The REAL Message of Tisha b'Av

Hint: It's about my former chassidus

What is Tisha b'Av all about? I believe it is about my former Malinev chassidus. First, a little bit of personal history.

Back when I first became religious, Malinev chassidus seemed so warm and welcoming, and I felt like I fit in right away. But then I started having questions, and that's when the trouble started.  While the Rebbe was delivering his mid-tisch sermon, it was Parshas Vayikra, and I shouted out, "Rebbe, why does God want animals to be sacrificed in the Temple? Is He hungry? And what did the animals do to deserve it?" The Rebbe ignored me, but the gabbai's face turned beet red and he threatened to remove me immediately if I didn't stop. But I wasn't about to be silenced. Next Friday night I was at it again, it was the Shabbos before Pesach and the Rebbe mentioned something about hametz. I yelled (very politely and respectfully) "Rebbe, why do you say Pesach is all about matza, hametz, and Egypt? The Megillah we read on Pesach is the Song of Songs, which is an erotic love story? Nothing about matza and hametz there?" Again, the Rebbe ignored me, but the gabbai was furious, and he immediately dragged me out of there by the nape of my neck.

I was embarrassed, confused, and bewildered. Following that altercation with the gabbai, I tried to arrange a meeting with the Rebbe to discuss my questions, but was informed the Rebbe wouldn't see me. So I decided to protest. I stood outside the shul one morning with a trash can on my head, making a ruckus, banging the lids, with a sign that read “I won’t be treated like GARBAGE!!!” I think the Rebbe saw me. I was thereupon told that I was no longer welcome in the chassidus. This was a devastating blow for me. I thought Judaism encouraged questions. Isn't that what Ma Nishtana is all about?

Me protesting outside the shul

But that tribulation opened up my eyes about many unsavory aspects of the insular Malinev chassidus. I realized the Rebbe is an ignorant boor, and probably also a criminal (somebody told me that in an email). He knows a lot of Talmud, but very little about Hebrew grammar, which I majored in. I also started to recognize how Malinev chassidim oppress women. Did you know that the Rebbetzin is forced to bake 36 challos every week for her husband, but she is not eligible to be called up to the Torah, or even speak in public at the tisch? I saw how Malinev chassidim take advantage of society, typically having 7+ kids and get all sorts of tax breaks and benefits, and their entire lifestyle is supported through stealing (that's what my email contacts in New York tell me). I observed that they have absolutely no tolerance for LGBTQ members, refusing to march alongside Pride parades. And then they are so self righteous about it, going to the mikvah every day and acting like they are better than all of us. In short, the emperor has no clothes.

After I left, I understood that Malinev chassidus is not what Judaism is about. I still believe in God, but I came to a more humanistic understanding. I realized that our God isn't the same as the one in the Pentateuch who is cruel, wrathful, obsessed with the minutiae of ritual, and intolerant of gay/transgender folx. Rather, it is the God of the Prophets, who doesn’t care for ritual and focused exclusively on humanism, such as helping the orphans and widows. Nowadays, this would be most naturally extended to other victims of oppression, such as LGBTQ, Latinx, and atheists, which the Malinev chassidus treats even worse than their women. I also started a blog called "Humanist Judaism" to educate people about how the Malinev chassidim corrupts the message of the Judaism.

I feel it is very fitting that we read from these prophets before Tisha b'Av. Tisha b'Av is supposed to be about personal introspection into our own misdeeds, about rooting out corruption among us- and who has more misdeeds, who is more corrupt than Malinev chassidus? Tisha b’Av is also about how the Temple was destroyed due to baseless hatred, but Malinev chassidim deserve all the hatred they can get (which I try very hard to increase on my blog, especially the day before Tisha b’Av). That, I believe, is the message of Tisha b'Av.