HaRav Shalom Arush, Rosh Yeshivas Chut Shel Chessed, has announced he will no longer accept women wishing to meet with him. According to a Kikar Shabbos report, due to the story surrounding the prominent rav from Tzfas, [ link to article 2] he has decided he will no longer have kabolas khal for women.
The rav is quoted telling his talmidim that “the yetzer hora among rabbonim is stronger than among others” and therefore feels rabbonim must not receive women wishing to speak with them during kabolas khal. This refers to women accompanied by their husbands as well. Rav Arush will accept a note from a man regarding his wife.
The rav’s decision was publicized in the yeshiva community as well as in the community sheet distributed weekly.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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26 Responses
Quite a decline from Moshe Rabbeinu. Moshe Rabbeinu in the last two parshios dealt directly with five sisters who were claiming their father’s portion in Eretz Yisroel. But the yetzer hara is so great among current rebbeim that they can’t even deal with a woman accompanied by her husband? How far we are from Torah and Har Sinai!
With all due respect, Rabbi Arush is not in a position to give instructions or Mussar to all other Rabbonim. Let him stop seeing women if it affects him, and not tell any other Rav what to do.
This is called misconstrued justice!!!
The women victims are now becoming invisible…how shall they ask sheilos, seek advice or request solutions ONLY through a male messanger????? This is pure regression, yes the yetzer harah is overwhelming and difficult so THEREFORE ideas and solutions need to be floated about. Let the Rav keep the door open, have a short time span for questions, have another person in attendance, cameras, etc…
Figure out a SOLUTION instead of no, no women!!!
Rav Arush Shlita has been pushed into this corner by the redifa of another tzaddik, HaRav Berland Shlita.
#1, it all depends on every person’s specific nature. Plus, due to the situation he might want to remove any ground for suspicions.
#2, he was not giving anybody any instructions. he just basically quoted a Gemorah in Sukkah.
The Tzadik is setting an example for everyone. The Yetzer Hora for arayos is the greatest of them all. And Chazal admonish us all to “keep far far away from women”. That is also a direct quote from the Shulchan Aruch.
Women don’t need to run to their Rav every time they have a sheela. A woman needs to turn to her husband, and ask him her sheela. For some whose husbands study all day, why run to ask a Rav when the husband should know the answer. And if the husband doesn’t know then the husband goes to ask. Enough with this hype of “shee’la shee’la”. It doesn’t make a woman less of a woman if she herself can’t go ask a question. If this Rav took it upon himself to not see women then “sheyavo lo bracha” and let’s all move on…..
Keep in mind the 5 sister that came to see Moshe or any WOman that came to seek guidance from a Rav prior to the 19th century had to deal with Scantily dressed/tight dressed/had any sort “Sheitel” nor any enticing perfume or eye shadow that the filthy media portrays as “beauty”, no “KIKIRIKIS” to make any dress of perversion “Kosher”.
Thats just mentioning the “religious” ones of today, forget about the secular.
Rather that seeking professional help, Rav Arush sets a bad example and simply yields to his Yetzer Harah and refuses to meet with any woman, with or without her husband present. In the Alte Heim, all of the greatest rabbonim and gadolim of that generation routinely spoke with women about their day to day lives, their concerns and their shaiylos. This Rav, any others of our generation, need to be setting an example of how to deal with their personal demons instead of hiding from them.
How about have women dealing and helping women with their issues? Not a women “Rabbi” but some sort of guidance, psychologist or Rebbitza (however you say it)
Seems like he is throwing the women out with the mikvah water.
And sima,please don’t mention Rav Arushs name in the same paragraph as cult leader berland, hashaim reshaim yirkav.
Charedi: Rav Arush is a talmud of Rav Berland so I don’t think he’d agree to what you just said.
Well, what’s if someone doesn’t have a husband? Like me. I went to him once for guidance & chizzuk, & he guided me very well. I don’t know what I will do now, Cuz I need someone so pure like him to guide me…
I don’t understand. Its a free Country. The Rabbi is not “Michuyav” to see anyone. He can decide who he wants to see & who not. There were many Rebbe’s throughout history who did not see women. He is being very smart. He’s not intersted in having some trouble maker woman come in to see him & then “accuse” him of who knows what and then getting sentenced to 107 years in prison. We are living in crazy times.
And what happens if a woman has an abusive husband, or he is an internet addict, or he has a drug problem, etc. than who is the wife going to speak to to seek advise? Will her abusive husband be representing his wife’s complaint to the Rav 100% as she feels? Will she even able to discuss her feelings to a husband that doesn’t even care about her? Or will the abusive husband ask the shayla his way so he looks like a “tzaddik” and gives his wife a false answer to her problems and therefore she remains in an abusive marriage because her and her husband’s “Rav” doesn’t want to see her?
Prg: if the wife has an abusive husband then she doesn’t go to a Rav for a sheela; she goes to AUTHORITIES. Or her parents. Have your priorities straitened out please. If she goes to a rabbi, chances are it will be shoved under the rug like in most hareidi communities.
Rainyday: some don’t have husbands, true. That’s why there are rebbetzins. Rav Arush is not the first one to distance himself from seeing women. His wife is a very wise woman I’m sure and can help you. There is always a solution to everything and it starts with how you see things.
It doesn’t make you more of a Rav if you “face your demons”. It shows all of you that at the end of the day, a Rav is like all of us and that the confusion we have of forgetting Who has all the answers is made clearer.
1. The parshah states very clearly,and I never thought about it until you all just brought it up, the 5 sisters came to moshe at “at the entrance of his tent” not inside then they cane in front of moshe and other rabonim(beis din so to speak) maybe we learn from Here that he is right and a rav should not meet with a woman privately and to all those bashing him Shame on you if he were to say the opposite then so would you. People like you just look for something contradictory to say and guess what it’s not a negative that he comes out and says he has taavas more rabonim and rabbaim should admit that maybe then so many kids wouldn’t go off the derech when they think they are doomed when they start having improper thoughts LIKE EVERY OTHER MAN BECAUSE IT’S NORMAL and instead know that it is normal for them to think that way and that they should work on themselves instead of giving up because they think that they’re the problem!
I believe that a reevaluation is necessary here:
1) Let’s not mistakenly think that just because we are all writing anonymously here that our statements are exempt from Hashem’s Mishpat. We will certainly be accountable for any unwarranted judging of others, harsh statements, and negativity even if they do not include Lashon Harah.
2) Ain Davar Chadash Tachas HaShemesh – Rav Arush is not taking upon himself anything that has not been done by others. It is well known that Rav Chaim Kanievsky, shlita does not see women. His father would not even read petiks from women. Although I don’t know for certain, but I’ve never seen women by Rav Shteinman, so it is possible that he doe not accept women either. My Rav only speaks to women through his wife (in other words, a woman will need to ask her sheilot to the Rav’s wife and she will ask it for her). I’m sure there are many other Rabbanim in Eretz Yisrael that also don’t see women as well.
It’s only because we tend to sensationalize such news reports (and I don’t blame YWN for this) that we get all heated up. If word went out on the streets that a certain Rav no longer accepts women, no one would get bent out of proportion. Those that go to him would just adjust to the new situation. It’s not that much different than when Rav Chaim stopped accepting people at night. So you adjust. No big deal.
3) Did anyone of the commentators above bother to ask their Rav, let alone a Gadol B’Yisrael, if such behavior is acceptable? I’m suspicious that you have not.
There are many behaviors in the area of tznius that most people today are not even aware of that Klal Yisrael practiced in earlier times. Perhaps ask your Rav or a Jewish Historian (such as Rav Berel Wine) if you are interested in finding out more.
dear prg #15:
And what happens if a woman has…
then there are plenty other rabbonim who WILL see women!!!
and i don’t think rav arush is a poisek, so if a woman has a sha’alah, she can go to the מו”ץ in her community.
Rav Harush is only doing what he thinks is right for HIMSELF… he’s not setting any example, he’s not telling anyone what to do…
he’s just letting people know – ‘i’m not accepting woman’
and ps. there are plenty rabbonim who don’t see women. why are you becoming so upset.
I think the Steipler too did not see women! and neither does Rav Steinman… why don’t you go out and riot against them!!!
In Europe, didn’t women go to the Rebbitzen, who then went to her husband to ask on the women’s behalf, if it was necessary.
Not being alone with a woman is perfectly understandable, but with her husband or with another person in the room isn’t Yichud. Why is that a problem?
#20 – I don’t think the Rav is worried about Yichud, rather I’m assuming it’s an inyan of hirhurim that he would like to prevent.
Why can’t he talk to them over the phone
why don’t we just eliminate women from Yiddishkeit!! Just make them disappear!! OH…yeah… Who will cook the Shabbos Seudah and who will clean up the house and who will work to support the kollel husband?
It always amazes me how so many people can make a mountain out of a mole hill.
What’s wrong with a Rav saying, “I no longer find myself fit to give advise to women”?
Just to get my point across I’ll bring in a story that I am personally aware of. There was once a defense attorney who in his early days used to accept all types of criminals as clients. At one point he took in a client who was on trial for murder (I don’t know any of the details). One day the client came over the house to speak to his attorney, but he wasn’t home. The attorney’s wife was so frightened that she demanded from her husband to never take another murder case again.
Now, according to you “Nay Sayers” he had no right to decline murder cases! After all, who will defend them? Should we just allow everyone on trial for murder to just be “eliminated”? Why not tell his wife to get over it?!
Bottom line – no one is obligated to give “kabalat Panim”, especially if he is not getting paid for it and furthermore when it’s not even part of his official position! In the case of Rav Arush his official position is head of the Chut Shel Chessed Institutions. Since when is he obligated to take time out from his family for activities that are neither concerning his institution, nor being paid for it? Such actions are called Chesed and chesed is not always obligatory.
If you feel otherwise, maybe put your body were your mouth is and stop wasting time online and start getting involved with chesed organizations!
Can you imagine how woman who have spoken to him in the past feel now ? Yuk. This was an unnessacary announcement and he only embarrassed himself and all other Rabbanim. Another proof that Breslov is insanity.
#25 – first of all, just because the media picked up on this news bit does not mean that Rabbi Arush made a public announcement to the media. From my understanding he posted a notice in his Yeshiva (and perhaps on his front door) of the change. The info was meant for his tzibor only. Just because some blabbermouth decided to take it to the media doesn’t mean he’s to blame.
Secondly, I think you should seriously contemplate whether your last statement was inappropriate. Not all thoughts should be publicized and can get you in hot water in Shamiyim.