Q&A: Therefore they did not speak falsely of Him…
Therefore they did not speak falsely of Him…
Question
Hello Rabbi,
I read today a post by a woman in pain who wrote this:
Twitter: Someone announced that she would not join the family for the Passover Seder night as long as there are hostages in Gaza. “I refuse to pretend that I am free in my own land. Right now we are undergoing a brutal violation within the borders of the state. I’m not pretending that everything is fine,” she explained.
At first glance I thought she was wrong, since there is Jewish law, and it must be observed even when it is difficult.
But then on second thought I remembered Moses and Gideon, and Daniel, Ezra and Nehemiah, and Hanan ben Ari, who spoke upward in pain, and even took actions such as not saying “the great, mighty, and awesome God.” And it seems that Heaven agreed with them, as the Talmud says:
Rabbi Elazar said: Since they know that the Holy One, blessed be He, is truthful, that He agrees with the truth and hates falsehood — therefore they did not speak falsely of Him.
So what do you say?
Answer
I don’t see the connection. If she is not free, then there is no reason for her to say that she is. Why does that mean one should not hold the Passover Seder? Isn’t there a commandment to tell the story of the Exodus from Egypt? To eat matzah and bitter herbs? By the way, she is free. Others are not. In my view this is just pathetic. A distorted outlet for genuine distress.
Okay. Thank you very much.