How Do Haredim Behave? 5 Points to Ponder

Who is a Haredi?

Every now and then, headlines about Haredim pop up in the media like "Haredim don't work"… "Haredim humiliate women"… "Haredim throw stones at security forces"… and more.

These are reports intended solely to inflame hatred towards this group. Besides being untrue—since real Haredim do not behave this way—it's important to remember that if the media shows Haredim acting like this, then clearly these individuals are not truly Haredim...

So what actions are actually characteristic of Haredim? You can be assured these are actions that won't gain coverage in the secular media.

Last month, in our mailboxes in the Ramat neighborhood, the "Haredi Gmach Guide in Ramat Neighborhood" was distributed—small, independent charitable establishments, called gmach, which stands for "gemilut chasadim" (acts of kindness).

This guide includes everything—from a fax machine that serves even strangers wanting to receive and send letters, to advanced medical equipment. Anyone in need is welcome to come and take.

A parent who finds themselves out of diapers for their baby at night or on Shabbat can go to the diaper gmach, get what they need, and buy new replacements later.

A medicine gmach provides medication to those who run out during a holiday.

A bridal makeup gmach helps those who cannot afford professional makeup before their wedding.

A glasses gmach lends glasses to those who have had theirs broken on Shabbat or whose new pair is not yet ready.

A refrigerator gmach will lend a second-hand fridge to someone whose fridge has broken until they can buy a new one, and a chairs and tables gmach will lend to those hosting an event at home who cannot afford to rent furniture.

Besides "reasonable" gmachs, like loaning one-time-use items and pacifiers for those who get stuck without them, there are also interesting and unique gmachs such as gmach for lost children—where all "small losses" are collected on Shabbat and holidays; check deposit for the disabled and elderly; navigation help with "Waze" and mobile chargers.

And consider these gmachs: lunch for postpartum mothers and babysitters for new mothers' children to ease their burden. Is there anything more beautiful than this? More moving?

In the neighborhood Haredi guide, over 360 charitable families are listed, and there are many more gmachs that are not publicized, spread by word of mouth...

The number of gmachs in the Haredi guide for Bnei Brak, or Jerusalem alone, exceeds all the private charity initiatives found in the entire country! If you search all the secular towns, you won't find such a wealth of gmachs available to all in need. Guaranteed!

In every Haredi settlement, you'll find a variety and abundance of gmachs. Why only in this sector? Is it by chance? Definitely not! Because real Haredim follow the holy Torah, which states that one should perform acts of kindness for one another.

And we haven't even mentioned other large-scale Haredi charitable initiatives, such as "Yad Sarah"—providing a range of services for people with disabilities and illnesses, ZAKA—assisting "Magen David Adom" teams and police (forensics) in identifying victims of terror, road accidents, and other disasters, handling bodies of the deceased, and, when necessary, gathering body parts and blood from the scene for Jewish burial.

There is where one can see the greatest love for the people of Israel. Almost all the various gmachs, aid and rescue organizations, institutions for the needy, etc., were established by Haredi volunteers who genuinely care. Most volunteers in the different organizations are Haredim. People who fear heaven, love the Torah, and have a pure desire to perform acts of kindness. They gain nothing from it but pure kindness for every person, whoever they may be!

So next time someone asks you who is a Haredi, know that there is a different, more beautiful side than what the media portrays...

A Global Feeding Operation

After a baby is born, they cry out, they are hungry.

Don't worry! There is already healthy and sweet food prepared for them, containing all the necessary vitamins for a day-old infant—a natural "materna". Of course, food that slides into the throat in a way that won't choke, since their esophagus is extremely narrow. This food has been prepared not from cows or goats, but from the mother's blood. There are crucial nutrients in the blood, which, with the help of a specific hormone, turn into a white liquid (in the early days it is actually clear and tailored to the newborn's needs), used to nourish and immunize the baby. Truly a global operation!

When a woman nurses, the nursing area isn't designed like a regular bottle; rather, it consists of dozens of tiny syringes that spray the milk in a gentle stream, to prevent choking. Scientists have discovered today that after the baby finishes feeding, that area secretes a special disinfectant, sterilizing the surroundings to keep it clean, sterile, and ready for the next feeding.

I told myself: If someone today were to invent a patent for a bottle that sterilizes itself after feeding, how much money would they earn? How many rounds of applause would they receive? Yet, how many "self-cleaning bottles" has the creator established in the world? And despite all this, there are still people who are "searching" for him, sadly...

The Creator is near you! He is the one who cared for your nourishment when you were a tiny baby,and He is the one who continues to look after you throughout your path!

"2 Buns Left"

Friday. A man and his son leave the store with plenty of bags, among them 5 buns. As they head to the parking lot, a man approaches them with a bashful look and asks if they could give him something to eat...

They looked at him, and immediately extended—without delay and with a bright face—2 buns. The man thanked them and continued on his way.

The father asked his son, "How many buns do we have left?" The son replied, "3 buns." The father said, "Think again." The son insisted, "Dad, there were 5 buns, reducing by 2 buns leaves 3 buns, it's simple math."

The father smiled and explained to his son his meaning: "The correct answer is 2 buns! The son looked puzzled. The father continued: "The 3 buns remaining in the bag we will soon eat and have nothing left from them. But the 2 buns we gave to the poor man, that's what remains for us—that will remain for eternity. In the heavenly balance sheet, we are now credited with 2 buns, and nobody can take that from us!

Friends, in our lives, we accumulate and gather, purchase and invest, dedicating days and nights to create a comfortable and quality world for ourselves. But ultimately, everything we've toiled over—homes, cars, businesses... it all stays here! The money and property remain here, but what truly remains for us are the mitzvot and the good deeds we do, and they are recorded above in our favor!

The Engineer Without Diplomas

A dam is a type of wall or barrier placed across the flow of rivers for various purposes: flood prevention, irrigation, water storage, electricity generation, and more...

Wait, if I asked you to build a dam, would you agree?

I assume most of you would say to me: "You need to know how to plan and design structures, to learn architecture, construction engineering, that's no simple matter..."

You are right! It's definitely not simple construction. It's work that requires planning and perfect precision. Today, to be an architect, you need to study at university for at least 5 years!

But what if I told you there's an animal that, by some miracle, knows how to build such structures? It hasn't studied in a university. It plans, designs, and constructs with great professionalism, without dozens of workers, without advanced technological devices, and without any faults! Is it possible?

Meet the beaver.

Beavers are called that because they build dams for pools where they live, using tree trunks they cut with their cutting ability.

After cutting the tree, the beaver removes the branches and cuts the trunk to its suitable length for the dam construction. Then it drags the branches to the water, transporting them to the construction site. Sometimes the beaver must push the logs down a hill, so it first "cleans" the area of obstacles that could hinder it.

When the tree area is far from the water body, beavers sometimes dig canals to the trees, so they don't have to move the logs overland. Such canals can reach lengths of hundreds of meters!

When the dam is damaged due to flooding, the beaver repairs it immediately by adding branches, stones, and mud. When water currents deposit silt at the river's bottom, the beavers raise and sometimes extend the dam.

In which architecture faculty did the beaver study?Who taught the beaver to plan, design, and build so skillfully? Isn’t it a wonder, that every beaver comes into the world "equipped" with knowledge and "tools" to construct complex structures like dams, without any prior learning?

Learning to Walk

Sometimes a person wishes to draw closer to Hashem, but feels that Hashem is far from them, no longer with them as before.

The Baal Shem Tov of blessed memory said that this is similar to a father who wants to teach his young child to walk. He stands the child on his feet, takes a few steps back, and says "Come to Daddy, come to Daddy". He stretches out his arms towards him and waits for him to come. The youngster takes step after arduous step, and when he finally reaches his father to hold his hands and hug, what does the father do? He takes another step back...

The child, who so much wants to lean on his father and be hugged, is disappointed: Why does Dad take a step back? Why is he moving away?

The Baal Shem Tov explains: The father desires to hug his son more than the son wants to hug his father; he hasn't moved away! He just wants to teach him to walk...

Always remember: even when it seems to you that Hashem is far, know that Hashem is close to you and waiting for you. He simply wants to teach you to walk...