[hat tip Cracower]
http://forward.com/articles/187462/israels-richest-rabbi-on-forbes-list-is-m-man/
Israel’s Richest Rabbi on Forbes List Is $367M Man
Pinchas Abuhatzeira Is Tops — Pinto Comes In No. 7
The rabbinate is not known as a path to riches. But for several Israeli rabbis, it is just that. The ten wealthiest Israeli rabbis own a combined fortune of over $620 million, according to a recent ranking by Forbes Israel.
Rabbi Pinchas Abuhatzeira is Israel’s richest rabbi by a long shot, with an estimated net worth of about $367 million. At 36 years old, he is also the youngest rabbi on the list. He inherited a massive fortune and a large following from his father, Rabbi Elazar Abuhatzaeira, who was murdered in 2011. The elder Abuhatzeira was stabbed to the death by a mentally disturbed follower to whom he had previously given marital advice. Superstar rabbis like Abuhatzeira can collect large sums in return for advice, blessings, amulets, and attending their followers’ family events.
The father and son aren’t the only wealthy members of the family. Pinchas’ uncle Rabbi Yekutiel Abuhatzeira is Israel’s ninth wealthiest rabbi, with over $7 million, and his uncle David Hai Abuhatzeira appeared on the list last year. His cousin, rabbi and kabbalist Yoshiyahu Yosef Pinto (No. 7 on the list), is one of Israel’s most highly sought-after rabbis and directs an international network of yeshivas and charities. The police have also taken an interest in Pinto, investigating his finances and questionable real estate deals. Pinto and the three Abuhatzeiras are direct descendants of the famed Sephardi religious leader, the Baba Sali, who died in 1984 but is still widely revered in Israel.
The Abuhatzeiras are not the only wealthy rabbinic family in Israel. Two members of the Ifargan family made it onto Forbes’ list: Rabbi Yaakov Israel Ifargan (No. 5) and his sister Rebbetzin Bruria Zvuluni (No. 10), the sole woman on the list. Popularly known as the “X-ray” rabbi, Ifargan supposedly can read people’s minds. Like Rabbi Pinto, Ifargan advises some of Israel’s most important businessmen and politicians – for a fee. The “X-ray” rabbi and his sister, who is sometimes known as “the CT”, collectively own for than $30 million.
Two Hasidic leaders also made it onto the list: the Gur Rebbe (No. 2) and the Belz Rebbe (No. 3). Both lead powerful Hasidic movements that were decimated during the Holocaust, but are now growing in population – and wealth.
While a few ultra-Orthodox rabbis have done quite well for themselves, the majority of their flock lives below the poverty line. Nor are all Israeli rabbis as wealthy as these 10 well-heeled rabbis – most make modest salaries.
No word yet on when we can expect a list of America’s wealthiest rabbis.
http://m.forbes.co.il/rating/list.aspx?en6v0tVq=EE
1
Rabbi Pinchas Abuchatzeira
Value: 1.3 billion
Age 36
Marital Status Married +5
Residence Beer Sheva
Value are in 1.3 billion
2
Gerrer Rebbe Yaakov Aryeh Alter
Value: 350 million
Age 73
Marital Status Married +9
Residence Bnei Brak
Value are in 350 million
3
Belzer Rebbe, Rabbi Issachar Dov Rokeach
Value: 180 million
Age 65
Residence Jerusalem
Value are in 180 million
4
Rabbi Nir Ben Artzi
Value: 100 million
Age 55
Marital Status Married +4
Residence Session furrows
Value are in 100 million
5
Rabbi Jacob (Israel) Ifergan, “X-ray”
Value: 90 million
Age 46
Marital Status Married +4
Residence Netivot
Value are in 90 million
6
Rabbi Josiah Pinto
Value: 75 million
Age 38
Marital Status Married +3
Residence Ashdod
Value are in 75 million
7
Rabbi Reuven Elbaz
Value: 40 million
Age 68th
Residence Jerusalem
Value are in 40 million
8
Rabbi Yoram Abergel
Value: 35 million
Age 55
Marital Status Father to 5
Residence Netivot
Value are in 35 million
9
Rabbi Yekutiel Abuchatzeira
Value: 25 million
Age 51
Marital Status Married
Residence Ashdod
Value are in 25 million
10th
Rebbetzin Bruriah Zevuluni
Value: 20 million
Age 51
Marital Status Married +8
Residence Jerusalem
Value are in 20 million
pitputim 
From http://dovbear.blogspot.com.au/2012/06/what-do-israels-wealthiest-rabbis-have.html
“They are all con men. All eight Rabbis on the list accumulated huge fortunes by selling charms, prayers and blessings. They all make bogus predictions and claim to have supernatural powers. Not one of them acquired their fortunes through industry or hard work, but by cashing in on the hopes, fears and stupidity of their followers.”
Note: this is from last year’s list. I did not google all the names, but some of the names seem to be under police investigation for fraud etc. The sceptics society will give $1 million to anyone, who like some of the above, claim to be able to supernatural things under controlled environments. Would be a hoot to see.
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The Gerer Rebbe’s father-the Lev Simcha- was in business and bought up lots of property in the early days of the medina, long before he became rebbe.. Steven check your facts before posting
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I think the 180mill of the belzer rebbe is not his personal wealth. It is more likely all the belzer Shuls(including the huge one in Yerushalayim), Cheders etc. in Israel and around the world, which are in his name. So probably another misleading “fact” in the article..
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Ben, as I wrote I didn’t check the details, but copied from a website. But I am glad that ONE of them earned the money from legitimate business.
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There are lots more but they don’t get into this rather ‘exalted’ state
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the Gerrer Alter family is very wealthy legitimately from real estate they bought in tel aviv etc in the 30s
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I don’t have a problem saying that a legitimately wealthy family that collects money for tzedaka may have its priorities wrong.
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Looking at this, I can’t see why allowing comments from other sites saying “conmen” and other lies is not helping spread Motzi shem ra! The criticisms of 2 & 3 are definitely fabricated. And I doubt there is any heter on the rest just because of a report from forbes, without hearing out the other side.
Even your headline “does this rest easily” sows doubt into peoples’ minds without a shred of evidence. Ki beapom horgu ish(beapom=a drey mitten nooz).
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I quoted
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Isn’t quoting the same. E.g. if I tell Shimon that Reuven told me that Levi did this and this naughty thing. Is this muttar? It is only quoting. I think it aleast needs a Shaalos chochom. I don’t think the Chofetz Chaim allows it.
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I think the onus is on you to show that something in the public domain as per the Internet where Forbes appeared all over the place isn’t considered Davar Hayodua to those who use the Internet. Those who don’t use the internet won’t have read forbes, and no doubt you wouldn’t tell them.
I’d suggest the Chafetz Chaim would be horrified by such accumulated wealth through mind reading
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You can choose to focus in forbes. It had its own readership much greater than mine. My question has certainly elicited a response against some of the presumptuousness in that article. On the other hand there is a large component that needs to be clarified. If you are able to do so, then תבוה לך ברכה
I have one observation: the XRay Rabbi was clearly on the wrong bus with the municipal elections
תמים תהיה עם ה אלוקיך
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I think you misunderstand what I am saying.
The Forbes list by itself is only one small issue and maybe you are correct that it is dovor hayedua etc.
However, the article you quoted was not written by forbes but by the Forward, who are far from anything frum and would not be interested in putting religious jews in a good light etc. Then you added the headline “does this rest easily”. Hence you are taking an uncomplimentary article about Yiden(some of them Roshe alfei Yisroel,which is worse-Ch Ch) and adding a headline which sows even more doubt.
You cannot say it is the onus of the reader to correct it. First of all not everyone will be bothered clicking into comments and will stay with a sour taste about the whole list. So he will be hearing msr from this blog and could tell others “you know what I saw on this frum reliable bog..?”
And even if they look at comments. If not me, no one was explaining the circumstances of the belzer rebbe. Belzer chasidim have a habit of registering all their many Shuls and mosdos under the name of their rebbe(the Ch Ch would surely be proud of the increase of all these buildings). Forbes just look for the registered names, so that’s what they publish. Just like others have no idea about belz and ger(who btw gives out millions for Tzedokeh), I and most people have no idea about the circumstances of the listed sefardi rabbis. So without getting their side of their story, I can’t see why it’s not msr! Haveh don…lekav zechus.
And then there are the disgusting comments brought by Steven from a disgusting site. Total lies(belz and ger prime examples), insults etc. I can’t understand how you allow these on the comments page. 1st class msr!
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I hadn’t read the forward article by the way. I just saw the list and yes, the question about does this rest easily SHOULD ALWAYS be asked.
In this case, it allowed for some elaboration regarding some Rebbes but it left question marks about some.
There ARE charlatans out there, and we dare not ignore those anymore than impute wrong on someone who hasn’t done any.
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So because there are charlatans, we may bashmootz/allow bashmootzing others? Nice..
Anyhow, I suppose it was presumptious of little me to take sides in a machloikes of Halocho between those of the ilk of the Chofetz Chaim and Rabbi Pitputim..
BTW what do you mean you “hadn’t read the forward article”? Your opening comments are the forward article!
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Your gratuity aside, I don’t comprehend your point. I had not seen the article. I was sent an excerpt: the list. I still haven’t seen the forward or forbes lists in the flesh.
Last time I looked, I couldn’t find any bashmutzing, let alone a seif in Shulchan Aruch that remotely implies that one cannot question whether the idea of super duper rich Rabonim rests easily.
We have had some information about a number of the Rabonim on the list, but we also know full well that the X-Ray Rabbi and possibly others may well be gaining wealth at the expense of others by proffering incorrect predictions about the future.
Again, תמים תהיה עם ה אלוקיך applies to the person who pays for advice from a highly questionable source.
We have NO Navi today, and nobody on this earth knows the future with certainty.
People beware, and don’t waste your money!
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Ben, first your arguments sound like those of people who protect or deflect criticism of molesters by first saying it’s motzi sheim ra, chillul Hashem etc instead of looking at what is actually happening.
Why don’t you copy paste the eight names, besides the Ger and Belzer Rebbe, add fraud after each one, do a google search, and see what comes up. Have you any idea what a chillul Hashem it is that Rabbi Metzger is under arrest and what the ramifications are on the already disenchanted youth? Add to this Rabbis, worth hundreds of millions of dollars, who make their money by fortune telling. People starving in Israel and Rabbis worth millions, Have you ever given money to any soup kitchens in Israel? I know of two large ones that have been closed down with many arrests. Does this bother you at all? All I see these days is fraud, money laundering, vote rigging, hypocracy, manipulative cult like behaviour, covering up rape etc etc.
And then you come along and all you have to say is motzi sheim ra. Look around and wake up.
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