I want to be very clear at the outset: I am not a talmid chacham, and I am certainly not writing this as one. I am a regular person who came across a piece of Torah that struck me very strongly, and it feels impossible not to share it in light of what is happening. This is too directly relevant to ignore.
Why Bereishis Is Called Sefer HaYashar
The Netziv, Rav Naftali Tzvi Yehuda Berlin, in his introduction to Sefer Bereishis (Ha’amek Davar), asks a simple but penetrating question. Chazal call Bereishis Sefer HaYashar—the Book of the Upright. Why?
Why not Sefer HaTzaddikim? Or Sefer HaChassidim?
The Netziv explains something very unsettling.
He says that the generation that saw the destruction of the Second Beis HaMikdash was not lacking in Torah or mitzvos. On the contrary:
They were tzaddikim, chassidim, and ameilei Torah.
And yet, the Beis HaMikdash was destroyed.
Why?
Because they were not yesharim in their halichos ha’olam—in how they dealt with other people. Anyone who did not serve Hashem according to their exact understanding was viewed with suspicion, labeled a heretic or worse. This bred sin’as chinam, which spiraled into every other evil, until the Churban came.
And then the Netziv writes words that should make anyone uncomfortable:
Even when actions are done l’shem Shamayim, if the path is crooked, it destroys creation and ruins yishuv ha’olam.
In other words: being “right” is not enough. Being “frum” is not enough. If there is no yashrus, the entire structure collapses.
The Derech of the Avos
The Netziv explains that this is why Bereishis focuses so much on the Avos—not just on what they believed, but on how they treated people.
Avraham Avinu prayed with mesirus nefesh for Sedom, a place he despised for its resha. Yitzchak Avinu went out of his way to make peace with people who wronged him. Yaakov Avinu, despite knowing that Lavan wanted to destroy him, spoke gently and was quick to be appeased.
The Avos hated evil. They stood for truth. But they never lost their humanity, and they never sought to erase others from existence.
This, says the Netziv, is what keeps the world standing.
Where Bilaam Draws the Line
The Netziv then explains Bilaam’s strange words: “Tamos nafshi mos yesharim.” Let me die the death of the upright.
Bilaam knew he was no tzaddik. That wasn’t his surprise.
What shocked him was his own willingness to seek the uprooting of an entire nation. That, says the Netziv, is not the derech of yashrus. It is not the derech of kiyum ha’olam.
To want a whole group gone—to say they should not exist, not live here, not be present—is already stepping outside the Torah’s framework, regardless of the justification offered.
Why This Feels So Painfully Relevant
Again, I am not writing this as a posek or a Torah authority. I am writing as someone who reads this Netziv and feels shaken.
Because when a community becomes convinced that righteousness means exclusion, suspicion, or erasure—when people are treated as threats simply for being different—we are no longer talking about chumros or hashkafos.
We are talking about the exact failure the Netziv says brought about Churban.
And the scariest part is that those involved may genuinely believe they are acting l’shem Shamayim.
The Netziv already answered that argument.
A Final Thought
This is not about being “modern” or “liberal” or weakening standards. It is about something far more basic.
Torah without yashrus is not Torah that builds.
Frumkeit without menschlichkeit does not last.
And history has already shown us where this road leads.
Bereishis is called Sefer HaYashar because without yashrus, there is no creation to protect.
That is not my chiddush.
It is the Netziv’s warning.
Source:
Netziv, Ha’amek Davar, Introduction to Sefer Bereishis
(Avodah Zarah 25a; Sanhedrin 105a; Bereishis Rabbah 49, 74)
9 Comments
A Thought from Sefer HaYashar That “”Skver Should Know””.
Advise for life:
Whenever something doesn’t go the way you like in your surroundings, ask yourself and reflect “How can I get others around me to change?”
“What does everyone around me need to know to make things better”?
“what does everyone around me need to do to change this”
Always think, look, and demand what the people around you need to do, know & change in order to make your life better.
That’s my advice.
This is all very nice and makes so much sense….to a reasonable, thinking, person. Unfortunately, the bad actors here are not that at all. They are so blinded by their ‘avodas’ hakodesh’ of being segregated that any means are justified, in their opinion. Appealing to them using logic, and Torah sources is fine and makes for a respectable piece of content, but will do no good for this group that is completely blinded by their twisted ideology.
There is 1 problem that every thing that you say to Skver they can say it to you…..
would love to hear anything Skver would say. Unfortunately, to date, they haven’t offered any halachic or basic human justification, Mareh Makom, Gadol baTorah, besides “take us to beis Din” which doesn’t sound very impressive, mentchlechkeit or even decent human behavior
being “right” is not enough. Being “frum” is not enough. If there is no yashrus, the entire structure collapses.
yashrus needs to be also with NS Msira is not yashrus
Comparing to the woke progressive liberal culture which we are seeing these days with Fr__Palestine, “baby killers” and other such hidden and open anti semitism around the world, they also have the same righteous justification/indignation that they are doing the right thing, even to the point that saying October 7 loy aleinu was due to Israel and we had it coming to us! This is no different. Nothing can push these “bad actors” off their perch until they obliterate everything good and kind. All of them are no different than the radical Muslims who cease to see any other ways beside their own! END OF RANT
It’s worth shining the light of Emes as there will be many in New Square that have not drunk potent amounts of Kool -Aid and will sour on this abhorrent behavior. Also, their supporter’s eyes will be opened to this travesty. If the $$$$ start drying up and there’s internal protest it might start tipping the scale of their Che$hbono$. I salute the writer of these columns which are very erudite and contain so much skill and talent in exposing the inexcusable suffering which is maliciously being perpetrated against our innocent fellow Yidden living within “The Mile”.
May your efforts to defend yourself against this misguided scheme bear fruit and result in שלום ושלוה ואחוה ורעות בין אחינו בני ישראל הרודפים שלום ואוהבים שלום אכי”ר
> Torah without yashrus is not Torah that builds.
עם אין תורה, אין דרך ארץ.
Also, from my time in corporate America, I’ve learned that the trick to change is to privately build bridges 1 on 1 until there’s consensus.
Im so shocked that fellow yidden could act like this. I’ve been to skver before, the people there are very nice but it seems that the leadership is completely rotten
Shame on them!