5 Towns Weinberger reneged on deal to go quietly, got chizuk from Belsky to keep fighting!

This former Torah Vodaas Math Teacher, now Poisek for the OU, never met a pervert that he didn't love and defend. 
First the Uncle & Nephew pedophile team, Kolko, and now R" Dovid Weinberger of the 5 Towns. 

The deal made with the leading Rabbonim of the 5 Towns after Weinberger's shenanigans were exposed, was  that he would come up with some health issue deal, and would supposedly take a sabbatical, and then fade into the night..

But then he had second thoughts, so he called Belsky, and Belsky sent a letter to those Rabbonim chastising them for removing an alleged sexual predator from the Rabbinate.

Here is the letter that  Weinberger worked out with the Rabbonim! 

To whom it may concern, I Rabbi Dovid Weinberger, formerly the Rabbi of Cong. Shaarei Tefilla of Lawrence, NY, do hereby acknowledge that I will retire from the Rabbinate effective immediately, and will never again serve in the capacity of Rov or Rabbi of any congregation or community, nor will I ever again be involved as amechanech [teacher] in any venue of Chinuch [education].

This is the letter sent to all shuls in the 5 Towns, after Weinberger decided to renege on the deal:

Recently, RDW [Rabbi Dovid Weinberger], a rabbi, resigned from his position as a rabbi of a congregation [Shaaray Tefila, Lawrence, NY], educator of young women in our community, and counselor to many who sought his advice. Following that, we learned from professionals of a number of documented cases of his unfortunate and unacceptable behavior. It is the collective judgment of these professionals that this behavior may continue. We therefore feel obligated to inform our community of this concern and advise that there be no interaction with this rabbi in any rabbinic, educational, 
counseling or private setting.

For a more in depth analysis of the Weinberger tragedy read:
Frumfollies !
.

Yeshivas Hijacked Purim!

I always looked forward to Purim when I was growing up. I would find a long coat and an old hat in the closet, buy a beard somewhere and went around collecting for an uncle in Israel, who had just emigrated from Rumania and couldn't make ends meet.

Lately, I've been noticing that the Yeshivas pay their students to rent costumes that run in the hundreds of dollars and then rent limos so fancy that ill bet Michelle Obama who is visiting China didn't ride in one of those things.

This year I had the privilege to be Motzei Shabbos, Purim Night, in a rich man's house where I saw 6 Roshei Yeshivas salivating over this G'vir, pandering and chanfining him and of course  drinking the liqueur on his table.
The one hour that I was in his house, I noticed at least 6 different groups of boys all dressed up, matching, in the most luxurious costumes,  all running out of these double decker limos, and running  into the house, all collecting for their prospective yeshivas. 
This Gvir just put his hand in his pocket and gave them hundreds of dollars!

So what's wrong?
Well, this morning a man who davens in my shul, poor as a church mouse, divorced, gets food from Tomchei Shabbos, told me that he got a call from a guy who is on the Tuition Committee of Shaarei Arazim, a school for challenged children, and told him if he "doesn't come up with the $5,000.00 before Pesach, I'm going to send your child home with embarrassment!"

This poor soul works like a dog, all his money goes to his ex wife, to support his children, and he is left with about 200.00 a week. The bully, the guy from Shaarei Arazim, wants to take the 200.00. 

Now, don't get me wrong, I agree that the school is doing a great job and has huge expenses....

So please give me an answer to this question? ... 
Why in the world did Shaarei Aruzim collect money  this purim? 
Why in the world is Shaarei Arazim making dinners? They had a "Split the Pot" raffle that ran to $100,000.00!

Aren't you raising money for parents that cannot afford the massive tuition fees? 
If your answer is yes, why are you torturing this guy? Isn't that why you collected?

If this guy had walked into the Gvir's house that Purim, how much do you think he would have gotten? 
He had no costume and no limo waiting outside. 
 He would have gotten $36.00

So my dear readers, a poor broken guy would get 36.00, but the Yeshivas get hundreds?

What happened to the Purim that I grew up  and looked forward to, where poor people were getting the $$$?

When did "Matonas L'evyoinim" become Matanos l'Yeshivos?
Our sense of Purim is now warped, our understanding of what the Shlchan Aruch specifically says is "matonas l'evyonim"  has been hijacked by the Roshei Yeshivas that abandoned their families to sit around the table in the Gvir's house with their mouths foaming every time the Gvir put his hand in his pocket!

Avrohom Birnbaum of Yated attacks the Hero, Rabbi Avichai Ronsky, Leading Zionist Rabbi

Rabbi Avichai Ronsky

First a little background of Rav Avichai Ronsky: 

Rabbi Ronsky is the former Chief Military Rabbi of the Israel Defense Forces. He served in the position from 2006 to 2010, with a rank of Brigadier General.

Rontzki was born to a non-religious Jewish family. He became religious while serving in the army. In 1969, he began is military career in Shayetet 13 but did not complete the training instead moving to Sayeret Shaked in which he fought as a company commander in the Yom Kippur War.

 During this time, he began the process of becoming a Baal Tshuva with his wife Ronit who he had met in his unit. 

Rontzki studied at Machon Meir and Mercaz HaRav and also was involved with instructing street kids in Jerusalem. 

In 1980, he established the Hesder Yeshiva in Elon Moreh. In 1984, he was part of the group that established the settlement Itamar nearNablus and also initiated the local yeshiva that he still leads today. Rontzki wrote the well known four volume army halakhic guide Hitzim K'yad Gibor. In addition to his rosh yeshiva position, he continued to serve in the reserves and rose in rank to the position of chief of staff of the Samaria Territorial Brigade ( חטיבה מרחבית שומרון‎).

So this Smarkatch Avrohom Birnbaum, goes on to viciously attack this hero. I am choosing not to go through his entire hate filled attack on Religious Zionism!

But here is a quote from the article:

"We can now understand why the entire vaunted Hesder network, so lionized by Religious Zionists as the ultimate syntheseis, has fewer than a thousand students - less than a fifth of the student body at Yeshivas Mir Yerushalyim alone."

Excuuuuse me, Mr Birnbaum, are we now going to judge yiddishkeit by numbers?

There are more non-religious Jews in the world than Religious Jews! 
There are more Muslims than Jews in the World.
There are more Christians and Buddhists in the world than Jews!

Of course more Yeshiva boys will choose Mir, it's the easy way out.
Being part of what you call the "entire vaunted Hesder network" takes courage, sacrifice, dedication and commitment. It takes selflessness. 
Joining Hesder is the opposite of being narcissistic.
Joining Hesder is being part of protecting the Mir Yeshiva Boys and being a Hero! Mr. Birnbaum!

Yated Chinuch Roundtable Question: "Should my son call me Daddy or Totty?"

The entire world is going to pot in a hand-basket; a Jewish man is brutally beaten in France, the Russians have amassed 100,000 troops waiting to invade the Ukraine, Iran keeps providing Hizballa with missiles to attack Israel, 
and this week's Yated dedicates  2 pages to the question whether a son should call his father daddy or totty! Im not kidding!

No less than 
Rabbi Nosson Scherman, General Editor of Artscroll, Rabbi Yisroel Hisiger, Rabbi Mordechai Kamenetzky the Rosh Yershiva of Yeshiva Toras Chaim, Rabbi Yechiel Spero, Raabi Shneur Aisenstark the Dean of Beth Jacob Seminary Montreal, Rabbi Dovid Engel the Menahel of the Toronto Cheder, Rabbi Yaakov Bender the Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshiva Darchei Torah, Rabbi Avraohom Neuberger the Rosh Mesivta of Yeshiva Gedola Ohr Reuven, and Rabbi Fink, Menahel of Ateres Bais Yaakov 
answer this asinine idiotic question.

The only one who refused to answer was Rabbi Shmuel Yaakov Klein from Torah Umesorah!

The Yated is the Bible of the Yeshivishe world , and they read this rag every week, a newspaper  spewing hate against the State of Israel (read my next post about Avraham Birnbaum of the Yated), and inciting the clueless readers against the IDF!

So today I am singling out a smidgen of what they consider a "serious" discussion between "distinguished  panelists" discussing a bunch of narishkeitin!

Bitter Results of the Chareidi Win in Beit Shemesh! Chareidie Guy beats up Frum lady over skirt length!

Lady that was beaten by a chareidie

Yes sir, The Taliban have taken over the reigns in Beit Shemesh! They voted in a Mayor that had the backing of the "Gedoilei Hador" and now the "chickens have come home to roost!"

I don't hear Rav Shteinman saying one word against this physical assault on an innocent frum lady that had been beaten up in front of her 3 year old daughter!
Where is the long bearded Rabbi Feldman from Baltimore that flew in to Beit Shemesh to influence the vote? Where is his outcry!
Im sure they are poo pooing the story and saying that this was an isolated incident by a meshuginer!

Here is the story, read and be outraged!

A modern Orthodox Beit Shemesh woman was severely beaten on Wednesday by an ultra-Orthodox man who disapproved of the length of her skirt.

The 25-year-old woman was wearing a skirt that left part of her lower legs exposed when she picked up her 3-year-old daughter from day care. As the two were waiting for the bus, an ultra-Orthodox man in his 30s yelled at her that her skirt "brought out yetzer ha'ra [evil impulses]" and called her a "whore."

The woman told him he was being insolent and that she was calling the police.

"I was afraid and screamed," she said. "I called the police right away. He saw me doing it and ran toward me, and then he beat me hard and pulled my hair."

"I have bruises on my thigh and back from the attack," the woman said. "I screamed to the police on the phone that he was attacking me. He tried to take my phone away as he was beating me horribly. I was deathly afraid -- he snatched my phone out of my hand and ran away into the streets of [the haredi area of] Beit Shemesh."

She said the assault happened in broad daylight on a crowded street, but not a single passer-by tried to intervene.

"I called for help, but no one came. I cried, asked them to call the police because I was afraid he'd come back and murder me. All this time, my daughter, who was terrified, was screaming and crying," she said.

On Thursday morning, the attacker turned himself in to the police and returned the woman's phone. When questioned, he admitted to the assault. His lawyers have not issued a response.

However, the woman said her assailant's arrest did not comfort her.

"I couldn't sleep all night after the incident," she said. "My daughter is in therapy because of what happened. It's a horrible feeling. My daughter and I are very scared."

Plea to reveal Meir Kin's Meah Rabbonim

DIN has received some reliable information that most of the Rabbis that signed the "Heter Meah Rabbonim" are now claiming that their signatures were forged. 

The "Heter Meah Rabbonim" allows a person still married, to take another wife, and is signed by 100 Rabbis.

We are asking people close to this case to please email us at dusiznies@aol.com 
with the list of the 100 rabbis so that we can verify each and every signature, and investigate if the signatures are in fact genuine. 

Bugeye Kin, the miserable excuse for a human, married a clueless idiot last Thursday in Las Vegas ....

Rabbi Hoffman wrote the following in the 5 Towns Newspaper in reference to a guy who gets a Heter Meah Rabbonim, and then gets married while he is still married to his first wife!

"The Chezkuni (Bereishis 3:16) cites a Midrash and writes that if someone is betrothed to a woman and leaves her stuck as an agunah, then he is a denier of the World to Come. Consequently, he loses his share in Olam HaBa—the World to Come. The Ba’alei HaTosefos cite the same exposition and come to the very same conclusion: Making an agunah causes one to lose Olam HaBa. Presumably, this would apply to the enablers of such activities as well.
There, the status of the agunah was created at the very beginning of a marriage—upon halachic betrothal. Nonetheless, the idea is the same—these Rishonim hold that the husbands have lost their share in Olam HaBa. Their fate and future no longer lie with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and their grandparents and great-grandparents for generations. Rather, the fates of husbands who improperly use the heter mei’ah rabbanim and, it seems, of those rabbis who falsely provide a heter mei’ah rabbanim are with the likes of the evil Bilaam and Gechazi"

North Koreans males will now become Chassidim, All must have similar haircuts!

North Korean males will now follow the chasiddishe minhag of having similar haircuts!
The hottest men’s hairstyle in North Korea is shear madness.Supreme Leader Kim Jong-Un, in a bizarre bit of tonsorial tyranny, decreed that his 12 million countrymen adopt his decidedly retro high-and-tight ’do.

The diminutive despot delivered his “fashion guideline” about two weeks ago, likely ensuring that Dennis Rodman and his multi-hued mop will never return to the nation.

The “Un and only” haircut, once popularized by ’90s boy bands, was unimaginatively dubbed “The Dear Leader Kim Jong-Un” — more of a mouthful than “a little off the sides.”

The 31-year-old’s look is simple: Short and slicked back on top, buzzed to the skin above both ears.
North Korea’s citizens were not too keen on the government-ordered grooming, griping that it’s not the right look for everyone.

Color Video of Previous Lubavitcher accepting US Citizenship, The Rebbe put on his Shtreimel for this occasion!

How the Frum World was Hijacked by the Extremists! Time to take the Religion back !

by guest writer  Isi Liebler of the Jerusalem Post

The polarization within the Jewish religious arena is sharply reflected both by the dramatic weakening of modern Orthodox streams and in the growing radicalization of the haredi world and empowerment of its most extreme elements. 

I recollect nostalgically the Orthodox rabbis with whom I was acquainted in the Diaspora. With the exception of the Hungarian ultra-Orthodox who deliberately isolated themselves from the broader community and the fanatically anti-Zionist Satmar Hassidim, they were all committed to the communal welfare. 

Ultra-Orthodox laymen included doctors, lawyers and businesspeople who ensured that besides a yeshiva education, their children also learned trades or studied in university. In a word, most of them participated in the broader community. 

In Israel during the early decades of the state, aside from small pockets of extremists, the Aguda and other ultra-Orthodox groups retained a respectful attitude to the state and its instrumentalities. However, with the growth of haredi representation in the Knesset enabling them to tilt the balance of power, they succeeded in leveraging vast sums from successive governments for their education and housing. 

Simultaneously, yeshiva rabbis, devoid of secular education and many with minimal interaction with society, strove to enroll as many yeshiva students as possible, irrespective of their abilities. 

Furthermore, they urged their followers to devote their lives toward full-time learning without earning a livelihood, and to rely on state welfare. This approach has no precedent in Jewish life. Many of the rabbis debating in the Mishnah are actually identified by their profession, and Maimonides emphatically stated that “Whoever thinks he can study Torah and not work, and relies on charity, profanes God’s name.” 

The radicalization was spearheaded by an aggressive haredi hijacking of the Chief Rabbinate – a state institution which they had formerly treated with contempt. 

In turn, this led to a determined drive to impose on the entire nation excessively stringent interpretations of Jewish law in all spheres – marriage, divorce, gender separation, conversion and kashrut. 

In order to alleviate acute economic hardship, the great sages of the past creatively interpreted halacha on issues like prohibition against interest and the observance of Shmita (the injunction to allow the land in Israel to lie fallow every seventh year). In contrast, today’s haredi rabbis enforce the most stringent interpretations without concern for the welfare of the nation as a whole. 

The combination of extremism, isolationism and political power climaxed with the histrionic efforts by haredim to resist the government decision to partially remove the exemption of military or national service to yeshiva students. 

With overwhelming public support, the government voted to revoke the exemptions which, due to the massive demographic expansion of the haredi sector, had mushroomed from the original 400 granted by prime minister David Ben-Gurion to over 8,500 annually. 

Desperate to retain control of their followers and maintain the cordon sanitaire they had created between their world and society at large, haredi rabbis launched massive protests. 

No halachic prohibition exists against serving in the army of Israel. Our bible is full of military campaigns and of personalities like Joshua and King David who personally led, fought and saved the Jewish people in battle. The sages tell us we are obliged to fight to defend ourselves (Milchemet Mitzvah). 

Israelis, especially religious Zionists who take great pride in their army service, are outraged by the haredi claim that they are contributing to the defense of Israel by learning Torah and praying. The former, discredited, Ashkenazi chief rabbi Yonah Metzger even made the bizarre statement that “when yeshiva attendance is low, as on holiday evenings or prior to the Shabbat, more IDF soldiers are killed.” 

The government made every effort to achieve this change on a consensual level. The law shall only be implemented gradually over three years and will only apply at the age of 24. 

The principal vehicle to achieve this was financial, by reducing and even eliminating the state subsidies to yeshivot refusing to cooperate. 

Unfortunately, Finance Minister Yair Lapid, in a populist stunt, succeeded in tabling a government proposal whereby criminal sanctions would be applied to those refusing to register. This was utterly impractical as under such circumstances, the prison system would collapse or be transformed into de-facto yeshivot. 

However, the extremists cynically grabbed this opportunity to radicalize, unite and goad the entire haredi community into one of its ugliest confrontations with the state. 

The language directed against the government was disgusting and profane, with some of the so called “gedolei hador,” or religious leaders of the generation, accusing the government of “imprisoning Jews for learning Torah” and comparing political leaders to Amalek and Nazis. 

Rabbi Aharon Leib Shteinman, widely regarded as the moderate “gadol hador” of the Lithuanian haredim, told government ministers that they should “go to hell and suffer and be totally annihilated... May their names and memories be blotted out.” 

Contrast this vulgar language to the respectful disagreements recorded in the Mishnah to gauge the depths to which our “gedolim” have descended. 

Equally disturbing was the unification of the entire haredi world in this vicious and contemptible crusade. Clearly the moderates had been silenced and the radicals, many of whom are aggressively anti-Zionist and even refuse to recite prayers for the state or the IDF, are now in control. 

The chief rabbis, who are state employees, behaved as puppets by participating in the haredi demonstration – claiming that they were indulging in “prayers.” These same chief rabbis had earlier issued an injunction that women should not serve in the IDF, which outraged religious Zionists. 

The campaign was extended to the Diaspora. In New York a major demonstration against the Israeli government took place in which Agudat Israel of America, usually loath to engage in anti-Israeli activities, fully participated. 

The Rabbinical Council of America, once a proud bastion of modern orthodoxy, responded with deafening silence. 

In Melbourne, Australia, where a similar rally took place, an outraged response erupted from the rank-and- file Jewish community, and the dominant Chabad rabbinate was obliged to write a humiliating letter claiming that it had misunderstood the nature of the rally and apologized. This demonstrates that laymen can stand up against extremist rabbis, and when they do, they usually succeed. 

The roots of the problem are that the influential radical rabbis are becoming ever more extreme and shrill in their isolation from society and attacks on the leadership. There is a bitter truth in the remark that were Maimonides alive today he would be denied a teaching post in a haredi yeshiva because of his worldly knowledge and scientific outlook. 

It is sad that a Diaspora haredi doctor, lawyer or businessman settling in Israel, by sending his children to a haredi yeshiva denies them the same education and profession from which he benefited. They are destined to join the horde of uneducated black-hats pursuing Talmudic studies, denied worldly knowledge and isolated from those who do not share their outlook. 

The haredi rabbis are making a terrible mistake. Instead of cooperating with the government which is willing to be flexible and gradual in imposing changes, they are polarizing the situation and leading their followers into an abyss of ignorance and poverty. Their behavior is reminiscent of those rabbis in Europe who urged their followers not to leave on the eve of the Holocaust. 

The power of the radical rabbis will only be reversed if we exercise people power. We must insist that a moderate Zionist rabbinical leadership take control of fundamental issues affecting all Jewish citizens. 

If the haredi-controlled chief rabbinate remains an obstacle, the modern Orthodox and national religious camp should set up its own independent rabbinate. 

At the same time we must condemn “haredi bashing.” So long as haredim do not impose their standards upon the whole nation and fulfill their civic responsibilities, they must be treated with respect and enabled to live their lifestyles which include many positive components which we could do well to emulate. 

There are no easy solutions. But if the radicalization continues and we do not succeed in reinstating moderation and core Zionist principles, the haredi issue could morph into violent societal confrontation and cause immense damage, just at a time as Israelis are seeking out their Jewish roots and becoming increasingly more traditional.

Rabby Belsky, Kolko Supporter, now Defending Rabbi Dovid Weinberger of 5 Towns

Rabbi Yisroel Belsky, a staunch supporter of both Kolkos', (both Kolkos' are admitted sexual abusers) is now defending an alleged Sexual Pervert, Rabbi Dovid Weinberger of Shaaray Tefillah, Lawrence, New York. 

The Rabbonim of 5 towns thought that they got rid of him, and wanted to keep the stories and rumors of his alleged philandering quiet, to stop the Chillul Hashem, but like Mordechai Tendler, these abusers hang on with their fingernails, and won't go quietly away! 

R' Dovid, on the other hand, insists on making a Chillul Hashem, so R' Dovid decided to take out the big "guns" so to speak, so he can get a job.

 Which rabbit does he pull out of his hat? 
Rabbi Yisroel Belsky, There isn't a sexual abuser in the whole world that he won't defend, be it abusers of children or in this case adults. 

Rabbi Belsky, you are doing a great job giving Hashgachas on Donuts, this Weinberger Parsha is way over your head! 

Here is the letter that the "Sexual Abuser Lover" writes to the unfortunate patsy Rabbis of the 5 Towns.
And then read our summary of that dispicable letter! 
For a more comprehensive  analysis of this tragedy read, FrumFollies!

To my friend the Honorable Rav………..

My heart pounded when I read your letter with the 

  awful news about  rumors circulating amongst the Jewish neighborhoods, rumors  spread no less by my beloved friends and by my friends who love me very much.

But what should I do, Rav Dovid Weinberger is also counted among my friends and advisors!

I saw they had already decided and concluded his guilt without giving him the opportunity to defend himself. What are we to do with the laws of the Torah that state that it is forbidden to listen to an accuser without  the defendant  being present.

They threw him to the wolves like a rotting carcass without hearing his side. They placed his case in front of men and women disguised as expert doctors, without listening to his defenders, some of whom are experts in this field.

They made him into a sinner and isolated him from the tribes of Israel , they made him into a pariah, all without harking to his shouts as if all gates of mercy were shut.

Even when one is a blasphemer, the Torah states that one must  investigate,. How much more so, Reb Dovid,  someone who has served his community selflessly for over 30 years and many benefited from him.

Belzer Rebbe's Shalosh Seudois Toireleh "We don't need the State"

The Belzer Rebbe's brother-in-law, Reb Aron Teitelbaum the Monroe Satmar Rebbi, visited Israel two weeks ago and must have slipped a "date drug" in his drink.
The Belzer was always pro-State as was his predecessor, so it's strange that he should become a rabid hater of the State!

Last week he went berserk in between bites of pickled herring at Shaloish Seudois and ranted and raved against the State:

“Even among the five million Jews in Israel there is a minority of 500,000 true Torah-keepers who keep and protect the mitzvas (divine commandments). They are the essence of Israel. G-d chose the Jewish people because you are the smallest of all nations. So the observant minority of those learning Torah are G-d’s army.

“We don’t need the state or the government. We need study halls and yeshivas to continue serving G-d and to educate the children in the way of service of G-d and in the responsibility of a life of Torah and acceptance of the mitzvas and in anxiously awaiting the redemption by moshiach [the messiah]!

“May it be His will that in the merit of Rabbi Elimelech of Lizhensk, whose yahrzeit [anniversary of the death] is today, that the Jewish people and Torah study should be protected from all enemies that persecute Jews and the Torah. They [these enemies] should not succeed in their efforts to disrupt Torah study and observance of Torah until Moshiach comes, and may we merit the arrival of Moshiach speedily in our days!” 

Rabbi! 
What about water, you need water? Planning to get it from R' Nuchemka from Meah Shearim?

How about electricity? Who is going to provide power for your summer home in Telz-Stone? R' Shayehele from Afulah?

What about your garbage from Shalosh Seudois, whose going to take that away?

How about your Medical care? Whose going to take care of you? It's not like you are paying into the system...
Stop listening to your crazed brother-in-law who lives in luxury in America!

We know YOU don't need the State, you are one of the richest people in the State of Israel....(Belzer Rebbe is worth over 50 Million Dollars.. see Dusiznies)
but how about the shemegegies that follow you around who have no food on the table... what about them?
I think they still need the Government!

Neshama Carlebach's Shabbos Parshas Zachor with Black Baptists singing Esa Einai!

They couldn't find some nice Jewish boys to G-D forbid come to shul for the Carlbach Minyan in the Reform Shul in NYC, so Neshama, the late Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach's daughter, scrambled all over the USA to find a bunch of Black Singers to come to daven with her .... this is her "Aliyah" to Judaism. 
Reb Shlomo, where are you?

Chasam Sofer wrote that it's more important to work in Israel then to learn Torah!

What? Is that true? Is DIN making all this up? Oy vey, what will all the charlatan Roshei Yeshivah in Israel say to this Chasam Sofer?
 That he is a heritic? 
Don't believe one word I say, read the Chasam Sofer for yourself!

and now a comment from Rationalist Judaism
Rabbi Tzvi Liker sent me one of the most extraordinary Torah perspectives I have seen in a long time. It's all the more amazing because of who it comes from. Rav Moshe Sofer, a.k.a. Chasam Sofer (1762–1839), is widely considered to be the "father of Orthodoxy." He was the Rosh Yeshiva of Pressburg and a staunch opponent of any reformations of Judaism, leading to his famous saying, "That which is new, is forbidden by the Torah." 

The discussion relates to the well-known dispute in the Gemara between Rabbi Yishmael and Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai about learning Torah versus working. Rabbi Yishmael teaches that the study of Torah is to be accompanied by earning a livelihood, as per the verse that we recite in Shema, "Ve'asafta deganecha - And you shall gather your grain." Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, on the other hand, says that one should devote oneself to Torah, and God will ensure that one's needs are provided for. Abaye observes that many followed the lead of Rabbi Yishmael and succeeded in both working and learning, while most of those who followed Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai did not succeed in either.

Enter Chasam Sofer. He cites a view that one should ideally follow Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai and dedicate oneself solely to Torah, arguing that when Abaye observes that many people didn't do well in that path, this is because they didn't really devote themselves to it properly, but a special person who is truly dedicated to Torah will manage to succeed. Chasam Sofer himself says that "we" (it's not clear who he's referring to) follow Rabbi Nehorai, who argues with Rabbi Meir's instruction that one should teach his child a trade, and says that he will only teach his son Torah.

So far, this sounds very much in accord with someone representing the right wing of Orthodox Judaism. But now comes the "but." And it's the "but" to end all "buts"!

But, says Chasam Sofer, but, this is only true in the Diaspora. In the Diaspora, there is no reason to work at a trade except to earn a living; furthermore, enhancing the economy of one's host country accentuates the fact that the Jews are in exile. Accordingly, if one can truly dedicate oneself to Torah and succeed that way, there is no reason to work, and this is what Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai was referring to (and Chasam Sofer argues that even Rabbi Yishmael would agree).

In Israel, on the other hand, it's entirely different. Here, Chasam Sofer says, one does not only work the fields in order to make a living. There is also the mitzvah of yishuv ha'aretz, settling the land. In the same way as one stops learning Torah to put on tefillin, says Chasam Sofer, one stops learning Torah to farm the land, which is the mitzvah of yishuv ha'aretz. Chasam Sofer explains that yishuv ha'aretz does not just mean living in Israel; it means developing the country. He further says that not just farming, but all industries and professions, are part of settling the land and giving it honor. Chasam Sofer adds that it would be a deficiency in the honor of Israel if a certain profession does not exist there, requiring products to be imported from abroad.

This is staggering! According to Chasam Sofer, there is a mitzvah for people in Israel to leave yeshivah and learn a profession quite separate from the requirement to provide for one's family. It's important for Israel to have doctors and engineers and all the professionals that a country requires in order to have honor (and to counter the brain-drain that currently exists). Likewise, people who make aliyah to Israel and bring their professional skills are fulfilling the mitzvah of yishuv ha'aretz in a much more significant way than merely by living here.

Chasam Sofer states this idea in two places. Don't take my word for it - above is a scan of both passages. Read and be amazed! And share it with those who believe that anyone encouraging people in Israel to leave yeshivah and enhance the workforce can only be a Torah-hating Amalekite!

DIN:
I also refer you to the introduction to the Chasam Sofer on Chumash.

There he decries the practice of not teaching your son a trade and having him learn full time.

This, he says, will result in boys marrying only for money and creating issues in Jewish homes and marriages.

I guess that today he would be called a sonei dos.

Hillel Harvard, fund students to visit Israel and to visit Arafat's Grave!

Harvard University students take trip to Ramallah, post picture on social media next to Yasser Arafat's grave • Trip funded by Jewish donors, supported by Harvard Hillel.

We have gotten used to seeing pictures of American students almost everywhere in Israel -- at the Western Wall, the beach, the airport. But a recent photograph taken in a much less conventional spot has sparked a controversy within the U.S. Jewish community.

Students from Harvard University who are on a sponsored tour to Israel posted a group photo last week next to former Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's grave in Ramallah. Some 50 students from all over the world attended the Harvard College Israel Trek 2014, which took them all over the country and included meetings with Israeli officials, and Israel Defense Force officers.

But the students also took a trip to Ramallah and met Palestinian Authority leaders. During the visit, the students visited Arafat's grave -- something not originally planned in the itinerary. Pictures, naturally posted online, caused quite a stir on social media.

A student named Daniel Mael was the first to report the event, on the conservative website TruthRevolt.org.

"I was horrified to see that Harvard Hillel is a supporter, and Boston's Combined Jewish Philanthropies is a sponsor of a trip that includes a visit to the grave of one of the world's most notorious Jew-murdering terrorists," Mael told the The Jewish Press weekly newspaper.

As the Israel Trek's website put it, "Israel Trek is made possible by the generous contributions of a number of family foundations and Boston's Combined Jewish Philanthropies. The Trek is supported by Harvard Hillel."

The issue has sparked criticism and outrage in the American Jewish community, especially among donors who discovered they funded not only a trip to Israel but a trip to the Palestinian Authority, in what looks like students paying their final respects to Arafat -- who was responsible for killing thousands of Israelis. Despite the firestorm, the Hillel International organization said on Saturday that it supported the trip.

Chief administration officer at Hillel International, David Eden, said in a statement that "a photograph of Harvard Israel Trek participants at the tomb of Yasser Arafat in Ramallah is causing understandable concern. That image is not what this trip is about. ...

The Israel Trek is being led by Harvard Israeli students, distinguished IDF veterans among them. ..."

"The itinerary of the Trek, approved by the sponsors, includes a very impressive roster of meetings and outings with representatives of the very highest echelons of Israeli government, armed forces, business, and culture," Eden continued. "The trip also includes a visit to Ramallah to meet with Palestinian leadership."

He said the "participants may have given insufficient thought to the way in which this particular photograph would be seen and received back home."

Yonason Rosenbloom of Yated compares Lapid to Arafat!

This Jonathan Rosenblum who once identified himself as a Conservative Jew and who became Hareidi has now become the spokesman of the Yated and other Hareidie newspapers! He learned a little Chumash in Ohr Samaiach, and writes English with proper grammar so they made him their star to bash people that insist Chareidim share the burden! 

He is apparently bereft of any shame or decency!
Comparing Yair Lapid to the child murderer Yaser Arafat, in the latest edition of the Phony Lipshitz' newspaper, The Yated!

.."He might be compared to Yasir Arafat, who told President Clinton at Camp David that signing a peace agreement would effectively seal his death warrant. That plea attested to Arafat's failure to educate his Palestinian supporters to the necessity of major concessions if they hoped to gain a state, including renunciation of the so-called "right of return." Instead he spent his time post-Oslo whipping the Palestinian population into a frenzy of hate -- much as Lapid has whipped up hatred of the chareidi population -- and was thus in no position to respond to Ehud Barak's dangerously generous offer of Palestinian statehood...." 

Whats with these guys who become frum and then insane!
This "Am Haaretz"  in March 1992,  wrote an article in the Jewish Observer criticizing Rabbi Norman Lamm's book, Torah Umadda for equating the value and importance of secular and Torah studies. 

Haredi Soldiers take down Terrorist that planned attacks on Israeli Civilians! Be Sure that no Chareidi Rabbi will praise them!

File Photo of Hareidi Soldiers

We all praise Hatzalah, as we should, for saving lives, we don't say, "Sit and Learn" and let the Chilonim take care of it.

Why is this different?

But the Zionist Leader Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu understands what Pikuach Nefesh is all about!

Before the start of his weekly cabinet meetings on Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu offered praise for the IDF units, namely the Nahal Haredi, who were instrumental in taking down a known terrorist suspected of planning attacks on Israeli civilians.

Netanyahu said, “Over the weekend our forces struck at a terrorist who had organized attacks on Israelis and was also planning attacks on Israeli citizens.”

Continuing, Netanyahu said, “I would like to commend the anti-terrorism unit, the IDF units involved, including the ultra-Orthodox brigade, and the ISA for carrying out a very important operation in eliminating someone who endangered Israeli citizens.

Peretz Sontag's Body Found in Harriman

We regret to inform our readers of the passing of Peretz Sontag ע״ה

The body of Peretz Sontag, the father of seven from Pomona who had been missing since March 14, was found Sunday afternoon in Harriman State Park, officials said. Sontag was located with his black 2012 black Kia Optima off a roadway in the park, Ramapo police Detective Lt. Mark Emma said. He was found by a hiker not related to the search. His department notified Sontag's wife, Tammy, of the discovery, and state parks police are handling the investigation, Emma said. "What can I tell you? It's just a tragedy," Sontag's uncle, Shimon, said shortly after receiving the news. "They're all distraught. It's a mess. You've got seven children. The whole family is heartbroken." Sontag said state park police found his nephew and were not treating the death as a homicide. A funeral will likely take place tomorrow and Peretz Sontag will be buried in Israel.

8 year old boy dumped in basement for 24 hours without food or water because he spoke during megilla reading

This happened over a decade ago but still fresh in the mind of the now grown up Amrom Kruman. His father, Avraham Shlomo Kruman, a Neturei Karta guy, and his mother a Satmar lady locked up their 8 year old Amram in a basement because he dared speak during the reading of the Megillah on Purim!
They didn't even come down once to see if he is still alive.

G-D is not mentioned in the entire movie of Noah! But Global Warming is!

Darren Aronofsky wrestles one of scripture's most primal stories to the ground and extracts something vital and audacious, while also pushing some aggressive environmentalism, in Noah. 

Whereas for a century most Hollywood filmmakers have tread carefully and respectfully when tackling biblical topics in big-budget epics aimed at a mass audience, Aronofsky has been daring, digging deep to develop a bold interpretation of a tale which, in the original, offers a lot of room for speculation and invention. 

The narrative of the global flood that wiped out almost all earthly life is the original disaster story, one that's embraced by most of the major world religions, which means that conservative and literal-minded elements of all faiths who make it their business to be offended by untraditional renditions of holy texts will find plenty to fulminate about here. 

Already banned in some Middle Eastern countries, Noah will rile some for the complete omission of the name “God” from the dialogue, others for its numerous dramatic fabrications and still more for its heavy-handed ecological doomsday messages, which unmistakably mark it as a product of its time.

Pinny Lipshitz editor of Yated a Liar!

Pinny the liar Lipshitz

From the Emes Ve-Emunah Blog

Yated editor Rabbi Pinchos Lipshitz is an anti Semite. I’m sure that sentence will raise some eyebrows. That’s because he really isn’t an anti Semite. But if I were to follow his lead (and those of like minded individuals in his community) this would be an article of faith. His abhorrent attitude about clearly observant Jews whose only goal is to serve Klal Yisroel is spread all over his latest editorial. And it is filled with hate.

What he and others have said or implied is that the things said by non Charedim about Charedim should be considered anti-Semitic. Just substitute the word Jew for the word Charedi in many of those columns and the world would be screaming anti Semite at whoever uttered them.

His editorial is filled with the usual crop of hyperbole, lies, and innuendos. Here is one of the more egregious lies: 

People can disagree, but to call 50,000 frum, peaceful people murderers because they gathered to daven is abhorrent... 

This falsehood has been repeated numerous times by various Charedi media. It is based on Yori Yanover’s ‘cry from the heart’ about Charedim avoiding being subjected to a military draft which can entail dying for one’s country - while everyone else is subjected to that possibility. To say that this is calling them murderers is not only a flagrant distortion of the truth, it is designed to whip up the anger and animosity of his crowd. And just like any big lie, the more it is repeated, the more it is believed. That is what makes this type of yellow journalism so disgusting. They are losing the battle for the hearts and minds of masses of observant Jews so they resort to hyperbole, exaggeration, distortion, and outright lies.

The rest of his article is filled with derision, invective, and ridicule about religious Jews. He doesn’t even acknowledge that someone like Rabbi Dov Lipman is observant, calling him a Kipa wearing Jew as though it was some sort of disguise and not an indication of his being observant!

Here is a particularly disturbing comment: 

Those who stoke fires, create diversions, and fuel division in the pursuit of any goal expose themselves as guilty of hypocrisy and a refusal to examine the real facts the way they are. Throughout the ages, we have been victimized by blood libels. It is shameful that religious people are now utilizing the methods of Eisov and tactics of Haman to further their agendas. 

I agree with the first sentence:  Those who stoke fires, create diversions, and fuel division in the pursuit of any goal expose themselves as guilty of hypocrisy and a refusal to examine the real facts the way they are.

But it is the pot calling the kettle black. It is Rabbi Lipshutz and his fellow travelers that stoke those fires, create diversions, and fuel division. And he has the nerve to say that religious Jews are using the methods of Eisav and the tactics of Haman? We are not the ones lying about things. He is! 

Here is yet another lie: 

The people who give those speeches, write those articles, and post and publish them are using their words to further their battle against the much despised lomdei Torah. 

Does he really believe that people like me despise Lomdei Torah? And that our mission is to battle them? Whether he believes it or not, it is a lie. And frankly I think it is a deliberate lie. Any sane person who reads any of my posts on this subject knows that it’s a lie!

Here is a ridiculous question he asks: 

Might it be that the secular camp and their Orthodox enablers are the inciters? Might it be that those who so vehemently decry the chareidi leadership are guilty of far worse? 

Vehemently decry? Who among us has said anything vehement about Charedi leadership? I certainly haven’t. That I and others like me strongly disagree with some of what they say is not done with any kind of vehemence. Certainly not anywhere near the vehemence expressed by Rabbi Lipshutz in this editorial. Is Rabbi Lipshutz ready to call Rabbi Berel Wein a Kippa wearing Jew? …an Orthodox enabler of secular Torah haters?

Rabbi Lipshutz also takes umbrage at another comment made by Yori Yanover: 

The post-Holocaust Haredi world is all about fear. Fear of new things. Fear of books. Fear of voices. And above all, fear that the education a young man receives during his 20 years in a Haredi yeshiva is worthless, because as soon as he encounters the outside world, those 20 years would vanish, melt away like cholov Yisroel butter on a skillet.” 

While I agree that this was worded indelicately, how false is it, really? This too probably stoked the fires of hatred… which is Rabbi Lipshutz goal in repeating it. He wants those fires to be stoked – against detractors!

But is it not fair to say that there is a fear of books that do not exactly parrot the Charedi version of history; books that turn human beings into heavenly angels; free of sin; born that way from the womb, and staying that way till the tomb?

Is it not true that they reject for their students in Israel any secular education – if not out of fear, then out of the belief that it is Bitul Torah – wasteful of the time one should instead be studying Torah? Is it not true they fear the kind of challenges one might face on the outside world (e.g. the internet)? ...that it would shake their beliefs and that 20 years (of the Charedi version of Jewish education) might vanish, melt away?

Rabbi Lipshutz says nothing to dispel these notions. He just says: ‘There you have it’. As if to imply that these challenges are so absurd they do not justify a response. 

Really, Rabbi Lipshutz? I think they do. Because without any explanation, these values are exactly what Charedim constantly espouse. How many times have I heard the argument that history is only as important as the inspiration it can provide. So that any bio that does not make its subject larger than life and ignores truths about a Gadol that makes them uncomfortable, is worthless… and perhaps even detrimental. They do in fact fear facing the truths of history.

Rabbi Lipshutz uses this paragraph to ‘prove’ that a war is being waged against Charedim. And fuels the outrage with the claim that food is being taken out of the mouths of Charedi babies because entitlements have been cut.

That is total distortion of the facts. Why every single able bodied Charedi who chooses not to work should be entitled to welfare that is basically designed to help those who cannot help themselves - is beyond me. This is not taking food out of the mouths of babies. 

As I’ve said a million times, we do need to support the elite Torah students among us. They should be given a fully divinity exemption and be paid a living wage. But to do that for every single able bodied Charedi just because he wants to - is unfair and wrong. And reducing (not eliminating) welfare to them is not taking food out of the mouths of babies.

I doubt that Rabbi Lipshutz will respond to anything I wrote here. Probably because he can’t. But even if he does ‘respond’ it will not be with any rational arguments or proofs. It will be with more lies; more innuendos; and more distortions. He will not prove his position at all, just as he did not do so now. He will instead attack, attack, attack and continue to promote the ‘big lie’ until he’s satisfied that everyone believes it.