There are no words for the actions as some seforim of Maran HaGaon HaRav Ovadia Yosef Shlita and his son HaGaon HaRav Yitzchak Yosef, Bal Yalkut Yosef were burned by extremists on motzei Shabbos the eve of 9 Shevat 5773 in Ohr Yehuda.
When residents of the community awakened on Sunday morning, they were horrified to see that someone gathered their seforim into a pile and set them ablaze.
Kikar Shabbat quotes the local Shas Party leader, attorney Uzi Aaron, who stated “This is a bad morning. This represents a significant increase [in unacceptable actions] that have no place in the chareidi community. We do not have the tools to express our pain and outrage that a Jew would burn Jewish seforim.”
“This morning I received a phone call telling me of the burning of the seforim. One cannot look at the site. One cannot express the pain in words. One’s heart cries over such actions” Aaron stated.
The local Shas leader feels followers of Koach L’Hashpiah, the party of Rav Amnon Yitzchak are to blame. “Even the goyim do not do this. We will hold an event during the day during which we will tear kriya on the burning of seforim. What are we doing? What level have we reached?”
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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15 Responses
While I am no fan of the Charedi Ideology, nor am I a Sefardi, what happened here is really beyond words. I thought that the Chareidim are supposed to follow Halacha to the utmost degree. Where was Halacha here? Rabbeinu Yonah wrote Sha’arei Tshuvah as a means to do Teshuva for burning the Seforim of the Rambam. If a great Rov, such as Rabbeinu Yonah, thought that it was a mistake to do something like this, how can they even think that what they are doing is fine?
The great Mirrer Mashgiach, Rav Yechezkiel Levenstein once gave a Shmuz with the following exact words, “Frum, Frum, Frum, CRUM,”
There is no greater CRUMKEIT than this travesty.
Oh wow. That’s bad;(
Zachweix, your comment incorrectly implies that Rabbeinu Yonah burned seforim of the Rambam. In fact, Rabbeinu Yonah felt that his statements against some writings of the Rambam may have played a role in their burning, which was carried out by French Inquisitors.
tragedy is that it happened on both sides is pepper spray acceptable ?did deriving speak out against it? is it about right and wrong or is it dirty politics supposedly for Torah?
when one is truly lshem shomayim it shows
“The local Shas leader feels followers of Koach L’Hashpiah, the party of Rav Amnon Yitzchak are to blame.”
This is lashon harah doraisah. I choose to believe that Rav Amnon Yitzchak had no knowledge of this and will soon come out with a condemnation against those brazen people who dared perpetrate such a crime. This is the work of anarchists and self appointed rogue letzim.
A terrible disgrace.
Chas Veshalom to say Rabenu Yonah burned the Rambam’s Seforim.
He merely was worried that his opposition o the Rambam resulted in extremists burning them.
“The local Shas leader feels followers of Koach L’Hashpiah, the party of Rav Amnon Yitzchak are to blame.”
Get back to me when you have evidence. Otherwise, please dont pass blame solely based upon how you “feel”
# 7 is absolutely right, this is absolutely lashon haraa and should be taken down immediately!! Who says it wasn’t goyim???
nisht mitalemmen: Thank you for correcting me. But, you made me realize how much stronger my statement becomes: Rabbeinu Yonah was terribly upset for thinking that he MIGHT have accidentally caused the burning, and here they go and burn on purpose.
Agreed 7-11, talk about aveira korres aveira…Rachman L’tzan.
The Rambam was burned over religious matters and as punishment (al pi mesorah) there were many gemaras burned. And Rabbeinu Yonah decided to write Shaarei Teshuva in response.
This is just idiocy. No offense to Maran, there are obviously some people with at best a lack of sense of PR and at worse, well, worse, running the show. As for Amnon Yitzchak, who knows? I know one who doesn’t. The Shas guy being quoted.
R’ Amnon Yitzchak and R’ Yosef are big tzadikkim. The Israeli elections are making (at least their followers and detractors) into much less.
Did anyone catch when that Satmar Rebbe rally is taking place? 😉
Maybe some goim did the burning, because there are Large number of goim settling in ohr yehuda
The last paragraph of the article crossed a line that YWN shouldn’t be crossing. Please delete ASAP.