The antizionism amongst religious Jews has no legitimate detractors

Home Forums Decaffeinated Coffee The antizionism amongst religious Jews has no legitimate detractors

Viewing 50 posts - 151 through 200 (of 226 total)
  • Author
    Posts
  • #2374665
    Chaim87
    Participant

    @somejewiknow
    “I would rather speak about psak and torah instead of, lhavdil, zionism and kook”

    Rizhyin is Pask and torah not stories. You just lie and dri akup.

    #2374710
    somejewiknow
    Participant

    @always_ask_questions
    there is a deep dive article in two or three parts that explores and debunks every possible avenue to validate the zionist fraud. search for:
    “מאה שנים לזיוף המכתב של האור שמח”

    If i recall, there were timeline errors relevant to when it was first published (in a mizrachi newspaper) that made the letter impossible to be legitimate. Beyond that, and I don’t just mean CR, there are many instances of shameless forgery by the RZ propaganda.

    #2374855
    yankel berel
    Participant

    Rav Shmuel Auerbach, not a zionist by all accounts , refused the attempt to take out rav kuk’s haskama in me’orei ha’eish by r shlome zalman.

    Look at the new edition published just a few years ago.
    Rav kuks haskama is first.

    Because rav’kuks powerful political influence of some 100 years ago ?
    .

    #2375010
    yankel berel
    Participant

    Some Hungarian Rabbanim in their zealousness to preserve yahadut , threw logic and fact based judgement out of the window. They thought that following this greatest of the greatest of Hungarian Jewry , the Hatam Sofer , necessitates to jettison fact based thinking ,rationality and proportionality.

    And truth be said , it could very well be a matana from heaven , as our generation after the war, was so diminished in so many ways, that’s exactly what that generation needed. Otherwise they would all drown in the zionist tsunami which flooded every Jewish community.

    But now when the zionist ideals are long hollowed out already, it is time to return to the shvil hazahav of logic and facts. Coupled with yir’at shamayim and based on torah.

    So taking those rabanim literally will have a not so different result to taking ,lehavdil elef havdalot, every word of this big and fat basar vadam DJT literally ….
    .

    #2375156
    Chaim87
    Participant

    @somejewiknow
    We see your MO. Everything had in erorr , everything was a mistake or forgery unless its your sources. Oh and all those that held R Kook in high esteem in their letters, they were just bullied into it. And paskim said in public in front of 100’s of people over and over again like haschlata degulah those are merely “stories” up for interpretation.

    I think its time you look within and see what a pretzel you are twisting. You passul everyone on the other side and then you create your own rules as to whats valid so that you can say noone who was a gadol or tzadik held of zionsim. Its time to stop the bullying and passuling whoever you disagree with. Deep down you know that the rleigous zionists are not koefrim or apikrosim. Maybe they are misguided and thats fine. But to passul other jews or say that they have no source and are just heretics? Its clearly not true. Stop this bullying and mishagsim.

    #2375171

    somejew, I looked up this article, thanks, it seems to be written by a total outsider, zeroing on some inconsistencies in the reports.

    Let’s look at a bigger picture: Ohr Sameach was a rav in a large city, Dvinsk that was full of political activities. I’ve read a couple of articles, it seems that Ohr Sameach was generally pro- yishuv eretz yisroel but wary of anti-religious groups involved, still having some sympathy. I’m putting below some quotes. Given where and how he lived, I don’t think his activities and letters would go unnoticed by contemporaries, he was not always outgoing with his positions, but he was not hidden in a desert. In particular, the letter ^ was published in 1922, there are his responses from right after Balfour in 1917-18. He was niftar in 1926, surely an actual forgery would be noticed during his lifetime. The quotes below are from a long article A Light Unto Our Nation: R. Meir Simhah of Dvinsk’s Approach to Nationhood and Zionism in Meshekh Hokhmah By: JONAH STEINMETZ – you would be better off reading the original than my random quotes to understand complexity of Ohr Sameach views.

    From the day our holy Torah was given, prophecy has never ceased to command us to settle the land [of Israel]. There is no section in the Torah which bears no mention of the Land of Israel… From the day that Zion and Jerusalem were singled out, David in his praises [i.e., Psalms], Isaiah in his visions, Jeremiah in his rebukes, and Ezekiel in his parables never ceased to stress the commandment of settling the land… So too in the Grace after Meals, we pray for the land and Jerusalem… Indeed, in this century, rays of light have shone through the efforts of activists… but many rabbis have opposed it… However, providence has intervened, and at a conference… it was decreed that the Land of Israel will be [given] to the nation of Israel… [And so,] the command to settle the Land of Israel which is as weighty as all the Torah commandments [combined] has returned to its place. It is [therefore] incumbent upon each person to support, to the extent that he can, the fulfillment of this command. The words of the one who awaits seeing the salvation of Israel, Meir Simhah Kohen Ha-Tor, Vol. 3 (1922)

    Eulogy from R. Hayyim Zev Harash
    Everyone claimed him as their own. Agudath Israel says he was theirs, the Hasidim say he was theirs, and the “Zionists” say he was theirs. And this is the truth, because he would find positive aspects in every group. And so, he once said to me in conversation… that in every group and in every organization, there are found good aspects and evil aspects… [A] person who stands on the side, a neutral person, is able to truly know and understand the good aspects found even in the lowliest of the groups; and to find the evil aspect which exists even in the finest of the groups

    You asked me… to express my opinion regarding the new movement which came to be in our times… by the name of “Hovevei Zion” are they called..
    [F]or one who looks at the history of the Jewish people in exile with open eyes sees that at some times crazy, imaginative people arise from among our nation… and place their trust [in the idea] that the redemption is close in coming. And being that their words are [destructive] and all their acts are [ensnaring], many from the nation of God left the religion and the nation and denied the hope of the future… Behold! How terrifying is the sight of the enthusiastic [people] who go out saying: “This is the way which leads to the ultimate redemption From R. Meir Simhah’s letter to Slucki.
    I see also ref to
    Meshekh Hokhmah, Bereishit 12:5; Devarim 11:31.
    Meshekh Hokhmah, Bereishit 50:24. where he supports oaths
    after Balfour, he supported yishuv, but does not join Zionist movement Iggerot R. Hayyim Ozer, vol. 1, pp. 311-12 (no. 289).
    see also She’eilot u-Teshuvot Avnei Nezer, Yoreh Deah 454:56

    #2375303
    SQUARE_ROOT
    Participant

    “On Friday, November 29, 1947, the United Nations
    debated the issue of partitioning the British Mandate
    for Palestine into two countries, one Arab and on Jewish.

    Reb Shraga Feivel [Mendlowitz] prayed fervently for partition.

    He had no radio in his house, but that Friday he borrowed one
    and set it to the news, leaving it on for Shabbos.

    He waited with such tense anticipation to hear the outcome
    of the U. N. [United Nations] vote that he did not come to shalosh seudos.

    When he heard the U. N.’s decision to establish a Jewish state,
    he stood up and recited the blessing HaTov VeHaMeitiv,
    Who is good and Who does good.

    Without losing sight of the anti-religious nature of
    the leaders of the yishuv in Eretz Yisrael,
    he nevertheless saw the creation of a Jewish state
    as an act of Providence and as a cause for rejoicing.

    At the very least, there would now be one country in the world
    whose gates would be open to the thousands of Holocaust survivors
    still languishing in Displaced Persons Camps in Germany and Austria.”

    SOURCE: Reb Shraga Feivel: the life and times of Rabbi Shraga Feivel Mendlowitz,
    the architect of Torah in America (chapter 26, page 331) by Yonoson Rosenblum
    for Artscroll / Mesorah, year 2001, based on Aharon Sorasky’s Shelucha DeRachmana,
    ISBNs: 157819797X, 9781578197972, 1578197961, 9781578197965

    __________________________________________
    Rabbi Shraga Feivel Mendlowitz was the founder of Torah U’Mesorah
    and became principal of Yeshiva Torah Vodaas in year 1921 CE.

    His career in Yeshiva Torah Vodaas lasted 25 years.

    He was known as “the premier architect of Torah in American history.”

    He left this world in 1948 CE at the age of 62 years.

    __________________________________________
    PERSONAL COMMENT:

    Please, DO NOT LISTEN to Rabbi Shraga Feivel Mendlowitz,
    just because he was the founder of Torah U’Mesorah.

    Please, DO NOT LISTEN to Rabbi Shraga Feivel Mendlowitz,
    just because he was principal of Yeshiva Torah Vodaas,
    and taught there for 25 years.

    Please, DO NOT LISTEN to Rabbi Shraga Feivel Mendlowitz,
    just because he was known as
    “the premier architect of Torah in American history.”

    #2376041
    yankel berel
    Participant

    ?

    #2376333
    SQUARE_ROOT
    Participant

    “In [year]1948 [CE], after the Arabs attacked the newly declared
    Jewish state and soldiers were falling on the battlefield,
    several Roshei Yeshivah taunted Reb Shraga Feivel [Mendlowitz]
    for having recited the blessing [HaTov VeHaMeitiv].

    Reb Shraga Feivel turned to Rabbi Aharon Kotler,
    who agreed with him that the U. N. resolution
    [to establish a Jewish State in Eretz Yisrael in year 1948 CE]
    was indeed worthy of the blessing.”

    SOURCE: Reb Shraga Feivel: the life and times of Rabbi Shraga Feivel Mendlowitz,
    the architect of Torah in America
    (chapter 26, page 331, footnote 3,
    heard from Rabbi Nesanel Quinn) by Yonoson Rosenblum for Artscroll / Mesorah,
    year 2001 CE, based on Aharon Sorasky’s Shelucha DeRachmana,
    ISBNs: 157819797X, 9781578197972, 1578197961, 9781578197965

    __________________________________________
    PERSONAL COMMENT:

    PLEASE DO NOT LISTEN to Rabbi Aharon Kotler,
    just because he founded Beth Medrash Govoha in Lakewood.

    PLEASE DO NOT LISTEN to Rabbi Aharon Kotler,
    just because he worked day and night to save Jews from The Holocaust.

    PLEASE DO NOT LISTEN to Rabbi Aharon Kotler,
    just because he wrote Shu”t Mishnas R’ Aharon (responsa).

    PLEASE DO NOT LISTEN to Rabbi Aharon Kotler,
    just because he wrote the Mishnas Rabbi Aharon commentary on the Talmud.

    PLEASE DO NOT LISTEN to Rabbi Aharon Kotler,
    just because produced many highly distinguished talmidim,
    including: Rabbi Shlomo Brevda, Rabbi Moshe Heinemann,
    Rabbi Moshe Hillel Hirsch, Rabbi Shmuel Kamenetsky,
    Rabbi Shlomo Miller, Rabbi Yechiel Perr,
    Rabbi Gedalia Schorr, Rabbi Elya Svei and many others.

    __________________________________________
    PERSONAL COMMENT:

    Please read this quote together with the quote that preceded it.

    #2376423
    Non Political
    Participant

    @ somejew

    You wrote: “I would rather speak about psak and torah”

    We have been waiting with baited breath, spanning multiple threads, for you to start doing that

    #2376782
    somejewiknow
    Participant

    @non-political
    My opening post was a long explanation of my understanding and open ended question for response about the Torah’s system of psak and halacha.

    as mentioned, I didn’t see anyone challenge it.

    #2376865
    Non Political
    Participant

    @ somejew

    You wrote: My opening post was a long explanation of my understanding and open ended question for response about the Torah’s system of psak and halacha. as mentioned, I didn’t see anyone challenge it.

    It seems most respondents didn’t see, in what you outlined, the Torah system of psak and halacha

    #2376870
    Chaim87
    Participant

    @somejewiknow
    The challenge to it is that you have a misconception as tow hat the rules are. of course if you make up your own rules then noone can challange it. But its fixed. Us torah jews know that mesorah and a psak not written in a sefer but said over to 100’s of people is just as strong if not stronger. And that not every issue is halcha . Some are Hashkafa.

    Again wshen you make your own rigid rules so that only your way is correct then yes you can’t dispute it but your rules are made up and are not al pi torah. Bottom line there is a strong side to say zionsim is the torah way. of cirse not secular zionsim which agudah opposed.

    #2377674
    somejewiknow
    Participant

    @chaim87
    Every key point I wrote is based fully on Shulchan Aruch and the major universally accepted Achronim that are printed in every modern edition of SA. I went through those points step by step in the opening post and would like to hear if anyone with [basic yirash shomayim] has any kashas on them. I can provide sources to support each step and would like to engage in a meaningful exploration and understanding of the system of psak.

    [I am not interested in hearing kefira of religious zionists being mehahar achrai rabam, so you @chaim87 should probably not get involved here.]

    #2377985

    somejew,
    I am going back to your OM (opus magnus). You seem to be proving that we need to go over and thoroughly learn Vayoel Moshe because of his godlus. I don’t think it is a bad idea, but I don’t think you have to force people to do that.

    As many here posted, there are other respectable opinions out there – from those who are now cooperating with Medinah while barely tolerating to those who appreciate Israel’s role in giving homes to those who lost their homes to those who would hang the flag just one day a year to those who have hopes that Medinah will lead to something good in the future to those who think there is redeeming value in the Medinah despite shortcoming to those who were willing to work with Medina lehathila hoping to make it better to those, at the extreme, who think that Medinah can do nothing wrong. You may claim that some of the listed are not of sufficient stature, especially at the extreme, but there were many names posted here that are not disprovable by, for example, their association with other Talmidei Chachamim that you respect.

    Thus, if I am not a Satmar, I do not have to rely on Vayoel Moshe if I am already following other mesoras. Same way, I don’t need to know all kavonos of all chassidishe rebbes before davening shacharis. I can rely on Gaon who did not learn those kavonos also. Now, if I were to insist that Vayoel Moshe is incorrect and a wrong shitah and makes a mistake – then I will be obligated to go research each of his heilike arguments one by one. But I am just not interested right now, no offense, but I have other lakunas in my Torah that I need to cover first. I might have done it were I to live in the time he published it. But right now, Medinah exists, it is full of religious Jew, b’h, so there are lots of other issues to deal with, such as whom to vote for in WZO elections. (can you write in Vayoel Moshe?).

    Now, you insist that Vayoel Moshe is correct and every other gadol is not. To say that, you need to go and learn original sources of those you think are wrong and review their arguments. Thankfully, people here provided you a lot of references. Let us know which one you are starting with and let’s have a substantive discussion.

    #2378133
    somejewiknow
    Participant

    @always_ask_questions

    thank you for the derech eretz in your response. You said some reasonable things (which I will totally ignore is the minhag hamakom of CR) and many errors both big and small. I will try to comment on the ones that I believe will move this conversation forward:

    You seem to be proving that we need to go over and thoroughly learn Vayoel Moshe because of his godlus

    No, I claim that his psak is binding because of the authoritative sources his psak stands on until there is another countering psak that fulfils the requirements of SA: 1) gadol b’minyan and/or chochma, 2) someone who goes in a “good way, 3) paskins specifically because of his the contents of shas and poskim, and 4) who has publicized his halachik reasoning for peer review.

    The running theme of my stance, to be clear, is that there is no one who has even attempted a countering psak. (except for voting and participating in Zionist parliament, reasoning that has been well published in seforim like Biyos HaZman. For the sake of keeping the rest of this post simple, I will ignore this point, as this is a validated shita in psak that reputable Gadolim have stood by.)

    As many here posted, there are other respectable opinions out there

    I have not seen any, as mentioned above.

    Thus, if I am not a Satmar, I do not have to rely on Vayoel Moshe if I am already following other mesoras.

    I have not seen any other Torah “mesoras”, as mentioned above.

    We cannot paskin based of actions of a presumed tsaddik to go against halacha. A talmid of such a leader would be obligated to presume he is keeping the Torah 100% as per the issur to “mehahar achrei rabo”, but no one says we can add or detract from the Torah to make up a new masora, chalia, because we saw a “Tzadik” do something. What we can do is paskin a shikel daas between two shitas in Shas based on a Tzadik’s observed behavior (see Chilin, daf vuv or zuyin? with Rebbe Mayer zy”a).

    Now, you insist that Vayoel Moshe is correct and every other gadol is not.

    I have not seen anyone who disagreed, as mentioned above. Rather all Gedolim when asked (like Steipler Gaon and Rav Shach), seem to be clear that they agree with Vayoel Moshe.

    Thankfully, people here provided you a lot of references. Let us know which one you are starting with and let’s have a substantive discussion.

    Again, I haven’t seen these references. Please remind me. (seriously). And again, to be clear, a meaningful Torah psak that could compete with Vayoel Moshe, as per the SA, would demand wrestling explicitly with its content and pilpul of sources relied upon.

    ==================

    Because of the obligation to be moche, I must push back against your greenlighting of the following crooked ideas I quote from you.

    The current Zionist medina that is called “Israel” was created by kofrim and apikorusim as a direct and explicit rebellion against the Torah and against Hashem. This historical reality is admitted to by even the most brainwashed RZs. As per the 13 ikkarei emina of the Rambam, we Yidden believe in “schar and onesh” which means that necessarily nothing good comes out of an avaira. There are certainly concepts of yerida l’tzorech aliya and mitzvah h’bu b’avairah etc, but they don’t push away the crookedness of pointing to the actions of a rusha and saying “this is good”.

    You seemed to have, chas v’shulem, validated the following ideas regarding the Zionist medina:

    those who appreciate Israel’s role

    Someone who does this is borderline kefira. I say borderline, because, sure a kidnapped victim can “appreciate” getting a cup of water from the captors. So, too we can “appreciate” the paved streets from the money the Zionists steal from us.

    those who have hopes that Medinah will lead to something good

    Again, we certainly know that EVERY tragedy will lead to a good, but no one says we leverage that point to support or sugarcoat any evil, meshiach sheker, or rebellion against Hashem.

    Of course, these are all side points relative to the core kefira of Zionism that is still alive and well today, and certainly all this is side points to the focus of this conversation: the general system of Torah psak and the binding nature of vayoel moshe today.

    #2378226
    yankel berel
    Participant

    @some jew
    You seem to exclude one the most greats of klal yisrael .

    Avnei Nezer end of yoreh de’ah who befeirush states [learn it a few times – otherwise you might miss it] that 3 shavu’ot are not binding halach lemaaseh nowadays.

    I cannot see any reason why anyone , and befrat someone whose mesorah is from poskim from Poland should not rely on his shitah.
    .

    #2378284
    somejewiknow
    Participant

    @yankel-berel

    I’m not excluding the Avnei Nezer.

    if you are refering to siman תנ”ו, he doesn’t say that the 3 shavuos are not binding, rather he goes through explanations of shitas rashi that the shevua of “aliyah b’choma” doesn’t prevent the individual from making aliyah. The whole conversation only makes sense with the precursor that the shavuos are of course binding.

    The Avenei Nezer there doesn’t attempt to weaken the issur of rebellion against the goyim (higarus b’imos) or forcing the end of exile (dechikas hakeitz)

    Beyond that, that siman was not written or published by the Avnei Nezer, rather it was printed by his students and it says clearly at the beginning that the following are bits and unrelated pieces of writings that we found and are not sure who wrote them.

    Perhaps you mean a different siman in yoreh deah?

    Pushing past even all this, you must understand, @yankel-berel, that the heresy of Zionism is not only the “Three Oaths”. That means to say that even taking your complaint at face value, there is no exaping the incompatiblity of Judaism with Zionism. Beyond the specific issues of the Three Oaths, Zionism also rejects other fundamental principles of Judaism, such as the belief in reward and punishment (by definition, nothing good comes from an aveira) and belief in moshiach (not a moshiach sheker). Getting past that we have additional major problems (kefira in Torah) by considering mechalilei shabbos and kofrim b’Hashem (including tinukos sh’nishba) to be part of “klal yisroel” as well as problems of hischabris l’rashayim and the halchos of masis i’madiach.

    There is a lot to unpack in the above mentioned sugyas, and there is obviously much more I haven’t mentioned. My point is not to throw everything at you (I didn’t even) to clutter the conversation, rather my point is to highlight that this is a substantial Torah sugya that needs to be dealt with appropriately as is fitting a Gadol b’Torah, with careful lengthy consideration of each of the teachings of Chazal in light of the current situation, with clear explicit reasons of psak – as was done in Vayoel Moshe and not done by any defender of RZ.

    #2378384
    SQUARE_ROOT
    Participant

    Yankel Berel is NOT the only person who understands the Avnei Nezer,
    at the end of Chelek Yoreh Deah, as clearly stating that The 3 Oaths
    [Gimmel Shevout] are *** NOT *** binding Halachah LeMaaseh, in our times.

    Other people read Avnei Nezer the same way that Yankel Berel reads it,
    and those people outnumber the brainwashed and dangerous
    anti-Zionist fanatics who endanger the lives of many Jews
    and shmad many Jews by driving them away from the Derech HaTorah.

    The anti-Zionist fanatics have shmaded more Jews,
    by driving Jews away from the Derech HaTorah,
    than the worst Secular Zionists ever did.

    #2378396
    Chaim87
    Participant

    @somejewiknow
    Nope its not shulchan aruch, its your own made up interpretation of it. of course you twist our torah to find a source. Furthermore. Zionism isn’t a halcha issue, its hashkafa. Everyone knows Mesora and psak is strong. Zionism has strong mesora. And R kook ZL was a huge gadol.

    #2378780
    yankel berel
    Participant

    @somejew
    I’ll bln find you the exact quote in Avnei Nezer. It is very clear.

    Re your claim that Zionism is against ikarei emuna. Logic does not necessitate this at all.
    One can fervently believe in schar va’ onesh and also advocate for a Jewish state. Not a contradiction at all.
    Ditto for believing and awaiting mashiach. Why is a state , necessarily- a mashiach sheker ? It is nothing more than a way of achieving a temporary outcome until mashiach will come and redeem the yidden build the bet hamikdash and eradicate the yetser hara and shib’ud malhuyot. Put an end to wars on the whole planet.
    No realistic person can deceive themselves that there is no shibud malhuyot in the present . Even after the medina [and in many instances – because of the medina] there is plenty of it r’l.

    One can support the medina without going against any of major tora problems you mention.
    One can adhere to the torah viewpoint re mechalalei shabbat and kofrim who to a certain degree [!] are al pi torah not part of klal israel. E.g. their yayin is nesech etc. And still give them a right to vote , not worse than a nochri who lives and votes in the state.

    Re hithabrut larsha’im , there is plenty of materiel in ba’ayot hazman by r grozovsky and karyane de’igrata by the steipler where the parameters are clearly delineated.
    So this is nothing more than a great deal of illogical and baseless hype and exaggeration, with the noble intention of stopping of innocent victims losing their yahadut by following those irreligious and anti religious people.

    #2378905
    somejewiknow
    Participant

    @yankel-berel

    please find the quote in Avnei Nezer. I reviewed the specific siman I mentioned for the first time (so thank you for that inspiration) and I was rather shocked how lacking it was in substance for the idolators, considering how much I have heard this source thrown around without actually being quoted.

    Re your claim that Zionism is against ikarei emuna.

    this isn’t “my claim”, this is the explicit claim of the Rav Chaim Brisker and thoroughly explored and declared as such in Vayoel Moshe. The reason it isn’t “my claim” is specifically because I don’t find that meaningful as much as I don’t find meaningful the other noisemakers here who scream “no! zionism is a kosher chazir!” without who to rely on.


    @yankel-berel
    , I appreciate your willingness to explore the details and present an alternate Torah perspective, but the point – the WHOLE POINT – of this post and the real question I am putting on the table is NOT “can someone speculate a defense of RZ”, rather the question is “has any one of any authority published such a Torah defense”.

    There are easy answers to your above counterpoints, but they are “easy” because the have been extensively dealt with in Vayoel Moshe. A meaningful response would then demand knowing those well publicized answers and responding to them, and responding to what then becomes an obvious straw-man of a response (for example, no one claims there is no shibud malchiyus under the tziyonim, and that is fully disconnected to the claim of moshiach sheker).

    If you don’t have the expertise (I also don’t), it’s either foolish or insincere to challenge those who do. And, again, I am not even asking you to argue it nor am I trying to bully-pulpit that I must be right because everyone else is dumb, rather I am asking you simply if anyone has validated (published) a “second shita” in halacha against Vayoel Moshe.

    I continue to claim that there is no such alternate “shita” that would even start the question of “shikel daas” between it and psak of Vayoel Moshe, hence my post title “The antizionism amongst religious Jews has no legitimate detractors”.

    #2379176

    YWN front page has an article with a video of some Omar on Times Sq who does not like Zionists but is not very good at defining who they exactly are. I wonder whether this is one of the participants in this thread went outside to vent his frustration. Next time you are passing times Sq make sure to ask Omar’s opinion on jimel shevuot.

    Looking clamly at the debate – it is not believable that the right position on Medinah can be discovered through pilpul of this gemorah. Even gemorah itself does not always come to conclusions based on pilpul – even if it looks like that. Think of cases where someone is consistently more machmir or more meikil than others – does he happen to always find the meikel psukim – or maybe he starts with a position and then tries to defined it…

    But in this case, where we are discussing major issues related to millions of Yidden – the right position is probably discovered thru analysis of Torah principles, politics, psychology, effect on future generations .., And maybe 100 years later … So, I think it is legit to have different opinions at this point, but it is not legit to use simplistic shortcuts to delegitimize serious positions of others.

    #2379259

    somejew > We cannot paskin based of actions of a presumed tsaddik to go against halacha

    I think this explains our disagreement. I (and others here) do not see a pre-existing halakha that those who were tolerant to Z or cooperated with them were violating. See discussion of Ohr Sameach who seemed to be tolerant to both sides of the debate and did not denounce anyone.

    There were often Jews of different social opinion. At modern times, there were communists, socialists, bundists, reform, conservative. There are lots of different decisions on how to behave towards them under different circumstances. Often, we decide not to cooperate with such groups. But, in some cases, we do. Depends on lots of factors. And different gedolim can come to different conclusions. R Salanter writes with owe about ladies who join serious Torah classes in Germany and says – if I were to try this in Lita, I’ll be excommunicated…

    #2379256

    somejew > his psak is binding because of the authoritative sources his psak stands on until there is another countering psak that fulfils the requirements of SA: 1) gadol b’minyan and/or chochma, 2) someone who goes in a “good way, 3) paskins specifically because of his the contents of shas and poskim, and 4) who has publicized his halachik reasoning for peer review.

    Truly, I am with you, I’d love to be in the bleaches of the Sanhedrin, seeing Satmar Rebbe debating R Kook. I really do not understand why we do not see modern Rabbis meeting for such discussions. They don’t have to be opposite of each other, just slightly disagreeing. We have stories of someone encountering someone at a chasunah or something and raising an issue. We have teshuvas, but not real debates. Sad. As R Steinsaltz used to say – gemorah says that if all gedolim gather on the same street in Yerushalaim and daven together, Moshiach will come. Why don’t they? We misunderstand the gemorah: only when Moshiach will come, such gathering will be possible …

    Until then, you just can’t obligate me, a litvishe guy, to go learn shitah of a Chassidishe Rebbe from St. Mary of Hungary. You can interest me by quoting him in a good way, and so far you didn’t.

    > there is no one who has even attempted a countering psak.

    You have a problem with peripheral vision. you are looking at posts quoting various rabbis and still thinking “where are the gedolim”. Just because they are not standing on the shelf in your yeshiva, does not mean they are not. I don’t want to answer for others, but I was bringing shita of RJBS. He is of comparable learning & effect on Jewish community to Satmar Rebbe. You may not see that because his students do not march in uniform – and probably outside of your neighborhood. For example, when he was a student in Berlin, he was coming back to Vilno during vacations, bringing his “chidushim” to R Ozer. R Ozer would usually smile and turn around to his bookshelf and find the source of the “chiddush”. This story says not only that R Ozer was ready to talk to RJBS, but also when RJBS was in Berlin; that RJBS was actually learning during his university studies; that he was attempting chiddushim, and that they were quite grounded in mesorah – and maybe that it requires R Ozer to see that what RJBS is saying is actually according to mesorah. RJBS was definitely respected by his contemporaries, some disagreed, some not much. And he definitely published a lot of books with references. Maybe, you read either other authors quoting him in short, or his most famous short articles, then you need to go and read more – as we are discussing a comprehensive issue that can not be resolved in one paragraph.

    #2379321
    yankel berel
    Participant

    @somejew
    Have not forgotten re the exact quote of avnei nezer.
    And your other comments.
    Simply did not have the time.

    #2379445
    Chaim87
    Participant

    @Always_Ask_Questions
    Somejew made up that this is Halacha when it’s really haskafa. Repeated stories and paskim from gedolim done in front of 100s of people is mesora. Of course that’s good enough to clearly say Zionism has Torah foundations. But he makes up rules to squeeze into his agenda.

    #2379477
    somejewiknow
    Participant

    @yankel-berel

    no problem. when you are ready. the sefer i found on hebrewbooks

    #2379508

    Chaim> made up that this is Halacha when it’s really haskafa.
    Well, the boundaries are not always clear, so he is within his rights to argue a certain position.

    > Repeated stories and paskim from gedolim done in front of 100s of people is mesora.
    what is more concerning that he can not find “gedolim” within all texts written by others. Because, I presume, in his definition, a gadol is someone who teaches in certain yeshivos, lives in certain towns, writes in a certain way … I think if he were to bump into R Shimshon Hirsh in the street, he would think he met a university professor.

    #2379600
    SQUARE_ROOT
    Participant

    In a conversation with the Satmar Rav, shortly after his talk
    on the U.N. declaration, Reb Shraga Feivel [Mendlowitz]
    was subjected to the sharpest criticism for his “Zionist leanings.”

    Later he told his family,
    “I could have answered him [the Satmar Rav]
    Chazal for Chazal, Midrash for Midrash,

    but I did not want to incur his wrath,
    for he is a great man and a tzaddik.”

    He added with a twinkle, “And besides, he has a fiery temper”…

    SOURCE: Reb Shraga Feivel: the life and times of Rabbi Shraga Feivel Mendlowitz,
    the architect of Torah in America
    (chapter 26, page 335 to 336)
    by Yonoson Rosenblum for Artscroll / Mesorah, year 2001 CE,
    based on Aharon Sorasky’s Shelucha DeRachmana,
    ISBNs: 157819797X, 9781578197972, 1578197961, 9781578197965

    __________________________________________
    PERSONAL COMMENT:

    Please DO NOT LISTEN to Rabbi Shraga Feivel Mendlowitz,
    just because he was the founder of Torah U’Mesorah.

    Please DO NOT LISTEN to Rabbi Shraga Feivel Mendlowitz,
    just because he was principal of Yeshiva Torah Vodaas,
    and taught there for 25 years.

    Please DO NOT LISTEN to Rabbi Shraga Feivel Mendlowitz,
    just because he was known as
    “the premier architect of Torah in American history.”

    #2379613
    yankel berel
    Participant

    @somejew
    Have not had time for avnei nezer yet.

    But re the other comments. It is as clear as day that the overwhelming majority of rabbanim disagreed and still disagree with satmar rav in vayoel moshe.

    There are reasons they did not publish a sefer against, one of them possibly as rav shach is reputed to have said- it is always good to listen to criticism from the right as in between ten things they say , they might be right on one of them. And if we start arguing back, the battle lines will have been drawn and that one precious thing will be lost to us.

    There were other reasons too.

    Beside the above, in kayane de igrata and in ba’yot hazman there are clear differences of opinion with satmar rav, backed up by precedence and torah logic.

    So there is no inference to made by the fact there are ‘no sfarim’ against satmar , that satmar remains halacha lemaase.

    In fact the exact opposite is true . Not only did the majority not accept satmar shitah, even satmar itself did not accept satmar shitah all the way.

    Think about the following:
    1] There is a huge difference between reform or jews for j, on one side and zionism on the other.
    No one [besides fringe coockoo’s] will passel a get or kidushin with fully frum believers in zionism as edim. Whereas even fully observant reform and jews for j’s gittin vakidushin will be nifsal even with serious ,generations long repercussions of mamzerut.

    2] I remember rav aharon from satmar speaking to his hasidim after the pigu’a in the yeshiva lits’irim in merkaz harav when murderers killed boys in the yeshiva.

    I remember how he said that even when we have rightful hilukei dei’ot with merkaz harav , nevertheless we should be mitsta’er betsa’aram etc.

    Could you have ever imagined him saying this about jews for j lehavdil ???

    For sure not.

    So all the rhetoric about the kfira of zionism is nothing more than …. rhetoric .
    I am talking about the consensus of Orthodox Judaism here.

    This not to be taken literally and halacha lema’aseh-
    this is rhetoric , designed to pull people away from zionism.

    .
    Anyone looking for emet will see the truth in what I have written.

    #2379787
    Chaim87
    Participant

    @yankel berel
    The reasons no sefarim were written to answer Satmar were the follwing
    1)Its hashkafa not halcha
    2) You only need to write sefarim if you are against zionsim because how else do you make your point. Its the only method of protest. If you are pro zionism all you have to do is acts of zionsim. by acting in certain ways or joining govts etc, you are in essence exclaining your shita. But what do you do when anti?
    3) The reba zya wa s a holy jew but had alot of power and the chasdim were strong. Its very hard to debate him. if you did you were considered less pure. Just ask Klausenberg. (I know of someone who did write a sefer defending zionsim and his warehouse of sefarim got burned down). So do then say why didn’t people write sefarim after the bullying that went on, is in itself a bully tactic. To be clear the reba zya wa sa holy man and he meant lshem shomaim. Especially at a time when so many were going off both before and right after the war, a strong tough stance was needed. But in the spirt of fighting to be pure that was the outcome
    4) By the time the reba zya wrote his sefer, Zionsim was a bit of a mute point. The medina was already defacto and the ideology of whether we should go along with the fight to establish a medina was a done deal. Furthermore, the new issue of the day was that it was secular. Till Began came along, not only was it secular which is bad enough but Ben Gurion YMS was out there to shmad every frum jew and was a Lehachis jew. So anyone charedi had to fight those things like gyuis bnos. It wasn’t a time to start defending the idea of zionsim since we needed to oppose the govt anyhow because of its shamd.

    #2379824
    somejewiknow
    Participant

    to those who repeatedly misdirect this conversation I started, I have been clear from the beginning that I am looking for any Torah rebuttal to Vayoel Moshe regardless of the author being a known “Gadol”, as that is NOT a standard of Shulchan Aruch.

    The only standard of Shulchan Aruch is that he “go in a good way”, as I have addressed above.

    This whole post is simply looking for any “shita” as per the Shulchan Aruch that is not antizionist like Vayoel Moshe. I don’t believe one exists and therfore anyone who claim there are “two shitas” and that a yid can do “shikel daas” between them is a LIAR and FRAUD.

    #2380034
    yankel berel
    Participant

    @Somejew

    We can only rebut something that was logically stated with proof and cold logic.

    Zionism being necessarily kfira has NEVER been proven , not from logic neither from hazal.

    So, what should we rebut exactly ?

    The issue is not whether some / all / the majority of the founders and promotors were kofrim .
    Thats irrelevant.

    IS ZIONISM IN ITSELF NECESSARILY KFIRA ?

    That is the question.

    Answer is very clear – no.

    It is you who has not supplied any proof nor logic.

    The matter seems to be settled, then . At least till further notice …. .
    .

    #2380070
    somejewiknow
    Participant

    @yankel-berel

    the CLAIM of Vayoel Moshe is that the author PROVES that Zionism is NESSESARILY kefira!

    The long sefer labors tirelessly to prove the opposite from every angle possible, and the author spells out his every step as well as the practical halachik ramifications of the Torah teachings he lists. He says in his intro that the long maamarim are meant to be psak halacha, halacha l’massah vis a vis Zionism when it was published in the 1950s. The author followed up in doubling-down in his 1968 sefer explaining why the status has not changed and no one should be confused from the 6-day war.

    IS ZIONISM IN ITSELF NECESSARILY KFIRA ?

    That is the question.

    Answer is very clear – yes!

    And I have supplied as proof the Torah work called Vayoel Moshe that leaves no question.

    Respectfully, I am waiting for your agreement or rebuttle.

    #2380125
    Chaim87
    Participant

    @ somejewiknow
    Torah rebuttal come in many fashions such as public declarations by tzadkim and stories that occurred over and over again. The standard you get forth by Shulchan aruch is bogus. You twisted the shulchan aruch to fit your standards. But yes these tzadkim did go in good ways whether it’s r kook or rizhin.

    The LIAR or FRAUD is that you don’t “want “ to believe two sides exist so you make up your own rules.

    #2380129
    Chaim87
    Participant

    Bottom line is there are two sides to Zionism and shikul hadas or mesorah is needed. Don’t let anyone bully you into passuling one side . That person who does is a pathological liar

    #2380130

    ok, I searched around, here are some references that relate to 3 oaths. Note that I personally don’t want to debate this, just helping out with quotes, so you can shoot at each other with better precision. I am trying to omit agadic material and sources that one of the sides may not respect.

    Rashi: it’s only a problem if the Jews come all at once

    Avnei Nezer (Y.D. 453, 456) do not derive halakha from agada;
    “Avnei Nezer” (Y.D. 456) once the nations of the world give permission for all the Jews to go up to the land of Israel, the oath is annulled

    Yoma 9 says that we davka must (!) “rise up as a wall

    Shir HaShirim Rabba 8, 9 (3), where R. Zeira, the author of the aforementioned “three oaths” in Ktuvot, changes his mind explicitly, and adopts the contradicting opinion mentioned in Yoma!

    Pnei Yehoshua (on Ketubot 111a) points out that Yoma 9b implies the opposite

    Hafla’ah (Ketubot,same), the “wall” only relates to the immigration to Eretz Yisrael from Babylonia.

    Vilna Gaon, Commentary on Shir HaShirim 2, 7, in his Siddur: we swore not to rebuild the walls of Yrushalayim and the Beit haMikdash
    commentary on Shulchan Aruch Even HaEzer 75, 17, “the mitzvah is upon him to ‘toil/work’ (לטרוח) to fulfill”.

    San. 97b – does redemption depend on teshuva

    For a comprehensive treatment of this issue, see Naĥalat Yaakov by R. Yaakov Zisberg, vol. 2, pp. 715-815.

    #2380131

    There seems to be a major point of agreement between those who believe in 3 oaths and those who believe in Medinah:

    Both sides agree that mass aliyah is only possible b’zman Moshiach.

    They only differ on how they see the facts: Oathists see the Zioni crowd as apikoiresim despite the good they do for Jewish people; and Medinists presume that they’ll turn out to be the sign of Moshiach coming despite their philosophy.

    Basically – is the cup half-empty or half-full?

    #2380173
    1a2b3c
    Participant

    To anyone who wants to know why somejewiknow will never accept any of the many legitimate Torah detractors of antizionism, please look up the No True Scotsman Fallacy.

    #2380175
    1a2b3c
    Participant

    “I don’t believe one exists and therfore anyone who claim there are “two shitas” and that a yid can do “shikel daas” between them is a LIAR and FRAUD.”

    “I don’t believe one exists.” This is the problem right here. Do you not concede that many Jews, unlike you, DO believe one exists? YOU might believe that they are mistaken, but that is THEIR honest opinion – so how can you label them as LIARS and FRAUDS? What gives you the right to attack their integrity? Are you that self-centred and delusional that you think that what YOU believe is so self-evident that anyone who thinks otherwise MUST be a LIAR?!

    I say this without getting into the issue at hand at all, because it’s clear that there is zero openness on your part to hear anything you don’t already believe and I wouldn’t waste my time.

    #2380347
    Chaim87
    Participant

    @1a2b3c
    The problem with @somejewiknow is that he will tell you, that he isn’t deciding this rather the shulhcan aruch is. The bully has a twisted way of outsmrating you. He takes a random shulchan aruch up for interpretation blows it up and twists it the way he likes to. Then he sets rules around it that we must take as a given. And then he disqualifies anyone so that its in accordance with his rules. (Like who decided R Kook wasn’t a gadol even though R elyshav said he was and he was his shadchan + mesader kiddushin and rebbe)
    And so just to preempt his response, He will deceive you and say its the shulchan aruch and not me. I bet if he asked a real adom gadol even a kanoi and anti Zionist (maybe r Malkiel Kotler shlita ) to look into his heart and tell us if mizrachi jews who are ehrlich and follow torah umitzvois are really kofrim and not part of our torah what do you think he will say? To be clear, I am sure he will say they are misguided and thatsa fine argument. I am also sure he will say the govt itself and secular zionism are wicked people. (I don’t necassirly feel so but I have a hunch he will) Thats fine too. but he wouldn’t say R Kook was bad or that mizrachi are kofrim.

    #2380351
    somejewiknow
    Participant

    @1a2b3c

    To anyone who wants to know why somejewiknow will never accept any of the many legitimate Torah detractors of antizionism, please look up the No True Scotsman Fallacy.

    your comments are baffeling. the whole point of my post is to discover if I am missing something, i.e. a shita in Torah that would support any rejection of Vayoel Moshe as the golden standard vis a vis the Zionist state.

    I’ve aknowleged some disagreement, specifically regarding voting in and participating in the Zionist “Kineset”, because that has been a well established psak explained in seforim such as Biyos Hazman.

    I am been very clear that I am open to hearing from ANY claimed authority that fulfills the minimal reuquirments of the Shulchan Aruch, and instead of offering something to see if I reject it, you jump ahead of any opportunity for me to consider something and claim (without basis) that I will reject whatever you have to offer. Is this because you have nothing except for random bloggers and reformers who are happy to brazenly paskin against any of the “Reb Chaim ztz”ls” without any integrity to explain their reasons? Are you projecting your own weakness in attacking me for asking?

    A true “no scotsman” would be if I proved that Zionism is heresy because I rejected any pro-zionist “Rabbi” as a heretic. The author of Vayoel Moshe didn’t do that, rather he explained well the integrity and sources of his Torah understanding. So too, I am asking for any source that would defend the rejection of Vayoel Moshe based on well sourced Torah understanding that meets normative standards of integrity.

    I am not saying that one must accept the conclusions of Vayoel Moshe, per se, rather one must accept the sources he bases his conclusions on. I personally have not discovered such an alternative shita in Torah and untill then will continue with the obvious understanding zionist (and its servants and state) is another hereticle religion that should be rejected with both hands.

    Do you not concede that many Jews, unlike you, DO believe one exists? YOU might believe that they are mistaken, but that is THEIR honest opinion – so how can you label them as LIARS and FRAUDS?

    I believe there are many Jews who don’t believe in Hashem. I believe there are many Jews who don’t believe the Torah is from Sinai. I believe there are many Jews who think their god was killed by the Romans. I believe there are many Jews who think that mechalileh shabbos are part of “klal yisroel”. I believe there are many Jews who think that good will come from rebeling against the Torah. I believe there are many Jews who think that non-Jewish armies can save their lives. I believe there are many Jews who believe non-Jewish armies can take their lives. I believe there are many Jews who think that Judaism teaches any of these hereticle ideas.

    Some of the above Jews are perhaps innocently wrong (liars) and some are intentional (frauds). I’m not labeling them, the Torah labels them as such. (Feel free to correct my understanding of the Torah or ask my sources)

    What gives you the right to attack their integrity?

    Jews must peacefully protest heresy and help other Jews not fall into it. this is all in hilchos masis imadiach.

    Are you that self-centred and delusional that you think that what YOU believe is so self-evident that anyone who thinks otherwise MUST be a LIAR?!

    as mentioned, this has nothing to do with what “I believe”. This has to do with whatever the Torah teaches. I am STILL waiting for someone to point to an alternate “shita” that would not make them liars.

    I say this without getting into the issue at hand at all, because it’s clear that there is zero openness on your part to hear anything you don’t already believe and I wouldn’t waste my time.

    Again, we are 191 comments deep on this thread. I have not rejected one sefer and YOU STILL HAVE NOTHING TO DEFEND YOUR HERESY.

    The openness to Torah is still there, but where are the teachers?

    #2380371

    123abc> No True Scotsman

    indeed. The problem (for him) is that there are verifiable connections between true and false Scotsmen – they are from the same klan!
    maybe that is why he refuses to say that, but continues repeating “I did not see any names”.

    #2380583
    yankel berel
    Participant

    @somejew

    the CLAIM of Vayoel Moshe is that the author PROVES that Zionism is NESSESARILY kefira!

    The long sefer labors tirelessly to prove the opposite from every angle possible, and the author spells out his every step as well as the practical halachik ramifications of the Torah teachings he lists. He says in his intro that the long maamarim are meant to be psak halacha, halacha l’massah vis a vis Zionism when it was published in the 1950s. The author followed up in doubling-down in his 1968 sefer explaining why the status has not changed and no one should be confused from the 6-day war.

    IS ZIONISM IN ITSELF NECESSARILY KFIRA ?

    That is the question.
    [somejew]
    ———————————–
    I have gone through most of vayoel Moshe and I have not seen any clear proof that zionism is inherently kfira.
    He writes at great length and sometimes the main message can get lost like the proverbial tree in the forest.

    You seem such an enthusiastic proponent of the ‘zionism is necessarily kfira’ approach , that it should be easy for you to formulate in a few short sentences why this is necessarily so .

    We are ready and waiting to hear your pearls.

    #2380643
    Chaim87
    Participant

    @somejewiknow
    Your premise is that we need find a Torah source that responds to the Torah arguments within vyoel Moshe. This is where you are dead wrong and a pathological liar. We don’t need a Torah source to say Zionism is al pi Torah and do not to respond to the holy Satmar Reba Zya. You made that up.

    Us ehrlich Jews believe in mesorah and tzadkim. If tzadkim proclaimed and clearly acted in a certain way in public that’s enough to say that it’s the Torah way . This is our strength. We don’t do bible debates. Your trick is to twist it in a pretzel, and we won’t do that . If a tzadik said it was a haschalta degula then that’s what it is.

    I will post another 195 comments and will not stoop to have to answer vyoel Moshe.

    Folks many tzadkim held that Zionism is the Torah way. But There are two sides and you need shikul hdas or mesorah. Don’t let bullies tell you orherwise .

    (P.S. we did quote sefarim that address it as well but you disqualify them like eim habonim simcha. So don’t you mislead us in saying we didn’t quote anyone that refuted the Reba arguments. But it’s not the point anyhow)

    Zionism is a Torah way

    #2380647
    ZSK
    Participant

    @somejewiknow

    3 brief points (I’m done arguing with you):

    1) It is patently false that you have not rejected one Sefer. You’ve rejected anything that is authored by an individual who supports Zionism, Chibat Tzion, Chovevei Tzion, Mizrachi, HaPoel Mizrachi, etc. That means you’ve rejected works by: 1) Rav Reines; 2) Rav Alkalai; 3) Rav Kalischer; 4) Rav Teichtal; 5) Rav Kook; 6) Rav Soloveitchik; 7) Rav Yeshayahu Shapira (Brother of the Piacezna Rebbe); 8) Rav Aviner – These are all Rabbonim who backed Zionism to varying degrees and/or have works supporting such (I’m not sure about Piacezna’s brother). The last one wrote a work that is a direct challenge to Vayoel Moshe.

    2) You absolutely are using the no true scotsman fallacy. To you, no true Rav/Gadol could possibly be a Zionist, therefore any pro-Zionist work is heresy or a forgery and its author is a heretic. Which is why you reject all the Rabbonim above and their works (and in some cases, actions).

    3) I don’t think anyone here rejects the sources used by the SR, or the sources in general. It is a rejection of the methodology used – You cannot rule Halacha based on Aggada. Because R’ Teitelbaum founded his entire Magnum Opus upon Aggada, it contains a fundamental error impeaches its authority. Its conclusions can be questioned.

    #2380649

    Hellooooo, are there any anti-Z out there who actually read R Kook or R Soloveitchik in the original? It appears that writings of these Rabonim are more powerful than I thought.

    #2380702
    somejewiknow
    Participant

    @zsk
    I didn’t off-hand reject any seforim by those rabbis. With the exception of Aviner and Solevetchik, the other names are those who where nifter (I think) before Vayoel Moshe was published (nor have I seen substantive explaination psak from them either that counter the many questions and conclusions in Vayoel Moshe).

    Solevetchik, I have not see address the points of Vayoel Moshe in any way (directly or indirectly) – again, show me what I am missing.

    Regarding Aviner, I don’t have access to a copy of his pamphlet, but the excerpts I could find online seem – on the surface – to completely ignore any of the halachik process and seems to be a baseless defense of the conclusion he has already reached. Again, my point is I am looking for the actual explanation of reaching psak, as the rules of “Derech haPsak” would dictate, not just ones conclusions.

    I may be unfair to Aviner, as the excerpts I have seen publicly available may be hiding the real content. Has anyone read the pamphlet and seen if I am indeed missing something of value?

    #2380705
    somejewiknow
    Participant

    @yankel-berel

    you wrote:

    You seem such an enthusiastic proponent of the ‘zionism is necessarily kfira’ approach , that it should be easy for you to formulate in a few short sentences why this is necessarily so .

    the longest part of a conversation is defining what means Zionism. I have a specific definition in mind that was novel in the late 19th century and is still alive an well by all self-proclaimed zionists, showing Zionist ideology alive and well today, R”L.

    I can offer my definition or you can start with yours. Once we have that anchor, I can answer your question as to why Judaism rejects Zionism as heresy.

Viewing 50 posts - 151 through 200 (of 226 total)
  • You must be logged in to reply to this topic.