Without going in the Halachic aspects of the "Kosher Switch" because I haven't actually examined the pertinent facts of the device, and am not an expert in the sugyeh of gramma
... I can say for sure, though, that the statement of Rav Belsky is misleading.
He writes in the attached letter:
"this concept has no place in Halacha. If the Sanhedrin were empowered, that act would be punishable by meesas Bais Din!"
Well, any child over 7 years old that learned Parshas Ve'Yakheil, knows that, that statement is false.
Rashi questions why the Torah singled out the prohibition of lighting a fire on Shabbos in this Parsha .. there are 39 melachos, why single out this particular melacha.
So Rashi answers:
The Torah writes "Lo Sevaaru Eish (you shouldn't start a fire on Shabbos)" because, as Rashi puts it ...
"Yesh Merabuseinu Omrim ... Havaarah le'lav Yoitzeis" ...Rashi quotes the Gemarrah in Shabbos, that quotes Reb Yoisi that the prohibition of starting a fire receives NO death penalty and that's why the Torah singled out the prohibition of lighting fire on Shabbos as opposed to the other 39 Melachos!
So to say that one who would operate the Kosher Switch on Shabbos gets the death penalty, is false!
But, I have another question to the "Great" Rav Belsky...
"Why are you bent out of shape about this gadget that according to a Tanna in Mesachtas Shabbos is a Lav that is prohibited but doesn't have a death penalty for violating it..
Yet when your buddy, Yehuda Kolko, molested and destroyed the lives of hundreds of children, you the "great" Belsky supported him?
Even though you're a really smart fellow, and even though you have a bone to pick with R' Belsky, it's possible that he might know a bit more Halachah than you. I'm just saying, like, maybe he spent more time learning these things and maybe, possibly, might, efsher, it could be, know more than you on this topic. I'm just saying.
ReplyDeleteHey Barry E
ReplyDeleteDid you read what I wrote.... I don't think so!
I wrote that I am not going into the halachic aspects of the "switch"...I don't know anything about it..
I'm just writing that his statement that a bais Din would condemn a man to death for using the switch on shabbos... is false! ...
And you are right that he knows "a bit more Halacha' than me, he also knows more Math ...I am bad in arithmetic and he was a Math Teacher in Torah Vodaat...
Having said that ... he the Talmud Chaochom found nothing wrong with supporting an admitted pedophile..
And he should be the last guy taking about any bais Din.... he has refused to answer an Hazmanah in bais din for years...
he wants everyone to follow halacha... except if it pertains to himself...
Kosher Light Switch?
ReplyDeleteIt would be only a matter of a few days before the chumra crazies blew a gasket and condemned a new technology to make life a bit easier for orthodox Jews.
The more oppressive the hashkafa, the less you'll suffer when you all go to gehenim. And genehim is where you're all headed because your hashkafa will never be oppressive enough.
Yes, R Belsky has defended a pedophile who was then convicted of his crimes. Thanks for posting this. It's important for people to know how nuts these Talmidei chachamim can be. Yes, they are smart in math and Halacha. But they can be extremely stupid in the rest of life's arenas.
ReplyDeleteWe don't pasken like Rav Yossi, and putting on a light is חייב מיתה. Very few people can argue with Rabbi Belsky in Halacha , so check your sources first.
ReplyDelete10:50
ReplyDeleteIf Rashi brought down R' Yoisi's view first, he Rashi who was a Rishon holds like that view....
Alot of people argue with Rav Belsky in Halacha ...are we living on the same planet?
Belsky backs all kinds of molesters, child rapists, adulterers, crooks & just plain scum of the earth. Belsky has a personal connection to this list:
ReplyDeleteYudi Kolko
Yossi Kolko
Ephraim Bryks
Lipa Brenner
Dovid Weinberger
Lipa Margulies
Berish Fuchs
Gershon Tannenbaum
Mendel Epstein
Peretz Steinberg
Dr. Tuvya Chaim Charles "Bungalow Putz" Neuhoff
Some of the above are convicted felons. If you are unsure what these characters are guilty of feel free to ask.
It doesn't matter whether Belsky is correct or not in meleches aish because Rav Elyashev is quoted as saying that Belsky cannot be trusted in ANY psak halacha whether gittin, kiddushin, kashrus or anything else, because he manufactures bogus heterim left & right!
There is an entire sefer which is a collection of condemnations by gedolim against Belsky permitting an eishis ish to other men after he was paid a quarter of a million dollars to do so.
This same Belsky had the CHUTZPAH to rule
ReplyDeletethat anyone relying on the EIRUV in Boro Park,could not be counted in a MIYAN and is MENASACH the wine,but abusing little kids is perfectly alright
DIN- Great Diyyuk in Rashi! (not). It is clear from all rishonim and achronim that we pasken against Rav Yossi. Not saying anything about anything else you said.
ReplyDelete2 problems with this: 1) Even if the switch does mamash nothing special you still wouldn't be chayav missah for this. According to ALL poskim (if you are stam an am ha'aretz and don't know things I can't help you.) electricity is at it's very worst a d'rabbanan (with exception of incandescent lightbulbs or something that creates a Koll) So if you use this switch to turn on a fluorescent light, you wouldn't be chayav missah the same reason that if you turn it on with a regular switch you wouldn't be. If you don't believe me ask you LOR. or if you prefer you can read R'Shlomo Zalman's teshuva on electricity where he says why each of the reasons to assur electricity is nonsense and that he only assured it because people were already noeg to not use it based on the Chazon Ish who everyone agrees was incorrect in his psak of boneh of the circuit. If you don't read hebrew well look it up in "contemporary issues in halakha" by rabbi Bleich
ReplyDelete12:46
ReplyDeleteShow us where its "clear from all rishonim and achronim that we pasken against Rav Yossi"
the gemarrah (shabbos daf 70) is inconclusive.
In fact as 1:32 points out, most later achronim hold that electricity isn't m'edoriisah ... see the Aruch Ha'shulchan that actually rules that on yom tov you can flip the switch ..
Rav Belsky's statement was at best false and at worse a blatant lie!
Looks like you're a little confused. It's very clear from all prominent poskim the halachah is not like R' Yosi. Another tip...go to the Gemarah source and see the Mesoras Hashas which provides a source in Rambam and Shulchan Aruch.
ReplyDeleteThis is relevant with the assumption it's a violation which involves turning on a flame. However, there's two uncertainties: (1) some Rabbonim say electricity, particularly fluourescent is Derabbanan; (2) Gramma.
To me if you have a beef you work with the latter. Saying Halachah is like R' Yossi is embarrassing! Another example where sometimes it's better to say nothing when you don't know!!
Every competent frum person knows it's not the case.
12:49
ReplyDeleteAgain, his statement that a bais Din would condemn a man to death for putting on the "Kosher Switch" is false... and it seems that you agree!
IThe Gemarrah in Shabbos never reached any conclusion..
nowhere is it indicated anywhere that the halacha is not like Reb Yoissi, based on this alone, no bais din would condemn a person to death... certainly not for activating a switch...
The rambam only speaks in general that anyone that violates any of the 39 melachos on purpose is condemned to Skilah... doesn't go into whether this melacha of fire is different ...the same for Shulchan Aruch...
but everyone agrees that R' belsky shot his mouth off and lied!
My 2 cents: This 'Rabbi' Belsky has a habit of defending every child molestor. As such, there is a special place reserved for him in a very warm place. This is a man that I will not respect, nor stand up for.
ReplyDeletehttp://theunorthodoxjew.blogspot.com/2015/04/street-corner-crazy-izzy-belsky-very.html
ReplyDelete