During an interview with Kikar Shabbos, HaGaon HaRav Bentzion Mutzafi Shlita referred to dati leumi posek HaGaon HaRav Shlomo HaKohen Aviner Shlita in a disparaging fashion. This has prompted the secular activists in Bayit Leumi to turn to Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein demanding an investigation into the slanderous remarks from Rav Mutzafi.
An excerpt of the letter to Weinstein says “At a time during which there is endless incitement against the dati leumi community, particularly its leaders and rabbonim, we expect many chareidi rabbonim to act to calm the situation. The seditious remarks from Rabbi Mutzafi are joined with the many similar remarks from other persona is dangerous and should serve as a severe warning.”
“We call on Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein to take expeditious action to file criminal charges against Rabbi Bentzion Mutzafi while emphasizing incitement is not a permitted under Freedom of Speech.”
Rav Mutzafi was responding to comments made by Rav Aviner, who explained that he was going to participate in the Million Man Atzeres and he would daven that all the chareidim are inducted into IDF service. The rav explained “no one will know what is coming out of my mouth”.
In his response, Rav Mutzafi said “The villains are plotting all the time to hate and chas v’sholom to destroy bnei Torah. Among them there are those who call themselves rabbi,” adding a play on words “רע בנים” (bad boys), “who are worse than the non-frum – their hate for the bnei yeshivos”.
In his reference to Rav Aviner, Rav Mutzafi added “לא מתבייש, עז פנים לגיהנם”. He completed his remarks calling Rav Aviner a “רשע מרושע כופר תורה ” and a descendent of Amalek.
When asked a number of weeks ago about induction into the IDF for chareidim, Rabbi Mutzafi stated “If they provide me with kosher food on my level, make certain I will not be exposed to pritzus and to’eva, and I will not be required to listen to foul language, and permit me to keep Shabbos as required, and make certain that I will not be compelled to hear the words of heretics against Our Father in Heaven, and I am permitted to observe the mitzvos as I am required, then I too will enlist!” .
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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15 Responses
That the Israelis consider it even possible to prosecute someone for calling a public figure a “רשע” speaks for itself.
Now, why didn’t I think of doing that (going and davening for all chareidim to be inducted)?
I’m from Amaleik too you know.
RIDICULOUS
Is “רשע” really incitement?
In the US if you say someone is an heretic, is that incitement?
I find it tragic that Rabonim and frum Knesset members have seen fit to use language totally alien to refined bnei torah. This is becoming an avalanche and instead of helping the situation, makes the machlokes more bitter and personal.
In truth, I personally have lost all respect for some of these people who can’t control what comes out of their mouths. This is no longer Daas Torah.
What an interesting letter – let’s analyze it:
At a time during which there is endless incitement against the dati leumi community, particularly its leaders and rabbonim, we expect many chareidi rabbonim to act to calm the situation.
So let’s see – threatening to send all of the Chareidi wordl’s kids to jail if they don’t fall in line with your ideological position is not incitement and is working towards calming the situation. But if one of the Chareidi Rabbonim responds harshly to that attempt – or harshly to one who pretends to be davening for the Chareidi community and is actually davening for the very thing they are fighting against – that is incitement and aggravating the situation.
You can’t have it both ways – you can’t make promises that you break, join forces with those who wish to destroy the Torah, actively take part in passing laws against the fundamental principles of the Chareidi community and then complain when they complain about what you are doing.
THEY CONTINUE
The seditious remarks from Rabbi Mutzafi are joined with the many similar remarks from other persona is dangerous and should serve as a severe warning.
It seems to me that Bayit HaYehudi has learned very well how to intimidate with power. First threaten economic sanctions, then join forces with criminal sanctions – and then if someone complains about those actions – threaten criminal sanctions against the complainer.
As far as I know – in modern, constitutional democracies – one is aloud to voice the opinion that someone else is a wicked or evil person. [Not to mention the fact that the right wing and DT community have quite a bit of experience in making similar such accusations against the government when it comes (let’s say) the peace process or disengagement].
May not be true or the smartest thing to say – but criminal actions for voicing that opinion – which country does that some more like – the US or the USSR.
YES! it hurts for Bayit Leumi to hear the truth about Avinar…
I think the most telling thing about this subject is Rabbi Mutzafi statement…
“If they provide me with kosher food on my level, make certain I will not be exposed to pritzus and to’eva, and I will not be required to listen to foul language, and permit me to keep Shabbos as required, and make certain that I will not be compelled to hear the words of heretics against Our Father in Heaven, and I am permitted to observe the mitzvos as I am required, then I too will enlist!” .
I know I sound like a broken record but this needs to be stressed more. If they want to get Haredim into the IDF or National Service real effort needs to be aimed at accommodating Haredi lifestyle and not the other way around.
What a terrible message this sends! Why should the Chiloni population respect Rabbonim? When Rabbonim don’t respect Rabbonim. Do you think this will give them a Hirhur Teshuvah? Worst of all this is poison for our youth. Vitriol like this results in more people going off the derech then the Internet or I phones. Shame on these so-called leaders.
EZ:
Again, the Torah is not for sale and just because someone titles himself “Rabbi” that does not entitle him to ch”V desecrate the Torah as “D”L” has done.
As others have already written, doesn’t the State of Israel, a putative “democracy”, realize how grossly it embarrasses itself as their “MKs” come up with these things? This is, at most, a rabbinic issue, and nothing to do with “incitement”.
Anyone who calls Rav Aviner a rasha is simply embarrassing himself.
#10 Rabbi Aviner does not need to give himself the title “Rabbi”, 10’s of thousands of yidden give him that title. And in what way did he desecrate the torah? Cant you allow yourself to admit that perhaps Rabbi Mutzafi was wrong? and he needs to do teshuvah for calling another yid Amalek.
From the words that Ravi rasha(sorry it keeps auto correcting when I write his Hagan) has said he clearly puts down every word from our gedolim…I am not 100% opposed to Chaaredim in the army but as a rabbi and someone who is supposedly machsuv Torah there is no way you can say that only 2000 people should be allowed to sit and learn and to say to undermines the entire torah because in it we learn in time of war a Chumash is just as important as a knife..so at the end if the day its not about wether bochurim should fight in the army or not its about saying that learning torah is of no help when securing the country and to say that you are lower than low and to agree with that makes you no different…..yanky and ez you are entitled to your opinions but not quite sure why you guys are even on here you clearly dont agree with the viewpoints here…you would be better suited reading the Jerusalem post fo your news.
People here obviously do not know of Rav Mutzafy. He’s a very great Gaon and Tzadik.
Whilr R’ Avinar isn’t from the worst of the DL camp, and sometimes he comes across pretty impressive, he’s still is a very confused individual who has a very hard time being loyal to the Torah and to the state – as any one would…
Of course it isn’t the ideal thing to call other Rabbonim “Rasha”, but you gatta understand where he’s coming from. This isn’t America where a modern Orthodox Rabbi must be moderate for outreach purposes, this is a tradition of being lax and compromising on Halacha issues, Tznius issues, etc. on a daily basis, by people who otherwise are ‘Rabonim’, who simply kept getting more comfortable with the idea that for the love of EY it’s all ok…
EZ:
See post #14.