Satmar says that G-D Sent Message to Car Accident Victim Brenda!

Brenda making fun of Satmar

So if G-D sent a message to Brenda, 
what message did G-D send to Satmar when Menachem Stark was murdered?

From New York Post

God must not have “liked” what she was posting.
Ex-Satmar  Brenda Turtle has been getting a rise out of the Orthodox community for nearly two years by posting racy photos of herself on Facebook and Twitter.

So when Turtle, 23, whose real name is Brenda Rosenberg, was injured in a car accident on the Belle Harbor side of the Marine Parkway Bridge last week, some in the Satmar community said it was divine intervention.
“This is a message from heaven for her to stop making perverse acts,” the Hebrew-language news site Kikar Hashabat quoted one unnamed “learned scholar” as saying.
“We believe there was the hand of God,” reads World of the Orthodox blog. “No wonder she was punished.”
“Are you finally going to listen to that [voice from heaven] and get back on the good side of Hashem?” asked Twitter user @YankyChiller, using the Hebrew word for God.

Some of Turtle’s photos show the saucy Satmar stunner draped in nothing but a tallit, a Jewish prayer shawl. Others show her bare leg wrapped in tefillin, the leather straps and boxes used by devout Jews to keep the literal word of God.

Other images show the tattooed Brooklyn bombshell with a lit cigarette dangling from her fingers, sipping on a brew while wearing nothing but a ­bikini — a no-no in the ­Orthodox world, where women are expected to dress with utmost modesty.
“I don’t need permission, make my own decisions, that’s my prerogative!” a posting on Turtle’s Twitter account @Willitzideikis declared on July 11.

Among the dizzying array of Turtle’s scantily garbed selfies are gender-bending snaps of her dressed as a man in a traditional fur hat. There are also dance videos, including one of her appearing to twerk — a far cry from the traditional hora circle dance.
“I don’t do anything illegal or crazy. It’s just that I was [observant] and now I’m not, so whatever I do . . . is considered bad. singing on a video is legal . . . posting bikini pictures is legal. Kissing a guy is legal. Smoking a cigarette is legal,” reads an Oct. 14 Facebook post. “Sex is normal to discuss, doesn’t mean I f–k ­every guy on planet . . . chill out people and let live.”

The brassy Brooklynite has built a legion of fans, whose numbers on Facebook have swelled to nearly 5,000 and on Twitter to nearly 1,500.
“She’s become like a ­celebrity,” said one source in the Orthodox community. “No rabbi has a fan base of daily followers like her!”

But her critics believe she is causing thousands of ­Orthodox Jews to sin by lusting over her photos.
“They say God acted as the bible says, ‘measure for measure’ — that’s why her car accident is a good thing, they are celebrating,” ­explained the source.

He said he’s disgusted by the “hypocrisy” of her critics, who use “fake names” to view her posts on Facebook — which is forbidden by the ultra-Orthodox, who shun aspects of modern life.
Turtle is recovering from her injuries, which are not life-threatening, police sourc­es said. She did not respond to questions.
“She believes in God and is a good person,” said a friend.
“She likes to entertain people, this is her passion. Sometimes she overdoes it.”

Rabbi Shmuel Auerbach, ordered Charedim not to attend the Home Front Command's war education sessions held specifically for Charedim in Charedi neighborhoods of Jerusalem.

As the IDF battles Hamas terrorists in Gaza, the ultra-Orthodox battle against drafting yeshiva students is continuing in full force. The Frum world is becoming crazier and crazier!

R' shmuel Auerbach 

R' Auerbach's Charedi Hapeles newspaper is leading the struggle and has called on residents not to turn up for the Home Front Command's guidance sessions in the Jerusalem's Charedi neighborhoods, claiming that the IDF is trying to show the Charedim that some of them do serve in the army and thereby reduce the opposition to the IDF draft law. 

The Home Front command has been sending haredi soldiers, who have been called "Chardakim" (a derogatory term meaning frivolous Charedim) on the ultra-Orthodox street, to instruct the haredi population on how to defend itself against rockets fired from Gaza. But the leaders of the struggle against the draft law are asking residents not to cooperate with them.



The unusual call was issued when Charedi soldiers began showing up at local schools and synagogues to instruct the residents. They have even been offering separate guidance sessions for men and women for modesty reasons.



In the call, published by Charedi daily Hapeles, the public was urged not to cooperate with the Home Front Command soldiers, as the instructions have already been published in the Charedi press and there is no need for further guidance by the soldiers.


Prominent Lithuanian Rabbi Shmuel Auerbach was quoted as saying that he feared young haredi men would be tempted to join the IDF.



According to the leaders of the battle, the IDF is trying to show the young members of the sector that there are haredim who serve in the army and make them enlist too.


"They won't bring a secular soldier, because the entire purpose of the gathering is to show that things are not so bad and that there are haredim who have become soldiers and now have the honor of lecturing in front of yeshiva students," the newspaper claimed.

Meanwhile, the Maayanei Hayeshua Medical Center in the ultra-Orthodox city of Bnei Brak has been subject to internal criticism in the haredi society after yeshiva students began volunteering to help the medical staff.


Rabbi Auerbach's students complained that the young men's emergency activity would cause them to neglect their yeshiva studies. Hospital officials said in response that they had consulted rabbis who ruled that the yeshiva students could be asked to volunteer as a life-saving mitzvah. 

Israeli Officials 'Horrified' at Kerry Ceasefire Proposal, 'Complete Cave-In' to Hamas

The ferocity of Friday’s unanimous rejection by the Israeli government of Secretary of State John Kerry’s cease was kept quiet to prevent a formal rupture of relations between the two erstwhile allies, reports Israel’s Channel 2 Television.

The popular and widely-watched Saturday evening newscast quotes several unnamed high officials in the Israeli government who claimed that Kerry’s cease fire proposal represented a “complete cave-in” to Hamas’s demands for an end to fighting in its war against Israel.

The official, and others cited in The Times of Israel, claimed that Israel was “stunned” and “absolutely horrified” that Kerry’s ceasefire proposal, which contained no demand that Hamas dismantle or destroy its terror tunnel network. It demanded that both Israel and Egypt open their border crossings with Gaza, from where all the devastating weapons of war were initially imported. Furthermore, the Kerry plan did not simply call for Hamas to be allowed to build a seaport on its Mediterranean coast; but that Israel and Egypt should help pay for it.

Fearing an open breach in US-Israel relations, Channel 2 reported that Israel’s outraged ministers decided to leak the terms of the Kerry proposal rather than formally respond to them. Israeli officials were enraged not just about the totally unexpected terms contained in the Kerry proposal but deeply offended by what they thought were the underhanded tactics he used to push it.

Kerry flew to Paris and held talks Saturday without representatives of Israel, the Palestinian Authority or Egypt. The talks instead occurred with Qatar and Turkey, which Israel’s Communications Minister Gilad Erdan said showed “we’re a long way from a political solution.”

It wasn’t just Israel that found itself outraged that Kerry was working secretly with Turkey, a country whose president twice this week called Israel a “terrorist state” whose crimes are worse than Hitler’s and Qatar, the only Arab state that openly allies itself with the genocidal terrorist group dedicated to the destruction of Israel and the murder of all Jews in it.

Egypt too, according to these Israeli sources, was opposed to Kerry’s position.

Kerry claimed Friday that his ceasefire proposal was not pro-Hamas, but was in fact constructed on top of the Egyptian proposal he submitted last Tuesday. Israel hotly disputes this. They claim Kerry’s latest missive breaks entirely from the Egyptian proposal, which called for an immediate ceasefire after which negotiations would commence, whereas Kerry’s document accepts Hamas’s demands for concessions prior to accepting a cease fire.

Israel’s multi-party security cabinet was so taken aback by the pro-Hamas scope of the Kerry proposal, they initially refused to believe they were real. “It must be a misunderstanding,” the source told Channel 2. Israel’s security cabinet was in fact meeting at this writing late Saturday night in Jerusalem.

Meanwhile, inside Israel, pressure is building not to cease operations, but to complete them. Israel’s Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman told Israel radio that the IDF needed to be given more time to insure it could prevent Hamas from waging a “fourth war” against Israel. 

HAMAS WAS PLANNING TO USE TERROR TUNNELS FOR MASS SLAUGHTER ON tHIS COMING ROSH HASHANAH 5775

Terrorists planned a major slaughter of Jews on Rosh Hashanah R”L. Siyata Dishmaya choreographing the chain of events has prevented this from occurring.

Thousands of Hamas-linked terrorists planned to invade Israel on the Jewish New Year (Rosh Hashanah), which begins on September 24, according to an Israel security source.

First reported by Ma'ariv, then in English by i24news, “thousands of terrorists were meant to cross over to Israel from Gaza through the tunnels and kill and kidnap as many Israelis as they could. The source added that the army learned about the huge planned attack during the interrogations of Hamas prisoners, captured during Operation Protective Edge in Gaza.”

Reports state that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu informed his cabinet about the foiled plot during a Thursday cabinet meeting. The leader of the Jewish State reportedly expressed to officials that if this attack was not stopped, the number of Israeli fatalities may have been higher than the over 2,200 deaths Israel suffered during 1973 Yom Kippur War.

During Israel’s recent incursion into Gaza, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have set their sights on destroying Hamas’ sophisticated tunnel system. In the past, the U.S.-designated terror group has successfully infiltrated the Jewish State, resulting in the killing and kidnapping of Israeli soldiers. 

The last occurrence was on July 19 when two IDF soldiers lost their lives and the assailants were able to escape back to Gaza through a tunnel. Gen. James T. Conway, USMC (ret.) recently returned from Israel, where he was joined by a dozen retired U.S. generals and admirals, sponsored by Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs (JINSA). While there, the group toured a tunnel from Gaza recently discovered near an Israeli kindergarten.

“Unlike tunnels that I had seen during the Iraq war that were designed for smuggling, this Hamas tunnel was designed for launching murder and kidnapping raids. The 3-mile-long tunnel was reinforced with concrete, lined with telephone wires, and included cabins unnecessary for infiltration operations but useful for holding hostages,” the retired General wrote in the Wall Street Journal.

Israel has reportedly destroyed over 30 tunnels during “Operation Protective Edge.” The Jewish State contends that Hamas, which governs Gaza, devotes resources to building tunnels to commit acts of terrorism, instead of building homes, parks, schools and hospitals.

An article published by the Gatestone Institute quotes an Israeli spokesman’s observation that “there are two Gazas, one above ground and one below ground: an underground terrorist city.”

L.A. TIMES PRINTS FRONT-PAGE DEFENSE OF HAMAS TERROR AGAINST ISRAEL, written by Jews

The Los Angeles Times leads Thursday with a story entitled: "Gaza's dilemma: Deadly war or suffocating Israeli embargo." 

According to the story, Palestinians in Gaza are left with no choice but to wage war, because if they do not fire rockets at Israeli civilians, they must accept an Israeli [sic] "embargo." The article omits the obvious point that if Hamas would stop trying to kill Israelis, neither the embargo nor the war itself would be necessary.

The authors, Alexandra Zavis and Batsheva Sobelman, both Jews, accept that Hamas started the war--and even suggest that most Palestinians in Gaza support it, though there is nothing beyond anecdotal evidence to prove that claim. They also describe Hamas's smuggling tunnels to Egypt--which have been used to import deadly weapons--in positive terms, lamenting their supposed closure: "Residents are left to struggle just to get by."

Nowhere--not once--in the entire article do Zavis or Sobelman note the terror tunnels that Hamas has spent the past several years building to attack Israel, diverting humanitarian aid and building materials for that purpose. Nowhere do they mention the fact that Hamas is using Palestinians as human shields, or that Israel has offered many ceasefires, or that the rockets fired from Gaza are intended to kill as many Israeli civilians as possible.

The article presents "war" or "embargo" as a false choice for Palestinians, utterly ignoring the fact that Gazans could choose peace instead of either of those options. The Jewish authors faithfully report the skepticism of Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal towards a ceasefire, as if he is a reliable source and his reservations are justified. 

In sum, the article is nothing short of pro-terror propaganda, in other words, presented to readers as front-page news.

Image: Newseum

Letter to Ami Editor

I am printing this so that the typical Jew should know, that I am not making this up. 
Frum Jews are writing  hate and misinformation at this critical time, and these letters are being printed in English Magazines that the typical frum housewife buys....
This is the garbage that you have in your house.
This was printed in the Satmar Propaganda Magazine, Ami.
Ami is probably afraid to print anti-Zionist editorials, so they embed their anti-Zionist obsessions in the guise of  a "Letter to the Editor"....
Now, the clown Yitz the Frank, can say, "it's a letter to the editor, its not an editorial."
My response below,  maybe "the derby" will also comment to answer this lying letter.
Double Click on Image to read

To M.E. London
Look around your city, is that what you want in Israel? You want Israel to be ruled by ISIS?
You write:
"Well, even avoiding the debate whether the actual idea of a state in Israel is in accordance with "religious Judaism" something that most gedolim and tzaddikim in the last generations(including the Chofetz Chaim, Rav Elchanan Wasserman, and more) believed it is not.'
Those Gedolim lived before the State was established. What are you talking about?
Rav Wasserman was murdered by the Nazis in 1941, and his son Rav Simcha actually established a Yeshiva in the Zionist State  Yeshiva Ohr Elchonon in Jerusalem
The Chofetz Chaim was niftar in 1933, 14 years before the State was established. The Chofetz Chaim actually wanted very much to make Aliyah to the then Palestine, he never spoke either for or against the State.
You write:
"the State of Israel has in no way any sort of link to religious Judaism"
Whattttttttttt?
This would be news to  Rav Shach who started his own party, Degel Hatorah, and news to Rav Ovadia Yosef who founded Shas, and the Aguda and Mizrachi who have seats in the Knesset.

How about all the Torah being learned presently in the State of Israel? Is that nothing? 
Its the Zionist government that are the largest supporters of Torah to this very day?
Ask the Roshei Yeshivas who received milllions and millions of shekels every single year....

You write:
" A huge percent of the millions of chilonim currently living in Israel, living a life without Torah and mitzvos, had grandparents or great-grandparents who were Yidden with mesiras nefesh on the tiniest halacha in shulchan Aruch.."

How about the millions of chilonim living in England and the USA, who had "had grandparents or great-grandparents who were Yidden with mesiras nefesh on the tiniest halacha in shulchan Aruch.."?

More coming soon, got to eat supper first!

Letter to the Editor of Satmar Newspaper, Der Blatt

This week's Letters to the editor of the Satmar Yiddish Newspaper, Der Blatt, features the following letter. 

Keep in mind that this letter was written, while Jewish boys are fighting the enemies of the Jewish people in Gaza!

I will translate the letter loosely :

Headline:

What to ask (from G-d, I guess) in these days

In Honor of "Der Blatt"
Of course it goes without saying that we should all share in the pain of our Jewish brothers, who reside in the Holy Land, and to pray to G-D that no Jew should, G-D forbid, be harmed either with their soul, body or property.
But we should also remember to pray to G-D that the Zionist state should be destroyed.
To prove my point, The Mishkolzer Rav, the author of the sefer Yageil Yaakov, Z"L, said that the acronym of Tammuz is
Umalchus Zadon Mehirah Taeiker (the evil government should be eradicated soon)
A worthwhile prayer during these days and in this month.
DYY
Williamsburg

Israel doesn't need the IDF because the Frum are praying to protect it, says Shas Rabbi

How come Moshe Rabeinu, Yehoshua, Shaul Hamelech, Dovid Hamelech, Shlomo Hamelech, the Chashmonim  and even Rebbe Akiva all required armies?
But this old man says, we don't need the IDF!
Why are people following this fanatic? Why don't they drive him to an old age home and serve him some herbal tea?

The foremost religious arbiter in the ultra-Orthodox Sephardic Shas movement raised eyebrows on Wednesday when during a special prayer held at Jerusalem’s Western Wall for IDF soldiers, he remarked that “Israel doesn’t need an army.”

The comments by Rabbi Shalom Cohen, the man who succeeded the late Rabbi Ovadia Yosef as spiritual leader of Shas, drew rebukes from secular Israelis as IDF soldiers continue to operate in the Gaza Strip on the 17th day of Operation Protective Edge.

“Do you think that the people of Israel need an army?” Cohen asked during his sermon. “It is God almighty who fights for Israel.”

When stunned worshipers asked the rabbi to offer a blessing for IDF troops, he replied, “Do you think you are fighting? I am fighting for you. We screamed out to God: ‘Save us without inflicting anymore sorrow on the people of Israel’.”

The head of Hiddush, an organization that champions religious freedom and equality, lambasted the rabbi for the comments.

“If the country doesn’t need an army, then there’s no doubt that the yeshivas and Torah students don’t need budgets from the treasury,” Uri Regev, the director-general of Hiddush, said. “From now on, they can put their faith in the Lord when it comes to asking for money to fund their education systems. We will help the ultra-Orthodox in saying earnest prayers for money to start growing on trees.”

“At the end of the day, most of us believe that we do need an army, but we are quite uncertain as to whether we need Shas,” Regev said

R' Kahane's letter to Chedvas Seminary telling them to "Shut Up" about Meisels

Loshon Hara Rabbi Kahane

This letter is so wrong on many levels:
1) He tells his naive students  that "loshon hara without toeles is assur."
No "toeles?" Why don't you send your daughter to have coffee with him at 4:00AM?
2) "assur?" How about "mitzva l'farseim?"
3) "assur?" Is feeling up your students muttar? 

He further writes " even l'toeles the halacha is that it’s asur to believe it."
Excuse meeeeeeeeeee! "asur to believe it" ? 
So if you are prohibited from believing the students, then those students are a bunch of liars?
How come students from 3 different Seminaries  are telling similar stories, and some of them don't know each other?
This Kahane guy must resign, no other way!

Parents, have pity on your children, they will be tainted forever going to this seminary with Kahane over there!
DO NOT SEND YOUR CHILDREN TO THIS SEMINARY !

From: Meir Kahane <MKahane@aish.com>
Date: July 17, 2014 at 7:03:09 PM EDT
To: undisclosed-recipients:;

From: Meir Kahane <MKahane@aish.com>

Date: July 17, 2014 at 7:03:09 PM EDT
To: undisclosed-recipients:;

Dear Chedvas Graduates amus'h,

I am inspired to write you a letter. It was just recently that I was reminiscing about your year. When the three kdoshim were missing, I recalled our mission a few years ago to save Gilad Shalit. I recalled the the dedication with which you worked and the determination. I recalled that you were brave enough to fight a yetzer hara that so many fell prey to. When most girls were wearing skirts above their knees you made a kinnus to teach the world that it’s assur. While the kdoshim were missing, I kept asking myself, where is my army? We saved Gilad, we can save them as well. I have no doubt my army was doing their part. This time, Hashem said no.

But the death of three kdoshim led to war. When things started getting worse the nagging thought kept coming back. Is my army doing its job? While the rest of the world is relying on the IDF, I personally was relying on a different army- you, my Chedvas graduates.

The thought crossed my mind more than once over the past couple of weeks "can we do another kinnus?" Can we do one now to save us from the war? But scattered all over the world, it seemed quite impractical.

Hakadosh Baruch Hu has his ways. And he sent us a nisayon of colossal proportions. It’s as if Hakadosh Baruch is telling us that Klal Yisroel needs major zchuyos, gigantic zchuyos. You be the ones to do it.

All of us know that loshon hara without toeles is assur. At this stage of the very unfortunate situation our school finds itself in, there is no toeles in discussing the situation and its details. And even l'toeles the halacha is that it’s asur to believe it. My Chedvas students. Much of the world is talking about it and much of the world believes it. Do you hear Hashem speaking to us? Hashem is saying Chedvas you be the ones to stay quiet. Hashem is giving us another chance for a kinnus. He’s telling us that he listened to us last time, and wants to listen again. But this time the kinnus will not be on a stage, with signs all over Yerushalayim and a video. It will personal, and quiet, and extremely hard. My students, if we stay strong we can and will change the world.

I never thought we'd have a chance to do this again. Hashem believes in us, so let’s believe in ourselves. Let’s make chizuk projects to be michazek each other, let’s make buddy systems to see if we're staying in check. I'm ready for volunteers to come up with a mehalach. I have a sinking feeling we’re going to bring Mashiach.

Sources tell us that before Mashiach there will be a big nisayon that will be very hard to pass. Those who do will merit Mashiach. Those who don't...

I'm looking forward to hearing your ideas on how to initiate this program. I'm happy to make it worldwide.

With tefilos that Hashem should bring everyone back to His Torah, I remain,

Sincerely,

Rabbi Kahane

Meisels defenders now claiming "Loshon Harah" to talk against the pervert

DIN met with the parents of  3 girls that attended the seminaries, this week, and all said  that Meisels was inappropriate. They are very upset about the letter that Rabbi Meir Kahane wrote to parents, and the separate letter he sent to students saying in effect that it is "Loshon Harah" to talk about this menuval! 

R' Meir Kahane defender of the pervert!

Here is a letter from Rabbi Yair Hoffman:

The Seminary Scandal and Halacha

By Rabbi Yair Hoffman
By now, many people are aware of the very unfortunate scandal in some of the religious seminaries for women in Israel.
The seminaries involved included Pninim, Binas Bais Yaakov, Chedvas Bais Yaakov and Kesser Chaya. There seems to be e-mail evidence, phone text evidence, and testimony from young ladies that gravely inappropriate things have been happening over several years by Rabbi M., who has run these four seminaries. It also seems that when victims did come forward to staff members within the seminaries, no steps were taken to rectify the situation. An independent investigation conducted by this author with multiple sources has shown that there is serious substance to what has been alleged.

Some of the students did consult with their Rabbis at home as to what had transpired. One such Rabbi stated that the threshold of “Raglayim l’Davar” delineated by Rav Elyashiv zatzal in his January, 2004 ruling to Rav Feivel Cohen, has certainly been passed in this case. Ultimately, the issue was investigated by the Chicago Beis Din.

After its interviews and investigations, the Chicago Beis Din made up of Rabbi Shmuel Fuerst, Rabbi Zev Cohen and Rabbi Gedalya Schwartz, issued its ruling on July 10th. On July 12th , they sent a letter to the various high schools that send their students to seminaries in Israel and recommended that the students not attend those seminaries. This was in light of the fact that the Beis Din deemed that the environment posed risk.

The matter, however, did not end there.

The case was then taken up with Rav Mendel Shafran’s Beis Din in Bnei Brak, Israel. Initially, the Beis Din was misidentified as an official Torah UMesorah Beis Din. This is not accurate, however, as Torah uMesorah has no jurisdiction or affiliation with post high school seminaries in Israel. Regardless, this distinguished Beis Din did ensure that the offending party was no longer involved in the education of the seminaries, and declared that the seminary environments were now safe.

The Chicago Beis Din still had some serious reservations about how the matter was being handled.
Generally speaking, when an untoward situation exists, it is necessary to completely “clean house” and ensure that there is absolutely no control or influence of an offending party over students or staff. This would include even being in charge of the building facilities, educational programming, and financial responsibility. It is also necessary to make sure that any new owner not be tied to the offending party in any manner or form. These criterion were not met to the degree that the Chicago Beis felt necessary.

Regardless, a call placed by this author to Rabbi Fuerst in Chicago revealed that as of Thursday, July 17th ,the Chicago Beis-Din stands fully by its statement of July,12, 2014.

The Rabbonim of the Beis Din have spent more than three months conducting intensive investigations both here in the United States as well as in Eretz Yisroel. In fact, it held multiple hearings in four different locations. The Rabbonim also interviewed multiple complainants, and numerous other witnesses. They both consulted with mental health professionals and reviewed many documents. These documents included e-mails and text messages. They also heard testimony, including admissions of critical facts, by the defendant.

The Chicago Beis Din is certainly aware of the letters written by the Beis Din in Eretz Yisroel, stating that these schools are currently safe environments for our children. They believe, however, that under the current conditions, the environment is not yet fully safe.

I have further been assured that if and when the conditions do change, the Chicago Beis Din will inform the public.

The initial letter of the Special Chicago Beis Din has prompted the Hebrew Theological College to suspend its affiliation with these seminaries. This is crucial because FAFSA funding is dependent upon recognition by an American institution that is accredited by an agency affiliated with the Department of Education. Other institutions may soon follow suit.

A guidance counselor associated with a New York based Bais Yaakov estimated that these seminaries can stand to lose up to 40% of their funding if the Chicago Beis Din’s requirements are not met, and can possibly even close. “Many of the other girls who have attended these seminaries have grown remarkably there because of the wonderful staff, and it would be a shame if they lost any girls, or if they were to close on account of this terrible development,” remarked the guidance counselor

In the past, we as a Torah community have not been very good at effectively preventing such abuse within our ranks.
There is no question that there are halachic authorities that sanction the past methods of minimal and quiet intervention where we handle all such matters internally. However, experience has shown that this either doesn’t work anymore, or never even worked in the first place.

There are numerous Mitzvos involved in taking decisive action to ensure that future victims are protected. The verse in Parshas Ki Taytzai (Dvarim 22:2) discusses the Mitzvah of Hashavas Aveida – returning an object with the words, “Vahashaivoso lo – and you shall return it to him.” The Gemorah in Sanhedrin (73a) includes within its understanding of these words the obligation of returning “his own life to him as well.” For example, if thieves are threatening to pounce upon him, there is an obligation of “Vahashaivoso lo.” The psychological repercussions that victims develop often causes them to, r”l, ideate suicide and also to abandon Judaism. This can be confirmed with experts in the field.

Lo Saamod Al Dam Rayacha
There is a negative Mitzvah of not standing idly by your brother’s blood as well. This is mentioned both in Shulchan Aruch (CM 426:1) and in the Rambam.

Lo Suchal l’hisalaym
There is yet another negative commandment associated with the positive commandment of Hashavas Aveida, and that is the verse in Dvarim (22:3), “You cannot shut your eyes to it.” This verse comes directly after the Mitzvah of Hashavas Aveidah. The Netziv (HeEmek Sheailah) refers to this Mitzvah as well. We as a community cannot shut our eyes to this type of activity anymore.

V’Chai Achicha Imach
The Sheiltos (Sheilta #37), based upon the Gemorah in Bava Metziah 62a, understands these words to indicate an obligation to save others with you. The Netziv in his He’Emek She’ailah understands it as a full-fledged obligation according to all opinions. He writes that he must exert every effort to save his friend’s life – until it becomes Pikuach Nefesh for himself. Thus, even when faced with intense pressure, it is our communal obligation to stop this type of activity within our midst.

V’Ahavta l’Rayacha Kamocha
The Ramban, Toras haAdam Shaar HaSakana (p42-43) understands the verse of “And love thy neighbor as yourself” as a directive to save him from danger as well. Although he discusses the issue of medical danger, it is clear that this is an example, and it would apply to danger from activities of molestation as well. Even without the Ramban, however, it is clear that defending and protecting someone from danger is a fulfillment of this Mitzvah.
Our Ineffectiveness
The repercussions of our ineffectiveness have led to four very unfortunate situations. It has led to untold suffering on the part of the victims themselves and on the part of other students who have attended these seminaries and now are at a loss because their spiritual guide has fallen. It has also led to a situation where the public has lost much of their trust in their teachers and Rabbis. And finally, it has led to untold suffering and embarrassment for the families of the perpetrators themselves.

The efforts of the Chicago Beis Din, however, with the haskama of leading Gedolim, represent a sea-change in how we are dealing with these types of scandals internally. The Beis Din has handled the situation with a strength and sensitivity that, unfortunately, in the past has been rarely seen.
The growth we have witnessed in how these matters are handled involves a greater sensitivity to the needs of the victims in terms of both closure as well as counseling and a firm commitment to ensure that the situation not repeat itself again. This can only happen if we adopt the idea that “Sunshine is the best disinfectant.”
Which approach is most ideal when dealing with such a horrific topic? Do we follow the lead of the Chicago Beis Din where we need to completely “clean house?” Perhaps the field of Kashrus may be instructive here. In kashrus, when an owner is caught selling tarfus, changing the management is not adequate. Recent events have born that out. Shouldn’t our children be treated with at least as much dignity as our meat?

The author can be reached at yairhoffman2@gmail.com