Haredi journalist Aryeh Ehrlich, editor of Mishpacha magazine, sharply criticized remarks made by MK Yitzhak Goldknopf (United Torah Judaism) regarding bereavement in the religious-Zionist community in the context of the war with Hamas.
In an interview published over the weekend in the Makor Rishon newspaper, Goldknopf said:
“Their pain should remain with them, and our pain should remain with us. Don’t bring me your pain and pass it onto me. Let’s decide that everyone deals with their own package.”
In response, Ehrlich posted a scathing comment on Twitter, opening with:
"I am ashamed and humiliated by the words spoken by my representative in the Knesset. I literally bury my head in shame at such callous and un-Jewish quotes like ‘Don’t dump your pain on us’ or ‘Everyone with their own package’—such alienating remarks that go against everything our Sages taught us about the suffering of Israel, and about how when a Jew is in pain, the Divine Presence cries and says, ‘It is too heavy for My head, too heavy for My arm.’”
Ehrlich then referenced the example of Moses as the opposite model: “Even though Moses was exempt from the burden of slavery in Egypt because he was from the tribe of Levi, he still came down to witness his brothers’ suffering and to truly feel their pain.”
He emphasized the need to distinguish between ideological disagreements and basic humanity:
“The issue of army enlistment is a serious point of contention between us and the religious-Zionist community. We Haredim sincerely believe that the place for young yeshiva students is exclusively in the tent of Torah. We have fears and difficulties around the draft in general, and especially regarding the enlistment of yeshiva students. This won't be solved overnight.”
“But this tone-deaf attitude, as reflected in the quotes from that interview, has no connection whatsoever to authentic Haredi thought as we received it from our rabbis across all communities—Sephardic, Lithuanian, and certainly Hasidic, who were raised on the foundations of ‘Ahavat Yisrael’ (love for fellow Jews). And Goldknopf claims to represent the Hasidic community. Our rabbis were horrified to their core and couldn’t eat or drink on days when Jewish soldiers fell on the battlefield. In the past, they would declare fasts and hold special assemblies.”
He continued: “I remember from my childhood the days when even one Jewish soldier—Nachshon Wachsman, of blessed memory—was in captivity, and all the great rabbis of Jerusalem flocked to a massive prayer rally at the Zichron Moshe synagogue, which was packed with thousands of worried worshippers. What has happened to us since then? Where has the basic Jewish empathy for the suffering of our brothers gone? Where has the value of sharing another’s pain and identifying with their anguish disappeared to?”
He emphasized that such an attitude does not represent Torah values and is actually harmful:
“Let it be emphasized and clarified: this cold and alienating approach, and such callous statements like ‘that’s your pain,’ are completely unrelated to our position on the issue of yeshiva students, not even indirectly. They do not advance Torah study in any way.”
He then called for deep introspection, especially in these times: “We are living in a complex time. Passions are flaring. Emotions are running high. Anger and pain are growing on all sides. And precisely for that reason, we must refine our outlook as Jews and people of Torah—whose hearts are not indifferent to the pain of others. We must approach bereaved families with reverence and say to them: even if we don’t agree on the issue of yeshiva students, our hearts are with your pain, your sorrow is our sorrow, we carry your grief—because the people of Israel are one body. Even if we’re not with you in the army, we are with you in heart, in soul, and in spirit.”
Ehrlich concluded with a clear critique of the Haredi MKs' avoidance of condolence visits:
“The conclusion from all this is that the Haredi MKs are making a serious mistake by avoiding visits to mourning families, despite the difficulty and fear of criticism. It turns out that this avoidance breeds insensitivity toward others’ pain—an insensitivity that has nothing to do with our stance on the draft, and in fact, severely damages our concern for the status of yeshiva students.”
He concluded: “This is a position I’ve heard from major yeshiva leaders of our generation—including in the past 24 hours. I sincerely hope that Goldknopf will find the decency to publicly retract his words—without asterisks, and without claiming ‘my words were taken out of context.’ I also hope his fellow Haredi representatives learn from this mistake and adopt an approach that is humane, compassionate, and Jewish, even if complex and not black-and-white. And if they’re not capable of that—then silence is always an option.”