Historical And Halachic Evidence Shows Women Were Given Gelilah

 

DIN: Turns out that the Chareidie press is citing multiple sources and instances where gedoilei poskim have absolutely zero issues with women doing gelilah.

 A reader "RCK" from Beitar Illit, sent me a PDF where one can clearly see that there is a Spinka Minhag to be "mechbeid" a lady with gelila! The previous Satmar Rebbe, the Beirach Moshe, wrote a Sefer Torah in honor of his late daughter, and instructed his chassidim to have a woman do gelila, and said that this was a minhag in Sighet, to give gelilah to women who have problems conceiving. 

I believe that Rab Shternbuch wrote his psak too soon, without having the facts and having missed a Nitei Gavreal that permits it with conditions. 

My issue is not that Rav Shternbuch prohibits this, but his tone, prohibiting it, stating that people "should distance themselves from people practicing this." 

There were local rabbanim there who permitted it, and it was not Rav Shternbuch's place to rule against them. 

In the wake of the incident in which a woman did Gelilah during the course of a Hachnasas Sefer Torah and the strong protest by Rabbi Moshe Sternbuch against the practise, historian and researcher Yisrael Shapira revealed a number of previous occasions in which such a custom was approved by prominent rabbis.

Shapia, who writes for the Kikar Hashabat site, revealed that nearly 200 years ago, when Moses Montifiore and his wife Judith visited Tzfat after the 1837 earthquake, Rabbi Avrohom Dov Avritch, the Bas Ayin gave Judith significant honor. On the eve of Shavuos they were invited to a Hachnasas Sefer and a special place was prepared for Judith, as she later wrote in her memoirs. (Otzar Masaos Eretz Yisrael p.558).  During the Hachnasas Sefer, Judith was given the honor of standing right behind the Bas Ayin and carrying a wax torch, “And they brought me under the chupah behind the esteemed rabbi carrying the sefer and everyone was crowded behind us singing dancing and clapping.” She added “I was so happy and delighted to see this holy joy.”

Judith even revealed in her memoirs her concern that the torch “might ignite the chupah, or I might drip wax over the white silk clothes that the honorable R. Avraham Dov wore.” (She actually represented her husband at the occasion as he was sick at the time.)

A week later, the Montifiores travelled to Tiberias and davened shacharis with the Bas Ayin. Judith described the atmosphere at the Bas Ayin’s shul: “There was a large group of the wise men of the town. I was honored to decorate the Sefer Torah and all those who came to read blessed us and inquired of our welfare.” The Montifiores were even invited to have breakfast with the Bas Ayin.

During the previous week Judith reported a similar honor from “The Chacham Mizrachi”, who was the Sefardi rabbi in Tzfat. When the Montifiores visited his shul “Montifiore was given Hagbahah (raising the Torah scroll) and I was honored to decorate the Sefer.”

After this historical evidence, Shapira also brings a modern-day posek, Rabbi Gavriel Tzinner, who in his Nitei Gavriel cites halachic sources that women did perform Gelilah. For example, it was the custom in Zeewald, Holland that a girl from the women’s section did gelilah and this was approved by Rabbi Shmuel Hirsch.

Moreover Rabbi Tzinner quotes the grandson of the Berech Moshe of Satmar who said that when doing hachnasas sefer Torah a childless couple should be honored with the husband doing Hagbahah and the wife Gelilah as this could be a segulah (merit) for having children.

Moreover similar testimonies of women doing Gelilah were presented by members of the Spinka chasidim, as well as Rabbi Chaim Falagi in his Sefer Chaim, the Tiferes Aryeh and others.

The Nitei Gavriel concludes that women would be permitted to do Gelilah if they are 1) not Niddah 2) dressed modestly 3) doing it in front of close family and friends.

 

Zera Shimshon Parshas Ki Tavo

 

Uh Oh! Raffensperger Testimony Supports Trump Defense in Georgia Case ... Is The Georgia Case Collapsing???

 

Testimony this week in federal court by Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger reportedly contradicted claims that former President Donald Trump insisted he violate his oath of office by fabricating enough votes to win the state.

As Breitbart News has long noted, the media have misrepresented the January 2021 phone call between Trump and Raffensperger, quoting Trump as telling Raffensperger that he should “find” the votes necessary for him to win. In fact, Trump said “I just want to find” the votes, referring to his own state of mind. Moreover, the context was that Trump believed he actually had won the state of Georgia, and the votes simply had not been properly counted yet.

Rabbi Sternbuch Slams Gelilah By Woman During Torah Dedication: ‘Let Us Disassociate From Them’

 

DIN: This is very interesting. Rav Elimelech Kornfeld, the respected rav of the Gra Shul in RBSA said there was absolutely nothing wrong with this "as there is no prohibition in the entire Shulchan Aruch."

 I myself have attended hundreds of Hachnasas Sefer Torahs and I have witnessed in Brooklyn at least 6 times where the lady did "Gelilah". In all those cases, the Hachanassas Sefer Torah ceremonies were in Chassidishe circles! 

In fact the commentaries on the Shulchan Aruch question whether a woman can get an Aliyah, and the halachic conclusion is that one should not give a woman an Aliyah because it is not "Kavod hatzibbur" but that discussion is all about an Aliya, I doubt "gelilah" would fall into this category of "kavod hatzibbur," and this was not during davening, this was a private ceremony.

For those who say that one should not question Rav Shternbach, well why don't you address Satmar who pelted Rav Shernbuch with eggs and stones when he visited Williamsburg for a simcha, four years ago.? Why don't you guys question the Eida Hachreidies themselves whose majority do not accept or recognize him as the Gaavad, and insult him on a daily basis?

I think that with all due respect to Rav Shernbuch, he should have said that he is opposed but will defer to the local Rav who permitted it! But to say that people should "disassociate from them and it will be good for us and for our children," is a far stretch and something that a rav should never say! 

"Disassociate?" is this going to foster Ahavas Yisrael? I think not! 

The Head of the Rabbinical Court of the Eida Haharedis (Jerusalem charedi Council), Rabbi Moshe Sternbuch, sharply condemned the synagogue officials at a Lithuanian shul in Ramat Beit Shemesh who honored a woman with “Gelilah,” the ceremonial wrapping of a Torah scroll.

The incident took place during a Torah dedication ceremony at a synagogue in Ramat Bet Shemesh Daled. A video that was posted to social media this week shows the woman, who apparently is involved in the donation of the new Torah scroll, closing and dressing the Torah scroll in the sanctuary as men surround her.

The synagogue officials claim they received a dispensation from one of the local rabbis, but the rabbi ( the liar) denied the claim.

Rabbi Sternbuch voiced his opposition and even referred to the modern-charedi community as “a community with charedi roots,” hinting that a charedi community would not have permitted such an incident to occur.

“Every heart here trembled when we heard that a community with charedi roots sank so low and honored a woman with Gelilah, and published that it had raised the honor of the Torah and the honor of the charedi woman,” he wrote.

He ended his words with a harsh statement: “Brothers of the house of Israel, we will disassociate from them, and it will be good for us and for our children.”

State Senator Kristan Gonzalez the co-sponsor of an anti-semitic bill Runs Like a Poisoned Rat when confronted

 

Following a Town Hall meeting in Queens Tuesday, discussing the antisemitic “Not on Our Dime Act” being sponsored in the NY state legislature, Hamodia reporter Reuvain Borchardt attempted to ask NY State Senator Kristen Gonzalez some basic about the bill, which she is cosponsoring.

“Which parts of Israel do you consider to be unoccupied?” he asked

Gonzalez first stammered and then said she would prefer to remain “off the record”. Borchardt replied, “You already said that I could ask you a question. Did you only decide to go off the record after you heard my question?”

Gonzalez dodged the question and muttered a pretty incoherent response, while she was busy scurrying away from Borchardt, refusing to stop or even turn to face him.

She made zero effort to defend her position, and in fact, did not seem to have an understanding of the bill that she herself is sponsoring.

The antisemitic “Not on Our dime” bill claims it “would prevent NY-registered charities from funding illegal Israeli settlements in Palestine.”

Hamodia Newspaper Forced By Court Order To Publish Engagement Of R. Shaul’s Chassidim

DIN: This news story is an example of why we are losing our youth by the tens of thousands. Is this Torah? Is this spiritual leadership? Is this the education that we wish to give our children? 

Shame on Hamodia! Shame on the Gerer Community!

 In an unusual incident which silhouetted the chasm between the two opposing factions in the Gur chasidus, the Hamodia newspaper was forced by court order to publish an engagement announcement for a member of Rabbi Shaul’s faction – and made no secret of the fact.

As is customary, the Hamodia newspaper announces all the new engagements on its front page, including the name of the choson and kallah and their place of study. However due to the current rift within the chasidus, the newspaper refrains from publishing the engagements from Rav Shaul’s community, even when they involve families who have members in both camps.

Last week, R’ Shlomo Elbaum’s son got engaged. R’ Shlomo is a lawyer and has represented R’ Shaul’s faction in numerous legal proceedings they have had with Gur. R’ Shlomo submitted an engagement ad which predictably was refused by Hamodia but he then decided to go to court to try and force the newspaper to publish his announcement.

The newspaper claimed in its defense that it cannot publish the place of study for students from R’ Shaul’s community as it is called “Penei Menachem” and this is an insult to the mainstream yeshiva which has the same name.

The court agreed that the yeshiva’s name should not be published and instead the yeshiva’s address should be placed in the ad. Thus, the Choson was described as studying in “The yeshiva at 2 Ohr Elchonon street.” Hamodia wished to stress that they had been forced to publish the announcement against their wishes and therefore added an addendum :’This announcement was placed and worded by the courts,” in a reference to the court decision.

Muslims Will Now Wake Us Up for Davening in New York City

 The Muslim call to prayer will ring out more freely in New York City under guidelines announced Tuesday by Mayor Eric Adams, which he said should foster a spirit of inclusivity.

Under the new rules, Adams said, mosques will not need a special permit to publicly broadcast the Islamic call to prayer, or adhan, on Fridays and at sundown during the holy month of Ramadan. Friday is the traditional Islamic holy day, and Muslims break their fast at sunset during Ramadan.

The police department’s community affairs bureau will work with mosques to communicate the new guidelines and ensure that devices used to broadcast the adhan are set to appropriate decibel levels, Adams said.

“For too long, there has been a feeling that our communities were not allowed to amplify their calls to prayer,” Adams said. “Today, we are cutting red tape and saying clearly that mosques and houses of worship are free to amplify their call to prayer on Fridays and during Ramadan without a permit necessary.”

Flanked by Muslim leaders at a City Hall news conference, Adams said Muslim New Yorkers “will not live in the shadows of the American dream while I am the mayor of the city of New York.”

The adhan is a familiar sound in majority-Muslim countries but is heard less frequently in the United States.

Officials in Minneapolis made news last year when they moved to allow mosques to broadcast the adhan publicly.

The adhan declares that God is great and proclaims the Prophet Muhammad as his messenger. It exhorts men — women are not required — to go to the closest mosque five times a day for prayer, which is one of the Five Pillars of Islam.

Somaia Ferozi, principal of the Ideal Islamic School in Queens, said New York City’s new rules send a positive message to her students.

“Our children are reminded of who they are when they hear the adhan,” said Ferozi, who attended Adams’ news conference. “Having that echo in a New York City neighborhood will make them feel part of a community that acknowledges them.”

Adams, a Democrat, enjoys close relationships with faith leaders from various traditions and has promoted the role of religion in public life.

He has at times alarmed civil libertarians by saying he doesn’t believe in the separation of church and state.

“State is the body. Church is the heart,” Adams said at an interfaith breakfast earlier this year. “You take the heart out of the body, the body dies.”

A spokesperson for the mayor said at the time that Adams merely meant that faith guides his actions.

Beit Shemesh Mayor Evacuated After Chareidi Hooligans Smash Her Car

 

 Beit Shemesh Mayor Aliza Bloch was evacuated from a building in the Ramat Beit Shemesh B neighborhood on Tuesday night, where she had arrived to inaugurate a new school of the Vizhnitz Hasidic movement.

Several extremists from the nearby neighborhood smashed Bloch’s car and punctured its tires. They then gathered outside the building and burned trash cans. The extremists also damaged new furniture designated for the Vizhnitz school.

After about an hour, police forces arrived at the scene, dispersed the rioters and rescued the mayor via a back exit from the building.

Biden to Netanyahu "go to Hell" While Planning to Roll Out Red Carpet for Lapid Next Week

 

Biden Administration officials are planning to roll out the red carpet next week when Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid, chair of the center-left Yesh Atid party, arrives in Washington DC.

Lapid is set to meet with senior Biden Administration officials at the White House and State Department, according to Axios journalist Barak Ravid, who reported that Lapid is also scheduled to meet with lawmakers in the US House of Representatives and the Senate.

In short, all the Washington power brokers on the left side of the aisle.

One of the issues on the agenda is the effort to achieve a normalization agreement between Israel and Saudi Arabia.

Riyadh is demanding US assistance in building a civilian nuclear reactor that would include uranium enrichment, in exchange for joining the expanding Middle Eastern circle of peace within the framework of the Abraham Accords.

Lapid – who has expressed his public opposition to such a move – has no authority to approve or nix such a deal and does not have enough mandates in the Knesset to vote down any decision made by the current government.

Nevertheless, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is still being snubbed by the leftist Biden Administration, which strongly opposed the ascension of Israel’s right-wing government.

Israel’s prime minister has still not been invited by President Joe Biden for a visit at the White House since taking office in December 2022 for his sixth term as leader of the Jewish State.

According to a report by Ravid last week published by Walla! News, talks are taking place between the Prime Minister’s Office and the White House to determine a date for such a meeting.

Chareidie Orgnization to Minister Porush Who Wants The Sex Maniac Berland to be Admitted To Uman "Your rotten despicable actions"

 The Charedi Magen Israel organization published a letter of protest against Minister Porush and demanded an apology from the Minister of Jerusalem Affairs and Jewish Heritage (United Torah Judaism) who tried to cancel Eliezer Berland's entry ban to Ukraine, before the Tishrei High Holidays, so that he could travel to Uman for Rosh Hashanah [the Jewish New Year].

"We were shocked to read that by virtue of your position as a minister in the government of Israel, representing all the citizens of Israel, you chose to invest resources and efforts in submitting official requests on behalf of the State of Israel, to help the convicted sex offender, Eliezer Berland, enter Ukraine for Rosh Hashanah," the letter reads.

They also added: "We protest your rotten, devastating and despicable use of the name of millions of citizens, who denounce Berland's intolerable actions. The heritage of Israel and Jerusalem will certainly not be glorified through such behavior."

Smotrich To US: “Unparalleled Hypocrisy, Don’t Preach To Us About Human Rights”

 

Finance Minister Betzalel Smotrich on Monday excoriated the Biden administration, accusing them of “unparalleled hypocrisy” for the State Department’s recent criticism of how Israel protects its citizens against Arab terror in Yehudah and Shomron.

Smotrich’s remarks came in the wake of the State Department’s condemnation of comments by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir following the murder of Batsheva Nigri, H’yd, near Chevron. Ben-Gvir said on a Channel 12 News panel last week: “My right and that of my wife and my children to travel on the roads of Yehudah and Shomron is more important than freedom of movement for Arabs.” Addressing an Arab-Israeli journalist on the panel, he added: “Sorry Mohammad. That’s the reality, the truth. My right to life takes precedence over freedom of movement.”

Not surprisingly, Israeli leftists pounced on his comments as “racist,” implying that Israelis should allow themselves to be killed rather than place any limitations on the “innocent until proven guilty” Palestinians.

The State Department lost no time in joining the bandwagon, issuing a condemnatory statement against Ben-Gvir. “We strongly condemn Minister Ben-Gvir’s inflammatory comments on the freedom of movement of Palestinian residents of the West Bank,” the statement said. “We condemn all racist rhetoric; as such messages are particularly damaging when amplified by those in leadership positions and are incongruent with advancing respect for human rights for all.”

Smotrich responded by saying: “Anyone who attacks us in the world is hypocritical. There’s no nation that has waged a battle of survival against murderous terror for decades in a cleaner and more cautious way than the Jewish nation. I won’t mention the Americans and how they operated in Afghanistan and Iraq. They shouldn’t preach to us about human rights, not to the IDF nor to us on a state level. That is unparalleled hypocrisy. There’s no nation more moral than Israel and no army more moral than the IDF.”

Heavily Promoted N95 Masks Could Be Giving People Cancer

 

You know those N95 masks that people still afraid of Covid consider to be the most effective way to stop the spread of the virus? Yeah, well, they could be giving people cancer and other health problems.

A new study suggests that wearing the masks risks the wearer of potential exposure to hazardous levels of toxic chemicals. Although the National Institutes of Health (NIH) re-shared the study earlier this year, concerns are now emerging anew over the safety of these masks.

Researchers from Jeonbuk National University in South Korea conducted an investigation into disposable medical-grade masks, as well as reusable cotton masks. Their findings, originally published in the journal Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, revealed that the chemicals emitted by certain masks exceeded recommended safety thresholds for toxic volatile organic compounds (TVOCs) by eight times.

Inhaling TVOCs has been associated with health problems including headaches and nausea, with prolonged exposure linked to organ damage and even cancer. The researchers emphasized the significance of addressing the potential effects of TVOCs released by medical masks, particularly the KF94 variety popular in South Korea.

The study proposes a possible solution to mitigate the risk, suggesting that allowing masks to remain opened and unused for at least 30 minutes upon purchase can significantly reduce exposure.

Dr. Stuart Fischer, an internal medicine physician, cautioned against drawing strong conclusions from the study but acknowledged the growing evidence on the drawbacks of prolonged mask usage.

The study evaluated 14 disposable and cloth masks, focusing on the levels of TVOCs emitted by each. The disposable masks were KFAD and KF94 models, while the cloth masks were made from various materials including cotton and polyurethane. Notably, cloth masks showed significantly lower levels of TVOCs and were deemed harmless.

While the study raises important concerns, it also acknowledges its limitations, including a small sample size and the exclusion of other popular disposable masks like KN95s.

Chareidie Extremists Spray Tear Gas In Second Attack On Bar Ilan St. Cellphone Store

 

In the second attack in a matter of months at a cellphone store located on Bar Ilan street in Jerusalem, an extremist wearing a jacket over his head entered the store and sprayed tear gas directly on the salesman and a customer in the store. Both later required treatment.

In the first such attack a few months ago, two masked men entered the store and started spraying pepper gas at the owner, who responded by spraying them back with his own spray. The two also sprayed foul-smelling “skunk” spray before fleeing the store.

The store has been targeted recently due to its apparently selling all types of sims for cellphones in a charedi neighborhood.

Dedi the Singer in serious condition

 

Renowned and beloved singer Dedi Graucher was urgently transported to Sheba Hospital in Tel Hashomer in serious condition last night.

Presently, he is under the care of the cardiac intensive care unit.

Graucher dealt with a severe health setback approximately five years ago and underwent a remarkable recovery. Nonetheless, his medical journey has remained delicate since that time, necessitating periodic hospitalizations.

Over 20 years ago, Dedi occupied a place of prominence as one of the most beloved Jewish performers. With his various health challenges, he ceased performing.

Offering insight into the current health situation, Dedi’s son, Rabbi Shai Graucher, told DIN, “At this juncture, when our father requires the collective prayers of Am Yisrael, it is worth to note that his most prominent trait was his capacity to overlook personal grievances. To those who are willing, it is encouraged to undertake a commitment to this concept for his complete recovery.”

All are asked to daven for Oded Dovid ben Tziporah.

Libya suspends its Foreign Minister after her meeting with Israeli Foreign Minister Cohen

 

The head of Libya’s Government of National Unity, Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah, on Sunday night suspended the country’s Foreign Minister, Najla Mangoush, and referred her to investigation, Reuters reported.

The suspension comes after Mangoush met Foreign Minister Eli o countries not having formal relations.

Libya’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement quoted by Kan 11 News that the meeting between the two ministers “was accidental, unofficial, and not planned in advance.”

The announcement comes hours after the Foreign Ministry announced that Cohen met last week in Rome with Mangoush.

During the meeting, the two ministers discussed the historical ties between the nations, the Libyan-Jewish heritage, and possible partnerships between the countries and Israeli aid in humanitarian, agricultural, and water management issues.

Mangoush began her political career in Libya following the ousting of former leader Muammar Qaddafi in 2011 and has served as Foreign Minister in the Tripoli government since its formation in 2021. She is the first woman in the position.

How I Discovered My Soul After 38 Years of Being Jewish : From a TikTok Exec

 

Chassidim Fly to Grave of "Tosfos Yom Tov"... See what they Got on the Plane

 

Reception

Breakfast

Tefillin of the Ben Ish Chai

 

Little Sadugere Rebbe Evicted his mother in Secular Court, "Gedoilim Quiet" But When She Counter Sues "Gedoilim Issue Kol Korah"

 Turns out that there are snakes and scorpions in Sadigura Bnei Brak who do everything possible to prevent peace, persecuting the Rebbetzin in her apartment in Jerusalem.

The Rebbetzin left the apartment in Bnei Brak whose husband the previous Rebbe explicitly wrote that the apartment belongs to the Rebbetzin for the rest of her life, they threw her out using violence, and stole her private belongings.

 

The little twerp rabbi, her youngest son, went to secular court first, and the Rebbetzin had no choice but to defend herself by counter suing him for what he was doing to her.

The "Gedoilim" published a kol korah defending the twerp without even hearing from the other side.

who was the one who said:

"Tzedek, Tzedik Tirdof?"

Shabbos goy' of 30 years found to be Jewish

 

A man who served as a "Shabbos goy' (a non-Jew who can perform acts that are forbidden to Jews on Shabbat) for a Jewish community for 30 years turned out to have been Jewish all along. Arutz Sheva - Israel National News has learned that the man's children provided proof of his Jewish ancestry as part of a request that he be buried in a Jewish cemetery.

Rabbi Eliyahu Maimon, the head of the Aguna department in the rabbinical courts, said: "The hevra kadisha (burial society) contacted us and we investigated and found that he was indeed a Jewish person. Jews from all countries of the world - 101 countries - immigrate to the State of Israel out of necessity under the Law of Return."