Q:
Is there what to be gained by a frum Jew who belongs to a certain group, going and visiting other groups of frum Jews, and bringing their children to see them?
A:
To go out of their way to go ahead and try to see different groups? It’s a good thing.
Now, I don’t say that if you are a Bobover you have to go to all the simchos of the Satmarer. No, I don’t say that, no. Each one should remain איש על דגלו איש על מחנהו; absolutely. If you wish, you can be mesnadev to go, to join, but you’re not mechuyav, no.
But you should honor everybody. Let’s say if you’re a Satmarer and by accident you bump into a non-Satmarer. So he’s a Jew, a frum Jew. Respect him. Honor him. “I’m sorry,” say. “Zeit mochel reb Yid; zeit mochel.” Something like that. But I’m not saying you have to run to all the Bobover simchos.
Hakadosh Baruch Hu said Shevet Reuven by itself. Shevet Shimon by itself. Why did He say that? Why didn’t He mix all the shevatim together? No! He wanted each family to continue its own way. Everyone should continue their own way.
Sefardim who daven with the Oriental ways of the Sefardi Jews, let them continue. Ashkenazi Jews should continue their own way. I don’t say they should lose their minhagim. But if a Sefardi sees an Ashkenazi Jew he shouldn’t say, “A black hatter.’ Oh no, he should respect a black hat. And if an Ashkenazi sees a Sefardi Jew who does certain things in a Sefardi way, he should know that the Sefardim are kedoshim. The Chovos Halevavos was a Sefardi. The Rambam was a Sefardi too. And therefore we have to honor all Jews. But it doesn’t mean you have to change your ways and adopt their ways.
March 1996
