Saturday, January 29, 2022

Was Rav Lipa Margulies a Tzaddik? Or Was He Hiding a Dark Secret


I was debating whether to even write about this, and I thought that in the light of the recent Walder scandal maybe I should just  let "dead dogs lie." 
But as I glanced at the cover of the latest issue of Ami Magazine,  with the caption "Remembering Rav Lipa Margulies" my interest piqued and I asked the storekeeper if he had an open copy so that I can peruse the article.

Before even reading the article I knew that Ami is always on the wrong side of the news. DIN readers remember the recent outrageous cover story about Rabbi Zamer Cohen who claimed that the Zionists wanted to shut down his school because it was a Kiruv Yeshiva

It turned out to be a fabrication; his school which was coed wasn't a classic yeshiva patterned after our "mesorah"  it was patterned after the "Finnish school system," and he admitted that there was absolutely no Torah being taught there except for boys putting on a kipa and girls putting on a skirt while making a blessing "bla bla bla thanks for the grub". Rabbi Cohen couldn't explain why the Zionists would close a school that was doing this kind of "Kiruv" when the Zionists government was funding Chinuch Atzmai, Shuvu Schools, Ohr Samaich etc.at the very same time!

Not too long ago Ami was telling its foolish readers that the cult Lev Tahor was a legitimate chassidius, and gave the story 5 pages filled with fiction and lies!

And so back to Rav Lipa Margulies.
As I was reading this glowing article I noticed that they left out the fact that his Yeshiva started out on a  fraudulent premise. R Margulies opened his Yeshiva calling it Torah V'Daas, and he did this to steal students from the real Torah V"Daas.
The real Torah V"Daas had to take R' Lipa to Bais Din to issue a cease and desist order. He then changed the name to Torah Temimah only  after enormous pressure from Gedoilei Hador that were outraged at this chutzpah. 

The glowing article also left out the huge elephant in the room the fact  that R' Margulies settled a lawsuit by two former talmidim who accused him of covering up for a serial sexual molester called Kolko. Margulies finally settled by paying them over 2 million dollars.
This was not money from his pocket but taken out of the Yeshiva coffers. Tzaddaka money!
There are a half dozen lawsuits still pending in the courts.

In the Ami article they write the following about R' Margulies:

"Rav Lipa was strongly opposed to bachurim attending college classes while they were a part of Yeshiva Torah Temimah. One time, the hanhala found out that a bachur was taking a college class at night, and Rav Lipa presented him with an ultimatum: Quit collage or leave the yeshiva. Someone objected and mentioned that this boy's parents were among the yeshivah's biggest donors. "If they want, they can get back all the money they have donated," Rav Lipa said. He never compromised on his principles"

So R' Lipa objected that a guy going to college would G-d forbid learn a trade, make a living to support his family, while allowing at the very same time a murderer of children to continue to teach, because as Ami put it so beautifuly "He never compromised on his principles" as warped as they obviously were.

I will now list a chronology of Kolko's Molesting & Lipa Marguilies' Protection  Read it for yourself and judge!


· 1967 – While working as Dormitory Counselor at Yeshivas Mir, Rabbi Yehuda Kolko calls a student (name withheld) out of his dormitory room and begins discussing matters of a sexual nature with him while rubbing up against him in an aroused state. This abuse continues for the remainder of the school year and into the summer season at Camp Agudah. This student is now a distinguished Manhattan attorney living happily with his partner in New York City and insists that his lifestyle choice has absolutely nothing to do with his abuse by Kolko.

· 1969 thru 1971 – Rabbi Yehuda Kolko begins abusing Dovid Framowitz in Yeshiva Torah Vodaas of Flatbush (now known as Yeshiva Torah Temimah) and Camp Agudah, the details of which abuse are now public knowledge. Mr. Framowitz, a grandfather living in Eretz Yisroel, has not gone a day since being abused without reliving the unspeakable agony he suffered at Kolko’s hands.

· 1972 – Rabbi Yehuda Kolko sexually abuses two young campers (names withheld at the request of the victims) in Camp Agudah who complain to their counselor. Their counselor reports the complaint to Rabbi Simcha Kaufman. The abuse of these two boys cease for the remainder of that summer. Rabbi Simcha Kaufman is a co-worker of Kolko in Yeshiva Torah Temimah (more on Kaufman below) and was a co-worker of Kolko in Camp Agudah until 1976 when Kolko voluntarily left Camp Agudah after he co-founded Camp Ma-Na-Vu with Rabbi Lipa Geldwirth, another co-worker of his at Yeshiva Torah Temimah.

· 1977 – Rabbi Yehuda Kolko, employed as a rebbe in Yeshiva Torah Temimah in the morning, is employed in the afternoons by Yeshiva Karlin Stolin as Secular Studies Principal. During the course of his short tenure in Yeshiva Karlin Stolin numerous complaints are lodged by both students and parents (names withheld at the request of the victims) accusing Kolko of sexually abusing boys in the yeshiva. Rabbi Shmuel Dishon asks Kolko to leave the employ of the yeshiva.

· 1977 on – Eyewitness testimony and accusations of sexual abuse by Rabbi Yehuda Kolko of students at Yeshiva Torah Temimah and Camp Ma-Na-Vu reach a crescendo which culminates in several businessmen approaching Rabbi Lipa Margulies in 1984 and offering to fund a retirement package for Rabbi Yehuda Kolko provided he seeks employment away from children. Rabbi Lipa Margulies steadfastly refuses to accept the offer and suggests that those parents who disagree with his decision remove their children from his Yeshiva Torah Temimah.

· 1981 – Rabbi Yehuda Kolko sexually abuses a twelve year old student of Yeshiva Torah Temimah (name withheld at the request of the victim.) This victim publicizes the abuse and acts out, vandalizing Kolko’s home and car. Rabbi Lipa Margulies calls this victim’s father and warns him that if this activity does not stop his other children would be expelled from yeshiva and the safety of his family could not be guaranteed. This victim is subsequently referred to Avrohom Mondrowitz for counseling.

· 1984 – As instructed by Rabbi Avigdor Miller, an askan calls for a meeting which takes place at the home of Rabbi Yakov Perlow (the Novominsker) and is attended by Rabbi Avrohom Pam, Rabbi Elya Svei, Rabbi Chaim Dov Keller, Rabbi Aharon Schechter, Rabbi Moshe Scheinerman, Rabbi Shia Fishman and Rabbi Yankel Bender. At this meeting, chaired by Rabbi Perlow, the askan discusses what is transpiring to innocent boys at the hands of Rabbi pedophiles and requests that Torah Umesorah and the rabbonim issue a statement calling for their removal from chinuch. Rabbi Svei informs this askan that Torah Umesorah has consulted their attorneys who advised that for Torah Umesorah to admit knowledge of such abuse would subject Torah Umesorah, its staff, all its member schools and their staff to liability for not having reported their knowledge to the authorities earlier. Accordingly, Rabbi Elya Svei informs the askan, neither he nor Torah Umesorah will do anything about this problem.

· 1984 thru 1985 – At directed by Rabbi Avrohom Pam an askan approaches Rabbi Moshe Scheinerman and the two meet with Rabbi Shia (Joshua) Fishman in the office of Torah Umesorah. Both Scheinerman and Fishman neglect to inform this askan that Fishman had been instructed by Torah Umesorah’s lawyer to do nothing about this issue. Rabbi Fishman requests the names of Kolko’s victims and promises absolute confidentiality. Names are provided to Rabbi Fishman who begins his own investigation of the allegations. He meets with and speaks with several victims who pour their hearts out to him after he guarantees them confidentiality. Rabbi Shia Fishman promptly discloses all he has learned to Rabbi Lipa Margulies who in turn publicly disparages and discredits each and every one of those boys who were brave enough to step forward.

· 1985 – A follow up meeting takes place at the home of Rabbi Simcha Kaufman and includes Rabbi Kaufman, Rabbi Lipa Margulies, Rabbi Shia Fishman, an askan and an eyewitness. The eyewitness recounts his personal knowledge of Rabbi Kolko’s sexual abuse of boys and discusses the information he had gleaned from others. Rabbi Lipa Margulies insists that the charges are all fabrications and attacks the reputations of everyone involved in seeking the removal of Kolko from his Yeshiva Torah Temimah. Rabbi Shia Fishman subsequently informs anyone who asks that he can not deal with this issue as he is old (50 at the time) and will lose his job if he pursues this matter.

· 1985 – Rabbi Moshe Scheinerman is offered a lucrative and prestigious position as rav of a shul (a position he holds to this day) and is told that he must cease and desist from his actions against Yeshiva Torah Temimah rabbeim (his own words) which he promptly does. Scheinerman abandons ship explaining that it is not appropriate for a rabbi of his stature to deal with these matters. Rabbi Yehoshua Leiman takes over.

· 1985 – Rabbi Yehoshua Leiman and others continue their quest for a solution and convene a bais din for this purpose. This bais din, consisting of Rabbi Menashe Klein, Rabbi Yechezkel Roth, Rabbi Aharon Stein, Rabbi Moshe Stern and Rabbi Chaim Yankel Tauber, is scheduled to hear testimony for two days after which they will rule on how to proceed. This panel meets and hears testimony for one day. Shortly thereafter, Rabbi Moshe Stern states that he is unable to participate in any more sessions and this bais din is disbanded without further explanation. In a private conversation with one of the askanim, Rabbi Stern disclosed that he had been approached by Rabbi Lipa Margulies which resulted in the discontinuance of the din torah.

· 1985 – Upon the dissolution of the above bais din, Rabbi Lipa Margulies retains Rabbi Pinchus Scheinberg to convene a second bais din for the purpose of clearing Rabbi Yehuda Kolko’s name. Rabbi Lipa Margulies then drafts Rabbi Friedman (the Tenka Rav) and Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Brown to serve on Rabbi Scheinberg’s bais din. Prior to convening the bais din, Rabbi Pinchus Scheinberg speaks with several of Kolko’s victims and asks them to describe what Kolko has done to them. Upon hearing the allegations Rabbi Scheinberg informs the boys that in the eyes of halacha they had not been molested. Rabbi Scheinberg also calls the askanim and tells them to cease and desist in their attempts to remove Kolko from chinuch. Rabbi Avigdor Miller disagrees and instructs the askanim in no uncertain terms to do whatever must be done to protect children from Kolko. Rabbi Pinchus Scheinberg convenes the bais din and takes the position that Rabbi Kolko has a chezkas kashrus absent any testimony by two adult witnesses to any single event. Rabbi Friedman takes the position that in light of the persistent rumors Rabbi Kolko must be kept away from children. Rabbi Brown ultimately concedes that there is no halachic evidence against Kolko and the din torah is concluded. Rabbi Lipa Margulies insists that he has a psak from this bais din but to this day has refused to produce it. Regardless, it is of note that no victims testified before this bais din.

· 1987 – Rabbi Yehuda Kolko, having groomed a former first grade student of his for years, begins systematically sexually abusing this boy (name withheld at the request of the victim) both in and out of the Yeshiva Torah Temimah building. When this boy complains to Rabbi Lipa Margulies that his grades are slipping because Kolko is removing him from class almost daily, Margulies responds by slapping the boy across the face and throwing him out of his office. This young man is now living down south where he is on leave of absence from the U.S. Army.

· 2001 – Rabbi Yehuda Kolko, takes a young Yeshiva Torah Temimah student under his wing (name withheld at the request of the victim) and begins removing him from class for “special projects.” These special projects include the boy being sexually molested by Kolko in the basement of the yeshiva, in Rabbi Kolko’s car and in Rabbi Kolko’s private office, which Rabbi Lipa Margulies has conveniently equipped with its own private bathroom. This young man is currently in therapy and hopes to be able to recover enough to be able to get married and start a family.

· 2005 – Dovid Framowitz, after years of searching on the internet, chances upon a post written by a blogger calling himself “Un-Orthodox Jew” which makes reference to Rabbi Lipa Margulies harboring Rabbi Yehuda Kolko, a known pedophile, in his Yeshiva Torah Temimah. Dovid begins communicating with this blogger via e-mail who in turn posts Dovid’s story on his blog. Over the course of several months other victims of Kolko begin to step forward with their stories.

· January 2006 – Several askonim decide that this four decade long chillul hashem must stop and approach both Rabbi Yehuda Kolko and Rabbi Lipa Margulies with a demand that Kolko be removed from Yeshiva Torah Temimah and Camp Silver Lake and further commit to spending the rest of his life in treatment and away from children. Both Kolko and Margulies refuse.

· February 2006 – A letter is drafted informing the public that Rabbi Yehuda Kolko is a dangerous pedophile and that Rabbi Lipa Margulies continues to employ him despite his knowledge of this fact. Copies of this draft letter are delivered to Kolko and Margulies. Both Kolko and Margulies are offered the opportunity to deal quietly with the issue and are informed that if they continue to refuse, the letter would be mass mailed to the entire community. Kolko responds by stating that “the matter has been taken care of” and Margulies responds by asking if anyone “thinks Kolko is still a threat” and declares “if anyone does not like the way I run my yeshiva let them not send their children to my yeshiva.” They refuse to comply and the letter is sent out in a mass mailing.

· February 2006 – Eli Greenwald, a graduate of Yeshiva and Mesivta Torah Temimah, son of one of the founders of the yeshiva and a parent in the yeshiva receives the letter and spends a few days investigating the matter. He calls Rabbi Yaakov Applegrad, the yeshiva’s Administrator, and requests a meeting of the Vaad Ha’horim in order to address this serious issue. Rabbi Applegrad informs him that there will be no meeting as the allegations are false and that he and Rabbi Margulies have the matter under control. Mr. Greenwald called Rabbi Lipa Margulies and makes the same request of him. Rabbi Margulies responds by shouting at him.

· February 17, 2006 – Eli Greenwald is served with a hazmana issued by Rabbi Yisroel Belsky calling him to a din torah to answer the charge of hotzoas shem rah allegedly committed against Rabbi Yehuda Kolko. Mr. Greenwald responds on February 21, 2006, that he will appear for a din torah before the Bais Din of America. To this day there has been no reply to Mr. Greenwald’s response by either Kolko or Rabbi Yisroel Belsky.

· February 2006 – An askan meets with Rabbi Yaakov Perlow and pleads with him to get involved in this matter. Rabbi Perlow refuses on the basis of his being a yuchid and this being a tzibur matter. After being pressed further Rabbi Perlow takes his final stand that this is a Flatbush matter and as he is a Boro Park rabbi it would be unseemly for him to get involved in this matter.

· March 2006 – Rabbi Lipa Margulies reaches a standstill agreement with the askonim by committing to appear before a panel consisting of two rabbonim and one frum lawyer, all three of whom had been chosen by him. Rabbi Lipa Margulies reneges on his promise to appear before this panel.

· March 23, 2006 – A hazmana to a din torah is sent to Rabbi Yehuda Kolko, Rabbi Lipa Margulies and Yeshiva Torah Temimah summoning them to a din torah before the Bais Din of Mechon L’Hoyroa or a bais din of ZBLA. The hazmana is ignored by all the defendants.

· March 30, 2006 – A second hazmana to a din torah is sent to Rabbi Yehuda Kolko, Rabbi Lipa Margulies and Yeshiva Torah Temimah summoning them to a din torah before the Bais Din of Mechon L’Hoyroa or a bais din of ZBLA. By fax sent on April 5, 2006, Rabbi Lipa Margulies responds to this hazmana stating he will not appear for a din torah “without a prior determination of the charges against Rabbi Kolko.” Rabbi Kolko continues to ignore the hazmanas.

· April 6, 2006 – A third hazmana to a din torah is sent to Rabbi Yehuda Kolko, Rabbi Lipa Margulies and Yeshiva Torah Temimah summoning them to a din torah before the Bais Din of Mechon L’Hoyroa or a bais din of ZBLA. By fax sent on April 10, 2006, Rabbi Lipa Margulies responds to this hazmana by stating “the Hazmonah that you sent to us was not a valid Hazmonah.” Rabbi Kolko does not respond at all. It is of note that Rabbi Yehuda Kolko is still teaching in Yeshiva Torah Temimah while these exchanges are taking place.

· May 4, 2006 – A lawsuit is filed in United States District Court: Eastern District of New York, naming Rabbi Yehuda Kolko; Yeshiva & Mesivta Torah Temimah, Inc. and Camp Agudah as defendants. Rabbi Yehuda Kolko remains in the classrooms of Yeshiva Torah Temimah.

· May 5, 2006 – Rabbi Simcha Kaufman approaches Dovid Framowitz and with tears in his eyes tells him that if only he had known what Rabbi Kolko was doing to him he would have put a stop to it. Of interest was Rabbi Simcha Kaufman’s complete denial of any prior knowledge of any accusation before Dovid Framowitz brought his lawsuit. Rabbi Simcha Kaufman pleads with Dovid to withdraw his lawsuit lest he hurt Rabbi Lipa Margulies and the Yeshiva.

· May 10, 2006 – After being approached for comment on several occasions by Robert Kolker, a reporter for New York Magazine, and with a 5:00 printing deadline looming, Rabbi Lipa Margulies issues a statement through his attorney at 4:30 PM. Beginning with a proclamation that Yeshiva Torah Temimah is the preeminent yeshiva in the world followed by an absolute denial of all the allegations, the statement concludes with an announcement that Rabbi Kolko has agreed to a “leave of absence” pending resolution of this matter. Despite this claim, Rabbi Yehuda Kolko remains in the classrooms of Yeshiva Torah Temimah.

· May 12, 2006 – A second lawsuit is filed in United States District Court: Eastern District of New York naming Rabbi Yehuda Kolko; Yeshiva & Mesivta Torah Temimah, Inc. as defendants. Still, Rabbi Yehuda Kolko remains in the classrooms of Yeshiva Torah Temimah.

· May 15, 2006 – “On the Rabbi’s Knees – Do the Orthodox Jews Have a Catholic Priest Problem” [https://nymag.com/news/features/17010] a feature article in New York Magazine, a publication with a circulation of three million, is published. Within days of the publication of the article and after thirty-eight years of committing unspeakable acts of perversion in Yeshiva Torah Temimah, Kolko leaves the classrooms of Yeshiva Torah Temimah. It was only after the magazine hit the newsstands that Margulies succumbed to pressure and removed Kolko from the classrooms of Yeshiva Torah Temimah.

· July 2006 – Over the vocal protest of many residents and with the help of his friend Rabbi Yaakov Applegrad, Rabbi Yehuda Kolko takes up summer residence at a home in Regency Estates in the Catskills. Despite the claim that Kolko was on a leave of absence from Yeshiva Torah Temimah, he continues working for Camp Silver Lake, Yeshiva Torah Temimah’s summer home. In addition, Kolko initiates and organizes a multi-camp excursion to Lake Compounce, a water park located in Connecticut, where he is seen frolicking with young boys in bathing suits. A secular media outcry ensues resulting in Kolko being banned from the park by its non-Jewish management. Astonishingly, in August Kolko organizes a second trip to Lake Compounce, which is attended by the same frum boy’s camps who participated in the July trip.


The above is but a sampling of the cases I am aware of. One need not be a great lamden to realize that I am aware of only a small percentage of Kolko’s abuse victims. As rachmonim bnai rachmonim, it is unbearable to grasp the stunning extent of this catastrophe.

To all who decry the “chillul hashem” the New York Magazine article resulted in, I say; embarrassing, yes. Chillul hashem, absolutely not! Indeed, it is ironic that this very article which has been condemned by many rabbonim is what got you and them to belatedly acknowledge Kolko’s guilt. Apparently a mere forty years of koila d’lo posuk was not enough. Were the lawsuits and the magazine article the chillul hashem? No! The decades long chillul hashem is that of Margulies's and Kolko’s actions coupled with the many decades of improper action and inaction by our rabbonim and organizations. Their chillul hashem was somewhat offset by the recent kiddush hashem of the action taken by a few askonim. They, who had the courage to do what had to be done to protect our children from the acts of monsters and the cowardice of our rabbonim. All this I say with the utmost respect and reverence.

I lay no blame at your doorstep for the above; you come from another part of the world, did not participate in and have no first hand knowledge of these events. I merely ask you to understand the world of pain and destruction that Rabbi Yehuda Kolko and his enablers; with a special note of distinction going to Rabbi Lipa Margulies; have left in their wake. I respectfully question your judgment in showing respect and support for Rabbi Lipa Margulies without having done a thorough investigation of his history. Surely, l'man yishmeu v’yirahu, a man such as Lipa Margulies must be publicly vilified; not cholila v’chas publicly honored by someone of your esteem.

I respectfully submit that despite the focus of your speech, this issue has nothing to do with an obnoxious blogger or kovod haTorah. No reasonable adult takes this blogger’s inane ravings as anything but. That he fell into this issue and “b’mokom she'ain ish” he chose to “hishtadail lehios ish” and participate in pushing it forward, is a sad commentary on the egregious failures of our leadership. Rather, the issue is the still unanswered question of where our leaders were all these decades while Rabbi Yehuda Kolko and Rabbi Lipa Margulies were savaging our children. I ask with the utmost respect and humility; how can you stand in front of us in good faith and turn this into an issue of kovod hatorah? I ask that you hear the constant cries of anguish laden souls destroyed by chronic inaction coupled with a misguided concern for the “dignity” of rabbeim who molest.

This is not a tale of something that somehow “slips through the fingers” but rather only one of many glaring examples of what occurs in a community whose leaders are unwilling to deal with an issue that sits under a spotlight for four decades and engulfs the souls of countless innocent children. Hashem yerachaim.

As parents we have every right to expect that accusations of sexual abuse by a rebbe be first verified post haste and then publicized so that we may protect our children from this predator and make informed decisions about where to send our children to yeshiva. In the face of pikuach nefesh; cries of kovod haTorahchillul hashem and loshon harah have no relevance. To resort to such cries is simply am ha'haretzes and violates the precept not to be a merachaim al ha'achzoir. The issue all of us need to address, lay people and rabbonim alike, is why nothing was done for so many decades and what lessons we can learn from our past mistakes to prevent future catastrophes of this nature. 

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

Find the same view on HYehudi.org

https://www.hyehudi.org/a-time-for-joy-rape-enabling-rosh-yeshiva-lipa-margulies-finally-dies/

Dusiznies said...

1:49
That blog quotes often from the Israel-hater Rav Avigdar Miller who said that burning the Israeli flag is not a chillul Hashem. Then why are we upset when the goyim do it?
The author of that blog is a Rav Avigdar Miller tuchis-lekker. Rav Avigdar Miller also said that Holocaust happened because of the aveiros of the victims, this is exactly what the Nazis said in their propaganda. Rav Miller did not publish this bizarre statement while he was still alive, it was published posthumously and the reason was because he knew that the survivors would skin him alive. Rav Miller was also the official translator of the Neturei Karta propaganda. We will never forget and never forgive him when he translated the filthy hateful propaganda the Neturei Karta published taking full page ads and radio ads with their hateful messages against the medina, it was Rabbi Miller that translated this.
In this Margulius case, though he supported the victims, he never ever came in person to any of the Bais Dins and only delegated, knowing full well that the gedoilim would ignore him.

Heshy said...

Rabbi miller was in fact a supporter of Rabbi Meir Kahane.

Garnel Ironheart said...

Miller also said that Lincoln was shot because he freed the Blacks which was against the Torah.
I wrote about this years ago. The Chareidi world confused learning and wearing the right clothes with actual righteousness. If you sit and learn and wear a black hat, you're righteous. You can molest and steal but you know so much Torah you must be a tzadik!

Frum but normaL said...

Actually, what rabbi Miller said was that instead of freeing them they should have sent them back to Africa from where they came from and not have kept them here.
This i think everyone would agree with Rav Miller. what a different and more civilized country we would have.
Unfortunately the handwriting is on the wall, this country is heading in the foreseeable future for an unavoidable bloody civil and race war, it's time for Jews to start packing and follow DIN's example

Anonymous said...

Rabbi miller prayed for the safety of the Israeli soldiers doesn't sound too neturei karta to me, and what he says in regards to the Holocaust is actually a Gemara which I hope you believe in.....
he is the king of hashkafa in America

Frum but normal said...

This creature was FRESSING burgers and steaks and playing baseball every day in America, while six million of his brothers and sisters where gassed and burned and machine gunned into open graves that they themselves were forced to dig, and that includes a MILLION AND HALF YIDISHE KINDERLECH.

You have to be a evil MONSTER to give a reason and say I know why it happened,
in other words,these million and a half Moishelech Rivkelech saralech had it coming.

Shame on you Rabbi Miller, not even the SATAN himself would dare to spew such obscenities'

PS
The reason i take this personally,my own dear mother HYD,was only 26 yr. old when grabed from the streets of Krakow put on a truck and gassed and burned the same day in the hell called Birkenau'

Dusiznies said...

Heshy
You mean to tell us That Rabbi Miller supported shipping all Arabs back to their original countries? Was Rabbi Miller supportive of Rabbi Meir Kahana's Zionism?
I think not...
Rabbi Miller in fact said that he will give Rabbi Kahana ONE "svach" because R' Kahana fought the Reform and Conservative movements.
Rabbi Miller hated the Medina and all it stood for, and that's why the Satmar loved him.
Rabbi Miller was a Young Israel Rabbi some thing the Satmars had no respect for, they lekked his tuchis because he was basically on the same page vis a vis Israel

To 1:06
Oh? The gemarrah says that the Holocaust happened because the victims were "baalei Aveirah?"
The gemarrah actually says that the First Bais Hamikdash was destroyed because Gedalyeh wouldn't listen to Loshon Hara about his enemy who subsequently murdered him.
The gemaarah actually cannot figure out why the second Bais Hamikdash was destroyed. After much debate the gemaarah reluctantly says that it was because of Sinas Chinam.The gemarrah says that during the fall of the second Bais Hamikdash there was no "Sfichas damim" No Avoda Zara" so why was it destroyed? But Elsewhere in Shas the gemarrah describes how the Jews were murdering each other, stealing from each other.
So basically Rabbi Miller was playing G-D when the gemarrah itself didn't really know the answer.
Rabbi Miller had no business talking about the Holocaust when he was living very comfortable and had a cushy job in the USA!
Even in this Kolko case he basically did nothing himself but delegated while the blood of innocent children were being spilled.

Emes said...

"This creature was FRESSING burgers and steaks and playing baseball every day in America"

Not true, he was struggling in rabbonus and chinuch, being moser nefesh for Torah.

Shame on you for such a lie.

Emes said...

"The gemarrah actually says that the First Bais Hamikdash was destroyed because Gedalyeh wouldn't listen to Loshon Hara about his enemy who subsequently murdered him."

Reb DIN - I like you and your zeal for Emes. However, this statement is way off.

Chazal say that in the time of first BMHK there were the big three aveiros - avoda zara, shfichus damim, and gilui arayos.

Gedalia ben Achikam was later, that involved the exile of the remaining remnant in Eretz Yisroel לאחר החורבן. You don't have to believe me, you can look it up.

Be well my friend.

For the record said...

"Rabbi Miller had no business talking about the Holocaust when he was living very comfortable and had a cushy job in the USA!"

Rav Miller z"l was not living very comfortable then, he was struggling in chinuch and rabbonus out of town, and only toward the end of the war did he move to NY, and even there was not in a "cushy" job like you are imagining. You want to disagree with him, nu, but don't make up your own "facts".

Joseph Emory Davis said...

Garnel, Rav Miller was merely repeating what one of the gedolim at the time of Lincoln's assassination said, the Shinover Rebbe, son of the Divrei Chaim of Sanz.

Unless you hold woke liberalism to be a loftier position, go learn the sugya of Arur Canaan before you attack rabbonim for being in sync with the proper Torah hashkofah.

Dusiznies said...

Emes
Part 1
The gemarrah and rishonim give more than these reasons, and that's because they really didn't know. That's not apikorses, only Hashem knows the reason
Here is a sampling:

Abaye said: “Jerusalem was destroyed only because the Sabbath was desecrated therein”;…Rav Abbahu said: “Jerusalem was destroyed only because the reading of the Shema, morning and evening, was neglected”;…Rav Hamnuna said: “Jerusalem was destroyed only because they neglected the [education of] school children”; …Rav Isaac said: “Jerusalem was destroyed only because the small and the great were made equal….”
And the list goes on to identify a few more causes.

Other sources cite the neglect of Torah study as being a cause. Avot deRebbi Natan (1:2) states in the name of Shimon Hatzaddik that the sin of neglect of Torah study (bittul Torah) was the cause of numerous specific exiles, including that of the Ten Tribes and of the destruction of Jerusalem. As part of a long list of sins that led to the destruction, Eichah Rabbah (ed. Buber, 1:20, p. 92-93) states that Jerusalem was destroyed only because of the abandonment of Torah, or alternatively because they neglected the education of school children. The Talmud (Nedarim 81a) even suggests that Jerusalem was destroyed because the people did not recite Birchat HaTorah (cited in Tur 47).

A broad range of explanations for the Churban continued to be offered by later authorities. Rambam offers somewhat surprising reasons in a letter to the scholars of Marseilles on the “foolishness of astrology books.”6

In it, he asserts:

This is what abolished our kingdom, destroyed our Beit Hamikdash, prolonged our exile and brought us to our present predicament.…[Our ancestors] imagined that these wisdoms [astrology books] were glorious and greatly beneficial, and they did not study warfare and land conquest.

Elaborating on this Rambam, Eim Habanim Semeichah states:

Thus our master, the Rambam, blames our ancestors for the destruction of our Land and our Temple, because they did not study warfare and land conquest. Instead they wasted their time and relied on vanities and nothingness. Now why did he not blame them for their failure to study Torah and serve God properly? The answer must be because that alone is insufficient cause.”7 The Rambam combines two reasons that, in his view, led to the Churban: the sin of idolatry (reading astrology) and the natural consequence of not studying self-defense.

The Netziv (Ha’amek Davar, introduction to Sefer Bereishit) blames the destruction on excessive “righteousness,” that is, “righteous” individuals who treated others who did not exactly conform to their beliefs as heretics (apikorsim). This was, in actuality, a particular form of sinat chinam. The misplaced persecution of those people led to the destruction, because, the Netziv explains, God does not want this kind of excessive “righteousness,” but rather moral conduct in every day affairs.8 So too, the Chofetz Chaim views sinat chinam as the starting point for the destruction, but feels that it alone would not have caused the Churban. Rather the lashon hara (gossip) that followed was the cause of the destruction.

Dusiznies said...

Emes
Part 2
But the above are the usually cited sins. Tosafot open the door to attributing the destruction to other, less well-known sins. The Talmud (Baba Mezia 30b) states that:

Rav Yochanan said: “Jerusalem was destroyed only because the judges ruled in accordance with the strict letter of the law, as opposed to ruling beyond the letter of the law.”

Tosafot (ibid, s.v. lo churva) question Rav Yochanan’s statement. “How could he claim this was the cause when the Talmud in Yoma states that sinat chinam was the reason?” The question implies that Tosafot understood Rav Yochanan to be equating the “destruction of Jerusalem” to the “destruction of the Second Temple.” Tosafot respond that the sources are complimentary rather than contradictory, and that both sins contributed to causing the destruction.

If we rely on Tosafot’s equating the destruction of Jerusalem to the destruction of the Temple, then a single Talmudic passage provides a plethora of other causes for the Churban. In Shabbat 119b, various amoraim offer suggestions as to what caused the destruction of Jerusalem, (that is, the Churban); each then provides one or a series of verses to support his claim.

The bottom line is that no one really knows
Rav Miller's family was safe and sound... Oh he was struggling for parnassah?
I'll bet each one of those 6 million that were brutally murdered would have exchanged places with him.
To suggest that it was because of the Aveiris of the victims is outragious! So 1 1/2 million innocent children did Aveirois? How sick?
MOshe Rabbeinu didn't even know he asked Hashem "Ha'reinu na es kevoidcha"
But Rav Miller knew ..

Sanzer fin der heim said...

Emes
My father was a poilishe yidel who lost his entire family including a wife with children. He would not allow me to bring in any tapes of R' Miller into the house, A neighbor, also a Holocaust survivor who attended his Sunday questions and answer shiur told my father that R' Miller said that the victims of the Holocaust were the cause of the distruction. I remember my neighbor shivering with rage, asking "The Bobover Rebbe was murdered because of his sins?" "The Shinyever was murdered because of his sins?"
R' Miller was a yankee who was living yes in the comforts of the USA. He was struggling for parnassah? So were all the goyim.

Emes said...

Did you people read what Rav Miller z"l actually said and write about this? Answer honestly. The answer is that you didn't. You are repeating א האלבע זאך, a half-truth, וואס איז א גאנצע ליגן, ווי מען זאגט אין מאמע לשון.

I know that is a sensitive subject, but still, anyone who wants to know the truth should read exactly what he said. IIRC, he said that it came about because of aveiros in general - however, that doesn't mean that all the victims sinned. There is a klal of כיון שנתנה רשות למשחית אינו מבחין בין טוב לרע. There is a whole sefer on it, so a few words doesn't tell the whole story.

P.S. said...

And don't give me the bubba mayses that all Yidden, esp. the 'heimeshe' in the heim were big tzadikim. That is not so. Just like today there is much heimeshe corruption, machlokes, sheker, geneiva, abuse, וכו, the same (if not worse) was then.

Keep in mind these two Chasideshe vertlech -

1) ציבור = צדיקים, בינונים, רשעים

2) פרום ר"ת פיל רשעות, ווייניג מצות

If DIN was there in the heim pre-WWII he would have been crusading then against such things as he is now.