In our polarized times, many feel justified in mocking anti-Israel protesters whose positions seem morally reprehensible. Yet this impulse raises a fundamental question: do the benefits of attacking our enemies justify the spiritual toxicity of mockery? While some argue that mocking enemies of Israel serves a religious purpose, I believe the halachic sources and practical realities counsel restraint.
I recently expressed these brief thoughts on social media and my good friend, Rav Daniel Z. Feldman, disagreed. (To read Rabbi Feldman’s article, click here.) The Jewish Press asked us both to flesh out our opinions in writing. I am hesitant to disagree with Rav Feldman, a close friend since childhood. He is not only a full week older, but also has always been smarter, more knowledgeable and more pious. I leave for another time my halachic justification for writing this article in the face of his greater expertise, but I add at the end two specific reasons.
The Nature and Danger of Leitzanus
Both the Bible and the Talmud say harsh things about the leitz, the mocker or scoffer. “Judgments are prepared for mockers” (Prov. 19:29), and the Gemara (Avodah Zarah 18b) warns that “anyone who mocks, suffering will befall him.” But what exactly makes mockery so spiritually dangerous?
Mockery is not merely humor, harsh criticism or even a personal insult. It represents a cynical form of denigration that attempts to render its target devoid of value. When we mock, we don’t simply disagree; we dismiss the very possibility that something deserves serious consideration. This attitude corrodes the humility, seriousness and receptivity essential for spiritual life.
As we will see, the Gemara states that mockery is generally forbidden. What prohibition does it violate? Rav Avraham Erlanger offers a profound insight (Birkas Avraham, Sanhedrin 63b): the prohibition against mockery emanates from our obligation to “fear the L-rd, your G-d” (Deut. 10:20). Mockery damages three parties – the target, the mocker and bystanders – by spreading an attitude of cynicism that undermines yiras Shamayim (fear of Heaven). Moreover, it is contagious. When you devalue someone or something, you spread an attitude of cynicism throughout your social circles.
The Exception: Mocking Idolatry
Yet the Gemara (Megillah 25b) states: “All mockery is forbidden except for mockery of idolatry, as it is written: ‘Bel bows down, Nevo stoops’ (Isa. 46:1).” This exception requires careful analysis. Does it mean only idolatry may be mocked like the biblical example or does it establish a broader principle that mockery is permitted when it serves a religious purpose (to’eles)?
The late 14th-century work, Orchos Tzadikim (at the end of Sha’ar HaShesikah), drawing on Rabbeinu Yonah’s detailed analysis of mockery’s types, expands this permission: “One may mock those who serve idolatry; one may mock sinners in order to prevent others from sinning, and others also will not commit sins when they see the mockery made of them.”
This suggests that mockery becomes permissible when it serves a clear religious benefit, namely, deterring others from sin. The key question becomes: what constitutes genuine religious benefit? Is there a to’eles in mocking anti-Israel protesters?
Applying These Principles Today
Some might argue that anti-Israel protesters, particularly those attempting to thwart Israel’s war efforts and threatening Jews globally, fall into the category of those who may be mocked for religious benefit. However, we must honestly assess whether mockery achieves any constructive purpose. How do people typically respond when mocked? Rather than reconsidering their positions, they usually dismiss their mockers as unworthy of attention. Mockery rarely opens minds; it closes them. I cannot see any religious benefit in this kind of mockery. No one will see the light and instead we preach to the choir and say nothing to those with whom we disagree.
In such a case, where is the permission to mock and risk our own yiras Shamayim, fear of Heaven? The Gemara (Yevamos 63a) says that you should be careful not to lie frequently even in permissible cases because you risk becoming a liar. “They taught their tongue to speak lies” (Jer. 9:4) makes us aware of the danger of improper behavior becoming ingrained within us even when done in a permissible fashion.
We live in an age saturated with mockery, when cynical comedians shape public discourse and social media rewards snark over substance. Despite our best efforts, we are all affected by contemporary society to some degree. Therefore, we have to try our best to be on guard against the creeping cynicism of mockery.
Conclusion
While anger at those who promote hatred and try to destroy our homeland is entirely justified, our response must be guided by both wisdom and effectiveness. We absolutely must fight our enemies, but with tactics that will succeed. The halachic tradition’s deep suspicion of mockery reflects an understanding of human psychology that remains relevant today: cynical dismissal rarely changes minds and always risks corrupting the mocker.
While some authorities believe that mockery of idolatry is obligatory, Rav Chaim Kanievsky and Rav Chaim Elazar Shapiro argue that it is merely permitted and not required (Orchos Yosher, no. 18, iyunim no. 9; Divrei Torah 3:52).
Therefore, I tentatively argue that because of the times in which we live, the lack of practical benefit in mocking anti-Israel protesters and the fact that it is only permitted and not obligatory, it is proper to refrain from this mockery even as we vehemently argue with and fight against those who would destroy us. I say tentatively because these are only my thoughts in learning and not a halachic ruling. Additionally, I have learned over the years to defer to the greater learning and better judgment of Rav Daniel Z. Feldman. Accordingly, my recommendation is to listen to him and not me.
