Chief Rabbi Lau has harshly criticized Education Minister Bennet for visiting a Conservative Hebrew Day School in New York. I don’t understand what MK Bennet's offense was. HaRav Moshe Feinstein ZT"L ruled that Orthodox Rabbis may teach in Conservative Hebrew day schools.

 

The Chazon Ish ZT"L on Shulchan Aruch Yoreh Deah Ch. 13 states, "All sinners in Israel today have the status of a child, captive among the pagans (TINOK SHENISHBA BEIN HA'AKUM)".

 

This means, they are unaware of the beauty of Torah True Judaism, because they are indoctrinated by decadent Western culture and values. Thus, the Chazon Ish ZT"L states, "It is incumbent upon us to restore the sinners only by acts of love and to enlighten them to the greatest extent possible".

 

The source for this seemingly lenient ruling of the Chazon Ish ZT"L is the great Ta'ana of the Mishna, Rabi Tarfone. The Torah in Vayikra 19, commands us to rebuke our wayward, sinful fellow Jew. Rabi Tarfone declares that even in his generation, the sinner could not be condemned, since there was no one to give proper and adequate rebuke. He states, "I wonder if there is anyone in this generation who can give proper rebuke. If one says to the sinner, 'remove the pebble from between your teeth', the sinner will say to the one who rebukes him, 'first you remove the wooden beam from between your eyes' ". (Talmud Erachim 16).

 

Thus, the Chazon Ish ZT"L on Shulchan Aruch Yoreh Deah 13, is following the opinion of Rabi Tarfone, who considers every sinner today as one acting prior to rebuke. In effect we, the Torah observant community, must assume responsibility to educate, enlighten and liberate the captive minds of our non-observant Jewish brethren.

 

The Chazon Ish ZT"L urges us to love, not hate, teach and not reject, any Jew, no matter how sinful he is, because he is ignorant and does not see the beauty of Torah True Judaism.

 

Our task as Torah observant Jews is to re-educate our wayward Jewish brethren through love and understanding, not through rejection.

 

As the Mishna in Avot 1 states, "Be among the disciples of Aharon HaKohen, loving peace and perusing peace, loving all people and bring them closer to the Torah".