contrary, about such a thing one says: Speak as much as you wish… for hiding the words of one who opposes the religion is nothing but the nullification and weakness of religion…
For reason requires that there be no prevention of this whatsoever, and that a person's mouth not be closed regarding something that pertains to religion; rather, the exposition of religion is given to all… And through this a person arrives at the true content of things and stands upon the complete truth, and there is no shutting off matters such as these. For any mighty warrior who wishes to oppose another in order to display his might very much wants the one who comes against him to strengthen himself as much as he can, and then, if he defeats that mighty one who came to overpower him, it becomes evident that the victor is all the mightier." (Be'er HaGolah, Seventh Well).