By Rabbi Yair Hoffman

Imagine, chalillah, witnessing an assassination happening before your very eyes.  Ekkeldik, Horrifying.  Dreadful.  Our words fail us and we cannot sleep at night when we see it.

Shlomo HaMelech warned us:  Mavais v’Chaim b’yad l’shon.  So is character assassination any better?  Now imagine an energetic tzaddik and talmid chochom who built talmidim and built a fabulous Torah mossad, facing and living through the horror of a carefully scripted, planned and calculated plot of character assassination.  IT is a character assassination against Rabbi Eitan Rubin, the Rosh Yeshiva of the Siach Chaim Yeshiva in Great Neck.  I have interviewed former and current Talmidim. I have also interviewed people from those who are denigrating Rabbi Rubin.  My impression is that they have convinced themselves of the truth of their position to the point where they were able to even convince others – but they are so far off the mark that they are veritable flat-earthers.

Rabbi Rubin is a Torah scholar and someone who has placed many of his graduates in the top Yeshivos in both Eretz Yisroel and in the United States.  The Mir Yeshiva in Jerusalem is a venerable institution with a two hundred year history.  Beis Medrash Gavoha in Lakewood, New Jersey is one of the most prestigious Torah learning institutions in the country.  To accuse Rabbi Rubin of being a cult-leader is a complete and utter violation of halacha.

THE HALACHA IN SHULCHAN ARUCH

We Jews, live by the halachos in Shulchan Aruch.  And the Shulchan Aruch (YD 243:6) is quite clear on this topic.  “It is a grave sin to be mevazeh a Talmid Chacham (to degrade, disrespect, name-call a Torah scholar).  Anyone who does so has no share in the World-to-Come.  It is within the purview of the verse in BaMidbar 15:31, ‘For he has scorned the word of the L-rd.”

We find further insight and commentary in Gemorahs throughout Shas.  The Gemorah in Shabbos 119b states:  Rabbi Yehuda said: Jerusalem was destroyed only because they disparaged the Torah scholars in it, as it is stated: “And they mocked the messengers of Hashem and disdained His words and taunted His prophets, until the wrath of Hashem arose against His people, until it could not be healed” (Divrei HaYamim Bais 36:16). What is the meaning of: Until it could not be healed? Rav Yehuda said that Rav said: It means that anyone who disparages Torah scholars cannot be healed from his wound.

The Gemorah in Shabbos further states regarding a previous pasuk, “.. do My prophets no harm” (I Divrei haYamim Bais 16:22) –  these are Torah scholars.”

SCOPE AND PARAMETERS OF BIZUI – DISRESPECTING

It is not only actions that are considered Bizui – but even writing or saying mere words.  The following are considered Bizui:

1. Saying Lashon Harah on him is particularly heinous (See Chofetz Chaim Hilchos Lashon Harah Klal 8 Sif 4)
2. Negating his rulings (Maharik #189).
3. Purposefully not extending him niceties involving honor (Teshuvas Rivash #500; Beis Meir Hashmatos to YD 336:9)
4. Labelling him with a pejorative term such as Malshin, or Moiser (See Ramah YD 334 who writes there is no greater bizayon then this and he is placed under Nidui). Certainly labelling him with the appellation of “Cult-leader” is included in this.
5. Interrupting his Drasha (Maharsham Siman 334)
6. Acting with Chutzpah toward him (Maharik ibid)
7. Referring to him just by his name without a title (Leket HaKemach Hilchos Kavod Chachomim end of YD Siman 334)

WHO IT APPLIES TO

The notion of Bizui Talmidei Chachomim, according to the Tashbatz Vol. I Siman 178) also applies to Torah scholars discussing other Torah scholars.

It applies to men, women, children, regardless of whether the person embarrassing is either older or younger, or wealthier or poorer.  There is an obligation upon the violator to be meratzeh the Talmid Chacham (See SA YD 343:7)

Since this author’s previous article, there have been many people who have expressed deserved support and appreciation toward .  There are still people who, unfortunately, refer to him disparagingly in writing and spread the disinformation of his being a cult-leader chalilah.  This is wrong and must be stopped immediately.  There is a Rabbi who has a reputation as being a cult-buster whose letter denigrating Rabbi Rubin has been circulating widely.  He truly needs to apologize to Rabbi Rubin. I have  The Rabbi who has denigrated Rabbi Rubin has never even met Rabbi Rubin or even visited the Yeshiva.

The author can be reached at [email protected]