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which truly matter: Torah study, mitz-
vah performance, chessed, piety, moral
behavior, prayer, love of Jews and love
of country. Identity should never be
based upon a label.
Independent of identity, each of us
must decide which community best
enables the type of life we seek. No
communal mode is perfect; each
possesses flaws and opportunities.
True perfection can only be attained
independently of communal labels
and cultures. Do not confuse identity
with community, and do not live iden-
tity through communal or ideological
labels.

We are all Ultra-Orthodox
Many people translate the term
“Charedi” as “Ultra-Orthodox”. This is
an incorrect translation with poten-
tially devastating consequences. Every
Jew, regardless of which community
they live in, has a religious responsi-
bility to become “Ultra-Orthodox” – to
fully and passionately devote himself
or herself to G-d. Each of us should
choose the community that will help
us accomplish this all-important goal.
If you believe that a Charedi lifestyle
will better help you achieve religious
growth, you must absolutely join that
community!
By calling only Charedim “Ultra-Ortho-
dox”, non-Charedim are implying that
they, themselves, are excused from
Ultra-Orthodoxy. But none of us are
excused from religious growth and
aspiration; every Jew must strive to
be Ultra-Orthodox! Each of us must
live the fullest religious experience we
are capable of. Each of us must select
a community which best enables that
goal. If there is one label we should
apply to our identity, let it be “Ultra-Or-
thodox”; we should accept no less for
ourselves.

Rabbi Moshe Taragin has taught at Yeshivat
Har Etzion since 1994. He previously taught
Talmud at Columbia University and Yeshiva
University, and served as Assistant Rabbi at
the Fifth Avenue Synagogue. Rabbi Taragin
is the author of the popular online shiur
“Talmudic Methodology” and he co-wrote
the commentary for the The Krengel Family
World Mizrachi Edition of the Koren Yom
HaAtzma’ut Machzor.

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