Sunday, 18 Cheshvan, will mark 18 years since the assassination of Rabbi Meir Kahane HY”D, the founder of the Jewish Defense League and Israel’s Kach Party.
The main memorial event will be held on Sunday evening in Heichal Dovid Hall on Jerusalem’s Oliav Street at 18:00. Family members, prominent rabbonim and community members are expected to attend.
Preceding the evening event will be a memorial at the kever in Har Menuchos at 16:00.
Kahane was known in the United States and Israel for his strong political, nationalist views, exemplified in his promotion of a Greater Israel based on Jewish law. He founded two controversial movements: the Jewish Defense League (JDL) in the USA and Kach, an Israeli political party. In 1984, Kach gained one seat in the Knesset and Rabbi Meir Kahane became a member. In 1986, Kach was declared a racist party by the Israeli government and banned from the Knesset, and, in 1994, following the Meoras HaMachpela massacre by Baruch Goldstein the movement was outlawed completely. Kahane’s Knesset career was ended by section 7a of Basic Law: The Knesset (1958): “Prevention of Participation of Candidates List.”
In 1990, after a speech in a Manhattan, New York Marriott hotel, Kahane was assassinated. The prime suspect, El Sayyid Nosair, was subsequently acquitted of murder but convicted on gun possession charges. He was buried in Jerusalem, where between thousands of people attended his funeral.
Following Kahane’s murder, no charismatic leader emerged to replace him in the movement, and Kahane’s ideology declined in popularity among Israelis. Two small Kahanist factions later emerged; one under the name of Kach and the other Kahane Chai (Kahane lives on).
In late 2000, as terrorist attacks on Israel during the Al-Aqsa Intifada began, Kahane supporters spray-painted graffiti on hundreds of bus shelters and bridges all across Israel. The message on each target was identical, simply reading: “Kahane Was Right”.
Since the 1994 banning of Kach and Kahane Chai no party has officially represented the ‘Kahanist’ position in politics. There have been, however, several parties which have had clear ideological, if not personal, links to Rabbi Kahane.
On December 31, 2000, Meir Kahane’s son, Kahane Chai leader rabbi Binyamin Ze’ev Kahane, and his wife Talya were murdered in their van as they were driving with their children from Jerusalem to their home in the Israeli settlement of Kfar Tapuach. Palestinian gunmen fired more than 60 machine-gun rounds into their van. A statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office in 2001 announced the arrest of 3 members of Fatah’s Force 17 allegedly involved in the attack.
According to the statement, PLO activist Mahmoud Damra, also known as Abu Awad, was responsible for arming and training the three assassins, identified as Talal Ghassan, 37, a senior Force 17 member in Ramallah, Marzouk Abu Naim, 43, and Na’man Nofel.
(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
33 Responses
Let’s make it clear that the Gedolim unanimously opposed his views and actions. While the death of any Jew is a tragedy he was no hero, unlike the tone of this article.
We can use someone like R’ Meir Kahane H”YD now!! May we all have the zichut to read all his great writings. All that he did was out of pure love for Klall Yisrael.
His murder was a terrorist act that was never dealt with by the USA.
If I recall correctly he learnt in the Mir (NY).
Looking back 18 years we see that he was right when he said there would be no “peace” in E”Y as long as the yishmaelim live there too.
# 1
who are these Gedolim you mention?
To me he was a hero, whether I agree with him or not, as he was someone who stood for what he felt was right, regardless of what people like you would say.
He is one of the few people in this generation who actually put his life for his people. He makes me proud to be a jew.
NOW LETS ASK OURSELVES. . . .WHO WAS RIGHT!
#1
I was very close with Rabbi Kahane. Besides JDL, my kesher with him was always in learning. Not one gadol every publicly came out against him. As a matter of fact, after years of demonstrations for Soviet Jewry and complains by Kahane why they never did anything, they themselves made a yom tefila with tehilim in Madison Square Garden. This was the first time the gedolim ever did anything tangible for Soviet Jewry. Rabbi Kahane was a godol B’Torah and always followed psak halocho even if it meant putting his life on the line. He exemplified Ahavas Yisroel. His father zt”l once said that even if he comes out of jail at 3:00AM, he wont go to sleep without learning a blat gemoreh, Rashi and Tosfos. Yehi Zichro Boruch
Writing an article about this man on YWN is a disgrace to the name “Yeshiva World News”.
May I remind you all that Kach / Kahane is considered a *terrorist organization* by the United States of America. See http://www.state.gov/s/ct/rls/crt/2007/103714.htm . They are on the same list as Al-Quaida, Islamic Jihad, Hamas, Hizbullah, the PFLP, the Real IRA, the ETA, and tens of other terrorist groups.
He did not deserve to be killed by gunfire on a bridge in NYC (IIRC). No Jew deserves that. Whether his name is Yisroel Dovid Weiss, Yitzchak Rabin or Meir Kahane. Whether it is Moshe Hirsch, Shimon Peres or Baruch Goldstein. Nobody deserves do die like that.
But until Yechiel Spira starts writing praising articles about the hero Yitzchak Rabin also, I cannot see YWN as a ‘*yeshiva* world’ site… If you write about right-wing extremists who do not belong to the ‘yeshiva’ world at all, you should write about left-wing extremists who do not belong to the ‘yeshiva’ world either.
#4 Excellent post! He was a hero indeed!!
He was the greatest Jewish leader of Modern Times. He and only he could see the future. His books written in the 1960 are still relevant today and the leaders of Israel ignore is all too obvious warning about the Arabs and the threat they pose to the future of Israel
I am responding to reader #1 PM.
He writes:
“Let’s make it clear that the Gedolim unanimously opposed his views and actions. While the death of any Jew is a tragedy he was no hero, unlike the tone of this article.”
I am not responding to this reader per se, but thought that it was a good opportunity to publicize a very little known “Yismach Moshe”, from the famed and holy Sigiter Rav ZT”L, who was considered one of the greatest Gedolim in his time.
The “Yismach Moshe” asks (Parashs Ki Sisa – Page 190 in some publications), why will it be necessary to anoint (with “Shemen Hamischa) “Moshiach Tzidkeinu” ,may we merit will arrive shortly, since he will be a descendant of King David, thus he deserves the kingdom as an inheritance?
He responds:
The Gemara says (Krisus 5b) that when there argument (Machlokes) about the appointment of a particular king, as was the case with King Solomon (Shlomo Hamelech), then anointment is required.
He then goes on to say:
“That it is possible, in certain cases, that there will be contention about Moshiach himself when he will arrive”
When I read it the first time I shuddered, as I am sure you will too.
just for the record, for most of his years he acted only based on the permission of the gedolim…. it was in the 80’s that he started acting on his own, notably protesting about the plight of russian jews in front of the russian embassy against the wishes of the gedolim, who said that such actions only further endanger yiddin. . .
lakewooder 2
I think you should check your facts. By 1980 Rabbi Kahane was long already living in Israel. He move in 1971. The demonstrations were in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s. Besides he was a godol baTorah and a posek. He learned 18 hours straight in Mir for years and was only 1 of 4 people ever to receive smicha from them at that time. He was a boki b’shas and poskim. I know this for a fact as my main kesher with him was in learning. There are dozens of incidents that I personally witnessed to back this up.
For the record. in all the years the gedolim were not able to effect anything about Russian jews. A small trickle of 1000 jews were allowed to leave a year. With this the gedolim were happy. After Kahane started, the first year close to 250,000 were allowed to leave and he go the entire Congress to act led by Senator Scoop Jackson. People who don’t know the facts should not defame him. Go back and learn the facts. I was there and participated and as I stated before, my main pleasure was discussing Torah and learning with him.
to # 4 it is a shame that you offer an opinion about him that does not seem to care whether what he did was in accordance with daas tora no matter how many of us share his sentiments, it is time we learned that tora is not hefker and we may not act in accordance with our beleifs. this is what made mike tress great, he was willing to do anything possible to help a jew but he was ALWAYS subservient to daas tora
Al Queda has stated and it was documented on Jihad Watch that the first assasination they carried out was against Rabbi Meir Kahane. They did it because of his outspoken views against the Arabs.
Today, 18 Cheshvan, should be a day of intense mourning. Our eyes should flow with rivers of tears for the cold-blooded murder of someone who was a) a great tzaddik, b) a great talmid chochom, c) had a heart for Jewish suffering like almost noone else in our generation, Harav Meir Kahane, zichrono livracha. Also his son, R. Binyomin Zeev z”l was an enormous masmid and talmid chacham. I knew him personally, and he and his wife Tali a”h, a neshomo tehora, were killed by Arab terrorists yemach shmom – HY”D.
But having said that, we must know that R. Meir Kahane’s ideas and hashkofos were shunned by almost ALL the gedolim of that time. I personally heard R. Avigdor Miller zt”l speak out very sharply against Kahane’s ways (ways, I stress, not the person). Similarly, I once heard R. Shmuel Birnbaum zt”l speak with great disdain about the ways of Kahane and the JDL. There were also many, many other gedolim, too many to enumerate, who expressed clear opposition to his ways. It is known that Rav Shach zt”l’s most often repeated stand was that we should NOT be “misgareh b’umos haolom”. He also blasted Kahane fiercely ,although not clearly by name, there was no mistaking that that’s whom he meant.
I can’t ever forget growing up in the ’60s on the streets of Brooklyn (I didn’t grow up on the streets, but you know what I mean) – the violent gang attacks of the JDL against any real or percieved goyishe provocations against Jews. Although when we would listen to Rav Meir Kahane z”l speak we would hear words of greatness emanating from a great soul, but his followers were a gang of street hoodlums and bullies. They did not accomplish anything, and I don’t think they ever intended to; their acts were only a means of “letting out your frustrations”. One guy even made the news by getting onto the rooftop of the Russian Embasy and shooting through its windows. It was nothing but an awful chillul Hashem. Regrettably, it begs explanation why the good Rabbi did nothing to rein in this gang of mazikim who were doing their insane acts under the banner of HIS organization – the JDL.
In the case of R. M. Kahane we can say that “ha’ahava mekalkeles es hashura”, meaning that the tremendous ahavas yisroel he posessed brought him to embark on not a good way. I once heard R. Shmuel Birnbaum zt”l speak regarding this issue. He said that the test whether something we do out of “ahava” is right is to see if it is something that goes along with the popular opinion of the time. In that case, it is probably NOT the right “ahava” to follow. We must know that immediately post-holocaust it became very popular to believe that we yiden must “take matters into our own hands”. Hence Kahane’s slogan that: “Every Jew a .22” (meaning every Jew should carry a .22 pistol or similar weapon on him at all times). Anybody who displayed an “in your face” attitude at goyim was respected and glorified. The “kochi v’otzem yadi” of the medina, as well as the spectacular victory of the Six-Day War, contributed to that sentiment. It was almost dangerous to challenge it.
However, we must all know that the right way is usually more difficult to follow and usually very unpopular. But it IS the right way, provided it is the daas torah of our gedolei hador. And their view is unanimously and unequivocally that we MUST NOT “take matters into our hands” until the comimg of Moshiach, which we may merit very swiftly in our time, if we follow the daas of our gedolim, and refrain from following our instinctive emotions which are in opposition to daas torah.
Thanks to #s 1 & 16.
To Nmber 18:
You say that the test is to see what is popular opinion. Was that the test you applied during the Holocaust when we went like sheep with not a murmur from anyones mouth? American Jewry was silent. No pressure on the govt? Is that what you mean? When yidden are in tzoras, we need to shake the world? The silence of the gedolim for 50 years to the plight of Russian Jews is a fact. I do not mean to disparage them, but nothing was acc omplished. Not one Jew was released because of them. Shocking after a confrontation with Rabbi Shmuel Birnbaum one Friday night in Mir after davening, Rabbi Birnbaum was left stunned when presented with Rabbi Kahanes argument. “Gut, you don’t hold from demonstrations, but I sat at that shtender 18 hours a day for years and not one kapital Tehilim! Tehilim meg men yo zugan!” Rabbi Birnbaum had nothing to answer. I was there then. Immediately the moetzes gedolei hatorah organized a asifas tehilim in MSG. First time in 50 years! Why wasn’t anything done before? I have the greatest respect for our Gedolim but they are not always right. Politics is not their game just like now in Eretz Yisroel look what happened in the mayoral race in Yerusholayim. The fact is that Rabbi Kahane was matzil more jews in one year than 50 years that the Gedolim did. Nevertheless we need to respect them, but if it becomes to pekuach nefesh and they are silent, we need to take action.
Secondly, there was never a case of shooting into the Russian Embassy from a roof top. I would know. True some of those JDL members were not my or your types but instead of fighting in the streets for Goyim now they fought for Jews and it made them prouder Jews. The Satmar Rebbe was also saved by the Zionists. It doesn’t matter how. The iker is SAVE JEWS.
asw —
While you are spewing forth your vicious lies and attacks upon the Gedolim, lets set the record straight:
The Gedolim worked TIRELESSLY on behalf on European Jewry during the holocaust. It was FDR’s secular Jewish criminals who turned a blind eye.
And similarly the Gedolim worked tirelessly behind the scenes to rescue Russian Jewry.
And like was said by mutitudes above, Kahane’s JDL and political stances ran contrary to the Torah, as stated by our Gedolim.
Post #1 clearly has no idea what he’s talking about. Ignorant people who hate any given thing often hide behind “All gedolim opposed X” as a refuge, but it is rarely, if ever, a true statement. It is simply their own opinion and a false projection onto ‘the gedolim.’ Rabbi Kahane’s rav was the gadol Rabbi Mordecai Eliyahu (may Hashem heal him), and while he was less vocal politically in his later years, there is no reason to believe he ever disproved of Rabbi Kahane’s actions (especially given Rabbi Eliyahu’s personal history).
“While the death of any Jew is a tragedy ” – It wasn’t a “death” it was a MURDER by the enemies of our people, the same enemy the Rabbi warned us over and over again would continue to kill us (and force us to kill them) if they are not transfered while we have the chance. This certainly has played itself out in the reality we have experienced. The Arabs have never relinquished their national pride and national aspirations (not to mention racial hatred) against the Jewish people, just as Rabbi Kahane predicted.
Rabbi Kahane warned that the election in 1988 (which he was banned from) was a choice between him and Arafat y’s. To our dismay and terrible tragedy, We got Arafat y’s.
To # 15/19:
YOU ARE A SHAIGETZ AND APIKOROS!
Who do you know who went to the White House and organized massive protests of 300 rabbonim other than the revered Maran Harav Aaron Kotler ztvk”l? This great Torah giant, who was known for his vast Torah greatness and his fantastic shiurim, still found time to take out of his legendary hasmada to save Jewish lives. He didn’t rest for a minute in his efforts in Vaad Hatzoloh! What about R. M. D. Weissmandel zt”l? Are you also aware of the incessant efforts of R. Gedalya Schorr zt”l? It is said that he is the one who’s efforts saved Maran R. Aaron Kotler and brought him over to America, besides for hundres of other yiden! Didn’t R. Avrohom Kalmanowitz zt”l risk his life counless times to save hundreds of talmidei yeshivas Mir? The list of gedolei yisroel who closed their gemaras and spared no time or effort in order to save evn 1 more yid goes on and on. But you are so blinded by your hatred for Torah and its gedolim! Because you get all your hashkofos and dayos from the street!!!
You say: ” I do not mean to disparage them”, but you do nothing but disparage the gedolei hatorah. AFRA L’PUMAICH!!! You speak about a “confrontation” R. M. K. had with Harav Shmuel Birnbaum zt”l. Of course! R. Shmuel was not one for confrontations. But if it culminated in an “atzeres tefilloh” that is definitely not against daas torah. But marching in the streets throwing bricks at the goyim IS!!! And don’t tell me they didn’t do things like that! I remeber those incidents very, very vividly, unfortunately.
“I have the greatest respect for gedolim, but they are not always right”. Is that called having respect? OF COURSE THEY ARE ALWAYS, ALWAYS RIGHT!!! As you must have read many times in my previous quotes, I quote the pasuk: “V’asisa al pi hadavar asher yagidu l’cha YAMIN U’SMOL”, on which the mefarshim say: “Afilu omrim l’cha al yamin shehu s’mol v’al smol shsehu yamin”. THE GEDOLIM ARE ALWAYS RIGHT!!! And someone like you who thinks he can “pick and choose” when he is with the word of gedoleinu and when he follows his own “boich” should be addressed by his appropriate title: “APIKOROS”!
“Haichi domi apikioros, d’omar ‘mei ahanu lan rabanan”. What is the example of an apikoros? One who says: “What have the rabbonim accomplished for us?'”.
“Rav Kahane was matzil more Jews…”
I hate to say it, but he probably caused the deaths of many Jews, by fanning the flames of hatred of the Arabs ym”s.
“May I remind you all that Kach / Kahane is considered a *terrorist organization* by the United States of America”. — Funny that the PLO and Fatah are NOT on the terrorist list.
For those quoting Rav S. Birnbaum of Yeshivas Mir, you would be interested in knowing that Rav Klein contacted the JDL ‘Chaya Squad’ annually on Halloween requesting them to come, stand in front of, and protect the Yeshiva bochurim from attacks. The JDL arrived on erev Halloween and stood in front of the yeshiva for 4-5 yrs protecting the bochurim from the goyim who would throw eggs, rocks, acids etc at the boys and damage the bldg. After the 5th year a decision was made that able-bodied young men (yeshiva guys) have the responsibility for self defense and we quit coming. Those who are not aware of this, there are photos available to prove this event.
“He did not deserve to be killed by gunfire on a bridge in NYC (IIRC)”.
Daniel, did you watch a movie??? This is not how or where he was assasinated.
22 and 19
I know all about the march very well. It was a one time thing. It accoplished nothing. I am also quite aware of the Vaad Hatzoloh which tried to do the best. I have the greatest respect for how much they were able to accomplish. But it still did not save the Holocaust. One demonstration when 6 million kedoshim are dying is pitiful. We needed to make life miserable here in the US until enough pressure would have been brought on Roosevelt Ym”s. My point was if the life of soviet jews was a top issue, then why did we have to wait 50 years for Tehilim? 3 million Russian Jews is not worth Tehilim? Is that also osur? We all turned a deaf eye and ear. To say that they did behind the scenes is not enough. What was accomplished. Speak to the Russian Jews and ask them what gave them chizuk, the Gedolim or Kahane?
Chazal teach us that our leaders are not infallible. Only the pope is infallible. From Moshe Rabbeinu to our ovos and down to Dovid Hamelech they were all not perfect. They each sinned and were punished. This is to teach us that we human beings can rise to the same level with our faults. Tzadikim from all genereations erred. This does not chas vesholom disparage them This is their gadlus that they were tzadikim even with their faults. There is no such concept that they are always right in Yiddishkeit. Was it right that the Chareidi camp did not support Porush in the elections. Now we have a chiloni. Didn’t our tzadikim tell the Jews not to flee Europe? Look at the politics being play between Degel, Aguddah, Sphardim, Ashkanazim. There is no achdus amongst our Gedolim. Was it right a few years ago at the Aggudah Convention for Rave Elya Svei(zol er gezunt zein) to publicly blast Rav Schachter from Chaim Berlin in front of thousands? While Rave Schachter sat at the dais?Then they covered up for him saying that Rav Svei was not well. Well he was well a minute before?
I can cite many more cases but I don’t want to. My point is that the derech of Kahane proved itself right and saved Soviet Jewry. He is a shoichen ofor and to talk bad about him now is the biggest aveiro. I knew him personally as a yid who is medakdeik kechut haseiro bemitzvos. We always spoke in learning. Those that never knew him should not talk if they have no knowledge.
We in klal yisroel sometimes need to act like Pinchos. Vehineni nos brisi sholom was his reward even though they opposed his actions. We all need to truly respect our gedolim and tzadikkim. And I truly do Chaddish and Litvish. But at the same time we have a right and need to question and maybe act if need be. The entire bavli is based on questioning and learning. At times the amoroim were proven wrong and had no problem admitting and changing their opinion. This takes gadlus.
Lehagdil Torah Ulhadiroh.
limasah, kahane was right – if he’d have been in charge, there wouldn’t have been any terrorist groups. sure, he and his supporters went too far sometimes, but that doesn’t take away from the principle. the current Israeli government has taken the exact opposite stance of appeasement (think gush katif and ignoring the south), and how well is that working?!
#8, since when does any sane person care what the UN thinks?!
asw –
Go back to your cave, you koifer. And take your sheker and loshon hora with you.
The Gedolim worked TIRELESSLY on behalf on European Jewry during the holocaust
So did PETER BERGSON (aka Hillel Kook) who single handedly saved tens of thousands of Jews. For an accurate picture, there were many workers publicly and secretly, secular and religious who saved a pittance of European Jewry. Hakoras Hatov is in order for many of these dedicated individuals and Kahane’s name will always be #1 when it comes to Soviet Jewry.
to 22:
By the way this was not a confrontation as you suggest. Meir davened in Mir Friday night and went to say gut shaabos to his rosh yeshiva. The rosh yeshiva shook his hand but refused to let go. He said to him “I am against your derech of demonstrations”. Many yeshiva bochrim surrounded them. Out of respect, Meir refused to answer especially in front of the bochrim. Again the Rosh Yeshiva repeated the comment. Meir would not disrespect the Rosh Yeshiva and again did not answer. Thereupon the Rosh Yeshiva told Meir “Aha you admit I am right. Shtikeh Kehodoe”. This now forced Meir’s hand to respond. He told the Rosh Yeshivah “Gut you don’t agree with demonstrations. I am not asking you to demonstrate. But I sat at that shtender (pointing to it)for years. Why wasn’t Tehilim said even one time. Tehilim meg men yoh zogen”. Thereupon the Rosh Yeshivah let go of Meir’s hand and had no response. They wished each other a Gut Shabbos. Meir was always respectful and spoke of the Rosh Yeshivas with high regard. I was there at this scene.Goose bumps ran through my body.
“Gut you don’t agree with demonstrations. I am not asking you to demonstrate.
I remember when my brother who learned in Mir went to demonstrations with the entire yeshiva to save IRANIAN JEWS. So it is not true that the R”Y was against demonstrations!!!!!
#8 Daniel – you should be ashamed of yourself!!
R’ Kahana lies in a kever for 18 years, and the only thing you can think of writing is that Kach is a terrorist organization. You are a self-hating Jew! Yes Gedolim were against him, but he did alot for Klal Yisrael, and was known for his endless Ahavas Yisrael, something sir, that you are lacking!!
to ASW –
I started out by treating you like the “ben harasha”, but I now feel that you fit more the “tam” or “sh’eino yodaya lishol”. So I think I really need to be a little more compassionate with you, so you may get a little idea of the basics of yiddishkeit.
“Raah hkb”h b’nei aliya sh’heim muatim, amad ushtalan b’chol dor v’dor.”
Hkb”h spoke to us Himself, but also gave a messenger, a Rebbe, in the embodiment of Moshe Rabbeinu. Since then, there are always RABBEIM to guide us and teach us the right way, and what is the wrong way in order to stay away from it. In every generation it becomes very clear who these giants are, and it becomes our unequivocal duty to follow their word without question. The vast majority of klal yisroel are always laymen (like myself), but if ALL THEY DO is always ask the gedolim and follow their do’s and don’ts meticulously, they will be headed straight to olam habba.
In our generation we are fortunate to have Maranan Harav Elyashiv, Harav Chaim Kanievsky, Harav Aron Leib, R. Michel Yehuda, who, among others, are unquestionably the gedolei hador and, more so, the DAAS TORAH. I am only mentioning some in order to “give an idea”, but of course there are many others (like, very importantly, great Torah leaders among the admorim from the chassidishe velt, not to forget gedolim from the Sefardic kehillos). There are also many, many other great people, some rabbonim, others even baalei batim, who are also great in Torah and maasim, but, we all know, ARE NOT of the caliber to be gedolei hatorah. We must have awe and respect for these very chashuve people, but in no way is their word daas torah to follow, ESPECIALLY IF THEY ARE ON A COLLISION COURSE WITH THE WORD OF THE TRUE GEDOLIM! It is every yid’s obligation to be able to discern between the 2, and to know that when “chashuver yid’s” ideology is in contrast with that of the gedolei hador, it is our responsibility to follow gedolei hador, and NOT OUR OWN motivations and desires to follow “chashuver yid”.
Harav Meir Kahane zichrono livracha was a teiere, teiere person. The blood in his veins pumped ahavas yisroel and unimaginable love for the torah. I once heard him speak about the satmarer rebbe zt”l with such revernce and awe that just can’t be repeated in words. This although satmar, Rebbe and kehilla, stood vis-a-vis Rav Kahane’s stand as fiercely as can ever be imagined. I just picked one event that came to my mind, but they are countless of them, showing what a tzaddik this kodosh was. I never merited to speak in learning with him. But it is clear from countless b’nei torah that he was a VAST talmid chacham! His selfless love for every yid is redundant to mention.
But – he was only a “chashuver yid”, NOT daas torah. So if and when his shitos came on a collision course with daas torah – as they clearly did – we must make sure to NOT FOLLOW THEM or give them any credence whatsoever. This without forgetting that R. Meir himself is not to be shunned. “K’VODO BIMKOMO OMED”.
to 32
I appreciate your change in tone. I know exactly where you are coming from. But you surely don’t mean to say that the Litvishe Gedolim are to be granted more authority than the Chassidishe or Sfardishe. That would pasul Ravr Ovadia Yosef, The Satmar Rebbe zt”l. Rav Ovadia Yosef is not the posek for the Chassidishe world today. Nobody questions his authority but the Chassidishe velt has a different derech with their poskim.I revere all rabbonim Litvishe,Chassidishe and Sfardishe. You surely know that as great as some of the gedolim that you mentioned are, they are not accepted universally. By the Litvishe sure, but not by the Chassidishe. There is not one Daas Torah. The Torah says Asei Lecho Rav. It does not have to be your rov as long as I have a farlesliche rav who knows how to paskun. Rabbi Kahane knew how to paskun and in difficult sheilos that he wanted to discuss further, he did so with gedolim in Israel. I know of gedolim in Eretz Yisroel who supported him but couldn’t come out publicly. This is unfortunate that Rabbonim need to hide their psak halocho because of the extreme elements in our dor. How many times were our poskim misled to write a psak only to find themselves duped with the facts. Everybody has his agenda today.
Rabbi Kahane was an ish emes who lived by Torah values kechut haseiro. He was not ashamed to publically proclaim and live Torah.What Hashem wanted was not negotiable to him. He was willing to be moser nefesh for Torah. How many of us are?
We need to respect all rabbonim and poskim even if our rav holds differently. Shamai didnt agree with Hilel. Neither did Abaye and Rava. I am sure you wouldn’t hold it against their talmidim if they acted according to their Rebbi. Shamma’s talmidim led their lives according to their Rebbi not Hilel, or vice versa.
We need to get back to the times when we respect all Rabbonim and get away from the idea that only my rav is a rav. This is what Hashem wants from us. Eilu V’eilu divrei Elokim chaim.
I appreciate your nice change in tone and my bracha to you.
For the “watchdog”
US State Dept (and American Jewish leaders’) knowledge of Final Solution: August 1942. US State Dept release of information to the press confirming ongoing Final Solution: November 1942
“Rabbis’ march” in Washington, DC: October 1943.
August 1942 – October 1943: ????????
The Vaad Hatzalah did what it could; they are to be commended. But what about all those so-called “Jewish leaders” who staunchly OPPOSED the work of Peter Bergson and his “Bergson group” ?????? You must be aware that he was fiercely opposed, across the spectrum. Our gedolim are not faultless.
If you accept the response to the Shoah compared to what could have been done, compared to what WAS done later in the US for ‘black civil rights’ and for the Soviet Jewry led by Rabbi Kahane’s campaign…. If you accept the years of silence and inaction in the face of FULL KNOWLEDGE OF ACTUAL GAS CHAMBERS FOR A FINAL SOLUTION, oy va voy to us as a people….
Y’HAI ZOCHRO BORUCH…HASHEM YINKOM DOH’MO…