Rabbi Yehuda Amital Shlita, the former rosh yeshiva of Yeshivat Har Etzion, used the Friday night opportunity in yeshiva to address the painful sight of rabbonim being taken away in handcuffs in NYC and elsewhere in the United States.
“I am not capable of speaking tonight on the parsha or on the 3 Weeks,” were his opening words, as the rav, a survivor of the Nazi death camps himself, making reference to the painful pictures coming out of the United States, which he explained “have me very concerned. There is no greater chilul Hashem and I cannot permit this to pass without expressing my protest”.
The rav lamented the sight of elderly rabbonim and heads of kehilos being taken away in handcuffs for questioning or incarceration as the world looked on. The difficult pictures he explained threw him back to the Holocaust, when he saw Jewish leaders being led out as well.
“The Holocaust was the greatest chilul Hashem in history and I believe with a full heart that we merited the Jewish state because HaKadosh Baruch Hu wanted to be Mekadesh (sanctify) His Name after the terrible chilul Hashem, the Holocaust”.
According to reports he explained, the money laundering was in part at least for the good of the State of Israel, and this is what contributed significantly to the rav’s uneasiness.
He explained that the establishment of the state and victories in wars against Israel’s enemies was Hashem’s response to Kiddush Hashem. “That is why we must be cognizant of the need to sanctify Hashem’s name today, in our time. It is absurd that monies intended for the state should be tainted. This is why I feel the needs to shout in public” he explained.
When asked how to seek a tikun for these actions, the chilul Hashem and the recent actions in particular, the rav explained there are several aspects, the private as well as the collective/national. While everyone must seek to sanctify Hashem’s name, the state must act in such a fashion, one that is righteous, moral and beyond reproach towards sanctifying Hashem’s name on the national level.
(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)
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37 Responses
Chazal pointedly spoke of this: “Ai-zeh hu chochem? Ha-roeh es ha-nolad.” Money dealing outside the law will lead to chilul Hashem. With due respect to Rav Amital, this is not a Holocaust. This is willfully ignoring Chazal.
The Chazon Ish and Satmar Rav and others disagree totaly in an establishmrnt in a State as being anything of being worthy or a Kiddush H-shem. It is the biggest Chilul H-shem with Chilonim running it. They said we culd have been zoche to the real geulah if we waited properly. They grabed all the Zchusim and now we are suffering the consenquences. its all Kefira.
to #2:
you completely missed the boat. It is unbelievable. So maybe you disagree with the State of Israel. R’Amital’s words were meant to inspire and to clean up a mess that has belittled the Jewish people and allowed our stereotypes to breed and grow stronger. Please don’t say that they “grabbed all the zechusim”. Do you seriously think you can wade into this debate amongst these great gedloim? Please realize that these are gedolim we are talking about-R’Amital, R’Kook, R’Reines, R’Tzvi Hirsch Kalischer and so many others? There was tremendous respect between the gedolim that disagreed on this topic. But this is all besides the point. the jewish people have just experienced another terrible tragedy that has caused a great chillul Hashem. R’Amital was simply trying to find words to inspire those who don’t know what to say anymore. So stop pointing fingers, stop accusing the zionists for the root of all evil and just start being a better person.
I understand how the pictures could raise such emotions, but the two situations are not similar at all.
#2. Good point. Perhaps the Neturei Kartah have an opening for you.
I have never registered with Yeshiva World. But After reading this article, I was outraged.
I take offense at the comparision to the Holocaust. The Rabonium in the Holocust were led out to their deaths because they we’re Jewish. This created a huge Kidush Hashem. They didnt break any laws.
These people Lhavdel were taken out in handcuffs because they allegedly laundered money against the law. This is against jewish law as well. Plus they werent taken out to die. If they did this it was a tremendous Chilul Hashem. There is no comparision.
I don’t understand what he is saying. The people here were not arrested becuase they were Jews – they were arrested because they allegedly broke the law –
& the sight of a ruthless informer reminds me of the “kappos” whos tongues were cut out after the war
Seems like the OPPOSITE of the holocaust to me. In the holocaust they were led away Al Kiddush HaShem, here they were lede away Al Chilul HaShem.
The real chillul is all the infighting this event has caused among and within the Jewish community. Noam Elimelech says on Parshas Devarim, even though a few yiddin may sin, this doesn’t affect the purity and perfection of the Kehilla. Now is a time we should all join together with Torah study, tefillot, acts of chesed, to unify and purify ourselves as a kehilla.
i agree with #7
The Rav is not comparing the 2. He is just saying that the recent pictures took him back to a difficult time in his life when the scene LOOKED the same. He goes on to say what we should learn from these 2 separate situations and even connects the lessons.
I can understand the Rabbi’s point and perhaps he was speaking from a deeper level of concern. My thought upon reading the news about the alleged money laundering was there must be more severe concerns in NJ than money from knock-off Gucci bags.
When you add to this what happened to the Rubashkin plant for hiring illegals, it makes one think frum Jews are being targeted for things that are not high up on the crime priority list.
For example, invading Rubashkin with regards to illegal aliens is certainly picking on one person for something that is rampant and committed by countless companies, schools, social service agencies, and every other level of society. So, this alleged money laundering thing for fake Gucci bags cannot be such a top crime. All it did was give some antisemite(s) the opportunity to point a finger at frum Jews.
Such a “clandestine conspiracy” or manipulation of priorities by law enforcement DOES smell and remind one of elements contained in the Holocaust.
the rav is a true eved hashem and is hekdesh, what he says is laced with emes and should be weighed very carefully , with that said its at least a mitzvah habah , but the kavanah was their
we must be melamed zechus we dont even know the whole story yet just like the duke case a arrogant D.A and the fbi,wait,the jury wasnt picked yet!
#3 Rav,Amital,Kook, Reines, Kalisher, heads of the Religious Zionist, were 100% sincere.So were The BILU, the CHOVEVAY TZION.But were they wrong.Not one Major Godol agreed with them.Rav Kalisher was so far off the mark of das Torah,that when he asked Rav Shamshon Refael Hirsh to lead them, he said to R.T H K. “what you think is a great mitzvah is to us not a small aveirah” Look at his tshuvos in the front page of the sefer Shemesh Marpeh”Tzionim even very religious ones live on a wrong premis,that a homeland not lead by a melech or novei,is not worth one jewish life.
I attended the sicha, and while I could not hear every word, it seems that what Rav Amital was trying to say is close to “Yatzmich”‘s comment – that the image conjured up a Holocaust image, though the context was opposite or radically different. The main point was definitely the chillul ha-Shem of the incident not that the police are Nazis or anything vaguely in that direction.
Regarding the earlier comments on the Holocaust as a chillul ha-Shem, an entire book has been published explaining Rav Amital’s views on this matter, “Olam Banui ve-charev u-banuy” in Hebrew and “A World Destroyed, Built and Destroyed” in English. Read that and then decide for yourself.
Rav Amital, of all people, generally abhors Holocaust comparisons. I’m pretty sure he was just saying that it conjured up certain emotions and images.
It was a very emotional address and it’s a shame that it is not being misunderstood out of context. Besorot tovot, yeshu’ot ve-nechamot.
I’m so happy to hear our leadership say that we AREN’T ALLOWED TO BREAK THE LAW even for the benefit of Yiden/yeshivos/Israel, etc.
I attended the sicha on Friday night, and, while I could not hear every word, there seems to have been somwhat of a misunderstanding of what Harav Amital said. While he definitely mentioned that the sight in the newspaper conjured up Shoah images, he did not say that the police reminded him of Nazis. He was talking about the shame involved in rabbis being taken off, not that they were innocent and were being taken due to anti-Semitism. There has been some discussion as to exactly what he said, but he was not proclaiming their innocence, rather decrying the shame stemming from the incident. Either he was claiming this was an inversion of the holocaust theme, as “Yatzmich” implied, or that it was a “shanda” either way, “mi-ma nafshach,” if you will.
Regarding the chillul ha-Shem of the Holocaust on Rav Amital’s view, please see the book written on this, Olam Banuy ve-charev u-banuy in Hebrew or A World Built, Destoyed and Rebuilt in English.
after reading the article i really have no idea what this rabbi was really trying to say. i can only assume the author did not convey his message adequately. and let’s be careful who we are labelling as gedolim. i would say if the undisputed gedolim recognise them as gedolim then so can we. but who are we to decide?
Ofcourse Rav Amital is a Talmid Chocham. Is he a Godal no! Ofcourse seeing Yidden being carried away in hand cuffs is awful ,the pictures may remind us of the hollocust 60 years ago. Their deeds have nothing to do and should not be compared to the Holocust. I ask you Rav Amital Shlita, when the Yidden were expelled from Gush Katif 4 yars ago, did you say anything , did you open youre mouth? Where were you, youre representative in the Knesset even voted to expel the Yiddenn from their homes. Did that remind tou of what happened to our bretheren 60 years ago?
Only good news, I was saying that the Jews in Germany during the holocust were killed because they were Jews. These were arrested for breaking the law.
“First They Came for the Jews”
First they came for POLLARD, and I did not speak out, because I was not a SPY.
Then they came for AIPAC, and I did not speak out, because I was not a ZIONIST.
Then they came for RUBASHKIN, and I did not speak out, because I was not a LUBAVITCHER.
Then, they came for the SYRIAN JEWS, and I did not speak out, because I was not a SFARDI.
Then they came for me, and, by that time,
THERE WAS NO ONE LEFT TO SPEAK OUT FOR ME.
(CREDITS: Rev. Martin Niemoller, 1945)
they never came for you deepthinker, you didn’t break the law 😉
1) Everyone should recall that (except for comment 20) you are commenting on a translation of a summary (appearing in Ma’ariv) of a sicha given on a Friday night (obviously no notes).
2) Rav Amital’s entire family was wiped out in the Shoah. He has written extensively on the Shoah, articles and books – and he is rightfully acknowledged as a leading thinker in this arena.
3) Despite what may be inferred from from the translation of the Hebrew summary, Rav Amital would NEVER justify tax fraud just because the money benefited Torah institutions. Anyone with even a remote concept of his theology and familiar with his personality can reject this out of hand as a wholly invalid summary of his views and what he said.
4) For all those confused – and there are a lot of you in this comment section – the Shoah was a massive Chillul Shem Shamayim – those who perished, perished al Kiddush Hashem.
5) It is obvious that Rav Amital was not comparing the Shoah and last week – one can choose to evaluate Rav Amital from many perspectives, but simpleton is not on anyone’s list.
Rather seeing Rabonim (and not simple Rabbi’s but communal leaders) put into a pattywagon evoked a sense of Chilul Hashem that he, as a young man recalled from years ago.
Tax fraud and the massive annihilation of one-third of World Jewry are not the same – and I don’t think that Rav Amital, as a survivor among no survivors, as a young talmid abandoned and alone, needs reminding.
Rather, Chilul Hashem should evoke an overwhelming sense of shame and disgust, a sense that while we may scream “Yeheih Shmeih Rabba”, all that is good is threatened by the power of individual acts of Chillul Shem Shamayim. It is neither fair nor accurate to depict our community in this fashion. It’s just the reality of the power of Chilul Hashem.
“…were 100% sincere.So were The BILU, the CHOVEVAY TZION.But were they wrong.Not one Major Godol agreed with them.”
First, Rav Kook was a major gadol. R’ Isser Zalman Meltzer and the Netziv were involved in Chovevei Tzion. The last time I checked, they were major gedolim. Many other great rabbonim were involved as well.
“…were 100% sincere.So were The BILU, the CHOVEVAY TZION.But were they wrong.Not one Major Godol agreed with them.”
First, Rav Kook was a major gadol. R’ Isser Zalman Meltzer and the Netziv were involved in Chovevei Tzion. The last time I checked, they were major gedolim. Many other great rabbonim were involved as well.
The Rav gives a Friday Night shmooze (this is obviously the articles authors, version) and The Yeshivah World posts it as a statement made for the world to hear. He was speaking from his heart, not to lecture the world about what is going on. Please show some respect, at least show some intelligence.
With all due respect to Rav Amital. Although the money obtained from the money laundering may have benefited the State of Israel, the question that remains is it kosher? The money supposedly was obtained from illegal means, by breaking the law. Can I infer from his article that I can perform a mitzvah by doing an avariah? Can I steal a lulav and perform the mitzvah using it? As I understand it, the answer is no.
While I don’t like to see any Jew in handcuffs, no less religious leaders, if there is a reasonable reason for them to be assumed that they committed a crime, that is how the arrest is performed. If they are guilty, then they are also guilty of a Chilul HaShem.
To all those complaining about Rav AMital’s comparison of last week to the Holocaust, you did not understand what he said. He’s CONTRASTING the two. In the Holocaust, rabbonim were led away al kiddush hashem, wheras last week, they were led away al chilul hashem. The similarity in outward appearance is what causes him to be drawn to show t he contrast.
I think the words of Rav Amital are being misinterpreted.
Any time Jews are being walked in handcuffs led by non-Jews it is a chilul Hashem regardless of the reason. Jews are a collective body and if one is being taken it is a sign that somewhere – some Jew or group of Jews is the cause of that based on his/their actions. This is true in this case and was true with regard to the Holocaust.
Perhaps they shouldn’t live in New Jersey. According to the Wall Street Journal, corruption is the local minhag.
When I read these comments, the realization that people DO NOT READ OR UNDERSTAND the article posted (& not just this one) comes to mind.
Rav Amital explained, “The difficult pictures threw me back to the Holocaust, when I saw Jewish leaders being led out as well” (is this is even quoted correctly) THREW HIM BACK to the photos that he saw during the Holocaust. Did not compare the two at all? The vision of Rabbanim in handcuffs relived a memory of the past.
This post is not about the worthiness/holiness of the State of Israel or not….
Actually, is there anyone out there that really knows all the facts? I certainly do not and my thought is that most of you do not know both sides of the story.
Whatever the truth may be, one thing for certain is that these images of rabbis being led away in handcuffs by the police is certainly an embarassment to these rabbis, and to klal yisroel. I seem to recall that the halacha requires us to be “dan l’caf zechus” talmidei chachamim. What do others think about this?
with all due respect, the rav is not being dan l’kaf zechut.
and neither are YOU!
NONE of us know what really happened and it’s been hurting me so much to see goyim so quick to judge and assume that the rabbanim are guilty. but look – you’re one of US! and all of you talking like they’re guilty. be quiet! look at yourselves! this is a time in which we all need to be mechazek in inyanim of kiddush hashem. so unless u come with support, worry about yourself. anything less will not sit well with HKB”H, i assure u. and dont forget we stand to be judged in just 54 days. if u are careful to be dan l’kaf zechut, Hashem will too.
I think all the people on the list here who think they are safe, “because they didn’t break the law.” are clearly missing the point. A Gadol Ba’Torah like R’ Amital, who of course, as required by Halacha must be Dan L’caf Zechus, realizes that in Galus when a Jew is carted off by the Non-Jews for what ever reason, they are not safe. All Jews in Galus are not safe. Read the merciful message sent to us by HaShem Yisborach S’hmo. Raise yourself in Kiddusha. Leave this Tumadika land and GO HOME to your land, Eretz Yisroel!!!!!!
i never heard of this rabbi but his views are poison
#2 & #9
The Chazon Ish was THE Gadol Hador undisputed! Even Reb Issur Zalman and all the other great Roshei Yeshiva of the time were Machnia (bowed) to the Daas Torah of the Chazon Ish. Sure they got along and understood each other But the Ikrim in Yiddishkeit went by these great Giants such as the Chazon Ish The Brisker Rav and Satmar Rav. Even the Bais Yisroel of Ger who sent his Chassidim to the army said “If not for the Satmar Rav’s Strong stand against Zionism I would have had to do it.”