Reply To: Speaking Out Against Smoking in Yerushalyim

To all who have supported me Thank You. We need the silent majority to speak up about this problem. To all those that have been attacking me, you are all part of the problem. You don’t know anything about me, so to question my behavior is just makes you sound unintelligent. Just for the record I have not been to an Internet Cafe once since I have been in Israel. The main point of my article is how smoking effects others. I am not expecting every smoker to quit cold turkey tomorrow. However, please respect those around you. It is clear that smoking is deadly. If you have to smoke do it in private, where you are only harming your own body and nefesh. At least one day hopefully you will do teshuvah for the harm that you have brought on yourself. That is something that is up to each individual. However, If you smoke recklessly and harm others Teshuvah will not help for the many serious isurei doreisa that you are oiver Yom Kipur is not Mechaper for Bain Adam Lchavero. There are many things which individuals do privately that are not right. It is not my place to criticize them or tell them what to do. Our Gedolim can speak out about things which silently harm Klal Yisrael. We are not on the level to judge someone when we don’t have the slightest clue who they are. When someone does something in the open and is harming other people there is a chiyuv to protest.

Please we need the silent majority of non-smokers to speak up. When you see someone smoking near you or inside a building go up to them and tell them to go away and stop. Don’t just sit idle by and say there is nothing you can do. Please Klal Yisrael take a stand.