Trump's Shabbat Proclamation and America's Founding Promise
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When hatred flares outside, it’s a wake-up call to heal the hatred inside.
In the days after October 7th, something unusual happened. Jews around the world, religious and secular, left and right, suddenly felt unified. While months of division had left us vulnerable, our newfound unity gave us strength.
A few months after the attacks, I joined a mission to Capitol Hill. I expected policy meetings and talking points. But then Congressman Steny Hoyer leaned forward, looked at us, and asked: “Why have Jews always been hated?”
It wasn’t a rhetorical question. He was genuinely confused and genuinely disturbed.
That moment stayed with me. Because even non-Jews can sense that the hatred is irrational, inexplicable, without justification.
Natan Sharansky, the famed Soviet refusenik and Israeli politician, developed a powerful framework for recognizing antisemitism. He called it the “Three Ds”:
Sharansky argued that when rhetoric crosses any of these lines, it’s not just criticism—it’s hatred.
The Three Ds are not only a useful definition of antisemitism; they can serve as a window into our own psyche, revealing how we view our fellow Jews who are different than us.
Let’s flip Sharansky’s Three Ds inward:
• Do we demonize fellow Jews?
Do we assign sinister motives to those toward whom we hold deep-seated resentment?
• Do we apply double standards?
Do we excuse behavior in ourselves or our circles that we condemn in others we have decided to judge.
• Do we delegitimize?
Do we write off individuals we dislike or entire segments of the Jewish people as unworthy of dignity or inclusion?
If the answer is sometimes yes, then perhaps the Jew-hatred we see outside is a tragic reflection of what is still broken within.
The Talmud teaches that the Second Temple was destroyed because of sinat chinam—baseless hatred (Yoma 9b).
The First Temple fell for the “big three” sins: idolatry, murder, and immorality. But the fact that we’re still mourning 2,000 years later tells us something chilling: The hatred between Jews is harder to fix than any of those transgressions.
The Chafetz Chaim, Rabbi Yisrael Meir Kagan (1838–1933), a renowned rabbinic leader best known for his works on Jewish law and ethics, explains why. A sin committed with a limb harms that limb. But hatred lives in the heart—the vital organ that fuels everything. If the heart is diseased, the whole body of our entire spiritual being suffers.
Our sages teach that any generation in which the Holy Temple of Jerusalem hasn’t been rebuilt is considered to have destroyed it (Yerushalmi, Yoma 1:1). The generation still embodies the causes that destroyed the temple.
During the Three Weeks, a mourning period between the 17th of Tammuz and the 9th of Av that commemorates the destruction of the First and Second Temples and other tragedies in Jewish history, we don’t only mourn stone walls. We look within and examine what may be still cracked within the soul of the nation.
Are we ourselves guilty of the same Jew-hatred that is intensifying throughout the world?
Reach out to someone you’ve judged, avoided, or written off.
Notice one double standard and correct it.
Speak one word of praise about a Jewish group or individual you usually criticize.
Antisemitism may not make logical sense, and that may be the point. The irrational hatred from the outside might be God’s way of pointing us to the hatred we’ve nurtured on the inside.
By healing the heart of the Jewish people, the world will start looking different on both sides of the mirror.
How should we feel toward Jews who are anti-Zionists and Jew haters, some of whom are in congress while others have large social media platforms?
Thanks for a great article. Gives us much to think about during the three weeks. Iy'h we should fix our mistake with ahavas chinam and bring the geulah.
I harbor hate towards Judaism, consider it a curse and wish I had been born *anything* but a Jew. Time to walk away…like Saul of Tarsus finally did.
Like Saul - as a soldier & a horseman. When your get distracted - & don't pay attention to what your doing - on your faithful & trustworthy horse - who'll keep you on the right path. Like Saul - you'll fall off the horse - & lose your way - like he did.
Remember, if fellow Jews abuse you, bully you, harass you, just accept the abuse in the name of Ahavas Chinam.
Very well written article - leads our thoughts from the original tragedy to the current one, helping connect the dots...all falls into the right place in our mind. And then, the longest road to the... HEART, where the middah of jealousy, root of hatred, resides - the hardest one to correct, let alone to get rid of. The best remedy - Torah learning - was not helping the generations of the Second Temple and following,,, And here, we are talking about taking small steps? In many other arenas, yes! But with jealousy?!
We need another REVELATION! Maybe, this time, before coming of the Moshiach, IYH. ( in MHO)
I’m not sure that jealousy is the cause of hate. Fear can also lead to hatred.
Wow, amazing article, Rabbi Gelber!! Thank you for writing this!
Rabbi Gelber provides such a simple and accessible prescription, and one that will clearly work. I am in and will try this. Thank you for the wisdom.
Yes - the rabbi's points - are very salient - & true. Yet - there is a facet that wasn't discussed. Since the Jews went from Egypt - to the Bamidbar - & presumably - maybe before. If one follows the Bible accounts - there were many dramatic divisions among the various Jewish groups - who held with - a variety of belief practices (minhagim). Today - there are at least 6 groups - that can be identified - who hold with a preconceived belief. I just read in the "La Boz - a Sephardic News letter" - a subject that discusses the related issue - by Rabbi Marc Angel. In part the text of the article discussed - preconceived thoughts - beliefs - which relates to how we see other Jewish groups. More below:
Continuing - the article read: Psychologists have demonstrated that people generally interpret things according to their own preconceived notions. There is a strong tendency to see what we want to see and to hear what we want to hear. In one study, two groups—one favoring capital punishment and one opposing it—were given reports that “proved” that their own opinions were mistaken. After studying the material, none of the participants changed his/her mind. They found fault with the arguments and data that conflicted with their original opinion. Don’t confuse us with facts that challenge our views! In another study, people were asked to taste wine from two bottles, one priced $90 a bottle and one priced $10 a bottle. Cont. Below:
I remember a test sort of like that only it was with water. All the bottles were filled with regular tap water but put into various brand name bottles that were not hidden from the test participants. Of course all said that the most expensive bottle tasted the best. They were totally stunned when they were told that all the bottles contained plain tap water.
Continuing - the article read: Psychologists have demonstrated that people generally interpret things according to their own preconceived notions. There is a strong tendency to see what we want to see and to hear what we want to hear. In one study, two groups—one favoring capital punishment and one opposing it—were given reports that “proved” that their own opinions were mistaken. After studying the material, none of the participants changed his/her mind. They found fault with the arguments and data that conflicted with their original opinion. Don’t confuse us with facts that challenge our views! In another study, people were asked to taste wine from two bottles, one priced $90 a bottle and one priced $10 a bottle. Cont. Below:
The volunteer wine tasters preferred the more expensive wine, and extolled its virtues in comparison with the inexpensive wine. Yet, the wine in both bottles was identical. The only difference was the price label. Since people expected that expensive wine would be of higher quality, they actually tasted it as being better. Preconceived notions have powerful impact on how we interpret and experience things.Demagogues well understand how to manipulate people’s way of thinking and experiencing. They stoke fears; they promote falsehoods; they attempt to brainwash the masses. Once people have been suitably brainwashed, Cont. Below
Continued. their power of reasoning is compromised. They come to interpret data according to the ideas they’ve absorbed. They will not be swayed by opposing facts, even when the opposing facts happen to be true.
The words " animosity" after "less and less" was sadely omitted from my previous post.
Dislike of groups towards other groups has always been in Jewish culture. Somehow we have survived some 3,000 years with several tragedies along the way, With Hashem's help we should see less and less towards our fellow Jews,
Seems to me demonizing Jews comes from those who view the demands Jews taught Gd makes on humans as limiting their ability to decide for themselves what's OK.
It's no wonder that Jews and others hold themselves to a higher standard and rightly so as we received direct communication and instructions from the Creator.
As for bring entitled to a homeland too many view being Jewish as a religion not a distinct people meant to dwell apart fulfilling the Torah in Israel.
Beautiful article, thank you so much!
Yasher Koach!
So true. Thank you for the inspiration on improving ourselves and bringing Shalom to Am Yisroel.
The article should have made a distinction between Israeli Jews and diaspora Jews. I view many diaspora Jews as not being Jewish at all. I don't hate them. I treat them as political enemies who must be defeated. I read an article that the percentage of American Jews who vote Republican has increased to 35%. Based on the actions taken by President Trump and Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu against Iran, I read it as if 65% of American Jews hate Israel and hate the Jewish people. I would love to be proven wrong.
Sadly you are just doing what this article is about. You have a problem with Jews, ok are the israeli Jews be they (ir)religious or what but these diapsora Jews, oy vey they are not seen by me as Jews at all, and than you write about the US. There are more diaspora Jews than those in the US, and those in the US are although they vote against Trump or BeeBee are not against Israel (at least not the majority) but hey are you keeping Moshiach from coning or not with your biased behaviour? Guess you do because you have a resentment against fellow Jews. Sorry to hear that, sincere greetings from an orthodox diaspora Jew, hopefully your anbeit will taste after this fast day.
There are many issues on which people vote. For example, I have concerns about the tariffs, which may make things like imported kosher food or household appliances more expensive. I love Israel and buy Israeli products whenever I can. I hope you don’t think I am your enemy because I didn’t vote for the current president. I’m very happy that the new bill provides a tax break for private schools, including our day schools. That will affect my vote next year. Shalom.