Rabbi Yitzchok Frankfurter, the CEO and publisher of Ami magazine, has been described in Yiddish by many people as "nish der groiser chuchem un nisht der kleiner naar" "not a great chachum, and not a small fool."
In this week's Ami where he interviews R' Moshe Brandsdorfer, he doesn't disappoint.
We all know that Israel is rapidity growing out of space in cemeteries and so the Asra Kadisha decided to give the "go ahead" to excavate underneath Har Hamenuchos to create more space. In fact they have already done so. They have excavated miles underground with multiple floors with elevators.
It is all indoors and when you go there you feel like you are in a mall. I have been there many times and one can go there in winter in summer, in rain and in sunshine, the temperature inside is regulated to make the people visiting, very comfortable.
Frankfurter is questioning the young posek R' Moshe Brandsdorfer on whether this is fact permitted. Not that anyone in Israel really cares what R' Brandsdorfer thinks about this, since this method has already been approved and implemented since Talmudic times, and in fact, none other, than members of the Sanhedrin themselves were buried with this exact method two thousand years ago, except for the elevators and chandeliers, just go to Sanhedria Marchevet and you can pass the burial site on the bus, in fact the entire neighborhood Sanhedria is named after the Sanhedrin buried there.
I want to ask my readers a question, and I want you to stop and think about this for a minute or two.
When you visit Israel and you see the beautiful mountains and uninhabited hills, what goes thru your mind?
I'll bet that you think "wow" "how beautiful are these mountains?",
these were all barren not too long ago and now they are lush with trees,
or you possibly would think,
"wow, we have mountains so that we can build new communities to bring more Jews to Israel before Moshiach"
and I'll bet you are thinking:
"wow, the words of the neveeim are coming true right before my very eyes, what zchus to witness this phenomenon in my own lifetime."
And you wouldn't be alone in this thinking, since the talmud in Mesactas Megillah 17b already thought about this as well, over 1800 years ago.
The gemarra wonders why in the Shemona Esra the Chazal established the blessing of קיבוץ גליות
after the blessing of ברכת השנים ?
In other words, why does the bracha of תקע בשופר גדול לחרותנו the bracha of the "Ingathering of the exiles" come AFTER the bracha of ברך עלינו the "blessing of the years?"
Read carefully what the gemarra answers:
דכתיב ואתם הרי ישראל ענפכם תתנו ופריכם תשאו לעמי ישראל כי קרבו לבוא
"For it is written: You mountains of Israel sprout forth your branches and give forth your fruit to My people Israel, for they are close to returning."
This verse in Yechezkel prophesizes that the ingathering of the Jewish people will happen only after the mountains bear fruit and so Chazal decided to establish the order of the blessings in the Shemona Esra in the same order mentioned by the Navi Yechezkel.
Yes! This is happening in our times, may Hashem give us health and years to continue witness these miracles of nature/
So, what does Yitzchok Frankfurter see when he sees those very mountains?
He sees the mountains and hills of Eretz Yisrael as a place to bring the dead!!!
After all they are "deserted."
And he has the solution:
He asks R' Brandsdorfer, can't we just solve the lack of graves situation, by destroying all these beautiful hills and mountains that shout the words of the neveeim, and just bring the dead "Boro Park Fat-Cats" and dump them into the "deserted" holy hills and mountains?
Only someone who doesn't value Eretz Yisrael thinks like that, only someone who when the word "Eretz Yisrael" comes up, thinks "cemetery" would ask this blasphemous question.
It was only 3,500 years ago, that a group of "chareidim," leaders of Klall Yisrael, that saw it the same way.
The meraglim!
They said that Eretz Yisrael is ארץ אכלת יושביה הוא
"A land that consumes its residents"
See Rashi:
בכל מקום שעברנו מצאום קוברי מתים "wherever we went we saw people burying their dead"
Frankfurter like the meraglim sees Eretz Yisrael as a place to bury the dead!
Now read what this young "posek" answers him.
"The Tziyonim don't want to give land for it."
This statement of R' Brandsdorfer is an unmitigated lie!
But let us assume for a minute that this statement is in fact true, that the "Tziyonim don't allow it,"
I ask, why should they?
I don't see the Chareidie Bnei-Brak community set aside their building sites to make room for cemeteries. Why doesn't the Satmar Community buy land in Yerushlayim, Bnei Brak and Beit Shemesh to make room for cemeteries? Who is stopping them?
The truth is, that not for the dead from chutz le'aaretz, there would be plenty of room.
So let's go back to "R' Brandsdorfer answer.
Every single city in Israel has been allocated land for them to bury their dead. The State of Israel grants every single citizen of Israel, a burial spot, gratis! Yes! You read that correctly, again, every single citizen of Israel is entitled to a free burial spot in the city he or she resides!
For example in Beit Shemesh there are two cemeteries, one is for Beit Shemesh residents and every single resident of Beit Shemesh has a spot for free. the other one known to Americans is called Eitz Chayim and is privately owned, and anyone wanting to be buried there has to pay the owners.
The Zionists grant each and every city, adequate land so that they can bury their dead, and Rabbi Brandsdorfer knows it.
