By Rabbi Reuven Semah
Rav Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld
A story by Rabbi Y. Hisiger illustrates this point. In the early 1900’s, decades before the founding of the State of Israel, the landscape of the Holy Land was a tapestry woven with diverse faiths and ideologies. Amidst this complex backdrop, Rav Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld once found himself in the company of various religious leaders from the Muslim community.
One of the gathered clerics turned to the great sadik and related an observation regarding the secular Zionists, who, at the time, were working insidiously to uproot religion and battle those who clung to Mesorah of old.
“Rabbi,” began the Muslim leader, “I know that you are opposed to the Zionists as we are. You battle them and you hate them. In light of that, why don’t we team up? It’s only natural that we partner in our activities, given our mutual disdain for the Zionists.”
The room fell silent, all eyes turning to Rav Sonnenfeld. Everyone present awaited his response.
“Correct,” said Rav Sonnenfeld. “You are absolutely right that we battle the Zionists. But there is a huge difference between us, a difference so vast that it renders our struggles fundamentally different.”
The Muslim cleric leaned in, intrigued by the Rav’s words.
Rav Sonnenfeld continued, “You see, whereas you hate the Jew in them, we hate the goy in them! We share no common ground at all! The difference between our views is like night and day, east and west! Our battles may seem aligned on the surface, but at their core, they could not be more different.
Reprinted from the Parashat Korah 5785 email of Rabbi David Bibi’s Shabbat Shalom from Cyberspace.
