Using the Chief Rabbinate of Israel mailing list to get his message out, Tzfas Chief Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu Shlita sent a letter around the world disassociating himself with Badatz Orot Eliyahu, headed by Rabbi Ezra Sheinberg. Rabbi Sheinberg is a talmid chacham who has semicha from HaGaon HaRav Mordechai Eliyahu ZT”L, a prominent dati leumi rav and noted mekubal in that community.
In 2012 the two launched their Badatz Orot Eliyahu, perhaps the first and only dati leumi ‘badatz’ hashgacha, advertised being on line with the high standards maintained by some of the better chareidi badatz hechsherim.
Rabbi Sheinberg, Rosh Yeshivat Orot Ari in Tzfas ran the badatz day-to-day. The badatz had a growing chicken shechita which adhered to the chumros of Rav Mordechai Eliyahu.
A number of weeks ago “a noted rav from the north” was taken into police custody in connection to unspeakable acts, including attacks against women R”L. YWN-ISRAEL does not general report such news items, but now that Rav Shmuel Eliyahu released his letter pertaining to the badatz, the item is relevant as Rav Sheinberg has been cited as the rabbi involved in the alleged acts.
In his letter Rabbi Eliyahu distances himself from the badatz, adding any and all chickens that were schechted before Rosh Chodesh Menachem Av 5775 are fine and that anything that follows that date is no longer under his responsibility.
Rav Eliyahu was involved in the parsha of Rabbi Sheinberg weeks before it was in the media. He placed the rav in cherem and together with another prominent rav in the city, they banished R’ Sheinberg from the yeshiva and all mosdos in Tzfas. When Rav Eliyahu was involved, prior to Israel Police, the matters at hand were matters of aveiros against halacha but the investigation has since entered the realm of law-breaking, hence the police involvement.
This led to Rabbi Eliyahu’s letter disassociating himself with the badatz, which is likely to close after efforts to transfer control of the hashgacha to the ‘Kosharot’ organization were unsuccessful. Kosharot is headed by HaGaon HaRav Elyakim Levanon Shlita.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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3 Responses
A. even if rabbi eliyahu took himself off doesn’t mean that the dayan haemes approves of posting it.
B. as has been proven in the past, pple give out their vengeance and try to bring their enemies down with stories like this. Looking at the hours this man learnt and the level he learnt on every day when pple saw him, it doesn’t reflect anything of what has been said.
There is too much dishonesty and bribery in Kosher certification.
Rav Shmuel Eliyahu walks the walk and talks the talk and can be trusted for emes and yashrus.