[PHOTOS BY SHUKI LERER – JDN IN EXTENDED ARTICLE]
The flash visit of the Satmar Rebbe of Williamsburg Shlita brought a great deal of chareidi media attention as the rebbe attended a family simcha as well as distributing NIS millions for his ‘Shekel Tahor’ program, assisting mosdos that do not accept funding from any state institution.
The rebbe spoke out against Israel’s chareidi leadership, those who backed the new draft law that compels some chareidim to serve in the military or a state-approved national service program.
The event at which the rebbe made his comments was hosted by Gavaad Eida Chareidis HaGaon HaRav Yitzchok Tuvia Weiss Shlita, Eida Chareidis Ravaad HaGaon HaRav Moshe Sternbuch Shlita, and the Toldos Aharon Rebbe Shlita.
The rebbe began on a positive note, praising school principals and administrators who are moser nefesh to remain afloat without taking state aid. He then spoke in a pained voice about the ongoing wave of Palestinian terror attacks, of the loss, the bereaved families and the widows and orphans R”L. The rebbe added that “clearly, state officials haven’t a clue how to react because there is no way to react against HKBH and we cannot shed the yolk of galus from ourselves but we will have to just wait for Moshiach”.
During his address the rebbe broached the new draft law and the induction of chareidim into the IDF. He cried that while everyone is so concerned with sharing in protecting the nation, there is a need for protection for neshomos being pulled into the IDF. He spoke of the “פורצי גדר”, the spiritual gate crashers, “who wish to destroy everything without from inside and out. These same terrorists exist among the vineyards of the chareidi leadership, whom have crashed all the boundaries including the self-imposed boundaries and have become a part in parcel of the ‘shmad’ administration which only wants to uproot Torah and Mitzvos from their roots.
Particularly the draft law, which targets thousands of bnei torah annually.
The rebbe then shifted his attack against roshei yeshivos who backed the bill, stating “the same indictment applies to them, those who supported it, “Those very same people the Ribono Shel Olam placed in charge of the neshomos of the talmidim”.
The rebbe stated all of these chareidi leaders and roshei yeshiva who permitted this to pass, approving it and signing it, can never say “we did not know”, when the destruction follows. The rebbe pointed out how the Brisker Rov spoke out in 1948 against accepting state funds. “This is not ‘bitul torah’ in the sense that time is wasted but ‘bitul torah’ in the sense they are uprooting the entire torah” the rebbe added.
“It is clear as day that all the concessions the chareidi representatives made were simply to receive money and budgets, and if they did not accept the funding, there would not have been a draft law” the Rebbe added.
The rebbe pointed out the difficulty now with the Education Ministry trying to effect change in chareidi schools is all due to accepting state money and for no other reason as the ministry continues to insist the schools include English and math. The rebbe lamented how far the chareidim have gone simply to receive money. He pointed out that the non-religious have learned that in the chareidi camp, it’s just a matter of how much till they give in.
The rebbe spoke of a school principal from Jerusalem who visited him a week earlier, explaining for many years his school accepted funding from the state and today, he has been cut off for he refuses to accept children who families have internet at home. The parents took the principal to court and the court ruled the school must accept the children who come from homes with internet or forfeit all state funding. The rebbe explained “this is just one small example” of how they will control all the mosdos, simply because they have become reliant on the money.
From Yerushalayim the rebbe left for London for what is being billed a historic visit. He is expected to meet with major askanim who will be giving large sums as they continue supporting the rebbe and his hashkafa and not accepting any funding from the Israeli government. It is reported that the fact the rebbe was detained in Ben-Gurion Airport by authorities upon landing will only serve to increase the amount supporters will be giving to the cause.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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10 Responses
Will the Rebbe Shlitah be replacing all state funds with Shekel Tahor funds? He would certainly be in an even stronger position if this was possible.
As millions are distributed to help people be anti the very government that allows them to live in peace, how many families in Satmar struggle day to day to put food on the table and heat their homes?
PRIORITIES
easy to be critical, hard to be constructive….
Is that really the Bostoner Rebbe Rebi Meir Shlita who is in the second row at the right hand side. Wouldn’t have thought this was his haskofa. His father zt”l was a big supporter of the State.
I wonder what the Brisker Rov said about family fights and public chillul hashem.
This is a hidush? The pictures are fun, but perhaps the article should focus on anything said that is not a well established policy statement.
His “Shekel Tahor” Program?
How about running a “Dollar Tahor” program too…
And as he decries the use of money from the Israeli govt, he thanked Hashem that the British still controlled Eretz Yisroel and used their jet fighters to keep the skies safe for his flight, and thanked Hashem that the UN stood behind the British and set up the electric company that powers the buildings he enters.
I think the bigger outrage should be why yeshivos are denying students because of internet at home. Amidst all the “black hatters’ in the yeshivas I’ve attending, about 3/4 of them would not be there today if they were judged based on whether their parents had internet at home. For this Rav to decide who he will be ‘friends’ with and who he will ‘talk with’ is judgmental, ridiculous, and shameful. (In 2016) If the Chofetz Chaim’s parents or wife’s uncle had internet at home; would we throw him into exile?
Does anybody care what he says? Living in America doesn’t give him a right nor is he on the level to argue with the Gedolei Olam of Eretz Yisroel.