March 29, 2024
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March 29, 2024
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Purim Satire Goes Too Far

In the pre-Purim edition of The Jewish Link, there was a Purim satire section. Among the various articles written, two stood out to me. Firstly, was the article written by Nina Glick (Glina Nick) “Too Many Pics of Women #UnsubscribeMe,” March 5, 2020) which ridiculed those who wish not to see pictures of women in their newspapers by writing a fake letter to the editor to get her subscription removed, because of the excess of pictures of women. The second one was an article reprinted from Dailyfreir.com, (“Jerusalem Bank Robber Escapes Again,” March 5, 2020). This, again took shots at those who do not look at women, telling a story of charedi women bank robbers in Har Nof who could not be identified, because men did not look at the robbers. Towards the end of this article, the writers decided to accuse all charedim in an indirect way of being crooks. Let me explain to both these writers why they are wrong for doing what they did, and to the editorial staff for publishing this anti-Halachic literature. We all say in Shema three times a day “lo taturu acharai l’vavchem v’acharai ainaichem” which means “do not stray after your heart and after your eyes.” Many meforshim point out that “acharai ainaichem” refers to watching what one looks at, including immodest things. Although the newspaper and the writers may not agree with the extent to which many sects of Jews take this halacha, what gives them a right to make fun of them for being stringent in halacha? If this newspaper is so against anti-Semitism, don’t publish it! Even though most Jews don’t go so far as to never look at women, many Jewish magazines cater to those who are extreme and as a result, don’t publish pictures of women. I think the ideas of these articles were the exact opposite of what Purim is all about. Haman wanted to kill us all, whether you were chasidish, litvish, modern, Conservative or Reform and we had to come together to beseech Hashem for forgiveness and mercy to get Haman’s decree overturned. So why are we creating more of a divide using Purim as an excuse?

E.G.
Teaneck
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