Dear Mr. Perelman:
I saw the mini-movie about the red string on Judaism.com, and I am
deeply comcerned with what I saw. No object in the world is given innate powers
of protection or destruction. I will quote a few sources to demonstrate my
point.
The Mishnah in Rosh Hashanah (3:8) states: ""And it came
to pass, when Moshe held up his hand, that Israel prevailed..." (Ex.
17:11). But could the hands of Moshe make war or lose a war? It is rather to
teach you, as long as Israel was looking upwards and subjecting their hearts to
their Father in Heaven, they prevailed, and if not, they fell. Likewise, you
may say, "Make for you a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole; and it
shall come to pass, that whosoever is bitten, when he looks at it, he shall
live" (Num. 21:8). But could the serpent cause to die, or could the
serpent cause to live? Rather, when Israel looked upwards and subjected their
hearts to their Father in Heaven, they were healed, and if not, they perished."
Furthermore, in reference to the incense that was used to stop the
plague that God smote the Jews with after the incident of Korach and his
assembly, the Gemara in Berachos 33a states: "Why with incense?
Because Israel was jeering and complaining about this incense, saying, "It
is deadly poison; Nadav and Avihu died through it, and two hundred and
fifty people died through it." The Holy One, Blessed be He, said,
"You shall see that it is a plague stopper, and sin is what kills.""
One has to wonder how a red string which nobody ever heard of can
be more powerful than Moshe's hands, the copper serpent, and the incense.
I also object to line in the movie that states that Jews have
prayed to Rachel Emainu at her tomb for centuries. Such a practice goes against
one of the thirteen essential principles in Judaism; namely, that God is the
only existence that one may pray to. Chazal talk about Calev going to pray by
the tomb of our forefathers, but they are careful not to suggest that he prayed
to them. He only went there to gain chizuk for his prayers.
Please do not take this letter to be a personal attack on you or
anyone who works for Judaism.com. I am merely trying to engage you in a debate
about certain modern practices in Judaism.
Yours Truly,
David Fischbein