How do Charedim view secular Jewish leadership — are they seen as “resha’im” or simply misled?
This is a very sensitive question — and one that requires both honesty and ahavas Yisrael.
The Charedi world does not paint all secular Jewish leaders with a single brush. We do not jump to call anyone a “rasha” lightly. Chazal teach us:
"הוי דן את כל האדם לכף זכות" “Judge every person favorably” (Pirkei Avos 1:6).
That said, we must also call truth by its name. The leaders of secular Zionism — particularly in its early decades — proudly declared war against Torah values. They rejected Hashem’s authority, they mocked rabbanim, and in many cases worked aggressively to secularize religious Jews. Some did so with ideology. Some did so with hatred. Some simply didn’t know better.
So how do we view them?
1. We Distinguish Between Intent and Action
It is a foundational Torah principle to distinguish between someone who sins out of rebellion versus someone who sins out of ignorance.
The Rambam (Hilchos Mamrim 3:3) rules that someone who was raised without Torah — who was “like a child taken captive among the gentiles” — is not considered a willful sinner, even if they violate every commandment, because they never learned otherwise.
Many secular leaders today fall into this category. They were never taught Torah, never saw a yeshiva, never tasted the sweetness of mitzvos. They are tinokos shenishbu — spiritually kidnapped children — and are therefore not judged as “resha’im” in the classic halachic sense.
This was emphasized by Rav Moshe Feinstein zt”l, who wrote that secular Jews in our times must be treated with love and outreach, not condemnation, because they simply don’t know the truth of Torah life【1】.
2. But We Cannot Pretend That Their Deeds Are Harmless
Even if many secular leaders are not held fully responsible in the eyes of Heaven, their policies and ideologies have caused enormous harm.
- They removed Torah study from schools.
- They introduced chillul Shabbos as national culture.
- They turned Jewish identity into a “citizenship” question, not a covenant with Hashem.
- They gave voice and legitimacy to public chilul Hashem.
This is not just a matter of personal lifestyle — it is a direct spiritual assault on the Jewish soul.
The Chazon Ish famously wrote (Yoreh Deah 2:28) that when dealing with a mechallel Shabbos publicly, one must take care to distinguish between one who rebels against Hashem knowingly and one who never learned Torah at all.
We may not judge their hearts, but we must oppose their actions when they contradict the Torah.
3. We Must Love the Jew and Fight the Ideology
Our obligation is twofold:
- Ahavas Yisrael toward the individual
- Unwavering loyalty to Torah truth
Even if we oppose their leadership, we never forget that every Jew is our brother or sister. Even if they lead others astray, we don’t wish them harm — we wish them teshuvah. As the Rambam writes (Hilchos Teshuvah 7:6):
“We do not seek the downfall of sinners, but that they should repent and live.”
And as Rav Elazar Menachem Man Shach zt”l once said tearfully:
“We cry for every Jew who has lost his way. We do not curse them — we pray for them.”
This is not weakness. It is the strength of Torah, which teaches us to love even while standing firm.
In Summary:
- Are secular Jewish leaders resha’im? In most cases, no — they are misguided, raised without Torah, and deeply influenced by foreign ideologies.
- But we must not allow our love for fellow Jews to cause us to blur the truth: secular leadership has led Klal Yisrael astray in many ways.
- We do not respond with violence, hatred, or revenge. We respond with Torah, with truth, and with tears.
As Charedim, we daven for the day when all Jewish leaders will once again be talmidei chachamim, who walk with awe of Hashem and guide the nation according to His Torah.
Sources and Footnotes
- Rambam, Hilchos Mamrim 3:3 – Ruling about a Jew raised without Torah being considered a tinok shenishba.
- Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igros Moshe, Yoreh Deah 1:158 – Advocates for compassion and outreach to secular Jews, not condemnation.
- Chazon Ish, Yoreh Deah 2:28 – Clarifies how to relate to those who sin unknowingly vs. those who rebel knowingly.
- Rambam, Hilchos Teshuvah 7:6 – "We do not desire the death of the wicked, but that they should return and live."
- Rav Elazar Menachem Man Shach, public address (circa 1980s) – “We cry for every Jew who has lost his way.”