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South Head Shule is in Sydney, Australia. It has had a Chabad Rabbi for 30+ years. He is Rabbi Bentzion Milecki, who I recall from School Days at Yeshivah College in Melbourne. I also recall that he got straight A’s in his Year 12, and is very bright. His father used to have a well-known health food store in Carlisle Street, also in Melbourne. Indeed, when I returned from studying in Israel, many moons ago, I used to pick up Rabbi Milecki from his apartment in Melbourne, to give a Gemorra Shiur, in the board room of Mizrachi.

I have seen interchanges, back and forth. It would seem that the issue of a “younger Rabbi” is a concern for the President, and most members. It is claimed that membership is falling, and they seek “renewal” with a younger Rabbi, to arrest this claimed decline.

Whoever was in charge of South Head when Rabbi Milecki was hired may have let their community down. The contract was for a salary, which if true, could be described as ‘astronomical’ . In addition, they agreed that disputes surrounding the Rabbi’s tenure would be dealt with according to Halacha.

The issue reached a stalemate.

The Court in Australia upheld the view that Halacha was consideration of the contract, and Rabbi Milecki’s disembowelment from his position was considered illegal by the secular court which upheld the initial contract requiring the Halacha to determine the outcome.

In the meanwhile, there were all sorts of legal attempts at cutting off Rabbi Milecki from his position. Rabbi Milecki was quick to defend himself on many occasions. Rabbi Milecki claimed that he is entitled to tenure on the basis of Chazoko, and whilst there have apparently been attempts to pay Rabbi Milecki out, it would seem that he sees himself as the main Halachic presence in any new arrangement, whereas most members wish to pay him out and retain him in an emeritus role, removed from decision making.

I was asked why I haven’t stated my view. In essence, I was waiting for this issue to play out. It seems that it has, with the Shule now sadly in liquidation.

My view is:

Where any community hires a Chabad Rabbi, they need to realise that it is not a regular appointment. Any Chabad Rabbi around my age or older will have received a blessing from the last Lubavitcher Rebbe נ׳ע. As such, their position is interpreted as one of an emissary to the Lubavitcher Rebbe. This status is higher and more cogent than any contract or position in the eyes of such a Rabbi.

Ironically, nobody expressed the view that the Lubavitcher Rebbe was too old for his position! He was, however,  an expert in relating to people of all ages. This is the key. In addition, even when older and more feeble, he kept up a punishing timetable of learning and consultation with which a younger person would have struggled.

If a Chabad Rabbi, who is hired by a community, as opposed to running his own Chabad house, is asked to move on because ostensibly the younger generation is apparently not relating to him or his leadership is losing its impact, and that Chabad Rabbi has received blessings for success from the Lubavitcher Rebbe, then there is little chance, since the Rabbi is “connected” to his Rebbe, that he will give up his post. Doing so, is an abandonment tantamount to cancelling his position as an emissary of the Lubavitcher Rebbe! Being an emissary is the highest status for a Chossid.

Notwithstanding all the above, there is, in my view a higher imperative. That higher imperative is the possibility of a Chillul Hashem, or a Zilzul (cheapening) of the status of a Rabbi (and indeed Chabad).

The tax-free salary in this case can be argued to be beyond the pale and not conducive to כבוד התורה.

Most importantly, a Rabbi should not find himself in a situation where he has lost most his congregation. These might still be members, but there has been a process of alienation and loss of real authority. If this occurs, then there should be consideration of compensation/pay out in keeping with the years of faithful service. Following this, a Rabbi should leave quietly rather than fight a battle for the minority.

In short we have a clash of cultures: a western style appointment to a position vs a Rabbinic appointment vs a Chabad Rabbinic appointment.

My view is that Rabbi Milecki should start an actual Chabad House of his own, in South Head. They might daven in his house initially. If he has support, he will acquire premises and he can function in this more traditional Chabad way where the Rabbi is CEO and unimpeachable except in the worst circumstance. In such an arrangement, he will have life tenure and pass the baton on to one of his children after 120.

I contend that he needs to forget about South Head per se because a person should not force himself on a Kehilla. The fact that many people came together and davened elsewhere should indicate that his time was definitely up.

Melbourne has other examples of Rabbis who appear not to enjoy support. Rabbi Riesenberg of Central cannot be dismissed, as per the constitution he apparently oversaw. Whilst he is legally correct, perhaps he should re-ask himself if he is raising the crown of Torah by staying in his position, as opposed to a pay out and moving elsewhere.

My former Shule, Elwood, did the right thing with Rabbi Mordechai Gutnick. Rabbi Gutnick also offered the honourable thing and stepped aside for an incumbent youth Rabbi. The incumbent has plenty of work to do if success is measured by paid members and attendance on a Shabbos. We wish him success!

Ironically, my mind goes back to Rabbi Silberman ז׳ל who ironically used to be the South Head Rabbi, and then retired to the Gold Coast, where he was very careful not to step on the toes of the Rabbi of Surfers Paradise (also from Chabad). Rabbi Silberman managed to move sideways creating a Kiddush Hashem.

There is a very dangerous manifestation of a pseudo orthodox far left ‘Shule’ which walks some of the walk but talks foreign talk. Having read the populist ‘weekly Dvar torah’ from its ex Chabad Rabbi, Schneur Zalman Waks (I don’t think I’ve met him formally and can’t remember him) it would be really good to get a real McCoy warm and knowledgeable Chosid to set up a proper Chabad house nearby with backing. וכל קרני רשעים אגדע

Even Breslover sing it. Would this be a Chabad thing to do in order to counter the open Apikorsus there? I don’t know but that ‘ARK Center’ represents an unholy alliance of elements of Judaism and Korach style triumphalism. Why Chabad? I don’t know of any other group that would care enough to do something about it.

Mesora based Judaism will always endure if promulgated with earnest warmth and intellectualism.

Rabbi Yehuda Glick barely survived an attempt on his life? His crime? He goes to the Temple Mount. He is now an MK.

HAMAS have put up the following video on YouTube 

It is SICKENING.

Please REPORT it to have it removed. 

Just do it!

When I read the secular press, I notice how reverential (or in fear?) they may be.

You don’t read even left-wing publications without them writing ‘the Prophet’ Mohammed’. Okay, call it a title that Muslims use. They also don’t write Elizabeth. They write Queen Elizabeth, when referring to the Queen of England. One can be a republican (as I am) and still use titles as a matter of courtesy and accepted practice. In Australia you often find the press very loose. They wrote Malcolm Turnbull (not Prime Minister Turnbull). I don’t find this edifying.

Consider Ramadan. A religion considers it holy and has fasts and feasts. Does this mean that the secular press should ALWAYS refer to it as ‘the holy month of Ramadan’ as opposed to Ramadan? I’m not sure. 

One thing I am sure is that WE and here I blame Jews of Culture, Religion and History, do not use the eternal words of our own religion when we speak and write,  especially in the context of a secular readership.

When was the last time you heard someone say ‘the Holy City of Jerusalem’.

In seeking to secularise, we have out Galut-ed ourselves. One does not need to be religious to state a historical title (which has halachic import today, well before redemption).

I am starting with myself, and would like to see a world-wide campaign of EACH AND EVERY JEW and yes, even halachically Jewish  Bernie Sanders (to whom I will write about this), and the local black wiggle, Dr Richard Di Natale of the dangerous anti Zionist and anti Semitic Greens Party, that WE, who the secular press acknowledge recognise Jerusalem as our HOLIEST city, ONLY say and write henceforth

The Holy City of Jerusalem

Or

Yerushalayim Ir HaKodesh (תבנה ותכונן במהרה בימינו)

I intend to write to the Australian Rabbinate, the Rabbinic Council of America and major Rabbinic organisations (even those whose Judaism is foreign to me) to join me in this initiative.

I hope this is at least as important to stress in Sermons as the footy, or a secular poet or … And urge those Rabbis who read my blog to spread the word amongst their colleagues.

This is not a matter we should be divided about.

This message needs to be curricularised indirectly but with unending momentum.

ירושלים עיר הקודש

And everyone should be able to roll it off their lips even if they aren’t too proficient with our holy tongue, לשון קודש.

Agree?

I came across this article and I started to think about it from an halachic perspective. Again, remember, this blog constitutes pitputim. These are just thoughts, and mostly not researched in the way I would an academic post or lehavdil some Chidush I thought I might discover in Torah.

One key to maintaining a safe Jewish society would appear to be to protection from “dangerous entities”. This stands behind even the most basic D’Orayso command of Lifnei Iver — placing a stumbling block. I’m not even going into Rodef, which is a “live danger”.

But what about a registry? Is a person to be noted formally forever after if they have committed disgraceful acts such as child molestation? The argument for, is cogent. We don’t (yet) know enough about the Gene vs Environment argument to be sure and when in doubt one errs in favour of potential victims. What about other acts? Do we start a register of wife bashers? What about husbands who have affairs beyond the pale of acceptable halacha? Do we exclude those who think they’ve been “wronged”. What about the classical Mechallel Shabbos B’farhesya (the public antagonistic shabbat desecrator). In days of yore, people knew who they were. There was a quasi register. Some considered them forbidden to perform various functions (e.g. the Priestly blessings — we don’t follow that today as per the cogent arguments of Centrist Gedolim like Mori V’Rabbi R’ Schachter), or their touching of Kosher wine (non Mevushal).

I don’t know the answer(s) to these questions and categories nor if there has been an halachic study in this regard. Certainly Chazal used to perform lashings (Makas Mardus) to punish offenders whose crime was not at the brazen level of a full prohibition requiring formal Malkus.

Despite many claiming that incarceration is not a Jewish Concept (Orey Miklat anyone?), I remember hearing a Shiur some 25 years ago from a Talmid Chacham who brought many Mekoros from Rishonim and Acharonim which suggested that it was used. Alas, my memory recalls little more than his suggestions. I did find this article, for what it’s worth. Happy to be enlightened.

One thing is without any doubt. Having performed a serious sin(s), the sinner is not “free” from their obligations to perform Mitzvos, even if they rationalise it in their head, and even if their presence in a Minyan may sicken other members of the Minyan (שמעתי ממו׳ור הרה׳ג ר׳ צבי שכטר)

CSG the arm that helps protect Jews from those who conspire to harm us have correctly warned of the problems that may occur dressing up as Haman like characters or terrorists. I urge that people listen to them and that their kids don’t dress up in Arab clothing brandishing plastic swords and the like. It’s probably not a great idea to find your kid in court

See HERE

From

http://www.9news.com.au/national/2016/02/25/09/32/melb-s-jalal-brothers-in-police-custody

Personally I would like to see 1000+ kids all dressed up as different types of injured civilians wearing a t shirt which says
Purim: Muslim Extremist Terrorism is not part of a civilised world.

Or 

Iran: Mordechai and Esther are buried there but we won’t.

I’d organise the kids in a rally and invite the Press. Do it in the middle of the City Square with permission 

This is more important to me than an eighth day Hakhel concert (let that be successful)

The report listed in the paper was hopeless. It lacked the broader information which has been published everywhere. As pointed out to me by [hat tip BA] they have a religious affairs writer, Yossi Aron who often sits on the fence on every issue. The fact that Aron didn’t write the story (was he even consulted!), and explain it more comprehensively without the supercilious quote from RMG Rabi being laid bare for all to see, is yet another blight on this “newspaper” whose agenda for sensationalism, especially when it involves Orthodox Jewry, knows no bounds, and is an example of very shoddy journalism.

Don’t hold your breath on RMG Rabi’s convert story. There’s lots more to it.

I have read noble expressions of welcome for those who identify themselves as LGBT.

My question is this: a woman who transgenders into a male, with operations. Is she/he eligible to be called up for an Aliya at Caulfield or other welcoming Shules?

Should they sit downstairs with the men?

Is her voice Kol Isha?

Conversely a male who is lopped and augmented and transgenders into a female insists that since they were born a male, they would like an Aliya to the Torah. Would he allow that?

Does that ex-male need to inform females of their change vis a vis use of toilets, change rooms, mikvaos as a spiritual cleansing?

As I have written elsewhere, I know many homosexuals at Shule and have to my knowledge never treated them differently to another male.

Transgender introduces new problems of ‘welcome’ as outlined above.

I know about Tumtum and Androginos.

I’m interested to know what all welcoming shule’s Rabbis pasken on such issues. Ask them?

The following will be of great interest. There is a project to restore.

ברוב תשבחות לבורא עולם I’m thankful to announce the birth of our newest grandson נ’’י this evening, Teves 12 to our daughter Batsheva and Rabbi Yisroel (Izzy) Goldman.

Grandparents שיחיו: Rabbi Yossy and Rochel Goldman (Johannesburg),  Isaac and Leonie Balbin (Melbourne).

Great-Grandparents שיחיו: Rabbi Shimon Goldman (New York), Rebbetzin Shula Kazen (New York), אימי מורתי Mrs E. Balbin (Melbourne), Dr Ivan & Ursula Cher (Melbourne).

Hi all,

I’m taking a break from my blog for a little while. The reason is because I have set myself an ambitious  timetable of Torah learning to fit into my other activities, which will push my boundaries time-wise. There is much I could write about immediately. For example, Rabbi Genende of Caulfield Shule’s support for Female Rabbis, Rabbi Dr Nathan Lopez Cardozo wanting to take his Yarmulka off, and much much more, but I can’t fit this into my intended timetable.

Many times people have seen me and said “you don’t send me your pitputim”. Well, not only don’t I send them, I don’t even pay attention to who has subscribed.

If you want to know when I resume, just enter your email address somewhere on the page where it tells you to, and you will get an email that I have resumed. I will resume, but I need the time at the moment for my timetable.

Wishing everyone well, even those who don’t like my thoughts 🙂

Isaac

The following is from Rav Mordechai Greenberg, Rosh Yeshiva of Kerem B’Yavneh.
The Rambam wrote about the evil perpetrated by the Yishmaelites towards Yisrael in his “Letter to Yemen.”(Igeres Taimon)

He wrote that Yisrael never encountered a more evil nation, adding that even though we accept their oppression without complaining, their hatred for us never ceases. A hint of this was taken from three names of leaders in Yishmael, “Mishma, Duma, and Massa” [Bereishit 25:14], meaning “Listen, remain silent, and accept the burden.” Even though we accept their governmental authority, we cannot save ourselves from their evil. While we continue to wish them peace, they pursue us with swords and war, as David wrote, “I want peace, while they speak only of war” [Tehillim 120:7].
Rabeinu Bechayei comments as follows on the verse, “Your G-d will place all of these curses on your enemies and on those who hate you” [Devarim 30:7]. “Your enemies are the Yishmaelites, those who hate you are the children of Eisav. The enemies are worse than those who hate. And because the children of Yishmael are worse for Yisrael than the children of Eisav, the verse calls them your enemies.” On the verse, “Can a maidservant inherit from her mistress?” [Mishlei 30:23], the Zohar writes that no exile is worse for Yisrael than the exile of Yishmael.
The students of the ARI wrote that the four kingdoms did not want to destroy Yisrael but only to fight against the religion of Yisrael. Yishmael, on the other hand, believes in the faith of the unique trait of G-d and is not fighting ag ainst the religion. Rather, he wants to destroy Yisrael. The promise to Hagar about Yishmael is, “He will be a human wild animal” [Bereishit 16:12]. The phrase used is “pereh adam.” In Hebrew, the noun is first, and it is followed by the adjective. That is, Yishmael is a wild animal which has human traits (“man” is an adjective modifying “wild”).
Rabbi Shimshon Rafael Hirsh writes that “pereh” is one who refuses to accept any authority, who does not feel obligated by anything. This seems to be a contradiction in terms. On one hand, Yishmael believes, but on the other hand he will not accept any commands! The answer is that Yisrael is a hint of “Yashar E-l” – following the straight path of G-d and acting as Divine slaves. However, the Yishmaelites view G-d as their slave. It is written, “G-d has heard the voice of the youth” [Bereishit 21:17]. They are convinced that G-d hears their voices and agrees to their deeds. The name of heaven is always in their mouths, and they believe that whatever they do is in the name of Allah. Their wars are holy wars, and every murderer among them is a shahid (a martyr).
Sarah expelled Yishmael when she saw him “metzachek,” laughing. She said, “this son of the maidservant will not share an inheritance with my son, Yitzchak” [21:10]. What upset Sarah so much about the inheritance? The author of Aruch La-ner explains that Yishmael wanted to inherit everything. However, this is not easy to understand. Yishmael was indeed the firstborn, but why should he be entitled to inherit everything?
The Natziv gives an explanation for this. “And Sarah laughed inside herself, saying, will I be rejuvenated after I am worn out? And my husband is old!” [18:12]. Sarah’s laughter showed that she had a lack of faith in Avraham’s ability to have children. By doing this, she gave an opening for the people of the generati on to mock Avraham, and to say that Yitzchak was not his son but rather the son of Avimelech. What is the meaning of Yishmael’s laughter? It implies that he, Yishmael, is the only son of Avraham and that the entire inheritance belongs to him. This means that Eretz Yisrael too belongs only to Yishmael.

“And Sarah laughed inside herself.” What was her punishment? “And Sarah saw the son of Hagar laughing.”

[hat tip Ba]

Spread the word on Facebook etc
Kraft Heinz Australia is no longer supporting kosher supervision for its range of Golden Circle-branded juices and cordials. As one of the few widely available kosher certified juice companies, this presents a major inconvenience to kosher consumers.
Kraft Heinz may well reconsider its position if consumers complain. After all, KH management probably does not realise how important kosher certification is to consumers and that it is simply a good business decision to continue to cater to the kosher market.
A petition has been created to present to KH – I urge you to sign it – 

http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/keep-golden-circle-kosher.html

Due to the incorrect, exaggerated and inflammatory reaction to Moshe Feiglin’s visit to Melbourne, his Sydney trip was a resounding success. One person I am reliably advised immediately wrote out a cheque for 150,000

Not too many amongst Melbourne Zionists do that. There was no rabble, and no rousing. Feiglin now has a strict policy that he only gives live interviews so that his words can’t be abused by the Jewish Zionist Left, religious or otherwise.

I knew him as Aaron Layzer. He always stood out. As a boy at Yeshivah College (Chabad) in Melbourne, Australia, he was bigger than life like. I was tiny. On my Bar Mitzvah I had to stand on a crate so that I could layn the Parsha. In my eyes, back then, the only person who was bigger, was the late Rabbi Groner.

Aaron Layzer, spoke with a deep baritone voice in keeping with his size. He was one of the first group of emissaries of the late Lubavitcher Rebbe to Yeshivah Gedola. A voice that was deep, but a demeanour that was gentle and all embracing.

We were encouraged to have at least one extra shiur during the week with one of the “Shluchim” as they were known, and in between my forays between attending Messibos Shabbos and later B’nei Akiva, I’d often have a shiur with one of the Shluchim over the years. They would come for two years, and it was always a big event to see who they were and what type of personality they exuded. That was one highlight, the other highlight was the “new song” that would be written לכבוד the Lubavitcher Rebbe’s birthday using words from the Tehillim corresponding to the year after (in age)

Aaron Layzer was one who exuded his entire מהות his essence. His English was atrocious, his smile was effusive, and his warmth radiating. He was a מדקדק במצוות כחוט השערה — punctilious in his observance of Jewish Law. This meant that he was not just one who had a relationship with God, but his relationship with people was infectious.

Like all Shluchim, after two years he left. Unlike all shluchim, however, Aaron Layzer never left. He told me later that he was living in צפת עיר הקודש, Tzfat, and his new Shlichus was to build and expand the kindergarten and primary network of schools in Tzfat.

I hadn’t seen him in some years, and then bumped into him consistently, at least once a year. I remember the first year we met him after some time. Many years had passed. My band Schnapps was gracing a Simcha, and in front of me, dancing, I saw his visage. He’d become bigger (and so had I) but he was still much larger than life. I am quite intense on the band stand, as I have musicians to coordinate, and perfection is what I seek even today, so I didn’t react immediately. The next time the gyration crossed the band stage, he waved to me and I waved back with my violin bow.

At the first break, I just had to find him. He gave me a big hug and we spoke about old times. R’ Aaron told me that he had a picture of me in the front row of the Yeshivah Choir singing solo and it was one of his favourite pictures of his time at Shlichus. I think my mother may have that picture, I’m not sure. It would have been taken by Sam Cylich ע’’ה at one of the annual Yeshiva Dinners. When I asked him what he was doing in Melbourne, I gave him money, and from that time on I assumed a completely different approach from the Band Stand.

Each year, at a Simcha, Aaron Layzer would suddenly materialise. Only henceforth, I jumped off the band stage until I caught up to him in the circle and surreptitiously put money into his hand.

from JEM and collide

I had no idea; the Aybishter works in strange ways. One year he gave me regards from our son Tzvi Yehuda in Sydney, who was doing Smicha at the time. Later Tzvi Yehuda married Leah Moss, daughter of Meir and Devora. I was not to know but Aaron Leyzer was very very close to Meir back from the times of Shlichus through to Aaron Layzer’s untimely demise. He also became close to Tzvi Yehuda who lived in Sydney initially when he married. He would tell me about החלטות (good resolutions) that he had made with Tzvi Yehuda, and I was amazed. I was the father and had zero influence (by now). Aaron Layzer would sit and farbreng and mesmerised with his stories of yesteryear and current events and had Tzvi Yehuda eating out of the palm of his hand.

Aaron Layzer came to Tzvi Yehuda’s wedding in Sydney, and I can still see him commandeering  a Sheva Brachos later held in Melbourne in Chelsea, and saying the Dvar Torah.

From that time, he would now come to our house in Melbourne and there were more than a few times he made L’Chaim with Tzvi Yehuda and I (who lived in Melbourne in our house for a time) after marriage. I loved talking to him. He was from Tzfat. I remain anti meshichist. Tzfas is known as a hot bed of paranormal Meshichisten, they even have a name — “Tzfatim”. One sees them en masse in 770 in Crown Heights and they are largely responsible for the sad split between upstairs and downstairs in 770.

(I will go out on a limb here and state publicly that I don’t think a real chosid of chabad can ever wear meshichist paraphernalia, scream Yechi, etc … I believe those people are overtaken by their delusional self-importance)

Aaron Leyzer used to complain about the “meshugoim” as he called him were destroying the Lubavitcher Rebbe’s work.

Alas, on his last visit, in a way that was quite unlike him, he was bemoaning a pain in his leg and asked for a cold drink. He found it hard to walk. We sat in the lounge room. He told me how many different types of treatment he tried on his leg, and I expressed light anger. I suggested that before one has treatment, one should be diagnosed. We have all types of scans, and yes, if diagnoses suggests a particular treatment or if there is a clear scan and blood test, then by all means, try what you will. He told me he was going to see the doctor, in the end, in Melbourne. I have no idea whether his leg problems were at all related to the illness which captured his life, far too early. He left me with חוברת of letters and divrei torah from the Lubavitcher Rebbe about Tzfas. For some unknown reason, I didn’t file it in my bookshelf, but kept it in my top draw.

On Friday night, I found out about his passing. I had sent him an email in the week before with no reply. I was and remain heartbroken by his most untimely departure from our world. I took out a bottle of my best whisky, and suggested to my family who were at the table, that in addition to drinking L’Chaim to Aaron Leyzer, we should each make a החלטה because that is what he would have wanted.

I ran to my study, opened the top draw, and staring at me was the חוברת he had left me. I undertook to learn it in his memory.

יהא זכרו ברוך

המקום ינחם את בני משפחתו בתוך שאר אבלי ציון וירושלים

(Thursday, October 8th, 2015)

hat tip Ba

By Rabbi Yair Hoffman for the Five Towns Jewish Times

As of this writing, about 145,000 have seen it on Youtube [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixxd5DUW5VM] and probably several million have seen it on television.

His name is Shneur Freeman and he is a 31 year old carpet cleaner. He attended Yeshiva in Crown Heights. He answered a call for an estimate and asks for a name. The Italian man answering says that he prefers no names. They show him a huge red stain on a carpet and ask if he can clean the carpet without telling anyone. Shneur asks what it is. One Italian answers red wine. Another answer Marinara sauce.

Then they ask him if he can entirely get rid of another carpet. It is rolled up and there are shoes sticking out from the middle of the rolled up carpet.They slip him money, saying, “Dis is fer youse.”

He answers that he can do it, and that he is Jewish, from Brooklyn, and that he knows what’s going on.

Ultimately, it turned out to be a highly sophisticated Jimmy Kimmel prank utilizing his Cousin Sal, who has appeared in such pranks before. It also looked like Shneur Freeman was actually going to help them dispose of the body and clean the carpet.

At first glance, this may appear to be a Chilul Hashem. But the Five Towns Jewish Times contacted Shneur, and soon realized that poor Shneur the Carpet Cleaner was frightened for his life.

So the question is what are the halachic issues about getting rid of a dead body?

There is a fascinating Gemorah in Nedarim (22a), which deals with Ulla, a student of Rabbi Yochanan who travelled back and forth to Bavel. It is unclear whether he did so to teach the lessons that Rabbi Yochanan’s Beis Midrash used to teach or to raise funds for Eretz Yisroel, or both. Regardless, it explains why Shneur’s actions are, in fact, not a Chillul Hashem at all.

When ‘Ulla arose [back] to Eretz Yisroel, he was joined by two inhabitants of Chozai, one of whom arose and murdered the other. The murderer asked of Ulla: ‘Did I do well?’ ‘Yes,’ he replied; ‘moreover, cut his throat clean across.’ When he came before Rabbi Yochanan, he asked him, ‘Maybe, G-d forbid, I have strengthened the hands of transgressors?’ He replied, ‘You saved your life.’

Both the Rosh and the Ran understand this Gemorah as saying that were it not for Ulah’s life being in possible danger, it would have been prohibited to respond in this manner.

This prohibition is called Machazik Yedei Ovrei Aveirah – strengthening the hand of evil-doers. We find this prohibition (Shulchan Aruch CM 356:1) in purchasing items from thieves, which is a grave sin. It causes the person to steal more.

There are some situations where strengthening the hand of an evil-doer is a full-blown Biblical prohibition called “Lifnei Iver.” Other situations are considered Rabbinic violations. The difference lies in whether the person could have managed by himself without the input of the other party.

There is also a fascinating Targum Yonasan Ben Uziel on the Commandment not to murder found in parshas Yisro. He writes, “My Nation Israel shall not be murderers, nor friends or partners with murderers, nor shall there appear within the congregation of Israel murderers, and your sons shall not follow them and learn from them also to be murderers. For in the sin of murder destruction comes to the world.

Rav Avrohom Grodzinsky zt”l (1883-1944) the Mashgiach of the Slabodka Yeshiva explained this Targum Yonasan (Toras Avrohom – Netzach HaAdam) to mean that any partnership with a murderer is considered as if that partner did the murder itself.

Thus, unless there is a question of one’s own life being in danger, lending assistance to a murderer is tantamount to murder itself according to Rav Grodzinsky!

The Shaarei Teshuvah of Rabbeinu Yonah (Shaar 3:50) writes on the verse Do not follow the masses to do evil (Shmos 23:2), we are therefore warned not to strengthen the hand of evil-doer in words nor to be associated with those who agree to do evil. Even to do a Dvar Mitzvah it is forbidden to befriend an evildoer.

In conclusion, the actions of Reb Shneur are, in fact, not a Chilul Hashem, but were warranted in light of the circumstances.

For those who are curious, we did manage to ask Shneur a few questions and were able to clarify some points.

• He has been in the carpet cleaning industry close for 8 years and started his own company in 2013.

• This events in this video took place a few weeks before Shavous, in May.

• The Jimmy Kimmel people did not unwrap the “dead body” for him – even afterward. They were doing their best just to show the feet, and succeeded.

• He walked out of that house with a few hundred dollars.

More questions:

What were your thoughts?

What was I thinking?…. so much … At first, before they brought in a rug with a dead body I was actually pretty calm. I thought: maybe they had a fight with some unfortunate fellow and this was the outcome. This was not the first time I have been called to clean up a blood situation (nothing like this situation at all though). But once that big guy walked in, I tell you he scared me (I did not see the legs hanging out of the rug until they asked me to put the rug on my car). He had this look of, “Do what I say or you’re next..”

Were you davening?

So, at this point, I am thinking to myself, “Oh boy, what did I just get myself into? You can bet all your money I was praying. I was praying that I can do whatever they want so I can go home in one piece.

So where were you going to dump the body?

That is a good question. I really don’t know. I’m so glad the situation didn’t go that far.

What did you tell your family afterward?

I don’t think I really told my family much about it (I had to sign a waiver). I just called in to say, “I love you” to them all. For a minute 

I thought I was going to die. I think a near death situation reminded me how much I miss my family.

PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING: Shneur, by the way, is 31 years old, single, and owns CARPET CLUB LA in Los Angeles, California. Cousin Sal is not a Mafioso. Jimmy Kimmel does not ask shailos before he scares people half to death. And the Five Towns Jewish Times is being distributed on Friday instead of Thursday this week – on account of the Yom Tov schedule.

Check out this article. While we have the politically correct, Orthodox incorrect group of “Rabbis” or whatever pseudonym they want to be called (I specifically exclude the anti-feminist Yoatzot Halacha who don’t seek non Jewish politically correct equality), we now have a non Jewish court in Portland Oregon telling us who can say what and who is what. Mind spinning.

A Female Rabbi? Just Don’t Call Her That
7 SEPT 27, 2015 11:00 AM EDT
By Noah Feldman
Is what you tell the rabbi’s wife a secret that she can’t be required to reveal in court? The Haredi Jewish newspaper Yated Ne’eman has reported on a fascinating decision by a judge in Portland, Oregon, holding that the answer is yes.

The twist is that the women who successfully asserted the privilege were members of a branch of Orthodox Judaism known as “yeshivish,” which staunchly denies that women can be rabbis or even rabbinic advisers. Their argument was that the rabbi’s wife is, practically speaking, a kind of adjunct clergywoman in whom female members of the community confide in the expectation of privacy.

The judge’s decision required weighing informal norms against official doctrine. It raises many questions, including whether, very much against the intentions of these rabbis’ wives, the decision might mark a step toward the eventual acceptance of female rabbis within orthodoxy.

The issue arose in the course of a divorce proceeding. The husband subpoenaed the testimony of two women, each of whom was married to a rabbi. Their husbands weren’t ordinary congregational rabbis employed by a synagogue to teach and perform pastoral work. They were employees of the Portland Kollel, an organization funded by national donors in which rabbis teach and study Torah as a form of educational and social outreach.

The kollel phenomenon is itself part of the changing face of American Judaism, especially orthodoxy. For most of the 20th century, religiously observant Jews in America, like other affiliated Jews, organized their religious lives around synagogues and sometimes children’s schools. Over the last several decades, however, an increasingly large number of Haredi, or ultra-Orthodox, Jews have formed their affiliations around yeshivas, the traditional Talmudic academies where adults study classical Jewish legal sources. The phenomenon has given rise to a new term, yeshivish, which describes a class of Orthodox Jews who see the yeshiva and the full-time study of Torah as the center of their spirituality.

The Portland Kollel, like others around the country, is an outpost of yeshivish Judaism. Its rabbis study on their own, but they also intend to attract unaffiliated or non-Orthodox Jews to their way of life. In this explicit goal, the kollels owe much to the outreach of Chabad Hasidism, as pioneered by the late Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the Lubavitcher Rebbe.

The sociological details help explain why the rabbis’ wives in Portland identified themselves as “rebbetzins,” the Yiddish word for a communal rabbi’s wife, not simply as women who happened to be married to men who happened to be qualified as rabbis. In the kollel, as in Chabad missions, the rabbi’s wife often serves as the outreach point for women — a logical model in a community that insists on separation of the sexes.

Given this context, the judge was probably right to treat the rebbetzins as clergy for purposes of the privilege against testifying. They would certainly have provided counseling and advice in much the same way their husbands might have done for men — indeed it’s possible they did more counseling than the rabbis, who tend to focus on teaching.

When the women asserted the privilege of clergy, they were apparently unworried about validating the ideal of female rabbis, which yeshivish Jews unqualifiedly reject. From their perspective, the role of a rebbetzin was clearly not that of a rabbi, and the state of Oregon’s clergy protection has no implications for their religious beliefs.

Yet in the world beyond the yeshivish, the question of female rabbis within orthodoxy is hotly contested. Yeshivat Maharat in New York recently became the first self-described Orthodox yeshiva ordaining women to the serve as clergy. To avoid violating Orthodox sensibilities, the yeshiva doesn’t calls its graduates rabbis, but it trains them in the same way Orthodox rabbis are trained at peer institutions that describe themselves as “open Orthodox.”

Unsurprisingly, more religiously conservative authorities have condemned Yeshivat Maharat, as indeed they’ve condemned open Orthodoxy. But more liberally minded Orthodox congregations and schools have employed its students and graduates. The struggle over women as clergy is thus on the way to becoming a definitional one within American Jewish orthodoxy.

Will the Oregon court’s decision affect that struggle? It won’t change the minds of yeshivish Jews. But the decision will be used by advocates of Orthodox Jewish female clergy to support the argument that contemporary Judaism demands that women play a significant, visible, formalized role in the Orthodox community.

The Portland rebbetzins do in fact show that women play a central part in contemporary yeshivish Judaism, especially when the goal is outreach to the broader Jewish world. In practice, the women are acting as clergy of a sort.

What divides the yeshivish community from open Orthodoxy is the latter’s willingness to formalize women’s leadership roles within the framework provided by traditional Jewish law. The goal of formalized equality is identifiably contemporary and American. The more the yeshivish world reaches out to contemporary American Jews, the more it will encounter the imperative to formalize. This is a new challenge for the movement — but as perhaps the fastest growing strand of American Judaism, it has the resources to address it.

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

To contact the author of this story:
Noah Feldman at nfeldman7@bloomberg.net

Meir Gershon (don’t forget the middle name) Rabi has responded to my post about his business transmogrifying Wrigleys into ‘it’s okay’ by describing the post and learned comments that followed as 

‘Brainless Judaism’

He even failed the detect sarcasm test.

I won’t stoop to calling him names or describing his learned decisions with invective. He craves this publicity.

As we say in Australia, I will let this ball through to the keeper. He’s been smashed for so many sixes, the opposing side has declared at 0/1000

What a sad story this private business has become

Someone I know well had an opportunity to speak with Rav Druckman about his view on the Rabbi Riskin and Chief Rabbinate disagreement. I have written about it here, here and here.

I have also written about my great displeasure that Rav Druckman supported Rav Elon here. I have not changed my mind one iota on the Rav Elon issue. He was found to have perpetrated inappropriate contact with some men/boys. I have expressed my negative view about Rav Druckman’s judgement on that issue and I continue to stand by it.

They did not ask Rav Druckman directly about his support for Rav Elon, but Rav Druckman’s aid, expressed the view that they had all begged Rav Druckman not to show any support for Rav Elon. It seems Rav Elon had come to Rav Druckman, crying and saying that he was not guilty of what some had claimed and that he gave Rav Druckman a promise that he would not even get close to such situations again.

Be that as it may, one can only hope, forlornly, that Rav Elon will not re-offend. That being said, I do not support Rav Druckman’s approach.

The other interesting part of the conversation was directly with the octogenarian Rav Druckman, who said that he literally loved Rav Riskin and had huge Kavod for him, but objected to his approach. Rav Druckman claimed that when he was involved in Geyrus, he taught (the mainly Russian) converts everything about Judaism and was guided by the strict Halacha, with the urgency to make sure that there wasn’t a genealogical mess in Israel as a result of an influx of Goyim (or “half Jews”). Rav Druckman felt that Rav Riskin’s approach would downplay the Chief Rabbinate’s role even further. Although Rav Druckman felt that the Chief Rabbinate was no where near an institution it should be and was highly politicised and controlled largely by Charedim, nonetheless, it was a State Institution that was a buffer against Conservative, Masorti and Reform elements in Israel. He felt for this reason alone, it would be better to continue to have one state Orthodox institution for conversion. I tend to agree. Throwing out the baby with the baby water may be more cataclysmic than any of Rabbi Riskin’s proposals and wish to break from the mould (sic) of Charedi hegemony.

Rav Druckman

(thanks to BS for full script)

BEGIN TRANSCRIPT

END TRANSCRIPT

1. The valid question of why it took Scopus so long to write their letter warrants a response

2. The point that incidents of pedophilia or failing to act on them are not a CHABAD phenomenon by any stretch is never made, except in a letter

3. Jeremy Loebenstein and Sue Susskind were planning to resign well before the Royal Commission and at least one of them was procrastinating for other reasons.

4. Shira Chadasha is not Orthodox despite Mark Baker’s claims, and their level of observance is not a flea on the real Shira Chadasha in Israel. It is conservadox if we need to assign nomenclature. Males who lead services there can be counted in a minyan but should not be awarded any kibud, according to the most authoritative modern orthodox poskim (let alone Charedi ones)

5. The Jewish News failed to consider why TRUSTEES of Yeshivah should resign. I know from my old Shule Elwood, the trustees were not in the know about most things and were just bureaucratic signatures.

6. Let’s hear from Henry ‘the lefty’ Herzog whether Mark Dreyfus is halachicaly Jewish. Doesn’t matter to me, but he is called that everywhere. Maybe he is.

7. I’m sick of this social justice mantra from Mark Baker and his ‘all singing’ temple. What are the rest of us? Followers of unsocial injustice because we maintain fidelity with recognised Halacha?

8. Cyprys hired the Hall from Betar to conduct his own private martial arts classes. God only knows what happened in there or thereafter. Thankfully one brave character told him to leave forever or he’d have him evicted. [This is a correction, it wasn’t a Betar sponsored function]

9. CSG who used Cyprys were strangely missing in the royal commission. What of their governance over many years?

I can go on but this paper tries so hard to fill its pages to the extent that  we are meant to be impressed by the prognostications of Danny Lamm, Ron Weiser and others have on the Israeli elections? I’d rather listen to Isi Leibler on Shalom TV; he is far more informed.

1. Avi Yemini (née Waks) is given no air time despite 3 important videos he published

I’ve had some interesting comments some of which warrant a response but if you don’t use your real name I’m disinclined to quote or respond

Some use pseudonyms but I know who they are and their email addresses aren’t fake

Hello readers,
I’m currently overseas and my mind is overflowing with blog posts. Being a much needed holiday, though, I’m avoiding writing so as to rest, and share proper attention to my wife. R Meir Deutsch has a very good post on the censorship of the Rambam which he has been prevented from publishing elsewhere. Meir, knowing the readership can I suggest you email it to me in Ivrit AND ENGLISH as it will have more impact. The issue is too important to allow fallow.

By R Meir Deutsch

ידוע על צנזור הרשב”ם. מעניין הוא כי עתה, היום, עדיין מצנזרים.
האם “ארטסקרול” הפך לצנזור? מי הסמיך אותם לכך? האם יצנזרו מחר את התנ”ך? את התלמוד?

http://www.kipa.co.il/jew/60175.html

הוצאה יכולה להחליט לא לפרסם את אחד המפרשים, אבל לומר כי זה הפירוש של הרשב”ם כאשר מקצצים חלק מדבריו? מי שיצטט את הרשב”ם יקבל הערות מקוראי חומשי ארטסקרול שיאמרו הרי אינך מצטט את הרשב”ם ?
צנזור מאין זה הוא בעצם סילוף דבריו של הרשב”ם.

לדעתי יהיה זה ראוי להוציא חרם על הוצאת “ארטסקרול” על ידי כל רבני ישראל (במיוחד רבני ארה”ב).

We say, many times, מפני חטאינו גלינו מארצנו. This is undeniable, and a basic tenet of Judaism. It goes to the concept of שכר ועונש Reward and Punishment (with apologies to Camus) and without which there could never be בחירה חפשית, free choice. Mankind was handed the choice, and through those choices, God through his נסתרות, his Godly account book, decides when, where and how we will get what is “coming to us”.

To pretend that any human being can fathom Godly logic is simply heretical in my opinion. It implies that using one’s own logic and calculations they understand the Godly ledger and plan. This is tantamount to imagining that a human being can work at that level, and that is heresy. We are given hints, advice, and when there was נבואה the direct word from God. We were also given the gift of תשובה which for matters between Man and God, we have the capability of being forgiven at opportune times, or even יש קונה עולמו בשעה אחת. It’s an involved process as outlined by the Rambam in הלכות תשובה, but it’s do-able. If we are earnest, Hashem is there. For matters between man and man, it is more difficult. Man’s capacity to forgive, despite the dictum of והלכת בדרכיו is disturbed by man’s frailties and predilections. Accordingly, one may have all the correct intentions, and yet, the person from whom one seek forgiveness refuses your entreaties (there are הלכות about how many times one must seek such forgiveness but ואכמ’’לֹ this is not the place to discuss these).

Who can say why Hashem hid his face so to speak, and allowed an atrocity such as the one in Har Nof to go ahead? The Rambam says that those who attempt to ascribe reason are מאוס they are despicable.

There may be some imbued with temporary phases of רוח הקודש and even non Jews who are given the power to see into the future (Bilaam is a famous example). But what does that mean to the public person in the street?

I can’t speak for the man or woman in the street, but I can speak for myself. My own view is that if a universally respected Rov, whether they are a Kabbalist, a Rebbe or a Rov, or whether it is one’s Rav Hamuvhak, one’s “special” Rabbi, suggests that following events, a person, each person, should retrospect, and seek to improve themselves in ways that actually may and will vary according to the vagaries of one’s pattern of sin needing improvement, then this is correct and proper. I also think that the timing for such statements is critical, and in fact, need not be tied in specific terms to a particular incident. When we feel most vulnerable, we are most amenable to listen, in general. Do we still feel their pain after Shiva or Shloshim?

A Rabbi who thinks they know “the reason for the Holocaust” or “the reason for the Chmelnitzki massacres” or “the three boys who were kidnapped at bus stop and murdered” or the Rabonim גזע תרשישים butchered while davening in Tallis and Tefillin is as close to an heretic as I can imagine. Unless they can show consistent רוח הקודש and some accompanying supernatural influence from above that can be tested and verified, what gives them the knowledge or power to be able to second guess God? This, to me is the height of חוצפה and bad manners.

Somebody once asked the Klausenberger Rebbe why he does not go to the demonstrations where they shout שבת and throw stones (who did they learn this stone throwing tactic from?). He shrugged his shoulders. The questioner was not satisfied and pressed on by saying that it was a Torah command to complain about those who are less observant in certain ways. The Klausenberger Rebbe answered, nu, did your protests help? Did they do any good? We already saw from Ya’akov Avinu, and presumably the Malach in Rivkah’s tummy, that when Eisav wants to go into a house of Avoda Zora, any yelling and screaming didn’t help. To admonish implies there needs to be a reasonable chance that the admonishment will help. If it doesn’t, you may well be pushing the person further away from Judaism. Achronim pasken this way L’Maaseh.

We saw three grades of reaction to this tragedy. The first was from the שונאי ישראל the arch haters of Jewry, the Neturei Karta. These low lifes had the unmitigated gall to actually attempt to comfort the family of the ישמאלי who had topped himself, and about whom the modern blood libel that “the Jews killed him” was swallowed “hook line and sinker.” They have been put in Cherem by many. Do they exist in Melbourne? Yes, they most certainly do.

The next grade of reaction was that of one of the Satmar Rebbes. There are two. They fought and continue to fight. As usual his thoroughly offensive comments were not only extremist, but dripping with a lack of compassion. In the midst of the Shiva for יראים and שלימים, not to mention the Druze who is in גן עדן as one of the חסידי אומות העלם he trotted out the headline grabbing “reason” that is the hallmark of the vacuous movement known as Satmar. Who are they, and who is he, that he knows why Hashem allows things to happen? Does he also go public with his advice to his own Kehilla about the hushed pedophilia in that community? What is the reason for such? Which lunatic would  claim that the reason for that phenomenon is due to the fact that they are anti the State of Israel when their Rebbe, R’ Yoel was saved by Zionists whom he despised! It’s all documented, not by artscroll of course. They tell me that R’ Yoel was not such an extremist in reality, and that when he heard of the death of any Jewish soul, would weep uncontrollably. I hope there was not a remote smell of triumphalism in the Satmar community that the murders in Har Nof, and the problems in Yerusholayim are due to “we are right, and you are all wrong”. That attitude stinks to high hell. If R’ Yoel had רוח הקודש why did he go to Israel and leave penniless. He failed dismally in Israel. Did he make a mistake? Are you allowed to say such things?

The third grade of reaction was the incredible one from the actual אלמנות of the slain Rabbis. They didn’t want any arguments or finger-pointing over Shabbos. They wanted no Loshon Hora or Rechilus or speaking ill of others. For this reason, in my home, their wish was respected and we tried our outmost to expel any negativity, and personally I did the same. This post would have been written on Friday, but as soon as I received their request, I was frozen, and resisted. Are there Satmar in Melbourne? Plenty.

We all have much on which to improve.

Stop being God’s accountant. Be your own accountant. Each of us knows exactly the aspects which we need to improve. If you don’t, that’s your first problem. It isn’t the same for everybody, nor can we be lumped into some group, all transgressing certain or the same sins.

Faith, according to Rav Soloveitchik, is about not questioning. It is about axiomatic acceptance. The only time questioning is a useful activity is if one has accepted the axioms, and uses questioning to enhance their understanding of the ways of Hashem.

I refrained from posting pictures of the first two grades of people because frankly, they don’t deserve a bit or byte. Perhaps a bite according to the Gemora.

On Shabbos someone approached me and said they had wanted to see the comments thus far and add their own. The trick is to click on the TITLE of an article and then the comments should be below (if there are any).

To be honest, I only know about comments because I get an email telling me there is one and showing me what the comment is.

When you show all the comments by default, I think you take up valuable real estate. That being said, I am a believer that all hypertext links should be underlined. Nobody would know to click on the title of the article to see more. That’s just plain bad UI design (something I’m not responsible for, unless I’ve missed some option somewhere)

This gut would fit right in. His Yarmulka is used as a grip behind and he is using a fedora 🙂