Violence is a sin - The Jewish Standard

I am not qualified to have an opinion about the halachah of “modesty” or the interpretation of these laws. This being said, I am greatly disturbed by the reports of aggressive (assaultive) behavior by segments of the charedi community directed towards young women attending school in Beit Shemesh.

We Jews are a nation in exile. We have been since the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE. Regardless of where we live, we will remain in exile until the advent of our blessed Moshiach (may he come soon and in our lifetime).

Our sages teach us that while in exile, “the law of the land [in which we reside] is the law,” except in cases of adultery, violence, and idol worship.

The State of Israel is a secular democracy. Its law forbids jeering, spitting, yelling, intimidating, throwing objects, hurling profanities, physically accosting others, etc. Thus it is clear to me that these individuals not only are breaking the law of the land in which they live, buty they are violating Torah on both legal and moral grounds.

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