I saw this on YWN
Rabbi Moti Koenig of Chabad in Modi’in Illit has grown accustomed to the fact that many residents would prefer if he and his Bet Chabad would vanish. Nevertheless, he remains determined in his mission, to bring Chabad chassidus to the predominately Litvish torah community.
On Monday, the Chabad library was targeted by an arsonist. He was summoned during the early hours Monday morning (Sunday night to Monday morning) and told to come to the building, horrified to find that the site used to deliver shiurei torah and spread chassidus was targeted by arson. Anti Chabad graffiti was also visible at the site along with graffiti against the planned Lag B’Omer event sponsored by the children of the community later in the week.
Rav Koenig explained that this was not the work of “children or shabavnikim”, but by those who label themselves “avreichim” and “bnei torah”, questioning how they can set such a site ablaze, a location containing so many sifrei kodesh.
Rav Koenig added that he remains more committed to make this year’s Lag B’Omer event in the city the biggest ever, hoping to double the number of children taking part.
On the one hand, should I be shocked? If they shout and spit on girls who they deem to be non tzniusdik in Ramat Beit Shemesh, why should I be surprised that these ‘Misnagdim’ set fire to a Makom Torah and HarBotzas HaTorah. We’ve also seen that it’s not limited to Misnagdim. In Skver, despite the Rebbe over there saying that his house boy would not go to prison, that lad was sentenced to 8 years in prison for attempting to burn down the house of another Skverrer Chosid who wasn’t towing the line.
This is all a gross perversion of Torah. These people do not keep Torah and Mitzvos. To use their own phraseology, they keep a religion that has elements in common with Judaism. These violent Kanoim should be found and put into prison. Anyone who perpetrates violence against their fellow Jew “in the name of Torah” should be put into prison and left to stew there for many years.
Predictably, those whose IQ approaches room temperature commented and diverted the attention of the arson to the fact that Chabad were Meshichisten. Sigh. Even if what they said was true, and most Chabadniks were Meshichisten, since when does that justify arson? How sick are people who attempt to justify one by the other. At worst, Meshichisten wilfully misread the plain reading of the Rambam in Hilchos Melochim, but to imply that this is Kefirah is a long long bow. Sure, there are some loo loos who are Boristen and the like, but they are a tiny outlier, and in my experience ought to be seeing a psychiatrist for other manifestations of their meshugass.
The entire world wept when the Chabad House in Mumbai was attacked, and those Kedoshim were murdered by Islāmic Terrorists. Now, we have so called Yidden who come to burn a Chabad House because it happens to be in a Litvishe area. Sick, sick, sick.
pitputim 
Rabbi kenig is as far from a Mishichist possible. If he is the one I think he is, then he wouldnt even allow a Mishichist into his Chabad house. Like most other Chabad Shluchim around the world.
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לא בנתי את הקשר בין יריקה על ילדות בבית שמש [שדרך אגב אף פעם לא היתה] לבין שריפת בית חב”ד. ודרך אגב, גם בתוך חב”ד היו מלחמות פנימיות סוערות, שהדליקו הרבה “אש” (בפרט אחרי פטירת הצ”צ). והקנאות של הרבי רש”ב, ג”כ הדלקיה הרבה “מדורות”
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Thank you for your comments Rabbi Goldhaber. I do not understand the point you are trying to make. Even if you quibble about the particulars of one event, you will surely agree that we are witnessing, especially in the area of Tzniyus, unprecedented violence against human beings whose so called “lesser” standards are deemed a reason for hot heads to become low lifes. It transcends Tzniyus. It’s about “we are not only holier than you, but we will force you to be as holy as us”
On the matter of Chabad, certainly the Rashab was a firebrand, and the Ramash never spoke like him. That being said, the proverbial fires that the Rashab lit surely should not be mentioned in the same sentence as people who performed arson on a Chabad house.
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“If they shout and spit on girls…”
For someone not acquainted, it sounds like they(spitting and burning) are done by the same people(although I suppose there may be some who would do both).
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It’s more important to notice a trend, and the trend is there and cuts across all groups. Why is there such a trend? What are the root causes?
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There always were extremists and there always will be. Nothing’s changed.
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Extremists who perpetrate violence is shocking and new. You shouldn’t be so dismissive
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I’ve heard plenty of stories of intra-communal violence in Europe – think of the misnagdim and chassidim, or even between different groups of chassidim. In fact you yourself praise at least some extremists – if the Hellenists had won the history books would describe the Chashmonayim as extremists who rejected modernity and so forth.
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I am not sure how to react. Are you saying that one should not be condemning violence because it happened in Europe? Are you saying we should not react or be disgusted by this? The phenomenon of burning Chabad houses is new. The upsurge in Charedi violence against those who don’t “keep to their standards” is new.
These things didn’t happen in the last 50 years, or have I been sleeping under a rock?
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Yes, you must’ve been sleeping under a rock. You are right that it is shocking. But new?? Don’t you remember satmar violence against lubavitch and others? Satmar internal violence? Belz against others? Lubavich internally? Rock throwing in Jerusalem? Violence by non religious against religious? The list goes on.. Heck, there was even someone who killed the PM of israel!
And just because it’s not new, doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be condemned. I don’t know where you get that one from.
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Satmar against Lubavitch I recall. I believe it was dealt with by the Satmar Rebbe and died. Belz I don’t know. Lubavitch internally is an exaggeration in the context of what I’m talking about. Rock throwing was despicable, and shocking and I *think* it has died down. Violence from non religious against religious isn’t something that I’ve noticed as a problem per se, although it isn’t what I’m talking about. The low life who killed the PM is a good example of another manifestation of this trend, yes, I agree.
But burning a Beis Medrash and targeting little girls walking with their mothers, a general climate of fear. A friend of mine told me his daughter was just talking in the street with her friend (also female) in Beit Shemesh, and was threatened by the god Squad. We have vigilantes now. Let’s not pretend that we are not witnessing an upward and dangerous spiral. These vigilantes need to be outlawed and condemned. There are no unambiguous Kol Koreh’s forbidding them and putting those people in Cherem. Another example, on Yom Ha’atzmaut, someone I know, who is a very respected specialist who treats heaps of Charedim, and is frum, was no longer able to drive with the Israeli flag on her car in Beit Shemesh. She was surrounded and threatened. Fearing the worst, she parked her car and put the flag on the back seat. When she returned, her car was smashed up and the windows broken. She rang the Rov and gave him plenty, and advised him that she would no longer be able to treat his Kehilla as she feared driving into that area. These new vigilante groups are POISON, and they ARE a new manifestation.
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Lubavich internally is an exaggeration in this context? You gotta be kidding! You must’ve forgotten about the beating up of the Rebbe’s sister in law, an elderly lady.
Every case manifests differently. However, it all comes from one source. What is common about all perpetrators. Not one of them are reknown for their erlich davenen, hasmodeh, chesed etc. They are all “bottom of the barrel” laydigayers, who are bored, and are looking for some excitement, while not being able to look past their nostrils.
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אכן במו עיני ראית אעך שבחורים מישיבת בעלז זרעו הרס בשטיבל של חסידי מתנגדיהם “מחנובקא”, קרעו לגזרים ספרי קודש עקרו את ארונות ספרים מהקיר, ושברו ופרקו כל כלי קודש
הכלל הוא, שכל “כת” קנאית לאלו המתנגדים לו, גם אלו הדוגלים באהבת ישראל,ראו לדוגמא עיתון מקור ראשון, הדוגל באהבת ישראל נוסח הרב קוק, ואילו אין כמעט עיתון שבועי שהם לא משתלחים נגד החרדים
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So where have we gone wrong? Some people like to quote the Gemora that חוצפא יסגא but I don’t take comfort in that given that the Gemora also says כשארץ ישראל תתן פריה. Is it קנאות that is the problem? Is it the relentless pursuit of חומרות that gives birth to קנאות?
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אין שום קשר ויחס בין “קנאות” ל”חומרות”. ניקח לדוגמה את הרב קוק , בפסקיו הוא די מחמיר, ואילו היה רחוק מ’קנאות’, ומאידך גיסא, ראשי הקנאים בירושלים, הרבנים בלוי וקצנלבויגן, לא התבלטו ב”חומרתם” בחיי היום-יום
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R’ Kook’s more famous Psakim e.g. שמיטה and מי קטניות were attacked as being too מיקל. At any rate, even bringing R’ Kook as a counter-example isn’t representative of our time or the quality of many of our מנהיגים. R’ Kook was verily מחמיר on בין אדם לחבירו viz a viz his extreme אהבת הזולת … what we see today is the bunkering down syndrome where everything outside the ד אמות of (choose your own) דעת תורה is חזיר טרייף and the חומרות to pursue for חיי עולם הבא are toilet paper for פסח without starch, anisakis free herring, delegitimising RIETS and their Rabbonim etc.
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על פי רוב החמיר הרב קוק בפסיקיו, ואך ורק בשאלות הנוגעות יישוב היהודי בא”י, הוא נטה להקל, וכפי שהאריך להוכיח זאת, הרב נריה גוטל, בעבודת הדוקטורט שלו, שיקולים התלכתיים ומטא-הלכתיים בפסיקתו של הרב קוק
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Certainly makes sense, but are you suggesting that if he ended up stuck in Switzerland or London and became Chief Rabbi over there, he would have paskened any differently? Certainly supporting the ישוב was a prime ingredient, but I get the impression that his innate love of the people was as great as his love of the land, even though he saw the people only attain their higher standing while they were in the land.
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אין שום סתירה בין ‘אהבת ישראל’ לקנאות. בזכרוני את ר’ עמרם בלוי, מנהיג ה’קנאים’ בירושלים, שהכניס הביתה כל צרוע וכל זב, ואירח אותם כיד המלך, אהב אותם, חיבק אותם יום-יום. ומאידך לחם בחירוף נפש נגד כל מה שהיה פסול בעיניו.. ניקח דוגמא רחוקה לגמרי. אנשי ה”ירוקים” הדואגים לאוקלוגית העולם, מוכנים להפגין ולהתשולל ולהרוס ספינות דייגים, ולשרוף חנויות המוכרות פרווה וכדומה, אך ורק עבור הדיאלוגיה שלהם, הדוגלת בשמירת על מהלך התקין של עולם הטבעי. ובמעשיהם עצמם, הורסים את העולם….
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I’m saying that it’s not new. The phenomenon of burning Chabad houses – if the word fits this isolated incident – may be new, but arson existed long ago. Charedi violence isn’t new either: what would have happened to a modern family settling in Meah Shearim fifty years ago? I agree that these things are bad; I just reject the idea that they are new.
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I don’t recall Meah Shearim or their types being violent like today’s types!
I don’t recall Charedi violence of this type 30 years ago.
You can see the way things are going down hill. The grandparents shake their heads in disgust, the parents hide behind a rock afraid that if they will condemn it they will be branded as traitors, and the kids are becoming more violent and single minded. The trend is definitely there
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To quote you ” Even if what they said was true, and most Chabadniks were Meshichisten, since when does that justify arson? How sick are people who attempt to justify one by the other. At worst, Meshichisten wilfully misread the plain reading of the Rambam in Hilchos Melochim, but to imply that this is Kefirah is a long long bow.”
It sounds like you suggest that if they were koifrim, it would be ok to burn the place down.
Well let me tell you a little secret, Followers of Rav Shach and the general litvaks believe exactly that about all of chabad.
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I do not agree that it is permitted to burn down the homes of Kofrim. We live under a rule of law. When the Moshiach comes, and the Sanhedrin is re-established, and if they suggest such, that will be a bridge to cross.
As to your secret, R’ Schach’s views are well know. They were false then, and are false now. He incited plenty, and achieved very little with his rhetoric against Chabad. 99.9% of respected Rabonim do not consider Meshichisten kofrim. They are living in a false world, yes. They wrongly twist the Rambam, yes. But they are Shomer Torah U’Mitzvos and daven to Hashem Echad. And no, don’t bring me the luny Boristen variety. They are Patur because they come under the category of Shotim. Many if not most have a psychological problem.
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I’m just questioning your words, as if you say, it is ok to burn koifrim. Nearly nobody out there differentiates between main stream chabad and meshichisten, they are either all accepted or all shunned upon.
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They were shunned before Meshichism by those who shun them now.
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