Rabbi Yosef Farhi Responds to the Riots in Bnei Brak | WATCH
The Jewish people function as one body with different sacred roles, learners, supporters, protectors, and leaders, all essential to the nation’s survival and spiritual mission. Supporting Torah binds a person to it eternally, while personal aspiration and unity ensure that each role contributes to the whole.
What happened in the news yesterday was deeply painful. Two female IDF officers came to Bnei Brak to meet a recruit and were almost mobbed, and the police response, arriving in force to demonstrate strength and control, led to further tension and injuries. To understand what is happening, we must step back and look at the broader picture of the Jewish people as one nation with different roles.
The Jewish people function as a single body in which each group has its unique mission. Some occupy the role of the holiest, those immersed in Torah learning, comparable to the Holy of Holies. Others support Torah materially, like the Shulchan (Table) in the Temple. Others spread Torah’s light outward, like the Menorah. Every segment has a portion, and the nation succeeds only when all parts work together.
Our sages teach that in the time of Mashiach there will be a resurrection of the dead through a special “dew of Torah.” Those who learned Torah will be revived through that merit. But what about those who did not learn, such as people occupied with earning a livelihood or others unable to devote themselves fully to study? The explanation given is that those who supported Torah share equally in its merit. Their support binds them to the Torah just as strongly as those who learned it.
This idea is symbolized by the Ark of the Covenant. The Ark contained the Torah and had poles that were never to be removed, one of the 365 negative commandments forbids removing them. The Chafetz Chaim explains that these poles represent the supporters of Torah, who must never be detached from it. Those who uphold Torah are forever connected to it, even beyond death.
Similarly, before Yosef left prison, the angel Gabriel taught him seventy languages. In the same way, before a person leaves this world, all the Torah he supported becomes his, and he will be taught that Torah in the next world. The connection between supporter and Torah is eternal.
However, supporters must also recognize that Torah does not depend on them alone. If one person does not support it, someone else will. The Ark did not need human strength — it carried those who carried it. When King David transported the Ark, a man reached out to steady it, thinking it needed help, and was punished. The message is that the Ark, representing Torah, does not need us — it is our privilege to be attached to it.
In Judaism, some responsibilities can be shared or delegated, and others cannot. One may partner in Torah learning by supporting others, but many mitzvot are personal and cannot be delegated, such as sitting in a sukkah or hearing the Megillah. Likewise, the desire to learn Torah cannot be outsourced. The cherubim above the Ark symbolize those who aspire upward toward Torah; aspiration itself is an irreplaceable personal responsibility.
In life generally, when pursuing goals, people often ask, “What must I do to achieve this?” A wiser question is, “Who can help me reach this goal?” Success comes through partnership, not isolation.
This principle also applies to the structure of the Jewish nation. Not everyone is meant to be a yeshiva student, and not everyone is meant to be in the same role. Determining who belongs where requires the guidance of great Torah leaders. Those suited for Torah study should be supported so that the entire nation shares in their merit.
At the same time, the nation also needs soldiers, police officers, workers, teachers, each fulfilling a vital role. When every person serves in the position suited to them, all are serving God together. Only by recognizing these complementary roles can the Jewish people achieve unity in the Land of Israel and fulfill their collective mission as one nation.