[VIDEO IN EXTENDED ARTICLE]
In a shiur given by Mekubal HaRav Yaakov Adas, the rav has harsh words for the anticipated coverage that will be given to next week’s papal visit in Israel. The rav explains one should not look at the pope, not in person or on video because as we learn he is “metamei”.
The rav calls on the pope in the name of millions of Jews around the world not to visit the Kosel or Kever David HaMelech, to stay away from Jewish holy sites. One who sees the pope should “quickly run and toivel in a mikve to remove the tuma from the person representing the avoda zara R”L.
“It’s not the man, nothing personal, but what his position represents. This is a religion with a purpose of combating Yiddishkheit, a religion that spends millions on converting Jews…”
Rav Adas tells a story of being injured in a car accident and hospitalized as a result. His father arranged for him to have non-Jewish male nurses so women would not have to touch him and to minimize Shabbos issues. He recalls how a male nurse began trying to persuade him that Christianity is correct.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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18 Responses
הרמב”ם פוסק: המינים והאפיקורסים והאומרין אין תורה מן השמים והמוסרים והמשומדים, כל אלו אינם בכלל ישראל
Rabbi adas should preach how to avoid them (our own) before lecturing how to avoid seeing the pope, gedoli yisruel met them when needed.
He does.
The gedolim will meet those that they have to for their needs of the Kllall. here we are talking about giving honor to the head of a terrible Jew hating religion. they have only recently recognised Isreal because in their dogma we are a cursed people that must remain everlasting wanderers. so Isreali is a contradiction to their religion
I’m not expert on tamei and tahor. I also did not listen to this entire video shiur (didn’t the Gedolim Shlita rule that the internet is assur, so what’s with YouTube video?!). But… from what I understand, a person can only become tamei if they come in contact with tumah. Usually, as I understand it, it’s physical contact, but being in an enclosed room with a meis (if there’s no halachic way around it) can also cause tumah. Please correct me if I’m wrong.
How can one become tamei by seeing tumah through a video or photo, or being in an open space without physical contact? And doesn’t the av tumah also have to have contracted tumah from some physical contact also? How could the Pope obtain tumah from his elected office?
This rabbi is a mekubal (how does one obtain this status?) so maybe he’s talking about things in a kabbalistic sense that I don’t understand. But doesn’t basic halacha come before the esoteric?
Regarding the Pope specifically, I have many Catholic friends. We have far more in common with them than we do with protestant Christians. Most Catholics see Jews as their older brothers, and have no interest in converting us. That’s more a protestant thing. The church, long ago, deleted the liturgy about converting Jews. Most Catholics are thrilled that there is Jewish sovereignty in Israel because they have unfettered access to their holy sites (and some of ours). And I believe it’s been ruled that Catholics (and Christians in general) do not practice Avodah Zarah as defined by Chazal because they are praying to HKBH, but seeking the intervention of an intermediary that we do not recognize. They kneel at the cross not because it is a g-d (like ba’al or molech), but it is a symbol to focus on the true G-d (a symbol that we do not recognize).
Maybe… let’s tone down the hostility just a bit. When a figure with 1.2 billion followers visits Israel in the spirit of friendship (and I believe this particular pope’s sincerity unlike his predecessors), we should be willing to cautiously extend a hand back, approaching as Torah Jews, secure in our faith, as the Gedolim shlita do when necessary.
The rashbak
FWI;
Many of us cant see the video for that reason. The filters block it.
The Rashbak: first of all it’s forbidden to “just look” into a church and second before questioning and doubting Rav Addas do some research about him before mouthing off; it’s for your own good.
Avi – I asked questions and admitted my lack of full knowledge up front, how is that mouthing off? I notice that you didn’t answer any of them (what does looking into a church have to do with looking at a human being?). What does that have to do with tahor and tamei? You’re the Talmud Chacham, educate a fellow Jew. You also didn’t provide any citation for your point. If the rabbi provides citations for his statement that I can’t understand (which is likely), please tell me what they are so I can learn them inside.
But seriously, since when can’t we question? If we don’t question, how do we learn? We blindly accept what a person on youtube in a tallis says because… mekubal? Maybe the sources the rabbi learns from are minority opinions and there are rishonim or achronim who disagree. Aren’t they worthy of study also?
@The Rashbak
Catholics believe in the trilogy which is pure avoda zara…..
I’m not saying anyone should go and see the Pope. But making these sort of statements is a huge mistake, in my opinion. There is an inyan of darkay shalom which should not be taken lightly, especially since this Pope has shown a very friendly attitude towards Klal Yisrael (and not merely to convert us). Major chillul Hashem and disservice being done here.
Does this really have to be publicized, is it not enough that we are hated in the world that we have to add more fuel to the fire, this is all narishkiet
It is the nature of teenagers to think that they are much smarter, worldly, and “with it” than their parents. Thus, they often are embarrassed about their parents and are angered when their parents lay down rules that they think are unfair and/or unrealistic. As they mature they start to realize that they were very mistaken about their parents and begin to understand the wisdom that was driving their parents to enforce their rules. They then thank them.
So too here we have a number of commentators that are quite young intellectually and complain when a spiritually mature person makes a statement that runs contrary to their limited wisdom (or lack of wisdom). This, however, is nothing new. Throughout history, from Moshe Rabbanu to Mordechai HaYehudi, ect., there have always been the “complainer” who thought themselves “wiser then seven sages”.
It is upon the rest of us to ignore these fools and their foolishness! As of yet, I have not heard ANY of our sages coming out against Rav Adas, shlita’s statements. That seems to be saying something. “Shtika KiHodaa”.
“As of yet, I have not heard ANY of our sages coming out against Rav Adas, shlita’s statements. That seems to be saying something.”
Yes – it says they don’t consider him worth bothering with.
Maybe Klal Yisroel would be more better off and less embarrassed if the non-Jewish male nurse was successful.
The Mishna says in Avos (1:8):…When the two claimants stand before you (the Judge in a Bet Din), they should both appear to you as sinners…
This halachah is brought in Tur Choshen Mishpat siman 17.
The Shach comments that according to this, the Sefer Chassidim (siman 1104) rules that it is forbidden for the judge to look at either of them, since it is forbidden to look at the face of a sinner.
When the Chazon Ish met with Ben Gurion, he instructed all of his household not to look at his face for the above reason. (I don’t know what the Chazon Ish himself did, since he had to speak directly to him.)
Certainly the sphere of tum’ah is esoteric and I doubt that it is brought in Halachah, but Rav Adas shlit”a is probably teaching us something he learned in Kabbalah – and he is certainly reliable and trustworthy.
Be well and matzliach.
The Rashbak; I apologize for my wording. I should have written “before questioning him”. As far as Rav Adas, know that he is not what one refers to as just a “Mekubal”. He is proficient in Kol Hatorah kula. It is said that Rav Eliashiv z”l was in awe of him. He has written about 30 Seforim on Shas including 2 volumes, each about 2-“3” thick, on Mesechta Mikvaos. He is one that is completely removed from this world sleeping about 2 hours a night on the floor. He cries by every davening as if begging for his life. I write all this to try to impress upon you that I believe he is beyond questioning from us mortals. We might not understand what he means but he is not one given to hyperbole and exaggeration so I think we can trust him on this one. As far as being allowed to question him, that is perfectly fine but I think that as one of the truly great people of our generation we should just trust him.
#12 – your title says a lot.
“it is forbidden to look at the face of a sinner”
The Pope is a man who is trying to undo centuries of Catholic antisemitism. How do you know he isn’t a righteous gentile?
“Rav Adas shlit”a is probably teaching us something he learned in Kabbalah – and he is certainly reliable and trustworthy.”
To the contrary, he is obviously unbalanced. It’s too bad some of the people here can’t see that.
Rashbak all pi halachah their might be an issue even be a machshiv the pope. And their theory is looking