Chassidim of Rabbi Eliezer Berland, who is hiding from Israeli authorities in South Africa, have made a death threat against S. Africa Chief Rabbi Warren Goldstein in Rabbi Berland’s name, the Johannesburg Sunday Times reports. It is alleged that Rabbi Warren has led police to Rabbi Berland’s hiding place resulting in the threat against his life.
Ten days ago, South African Police Service officers raided a hotel in Samrand in northern Johannesburg were the rabbi has been for the past five months. The police were acting on an Interpol warrant. The report adds that about 40 families have followed Rav Berland to S. Africa. Once again the rabbi managed to evade authorities and arrest.
Chief Rabbi Goldstein has not commented on the matter but the South African Jewish community issued an official statement “representing the full spectrum of South African Jewry.”
“The South African Jewish community calls on Rabbi Eliezer Berland to return to Israel immediately to face the serious criminal charges laid against him and for which there is an international warrant of arrest against him.
“We further condemn the baseless malicious lies and incitement to violence aimed at our Chief Rabbi, including the libelous accusation that the Chief Rabbi was responsible for the police raid on Berland’s compound.”
Chassidim of Rav Berland have announced that Rabbi Goldstein has now fallen in the category of a “rodef” and may therefore be killed.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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10 Responses
They say it was written in Rav Berland’s website. Does anyone know what this is taking about?
Wow this is a very dangerous cult…
nice to be extreme, we can just kill those who bother us. Hard to be normal, ignoring the problematic people.
Seems the South African police are as inefficient as their Israeli counterparts. Surely they can find this man and send him back to Israel where he will have a chance to disprove all the allegations against him.
I thinks refering to him as “rabbi” and “rav” is wrong, unless quotes or some other indication is given that he is not a legitimate rav. Referring to his followers as chassidim is the same problem. they are followers, they are not chassidim any more than the followers of a reform “rabbi” are chassidim. They do not represent Torah in any way, and that must be made abundantly clear.
As I understand the din of rodef, the response of meesa is appropriate only until the informer informs. The purpose of the meesa is to prevent the informing. Once the informer has informed, it is too late. See Choshen Mishpat 388. Besides, what evidence exists which proves that Rabbi Goldstein informed against Berland to the authorities?
Even if he did notify the authorities, who is to say he did not have a directive from a legitimate bais din to do this?
This is crazy news, no jokes. these guys are extreme and wild and dangerous. they don’t get the hint that the south african jewish community dosn’t want them there. most of them are total baale tshuva ex israeli criminals, I have came across many of them. if they can kill a chief rabbi then can kill anyone. I think the sounth african government should round them all up and deport them out of the country, they’re all there either on fake or expired visas. they’re supporters of a fugitive criminal!
It seems this group won’t rest until they have left a trail of chillul Hashem across the globe…
This article didn’t quote any reliable source. If just a few mentally ill Chassidim made that statement then this piece is very unfair and loshon hora. (I’m sure a few leitzunim will say “all his Chassidim are mentally ill, but I know first hand it’s not true.)
Stop spreading lies and false rumors. There is another Sefardi Rav in South Africa who said that this other Rabbi has a Din Rodef for Mamash sending the police on Shabbos to have Rav Berland Shlita Arrested. Nobody issued any death threats.