Click HERE to see a video taken yesterday of Rabbi Yehuda Levin protesting against NYS Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver.
Rabbi Levin’s press release says:
“Speaker Silver is being honored in the heart of Brooklyn’s Jewish community for the first time since he allowed the Toeiva marriage vote to the floor last year (reported HERE on YWN). He has worn out his welcome in the Orthodox community that he comes from. His actions are an affront to Orthodox Jews world-wide and he must be considered a persona-non-grata at all religious events. He should have stayed in Manhattan and spent time trying to reclaim some of the morals he has so clearly lost.”
(Note: After Shelly Silver allowed the Toeiva vote last year, YWN reported that four Jewish organizations denounced those actions. One of those organizations was the Agudah. Click HERE to read that statement.)
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36 Responses
Rabbi Levin hijacks Rav Avigdor Miller as his hero. But did Rav Miller ever make a public spectacle of himself ? Did Rav Miller publicly announce his views in front of the malchus shel chesed ? Rabbi Levin should remember that we are only guests in America. Guests cannot throw out other “guests”. If he thinks we are not guests he hasnt learned anything about the Golus.
Rabbi Levin, with all due respect, I think i can speak for alot of YW Readers. Please dont tell everybody what to do until you find a LIVING godol that endorses you. It’s not right to play the Rabbi Miller ZT”L card, when we cant ask him for his opinion.
Yehuda Levin: we are old friends…from the mountains… you were in the Mir…remember???
Get off Silver’s back … his position in government as regards the Jewish community is far more important than the politics he doesn’t believe in. And if Silver weren’t there, some anti-semitic Chaleria would be to make us miserable.
I’d like to know how much Rabbi Levin is paying YWN for posting his 5-man protest 3 times on their site.
Editors Note: Not a penny. We should be paying Rabbi Levin for all his free entertainment that he gives all of us! 🙂
It’s easy for Rabbi Levin to stand on top of Har Sinai and proclaim morality for all human beings. It’s much harder for Shelly Silver to reconcile his own Jewish morality with the responsibilty he has as the Speaker to consider the welfare of 19 million New Yorkers.
If Silver had voted for the Toeiva, then Rabbi Levin would have grounds to exclude him from the Orthodox world. The fact that he permitted the vote in the first place is not sufficient to put him in cherem.
Does he think rabbi Reuven Feinstein is watching this and now he will come out and say if he ever endorsed the Silvers? I never heard of Levin till the Lipa thing broke, now hes using yeshiva world to pass on his views? Please, get off the internet its treif. Just sounds fishy that all of a sudden the YWN is his way of getting his public opinion out. Still not buying into him.
Like you said EDITOR free entertainment, sounds like entertainment to me and not real.
As a talmid of Rav Miller, who was privy to many of the Askonus intiatives that Rav Miller directed Rabbi Levin to do, I want to attest to the fact that Rabbi Levin was delegated by Rav Miller to speak-up for Torah values when virtually all of the “establishment” organizations found it difficult to do so, because of their entanglement with politicians and “programs.”
Rabbi Levin: Keep up the good work! Unfortunately there is no one else out there speaking the truth!
Dear “Godol:” (no. 5):
Silver voted for the Toeva legislation!
Rabbi Levin should take a trip to the lower east side and speak to R’ Dovid Feinstein Shlita if he has any questions about what R’ Dovid did or did not permit. One thing I am sure of is that R’ Dovid is not checking Yeshiva World to see if people have any questions they want answered.
GENUCK SHOIN!!!!
I cannot understand some of these comments that are mocking Rabbi Levin. The fact of the matter is sheldon Silver voted for this bill. Rav Dovid Feinstein or no Rav Dovid Feinstein, its a disgrace.
its time someone to call this rabbi levin and tell him to calm down and get a life.
according to most of the above reaction’s, it seems like the truth hurts
#1. Why in heavens name are you wearing a “taalis”??
Did Harav Miller zt”l tell you to?
#2. Why aren’t you wearing your “tefilin”??
A GANTZ YUR PURIM!!
Levin is now taking over LIPA!
ver hut dich gefregt mr levin?
since when r u the spoksman for klal yisroal?
Mr Levin you have to get a job
I cannot understand some of these comments that are mocking Rabbi Levin. The fact of the matter is sheldon Silver voted for this bill. Rav Dovid Feinstein or no Rav Dovid Feinstein, its a disgrace.
I can’t understand why so many people that frequent this site are only capable of seeing the world in black and white. Seeing only black and white is not a sign of gadlus, it is indicative of katnus. While it may be true that a specific politician voted for a bill that offends our moral sensitivities, gadlus means having a broad enough mind to weigh the benefits of publicly speaking out against that politician vs. the loss of alienating those who can be counted on 99% of the time to further our agenda. To instinctively lash out against anything that has the word “toeiva” in it without making the above mentioned calculations does not take much intelligence. A computer can be programed to scan newspaper articles and make loud noises when it comes across that word. To know when the situation warrants action takes gadlus. To my feeble mind, I have not seen that sort of gadlus displayed by the subject of this post.
Once more:
Is there a Gadol that came out AGAINST R’ Levine?
Why is it that when people do all kinds of questionable things, like marketting big concerts, weddings, Mishloach Manos etc. etc. no one thinks it’s a problem that they don’t have a Gadol on their side, and it’s all OK onless someone is AGAINST it.
But when it comes to a simple Macho’oh against the worst of the worst, suddenly it’s Osur to do without a Gadol???
I wish there was someone more nice, dignefied, Baal midos to do these Macho’os, but there isn’t. Instead of critisizing how he does it, just get up and do it correctly…
It would have been nice if Rabbi Levin had consulted with Rav Dovid Feinstein, shlita before protesting. Also, it would be helpful to consult with Rabbonim before protesting. We need to learn from Miriam Hatzadekes that even when you are right your approach to giving tochacha must also be right.
If it is true that Rav Feinstein gave Mr. Silver a green light, then it is not Silver that Levin should be focusing his protest towards (he’s just following his Das Torah. What more can be asked from him?) rather HaRav Feinstein, shlita.
Of course, the truth needs to be clarified.
My main worry is that R. Levin is nearing the slippery slope of Rashaim like Weiss from the “Nutty Cutters”.
When askanim take the lives of other Jews into their own hands they risk causing more harm then help. An example would be the Hebron Massacre in which many Jews died because an askan assured them of their safety.
Also, what is the need to speak degrading of another Jew. I believe that R. Levin is doing the opposite of his intended goal by doing so. Let Silvers actions cause his own belittlement. Belittling him with reference to his kipa is only causing people to view Levin as just that, Levin, not Rabbi.
They mock Rabbi Levin for a very good reason. He has no backing from any Rabanim, any Roshei Yeshiva – not from here and not from E’Y. He only has some weak claims that Reb Avigdor Miller ZT’L told him to do this. Reb Avigdor Miller ZT’L did not act this way. I suggest that someone ask Reb Shmuel Miller (the son of Reb Avigdor ZT’L) if his father agrees with Rabbi Levin’s madness. I am quite sure that he will say NO! In any case no current Gedolim go for it so it’s time for Rabbi Levin to put his show to rest.
#4 – Instead of disdaining the minimal number of tzaddikim who came out to express their displeasure with a Jewish politician who had the audacity to support and shepherd such abominable legislation, maybe you should have taken Rav Moshe’s words to heart and participated. Don’t you guys understand there is a culture war going on out there, and we have to do what we can to keep those 19 million New Yorkers (#5), and ourselves also, if we don’t voice a macho’ah, from sliding into Gehinnom. Know that all of Rabbi Miller’s and yblct Rabbi Levin’s deeds are kulo lshem Shamayim.
Anyone who is supporting this guy, take a hard look at yourselves:
This is a very orthodox looking man who is publicly attacking the Daas Torah of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah & demanding that Rav Dovid Feinstein come to him & explain himself.
Chutzpah!
And you support this position?
Why’s this any different than if the Jewish Week attacks the thought process of the ban on the Lipa concert, doubts the inteligence of the rabbis who signed, and demands explanations from them?
You’s all be screaming “mechutzaf!”
Why are you siding with a guy here who’s doing just the same?
Because he looks so frum?
Because you like kannaus?
Because you agree with him & think the moetzes & Rav Dovid need to explain their positions to you?
Doesn’t that amount to questioning their Daas Torah?
Since when was this OK?
DEAR R.Y.Levin
as u know each generation has its gedolim.[as the gamara says ..yiftach bedoro etc.]
also, it takes a gadol to understand when & if a previous psack from a previous gadol applies to a current situation.[even if u dont see any difference- u are not the gadol!!]
Please publicize ALIVE Gedolim who CURRENTLY
give their haskama to the things u are doing CURRENTLY!!
MDshweks (#20),
there is a huge difference. When you make a wedding, give shalach manos etc, and even if you make a concert, you are doing so as an individual. However Levin is publicly acting as if he were the spokesman of orthodox jewry. For that you need backing of living gedolim for this specific protest and its not enough that the gedolim didn’t come out against it.
And I agree with ak (#24) that it was awesome chutzpah for him to demand that Reb Dovid Shlita come to him to explain his position to see if he agrees with it or not.
Is nobody bothered by his immature swipe at the size of Mr. Silver’s yarmulka?
What dignified talmid chochom behaves like that?
What a juvenile boor.
It’s amazing that you tube has become his soap box to stand and preach on.
What a fool.
We, as readers of YW, would like R’ Levin to clarify which living Gedolim support his actions. Rav Avigdor Miller, ZT”L, is no longer alive & we don’t know what he would have said. But, B”H, we are blessed with living Gedolim. Do any support R’ Levin’s actions?
who ever is making fun or knocking levine they should continue congradulations
Mr Levin Who are you to chalenge Reb Dovid? You are a hypocrote you are a ball loshon horah You are a walking talking chilul hashem please go to Iran celeprate with your fello wackos Mr Weiss and his stoges there you can live in peaceful life
I am not sure whether it was right for Rabbi Yehud Levin to make a protest against Sheldon Silver. However I asked the following shaila to Rav Dovid Feinstein a few months ago which is similar to this situation When Rabbi Shmulley Boteach was honored by a dinner of a certain yeshiva in Brooklyn which is as follows:I am I mechuyav to stand outside the dinner & make a machaa against him being honored Rav Dovid Feinstein said no. Than I asked him should I call to protest so he siad “so call” Therefore this shaila that I asked & the answer I received from Rav Dovid Feisntein would imply that even if we are supposed to make a machaa against someone having Sheldon Silver come to his house the most we could do is call mr Weinberber & tell him it is wrong to have mr. Silver be invited to your house for a fundraiser event. Plus thats if Sheldon Silver did not ask a shaila before voting on this bill from which I heard from the person who asked Rav Dovid Feinstein on his behalf & he told me that Sheldon Silver Rav Dovid Feinstein said he can vote on this bill because if you know the way politics work one Senator will vote on another senators bill in the hope that senator will vote on a bill that lets say Sheldon Silver legislates in the future because Silver voted on that Senators bill & since he gets alot of Government funding for Ohel he had an heter to vote on this bill although he did not want to.
R’ Levine Shlita is a Tzaddick that u all cant touch.No one is mocheh, only this tzadik.Hashem Yvorchahu Vyishmerayhu.OMAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!
Torahyid,
Please provide backing for your statement that Rabbi Levin is a tzaddik. Is that a personal assesment or can you show support from other talmidei chachomim etc.?
Eli51, I could hear what your saying.
Although not verified, there’s no controdiction between R’ Moshe’s letter and R’ D. Feinstein allowing this vote, since R’ Moshe was talking about politicians who’s agenda is to further immorality, whereas Silver is clearly not furthering that agenda but is visably just doing it to get funding for Tzedaka, and this bill will any way not pass.
Even by Avoda Zara if it’s clearly visable that you don’t mean it just for your benifit it’s Mutar
I’VE GOT IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!
AL SHARPTON
self appointed spokesman for a people who DONT want him representing him.
he’s the Jewish Al sharpton.
thanks YWN for bringing us such simcha before Purm!!!
#36 he is not that bad
he is worse-because jewish guys do listen to him!!