The Brazilian Jewish community is busy concerning itself with the dibuk according to a Kikar.net report. The bizarre report adds that HaRav Dovid Batzri, a known Mekubal, tried to remove the dibuk via Skype, without success, and now, the ‘infected’ avreich it is on its way to Israel.
The mysterious voice penetrated the Brazilian shul, “I smell many aveiros” and “the end is very near”, prompting mispalalim to look around for the source of the worrisome statements, but there was none to be found. When the voice was heard again, this time in Yiddish, shouting “Get out sinners!” it was recognizable, an avreich from the community. To the astonishment of the mispalalim, his lips were not moving, and those who know him insist he only knows the local language, not Yiddish, Hebrew or any of the other language that was heard emanating from his body.
The gabbai approached him, hoping to halt the shouts, but he was greeted with Hebrew messages, “you look like you are in pain. It appears that you are worshiping avoda zara. I am truly happy to see you”.
The avreich’s abdomen exhibited movement, but not his lips. In the meantime, the ezras nashim emptied as the frightened women fled. The avreich was taken home. He has become the hot topic of conversation in the kehillah. When questioned, the avreich explains he simply does not remember any of the event described to him by members of the community.
His wife however heard him shouting in his sleep, this time in German, but she did not understand what he was saying. The question asked is that even if we assume he lost his mind, how did he learn the other languages?
It’s A Real Dibuk
Days have passed but the community is not calming down. The avreich appeared totally normal until that “cursed moment” when something overpowers him, each time in a different language. When the event ends, he does not remember a thing.
His wife has demanded a ‘get’ since she is simply afraid, but then it remains uncertain if he is capable of giving one in his current [temporary] state.
The community rav was notified, and he contacted HaGaon HaRav Chaim Kanievsky Shlita, with whom he maintains contact. Rav Chaim was briefed at length, leading to many questions, until he began probing seforim, ultimately announcing “this is a real dibuk”. Rav Chaim explained that the Chafetz Chaim and the Chazon Ish knew how to expel a dibuk, but in our generation, there is only one man, sending them to Maran HaGaon HaRav Aaron Leib Shteinman Shlita. “Tell him that by all the signs, this is a genuine dibuk. Perhaps he will know what to do,” Rav Chaim is quoted as saying.
Rav Shteinman also probed and questioned, as well as investigating in seforim, coming to the same conclusion, adding there is a man in Yerushalayim by the name of Rav Batzri who knows how to remove a dibuk, and “perhaps he will know what to do”.
After it was determined that it would be extremely difficult to bring the avreich to Eretz Yisrael, arrangements were made to attempt to remove the dibuk using Skype and a computer, permitting the rav and the avreich to see one another.
Rav Kanievsky was approached again, asked if perhaps he could recite or perform a tikun, but he declined, explaining he lacks the expertise, explaining the best he can do is to sincerely wish a total recovery. Family members continued to address R’ Chaim to assist, asking if the bring the avreich if he would be able to help. They began explaining the concepts of the modern electronic communications devices, but Rav Chaim stated “it will not do any good since he must be physically present to assist him”.
Rav Chaim explained that he can give the same bracha from here to Brazil as he can in person, but this is all he is capable of doing. The family however is working to bring the avreich here since R’ Chaim did state that one never knows with absolute certainty and perhaps, in front of the patient, a tikun may have an impact.
As of now, the avreich is going to come to Israel and the mekubalim led by HaRav Dovid Batzri Shlita will do what they can to free him from the dibuk.
NOTE: As written in the opening sentence of the above article, this story is a Kikar report. YWN has not been able to verify the story.
(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)
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78 Responses
“HaRav Dovid Batzri, a known Mekubal, tried to remove the dibuk via Skype, without success”
LOL!!! So ‘2009’ 😀
1) Is there any possibility that this man may be suffering from some type of psychosis and needs to be treated by trained physicians, instead?
Remarkable! I wish Rabbi Batzri success in this mission.
YWN, the secular newpapers are going to pick this story up, now, and the frum are going to be the laughingstock of the world, again.
Amazing and scary. I’m not sure why the wife wants a get so quick. Marriage isn’t disposable.
What next, a talking fish?
I thought they extradited Chen from Brazil two months ago? Spira seems to be late on delivering the ‘news’.
Doees the dybbuk need his own visa or can he come in on the avreich’s?
Can anyone supply direct verification of this story?
There is medical precedence of people with split personality and other types of psychiatric problems
suddenly speaking a language fluently that they have never spoken before, and have no recollection of it.
Anybody wanna buy a bridge? I can sell you the 59th Street bridge cheap. How about a Bridge Over the River Kwai?
… and this will turn out to be a hoax just like the other dibbuk, the talking fish, and all the other stories. Does anyone actually believe this stuff anymore?
what is a dibuk i never heard of it
Reading this story causes me to roll my eyes. Is that a symptom of dibuk posession?
They took an MRI of the Avreich, and on the screen came on the words, “APRIL FOOLS”.
Rav Batzri shlitoh is of course the Mekubal who has in the past driven out a Dibbuk from a woman, as was well documented at the time, some 10-15 years ago. May the avreich have a refuoh shleimah, refuas Hanefesh (!) verefu’as heguf.
isnt it Aharon Leib Sheiteman (not aryeh leib)
I am very skeptical about dibbuk stories. The last one which captured the whole jewish worlds attention was false, even though many big rabbanim thought it was real.
maybe the shofar they blew on a plane for the swine flue will help him i hope he gets the same plane!!
Purim came early this year, eh?
Rachmones he should be rid of the Dibuk just so that there should not be a Divorce. This is scary for a Wife.
The dibbuk won’t respond to Skype because he is heavily invested in ooVoo.
The Mekubal failed to remove the dibuk the first time because he used a treif video conferencing software – Skype. Had he used ShidduchVision™, the only video conferencing software approved for Torah Jews, the whole thing would be over already.
One thing about this dibuk, from the things he has been saying, he sounds like a Chareidi dibuk. I prefer much more mellow dibukim, like maybe a Carlebach dibuk who goes around saying Holy Brother, rather than yelling at people.
I can’t beleave that a yid can make any jokes when a yid, (wife) are in a Problem !!!
And I beleave that there are things that are higher that what we think our small head understands.
Those who think they know Everything, Nothing will help them to beleave, they don’t bealeave in Rabis, Tzadikim..
I don’t mean that you have to beleave in Everything…
I still remember the preivous Dibbuk hoax. I think the same Rav was involved there too.
Actually, the best way to remove a dibbuk is not via Skype, as many a dibbuk remover can tell you, the best way is to first clean out your hard drive, then download a reverse anti-virus, dibbuk remover ,I think MacAfee makes one – dibbuk remover 2.0 ( I believe it works with Bluetooth applications)
There should be a thirty day money back guarantee, or the dibbuk is yours free of charge!
A rachmonos on the avreich and his wife. Nebech!!
gimme a break
will the dibbuk at least get a first class seat?
#25, You are right that we should be sensitive to this fellow who is obviously suffering, and needs a refuah. However, I don’t think we are mechuyav to believe in dibukim. It is not one of the 13 Ani Maamin’s. People were not making fun of the poor fellow chas vshalom, only the diagnosis of a dibuk.
Many of us believe that the Yad Hashem works through teva (nature), not through supernatural or superstitious means, except for clear and open miracles like Matan Torah or Kriyas Yam Suf.
I think that anyone who puts his comments here (except myself of course) has a small dibbuk inside of him that makes him write the narishkeiten and shtusim that we find here most of the time.
#31 Sam
I think the report about a yid “speaking in tongues” is the real shtus here.
Whether or not this is the a real dibbuk or not is questionable. However history has shown that they did exist. The famous story where the Chofetz Chaim ZT”L had Rav Elchonon Wasserman HY”D, get rid of a dibbuk of a girl was documented by Rav Usher Katzman ZT’L, a former Rosh Yeshiva in Torah Vodaas. Among the particapants where such notables as Rav Chatzkel Levenstein ZT”L. Rav Elchonon would retell the story every year on Purim and would say Kaddish for it on the anniversary of when it left the girl for 19 years.
Rav Pittai, a Talmud Muvak of the Ben Ish Chai was know to exorsise dibbukim on at least 2 occasions, as did the Chida.
The dibbuk is blogging on YWN under the screen name of Pashuteh Yid!!!
#18 and #26 – Which previous stories are you talking about? Can you elaborate? When did they happen or supposedly happen?
Just curious.
Meanwhile, I don’t know what to make of this story. True? Not True? Who knows?
I thought that there were only 3 ways to really see who a person is, Kiso,Kaaso, V’Koso. I see from here that there is a 4th; Emunas Chachamim! So many of you commenters show yourself to be lacking terribly in this middah! How unfortunate you are that every year you celebrate Purim and don’t learn the MAIN lesson from it. 🙁
Sam Rose excluding me too. A dibbuk is nothing new. It dates bak to the times of tanoim and even before. Many a story is recorded bout them. This is a neshomo who needs a tikkun and came down to this person to rectify his tikkun. There was a story bout 7-10 yrs ago of one in Israel and one of the big mekubalim got rid of it. Lets hope it doesn’t happen again as it would be………
He has a small recording device that he wears under his clothing and when he activates it,it plays back pre-recorded messages. Do an MRI,CT scan or other X-Ray and the answer will be very clear
This cannot be true!
Torah is once again shamed with such voodoo reports. Treating this nonsense as “news” and publishing it in any form is an embarrassment to all who know Torah as God’s perfectly and beautifully reasonable creation.
Hacham Batzri, shlit”a is well known for this type of work. Whether this perticular story is true or not, search on Google for dibbuk HaRav Batzri and you will find the famous ecorcism that this Gadol has done on video – over 80 minutes long.
All those that have downplayed any of this either through rude or jokeful words, really should be careful how they speak.
Yom Nehmad!
I can’t believe how many people are taking this lightly. Even if true or not, the Gedolim who are mentioned are Tzadkim. Dybukkim can happen. Unfortunately, as the Rav mentioned, the generations are weaker then the previous holy generations. The facts are for some to believe that after a person is niftar, there is Din V’Cheshbon. Do all of you who do not believe really think, that after 120 years, we won’t have to answer to Hashem??
Rabbi MosheBenChaim
Hashem’s Torah is “beautifully reasonable”, but your small reason is not the judge of what is “reasonable”.
Your reason and my reason is puny and limited; we only hope to learn and discover Torah all of our lives, and cannot take what we think we “know” as “reasonable” to use as a yardstick for something greater than ourselves.
It doesn’t say much for the level of learning amongst YWN readers if you are scoffing at this story.
Dibbuks have happened in the past and surely will again. Why would a simple avreich suddenly invent the whole thing, plus learn to speak in different voices, while not moving his lips. Why would he allow G’dolei HaDor to “waste time” on him; and why would he scare his wife to the extent that she wants a get (this I do NOT understand – if she’s scared she should temporarily remove either herself or her husband from the home, but divorce?)
I hope that they can do something – and fast.
Rav Batzri shlitoh is of course the Mekubal who has in the past driven out a Dibbuk from a woman, as was well documented at the time
BS”D
Sadly, what was indeed well documented is that there was no dybbuk and the whole maaseh was concocted.
the famous ecorcism that this Gadol has done on video – over 80 minutes long.
——-
BS”D
This so called exorcism was unmasked as a staged fraud.
Once again, every one is quick to jump on to the supernatural bandwagon, and accuse all rational people who won’t join them of being m’kitanei emunah. Why are people so accepting of some internet report of an extraordinary supernatural event? It seems that when such stories surface, people just take leave of their senses and throw logic to the wind. Why are you so desperate to believe these things? Does your emunah need this for backup? Perhaps it’s not us disbelievers that are M’kitanei emunah?
I am not certain what poster #41 meant in his comments. Dibbukim can and do exist. Rabbi Yehudah Petaya (1859-1942, a student of the Ben Ish Chai) was famous for exorcising dibbukim in his day, and at any rate Rav Chaim Vital speaks of these in the Ariza”l’s writings.
To those here writing in defense of “tzaddikim”, you are not honest with God’s Torah, which teaches that Moshe Rabbeinu made mistakes. If Moshe erred, people today surely err.
No Rabbi, Gadol or tzaddik is flawless, and they are certainly no where near Moshe’s level.
Tanach does not support dibbuk. Therefore, defending it, or today’s Rabbis, is against Torah.
Be true to God, not man.
“Rabbi” Moshe BenChaim – I don’t believe that you are a Rabbi and if so your smicha is not worth the paper it is written on. Can Tzaddikim make mistakes? Yes. But why are you instantly assuming that they definitely are in this case? Are you not aware that the Ari z’l, the Gra, the Besht, the R’Shash, the Ramchal, the Maharal, the Chofetz Chaim, and just about every Godol in the last several hundred years has held that Dibuks do exist! Who are you to come out with such disrespect to the top gedolim of our generation and state that they are a bunch of morons?! How much Kaballah do you know? Do you not consider that these wise men, who know the ENTIRE Shas and Poskim Baal Peh, also know Tanach with ALL the meforshim Baal Peh as well as a vast library of other knowledge in their heads? If you tell me that you have a vast library in your HOUSE I’d believe you. If you told me that you have a vast library in your head I’d laugh at you! I’m quite sure that you don’t know shas on your finger tips and yet you have the audacity to insult the wisest men of our generation!
A FOOL IS WISER THAN 7 CHACHOMIM!
To Rabbi Moshe BenChaim:
Please, do not insult the Tzadikkim of today. Please do Teshuva. If you do not understand Dibukkim, that’s fine. Stay away from it. HaKadosh Baruch Hu has decreed a Dibbuk to exist at this time with this poor Avreich. You are allowed to ask questions, but please, do not criticize it. I beg of you.
Arieh
#10, What psychiatric/medical condition is that? I am not an expert, but I know of no condition where a person speaks a language never previously known or learned, that has a medical explanation. There are those who speak babble languages or those who learn a new language in a remarkable short time.
#50, you seem reasonable until you made your faulty conclusion that the idea of a dibbuk is against Torah. Just for starters, are you familiar with the Ramchals publication of Derech Hashem? Such things are possible. But, also, like you said, anyone can be in error from time to time.
#50 seems very much like those in the “Jews for yushka” Rabbis who are not authentic Jews. I am making an educated guess at this because of the way he chooses to write Hashem, the term “today’s Rabbis”, as well as the underlying context of a separation between Hashem and any individual, INCLUDING our Gadolim and Tzaddikim.
To #54: Gedolim and Chachomim are not infallible. Great people can make mistakes. We, as frum yidden do not believe that man is above error. That is not a Jewish belief, although it’s becoming more and more common in today’s world. I strongly disagree with the ridiculous statement made that above mentioned commenter that ‘defending today’s rabbis is against the Torah’, but I agree with some other things that he said. And your statement that the “context of a separation between Hashem and individuals is a “Jews for Yushka” type of theme could not me more opposite of reality. We do not ascribe divinity to man, in any shape or form. They do.
It is a shame that so many people have nothing
better to do with their time than to make fun and critisize each other as well as the poor man with a dibuk in his soul, rachman litzlon.
may hashem help him and his family to recover from this terrible matzav, and have a refuah shleima
I know that this dibbuk is false because anybody who believes that another person can come along and criticize a holy kehila in klal yisroel who at that very moment is davening in shul, no less, is a complete faker. What license is there to tell a whole shul “You are sinners. Get out!” This is such chutzpah against pure and righteous yidden, that obviously whoever said it is full of hot air. Even the Navi Yeshaya was punished for saying Bsoch am tmei sfasayim ani yoshev. How dare any soul criticize people who are in the middle of davening.
Therefore, it is clear this is not anything related to nevua, so there is some other explanation.
my husband was in Yeshivat Hashalom this evening, and the story goes, that this man is NOT an avreich. He distanced himself from the kehilla and started learning about cults.
And then the dibuk hit him. They say the dibuk is from over 100 years ago, someone who murdered his wife and son…
No wonder the wife wants a get…
But I wouldn’t be so quick to belittle Rav Batzri – he is an Odom Godol. They say that Rabbi David, from Nahariya, stands for him…
Pashuteh Yid – 1) You show that your knowledge of Dibuks is next to nil. A dibuk is a soul of a Rasha who’s punishment (after death) is that his soul has to stay in this world for a certain period of time to atone for his wickedness. There are spiritual being that chase after him and don’t give him rest unless he’s able to hide within some object (a stone, an animal, and even a human). Being that the soul is of a wicked person it is no wonder why it doesn’t speak with the derech eretz that you talk about. There is a lot to say on the subject, but this is not the place.
2. The same information was given over to the Gedolim. Don’t you think that they are intelligent enough to know what to expect from a dibuk and what not to?
To Softwords, I applaud you. You obviously know when to use soft words and when not to. So called Rabbi Moshe ben Chaim needed anything but soft words and you landed it with a thud! Bravo! And to you so called Rabbi read up on history and educate yourself before you make a fool of yourself in front of so many people. My words are addressed to the “Rabbi” but are meant to all the other groiser chachomim who have had similar comments on this topic.
Shtender, you are right in that everone makes mistakes. Only Hashem is perfect, however, puny minds are not the ones to judge the like of Reb Chaim Kanievsky and Rav Batzri.
Pashuteh Yid, The dybuk said “Get out you sinners”. He didn’t tell everyone to get out, only the sinners.
I am brazilian and I know the avreich and his family. The case is real, but some things that has been described in the article are false. For example, the dibuk doesn´t say yidish ou german or any language that the avreich doesn´t know. It is true that the avreich doesn´t speak hebrew very well, but he knows something.
The records are impressing. The dibuk says the three pessukim of “Shema Israel” in only 20 seconds. B’H’, his wife helps him, nevertheless she doesn´t know how to do.
Buy everything will be resolved!!!
#55, you totally misunderstood my point and I am not sure why you addressed my post. “Jews for yushka” separate Hashem, Yisrael, and Torah. In this way, they convince themselves they can take our place, convincing themselves our being a light unto nations, is no longer valid. That theme certainly resonated in that commenter’s post by appearing to be for Torah, but against Rabbi; gadol, tzaddik, or any other kind of Jew. Keep in mind, such missionaries can feel totally bonded to the Torah with THEIR twisting of it’s true meaning. No human is ascribed divinity. True! But our gadols and tzaddikim and fello Jews have a unique place WITH the Torah….unlike what that poster suggested.
#62 – I’m saddened that you’d find it appropriate to use such an unbecoming alias. You sound like a nice person. Anger is not an appropriate description of a Yid. Perhaps you should rethink your alias and create a new one.
Just a thought. 😐
Softwords, you are free to believe in dibukim, but can you also agree that we are free not to believe in them? Where in Shulchan Oruch does it require this belief?
Pashuteh Yid – A ger once came to Hillel and ask him to teach him just Torah Shbichsav because he did not believe in Torah Shbaal Peh. Hillel agreed and taught him the first 4 letters Alef, Beis, Gimmel, and Dalled. The next day the ger came back and Hillel showed him the same four letters. This time he taught him that the first letter was a Dalled, the second a Gimmel, third a Beis, and the fourth an Alef. The ger stated, “I don’t understand. Yesterday you told me that that the first letter was an Alef!” Hillel retorted back, “if you trusted me to tell you what an Alef is then why don’t you trust me to tell you that Torah shbaal peh is true as well!”
The nimshel – All the gedolim state that Dibukim are real, with NO exceptions! So why don’t you trust them?!?!?!?
What a surprise that a Jewish man spoke Yiddish and Hebrew in a shul? His wife said that he also spoke German but she did not understand. How did she know it was German if she did not understand? For the record, Yiddish is a dialect of German and Hebrew. As we all know, it is very difficult for a Jewish Women to be given a Get without paying a hefty ransom. It might be easier if there was a Dibuk involved. Just some food for thought.
Softwords, I doubt the Rambam believed in them.
The idea of people returning from other worlds seems foreign to Yiddishkeit. Isn’t there an issur deoraisa to try to make contact with spirits through ov and yidoni? Interesting that the Rambam says these methods don’t work, anyway, and the reason the Torah prohibited them was because ovdei avodah zara make these fake sceances to try to ensnare people into their cults.
there is just a slight problem the Chofetz Chaim said that his dibuk was thelast one till Moshiach tzedkanu
and to Pashuteh Yid no offense but it seams your name fits due to the fact that a dibuk is brought down in many kisva kabbolah
To most of you foolish people, whether the story is legit is besides the point. The way in which you have all expressed your oppinions makes you sound unintelligent and a strong lack of bitochon.
And to # 31, you think your so smart?? Of course its not one of the 13 ani maamins but is everything you believe in listed here?? some things we do bc our gedolim have stated and explained it. If the Chofetz Chaim zt”l actually removed a dibuk during his time, who are you to say it is not something that happens. However, you are very right on the rest of ur comment.
#68 are you saying that sefer shmuel is also foreign to yiddishkeit where Shaul brings back Shmuel? Also are you saying anyone that argues on the Rambam is not an opinion
Angerman, what town in Brzil, I am Brazilian from Sao Paulo and we didn’t hear anything.
R’ Chaim, R’ Shtienman, and the other gedolim know a little more than you apikorsim, Pashuteh Yid/justajew etc. You must be stuffed with bird seed to argue with the gedolei hador – I for one prefer their learned opinions over your stupid nonsense.
Shtender – while you are right that gedolim are not infallable, it is NOT our place to say where they went wrong.
Rabbi Hoash, throughout the ages there have been gedolim from the rationalist camp, with probably the Rambam the best known, who did not believe in anything supernatural, except for the RBSH himself. That includes sheidim, lilin, dibukim, and all other kinds of things.
As far as why certain gedolim believed in them, you can ask them, but for example, many tannaim and amoraim believed that it was healthy to have a blood sucking leach attached to your arm, periodically. I doubt anybody believes that any more today.
For me, my emunah doesn’t depend on all these extraneous diversions, and they are lo maaleh vlo morid. What matters to me is that the Torah was given for only one reason, and that is to teach us menschlachkeit. It was not given to teach us about supernatural, scary things. Those things are completely irrelevant to my job in this world, and therefore, I might as well believe they do not exist, since they do nothing whatsoever for my avodas hashem which is to grow in chesed. Whether dibukim exist or not, and whether blood sucking leaches are good for you or not have nothing to do with the Torah’s main message of kindness towards all briyos which will be true for all time and will never go out of style.
Today, we have other explanations for some of the symptoms that this article describes, such as Tourette’s Syndrome, or Bipolar disorder, or Schizophrenia, Lo Aleinu, which may be the cause. Either way, the person needs a Refuas Hanefesh and a Refuas Haguf from the RBSH.
HARAV ELIAHU BEN CHAIM FROM YESHIVA UNIVERSITY COULD HELP
HE IS AN EXPERT IN THE FIELD OF DYBUK AND EXOCISM.
Pashuteh Yid,
You don’t have to believe in these things, but don’t be proud of your ignorantce. You obviously aren’t educated about a subject that is well documented and explained in well established and widely accepted Seforim. Not believing is fine, but you don’t even understand the claim being made…
You also aren’t required to believe the Arizal and the Gr”a etc. were anyone special, it’s not in Shulchan Aruch…
Any videos of today’s Dibuk shpeel in Yerushalayim?
Pesachya, the dibuk is one stubborn Ruach!! He just does not listen!! Thousands of bystanders surrounded the yeshiva building last night in Yerushalayim, where Rav Batzri shleeta was to exterminate the dibuk from the poor Brazilian guy’s body. Unfortunately the dibuk did not cooperate, and was not ready to leave his new cozy home.. How sad!
Hope they’ll have better luck the next time.