"The Ultra-Orthodox Aren't Contributing to the State" – Really? 5 Points to Consider

The Full Glass

There is a phrase many people often say, convinced it is wise and beautiful.

For example, when a mother wants to encourage her sad son, she tells him: "Don't look at the half-empty glass, look at the half-full glass. Yes, it's bad, but see how much good you have..."

It sounds nice, but it's not correct from a Jewish perspective.

In Judaism it is known: "All that the Merciful does, He does for good" (Berachot 60b) - everything that Hashem does is for the best!

Accordingly, it is better for the mother to say to her son: "You have a full glass - half of it you see, and half you do not see... We are human and cannot see the future, therefore it seems bad..." And if the son tells her: "But Mom, it broke/it was ruined/it failed me," she will tell him: "Everything is for the best, my son." "But I lost money!", the son might argue, and she will respond: "Atonement for sins, surely an edict was canceled by this"... and so on.

We need to know that if something breaks - it comes to atone for something. The money is gone - it is for the best. Countless miracles happen around us, but we don't always have the tools to grasp and understand the greatness of Hashem's kindness upon us all our lives!

It turns out there's no bad, only good! The entire glass is full, just half we do not see. This is elucidated in the Holy Zohar (Genesis page 150b) on the verse "A psalm of David when he fled from his son Absalom" (Psalms 3:1): "A psalm of David?! Why did he sing? His own son rose against him to kill him, he should have said lament of David! But when David saw that Hashem wanted to wipe out his sin while still in this world through these sufferings, he rejoiced!

Happiness depends on your mindset: When a person accustoms himself to a correct view of life, he will be happy!

(Photo: shutterstock)

"The Ultra-Orthodox Aren't Contributing to the State" - Really?

The Labor Force Survey is a central survey conducted by the Central Bureau of Statistics among households. The survey is used to monitor labor market developments in Israel, its size and characteristics, unemployment rate, and more.

Based on the Labor Force Survey, the Central Bureau of Statistics processed data showing employment targets set by the Israeli governments, including data on the Ultra-Orthodox population. The following statistics were presented: "The employment rate among those who defined their lifestyle as secular was 71.1%, compared to 51.9% among those who defined their lifestyle as Ultra-Orthodox... Among women, the gap is much smaller, 67.5% whose lifestyle was secular - compared to 61.8% whose lifestyle was Ultra-Orthodox...".

From the Central Bureau of Statistics website "Labor Force Survey 2017" (published in April 2019): https://www.cbs.gov.il/he/publications/DocLib/2019/lfs17_1746/h_print.pdf

Make no mistake: the data from the Central Bureau of Statistics forms the official database of the State of Israel. This is not a publication of any organization with interests). These statistics show that most Ultra-Orthodox do work!

Also, no Ultra-Orthodox person is exempt from paying taxes. It's impossible to transfer ownership of an apartment, or even buy groceries at the supermarket, without giving a share to the state. The Ultra-Orthodox buy a lot, meaning they pay enormous sums to the state!

Finally, if we consider all the major charitable organizations in the country - most of which are the result of Ultra-Orthodox initiative and management, such as "Yad Sarah," "Ezra-leMarpeah," "Yad Eliezer," "Ezer Mizion," "Chasdei Naomi," "Zichron Menachem," "Yedidim," "Hatzalah," "ZAKA" and more - these provide social services benefiting all citizens of the state, secular and religious alike, essentially saving the state and the Israeli economy tens of billions of shekels!

These statistics demonstrate that, contrary to myths, the Ultra-Orthodox work, pay taxes, and save the state a fortune. Most importantly - the learning of Torah, credited to them, gives strength to the Israeli soldiers in war and protects us on all sides! 

Get Off The Roof!

"Don't scare me and don't threaten me," said my friend, who is distant from Torah and commandments. "All the stories about hell don't bring me closer, they only distance me from Hashem".

"What's the connection?" I replied, "I don't intend to scare or threaten you. I care about you and don't want you to fall and hurt yourself. I truly want to save you from the fall." The friend didn't understand which fall I was referring to.

To what can this be compared?

To a man standing on the roof of a 50-floor building. He stands at the edge of the roof, and the roof has no railing!

Below in the street, people gather, concerned for his fate, shouting up to him: "Be careful! What's wrong with you? Are you crazy?! Move away from there quickly! It's very dangerous! You might fall and die!"...

Is it conceivable that the man standing on the roof, a step away from his death, would respond to the people below: "Why are you threatening me and frightening me that I will die"? Of course not. It is clear they are not trying to scare him but save him from a painful fall, whose end... is certain death. They want to persuade him to move away from the edge of the roof out of a desire to save his life.

Dear friend, this is how I act toward you. I am not trying to frighten you, but I see that if you continue on your path and continue to deny the Creator, your end will be a fall. And the fall will be painful because a person who doesn’t awake to repent not only loses his reward in the next world – the eternal world of receiving true reward from the Creator of the world – but will also receive a punishment in the next world (the punishment is meant for correction, not revenge for his deeds). With my genuine care for your fate, I warn you and alert you to change your ways as soon as possible. With concern for your fate, I want you to "get off the dangerous roof" and repent.

If there's one chance that I'm right and you're wrong, isn't it worth checking what I say? Maximum, I saved your life!...

A Small Gift for Mom

Much has been written about the perfect and miraculous synchronization between two different systems - the mother and her fetus - nourishing each other via the placenta.

Notice this wonder: if during pregnancy the mother suffers damage to some organ, the baby in her womb "sends" stem cells to repair the damage.

In recent decades it has been discovered that pregnant women and their unborn babies exchange cells through the placenta. Thus, among other things, fetal stem cells also reach the mother's body.

In the blood of a woman who was pregnant, dozens or maybe hundreds of fetal cells can be found, including stem cells. These stem cells contribute to the healing of the mother. In one study, a woman who went through five pregnancies came for treatment of liver cancer. In her liver tissue, there were many healthy areas - likely restored, or areas where cancer failed to impact - with a particularly high rate of cells with a genetic makeup different from the mother's, the genetic makeup of her fetuses.

The idea of the fetus leaving a "eternal gift" in the mother's body is astonishing and wondrous! So who is the doctor that created such a perfect and amazing synchronization between two different systems?...

(Photo: shutterstock)

A Little Perspective

Life is a gift - live it!

Today, before you say a bad word, think about those who can't speak.

Before you complain about the taste of food, think about those who have nothing to eat.

Before you complain about your husband and you shout at your wife, think about those who sleep alone at night praying for love.

Today, before you complain about life, think about those who passed away prematurely.

Before you get upset about the dirty house, think about those who live on the streets.

Before you are annoyed about the distance you have to drive, think about those who cover that distance on foot.

And when you are tired and complain about the workload, think about the unemployed, the disabled, and those who wish to work but cannot.

Before you think of pointing a blaming finger or condemning another person, remember that none of us is perfect, and we are all human.

And instead of letting a depressing thought bring you down, wear a smile on your face and say thank you for being alive.

Remember, life is a gift we received from the Creator of the world - did we say thank you?...

(Circulating online)