Quoting from Chananya Weissman’s newsletter:
I spent enough time preparing and teaching the class, and will not summarize it all here. It’s embedded above and on Rumble here. Those who are smart and want to become even smarter will listen to it; יהב חכמתא לחכימין.
I will, however, translate a short excerpt from Rav Wasserman’s essay, which is of utmost importance and fits today’s headlines like a glove:
And so it is with libels. Just as the nations constantly search for libels against the general Jewish people, so the wicked of our people constantly search for libels against the general learners of Torah. If it so happens that one of the Bnei Torah stumbles in something improper, they will not scorn him alone, but their wrath will go out against the learners in general.
The truth is that these two wars, the hatred of the nations toward our people, and the hatred of the wicked of Israel toward those who fear Hashem — both of them are one and the same, and that is the war of impurity against holiness, as it is written “It is a war for Hashem against Amalek from generation to generation” (Shemos 17:16), for Amalek is the root of impurity in all the generations. And so wrote the Gra (Even Sheleima 11), the Amalekites are the heads of Israel in exile, etc., and about them it says “Their enemies became their leaders” (Eicha 1:5).
Even the language and tactics of the blood libels are eerily similar. They aren’t loyal citizens…they don’t care about anyone else…they wield too much power…they steal our money…they couldn’t survive without us…we are dying for them…they control our leaders…they spread disease…they have too many children…and on and on.
Measure for measure. It’s the same war.