A group of chassidim from the United States that traveled to Poland to visit kivrei tzaddikim arrived in the Jewish cemetery in Vladislov on Thursday, 9 Shevat 5772. They were shocked to see a kever of a non-Jew in the cemetery, in proximity to a kever of a Jew, with a cross engraved in the tombstone.
One of the visitors checked around and determined the grave was fresh because of the freshly turned dirt around the kever. They phoned an askan in the USA who is active in preserving the Jewish cemeteries in Europe to tell of their find. He instructed them to head to city hall and to lock the cemetery.
They purchased a lock and locked the cemetery gate as instructed and gave the key to the caretaker.
They are now probing if the grave of the non-Jew may be exhumed, realizing the sensitivity of the matter. Agudas Ohelei Tzaddikim is involved, preparing for what is likely to become a legal battle.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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12 Responses
In light of all the bad publicity generated by the chareidim recently, this may prove a very difficult and possibly impossible and sensitive task.
“Plant a wind and reap a whirlwind.”
They should have quietly moved it and not told anyone.
What’s the halachic issue if the deceased is allowed to remain? We can’t mingle with a solitary Goy even after death? Remember this the next time you’re at Arlington National or any other military cemetary. Phew
We are all children of HKB”H B’tzelem Elokim.
While we are alive, those of us who have a Jewish mother happen to be M’chuyiv in more Mitzvohs.
To the contrary, we should show HKB”H that we respect all of His creation that He keeps on creating day-after-day. This is the real Zchus.
Yes, YonasonW, that is right. Go open a sefer and learn a Jewish word. It is strictly forbidden to have a situation like this. The only question now is what to do about it.
And no, ader, בנים אתם לה׳ אלקיכם. They are not. Don’t you say every motzoei shabbos המבדיל…בין ישראל לעמים?! We are a different kingdom, as much higher than מדבר as it is in turn higher than חי. Our neshomos are different, and even our gufim are different.
Thank you Milhouse!
Different Guffim?
I don’t want any nation, to ever use that mentality, to segregate us and force us to wear yellow stars.
We must show the Rib. Shel Olam, that, We do not have that kind of mentality.
Hashem Yirachem.
@Ader Not everything that you don’t understand isn’t true! If you don’t understand it speak to someone who does, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t true.
to all of the great emotinal philosophers, does anyone ever ask what the proper halacha/hashkofo is? or do you simply offer your brilliance assuming that you are not capable of a krum thought?
Why would you think people don’t ask? Why would you think people don’t study?
I already did. No clear answer. And also, why did HKBH instigate such a bigo
Ader, it doesn’t matter whether you want any nation to “use that mentality”, the Torah tells us it’s the truth, and you have to accept it. And the Torah tells us that it is strictly forbidden to have our meisim lying next to theirs, and al pi din the new grave should be moved. The problem is that it could be a sakanah to do so, which is why my first comment was that what they should have done was to quietly move the body and not tell anyone. The halacha would be satisfied, our holy meisim could rest in peace, and nobody would know about it. Now that the world knows about it there’s a problem, and responsible poskim have to find a solution.
The preferred solution would be to get the authorities to agree to move the body. If that’s not possible, then perhaps they will agree to build a mechitza of ten tefochim around the grave. For that one doesn’t need poskim. But if that too would offend them and create a sakanah, then it’s a very bediavad situation, and that’s why we have poskim to tell us what to do.