As first reported on Failed Messiah and other blogs (which have since removed the posts for reasons unknown), a Rav at the heiliger Mir Yeshivah recently gave a class in which he claimed Rav Aharon Leib Shteinman, shlit"a, called for an armed revolt against the Israeli government for its daring to consider drafting Chareidi boys into the army.
The reaction to the speech was swift and fierce. How could a "Gadol" say such a thing? How could a maggid shiur repeat it with obvious approval?
And then it turned out not to be true. Rav Shteinman never said such a thing, at least not to this Rav. He had made pretty much the entire thing up and had to issue an apology. Sorry, it's all a mistake, I shouldn't have done this, let's move on and why are you all still paying attention to me? I said I was sorry.
There are a few reasons why the issue cannot simply be left alone. Let's point them out:
1) Even if this Rav was simply sharing his feelings, why did he feel he needed to state them in the name of Rav Shteinman? Did he feel that doing that would give a needed legitimacy to his statements? Perhaps make them more acceptable to his students?
2) Did it occur to him that there is already a credibility issue when it comes to statements from "the Gedolim"? As Rav Eliashiv, zt"l, noted years ago, "If you didn't hear it from my mouth, don't assume I said it." Have we reached the point that, unless they're caught on video, any statement, any official teshuvah, can be safely ignored since we didn't hear it directly from "the Gadol" in question?
3) Did Rav Shteinman, in fact, say something to this effect? Well it's not impossible. Since the current government took power we have heard all sorts of name calling out of the Chareidi community. Words which should be used with great caution, like "Nazi" and "Cossack", are tossed around like candies at a bar mitzvah. Is it so hard to think that Rav Shteinman might have muttered something like "Well they're just like Amalek and I wish the same thing would happen to them!"? And if he did then is this Rav actually doing us a service by letting us know?
It's almost getting to repetitive to write about this. Yes, we all know the Chareidi community is upset about the draft. We also all know that it's for all the wrong reasons, such as a fanatical aversion to any hakaras hatov to the State of Israel which has bankrolled their existence for 66 years and a distaste for any serious interactions with their fellow Jews in which they are not in control. It is still upsetting to consider that men who claim to be serious learners, who spend days trying to understand all the implications of a single word in the Gemara, can carelessly throw out such insults and then be genuinely flummoxed when those insults invite an angry response.
At least the secular community has shown tremendous patience in response to the extended temper tantrum they've been witnessing. Let us hope and pray that this patience doesn't run out soon.
Navonim - The Ramblings of Garnel Ironheart
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5 comments:
I think what he meant was that if Rabbi shteinman, the gadol hador, claimed they are amalek then theoretically
it would be a mitzva to kill them, just like Moshe Rabeinu told the Leviim to kill the worshippers of the golden calf. Obviously, this kind of statement should never go on the internet. His words were taken out of context and tragically made a big chilul Hashem
" It is still upsetting to consider that men who claim to be serious learners, who spend days trying to understand all the implications of a single word in the Gemara, can carelessly throw out such insults and then be genuinely flummoxed when those insults invite an angry response."
Excellent, Garnel! I have yet to see anyone state this better.
Well I am well and truly sick to death of the so-called "True Torah Jews"& the entourage of the self appointed Mini Popes of the "gedolim" sit there and trash fellow Jews who sincerely and genuinely love Hashem and Torah, stigmatize & refuse to reach those who are 'Off the derech' set the bar so high for converts as to make it practically impossible to join our Jewish family, in which the letter, not the spirit of Torah is followed. I see you are a Dr Who fan with the picture on the right. To wit, I will summarise my view with a quote from another science fiction show, Stargate-
"I will not stand by while the holy doctrine of good will and faith that I have sworn to uphold is twisted into a hammer and used to beat people down!"
And that is all I have to say.
Temujin nominates Rav K for the new position of Rapprochement Shaliach...to be funded by the Chief Rabbinate or better still, independent of Medinat funds, perhaps by Kupat Hai'ir. A frank acknowledgement that things have gotten way, way out of hand, that this sort of silliness is embarrassing and damaging to all, and that channels of respectful communication must be opened and maintained would go a long way to repairing the naughty Rav's badly tarnished reputation, indicate the desire for genuine teshuva and show that the Hareidi sector is capable of honest self-assessment and menshlichkeit.
Temujin also nominates the Anonymous fellow here as this blog's Jaw-Dropping Idiot of the Week for his winning words: "...Obviously, this kind of statement should never go on the internet. His words were taken out of context and tragically made a big chilul Hashem." Indeed. Yet another misunderstanding in an apparently endless sausage-line of juicy oopsies in the public relations department, what? Out of curiosity, dear Ano, art thou saying that Rav Shteinman actually said those things and that the young foot-soldier, Rav K, is playing the role of the valiant centurion by tripping over his words and then falling on his own spada? Stuff for the troubadours, this.
Greetings my dear Temujin,
'Rav Kav' does have a ring to it.
Now, please note, I do not take these matters lightly. It grieves me that brother and sister Jews have to fight like this & call each other Alemek. I hate it. I don't want it. I want Jews to love Hashem and each other. I believe that we stand together shoulder to shoulder or not at all. It is enough to combat the anti-semitism that is awash in this world. But I equally feel & quite strongly feel that we must be truthful to Torah and walk in its Holy light. Our Haredi brothers and sisters have lost that. I want us all to walk in the Torah of the L-rd. That whilst we all have our passionate differences, we can agree to disagree in a way that strengthens each of us. To bring people up, not to cast them low.
That is all I want to see.
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