A Beis Din comprised of three of the top Dayanim in Eretz Yisroel issued a Kol Koreh regarding both sides of the dispute between the Shuvu Bonim movement and those that dispute the leader of that movement R. Eliezer Berland. The Kol Koreh was issued by the three members of the Beis Din, and a letter of support was appended to the ruling of the Beis Din – expressing confidence in them. An addition was added by Rav Moshe Shternbuch that indicated the necessity to minimize Chillul Hashem.
A translation of the Kol Koreh by Rabbi Yair Hoffman for 5TJT.com appears below:
Monday, 21 Sivan 5779
By virtue of the fact that we, who are signed below, have been appointed by the leading Batei Dinim in the land of Israel to be and act as Beis Din to investigate the arguments against Rabbi Eliezer Berland, the leader of the Shuvu Bonim Kehillah and to rule upon the manner in which everyone should conduct themselves. And in light of the fact that Rabbi Berland and his Kehillah have accepted upon themselves to adjudicate the issues before the Beis Din, therefore, the Beis Din is obligating all sides from this day onward to immediately cease all the hate, all the persecution, all the arguments, and all the slander. They are not to speak nor publicize any negative matter one of the other, nor express any negative nickname, in any manner or form – neither in print or orally or through any medium printed or broadcasted.
Whomsoever has any complaint or response, or legal tort in this matter must bring and present all complaints to be examined and resolved solely in front of this Beis Din.
The Beis Din will appoint a special secretary (the details of which will be announced), and only through his agency will it be possible to bring complaints for investigation and resolution.
On this we have signed upon,
Rav Sriel Rosenberg, Rav Shmuel Eliezer Stern, Rav Yehudah Fisher
______
We who have signed below, rely upon the aforementioned Gaonim to clarify and rule upon the manner upon which everyone must conduct themselves
Rav Yitzchok Tuvya Weiss, Rav Moshe Shternbuch, Rav Chaim Meir HaLevi Vosner, Rav Yehudah Silman, Rav Menachem Mendel Lubin, Rav Shevach Tzvi Rosenblatt, Rav Yoseph Binyomin Tzvi Rosenblatt, Rav Menachem Mendel HaKohen Shafran, and Rav Naftoli Nusbaum.
Rabbi Berland was released from house arrest just before Rosh Hashana a year ago, the result of a conviction for assault. Berland pleaded guilty to his actions against multiple victims. he had first fled Israel and traveled from country to country, thus avoiding extradition to Israel, where a warrant for his arrest had been issued. He spent time in the United States, Italy, Switzerland, Morocco, Egypt, Zimbabwe, and Johannesburg before being arrested and extradited to Israel where he faced the law.
His followers claim that Berland willingly took upon himself this disgrace, suffering, and exile, “which spiritually protects the Jewish People from heavenly decrees of annihilation”. It should be noted that audio footage was released where Berland was talking to his attorney about the details of one of his assaults.
Despite the charges and the guilty plea, he continues to be a celebrity-rabbi, as thousands of people flock to him.
(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
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72 Responses
Should probably disable comments for this article.
ARE YOU KIDDING?? SERIOUSLY? I’m not surprised that anti-religious sentiment run s so high in Israel. And no, this is not referring to the person in question, it refers to the Beis Din & the esteemed Rabbonim & Gedolim who allow the thuggery to continue in all factions.
I am speechless.
Uh oh. Now ywn is gonna go out of business. What are you gonna talk about now?
Doesn’t the Kol Koreh obligate YWN to rethink their ways?
they want to minimize chillul Hashem HA
if you wish to know why haredim in Israel garner the reaction they do from the secular and many in the DL and other traditional communities you need not look any further.
This is not a “kol korei” this is a psak and everyone must comply.
The only mistake that Rabbi Hoffman makes in his translation is that whenever Rabbi Berlands name is mentioned in the letter he is addressed “Rav and chossid Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit”a”.
Also, with all due respect, it seems that in the very same article that you bring the psak of Beis Din the editor goes against it by one’s again mentioning the false allegations against the Rav (even if they were to be true they would be against the psak Beis Din who didn’t issue a ruling in the matter yet).
Even more shocking is that the outright lies are still being recycled here in that “It should be noted that audio footage was released where Berland was talking to his attorney about the details of one of his assaults.” No such audio footage exists. YWN, with all due respect please comply to the psak of Beis Din. Remove the additional unneeded comments on the article and while you’re at it remove all the previous slanderous articles about Rabbi Berland.
Thank you.
Will thsi stop YWN from spewing hate?
The headline is misleading. The pesak only applies to the litigants.
About the second half of your article, they clearly said to bring your grievances to their Bais Din.
You posted a psak din and blatantly went against the psak din, in the same article!
A most unfortunate decision. It will decrease the stature of batei din in Israel.
YWN = Rishus
The Beis Din Just Made A Psak.
Yet You Continue.
Very fishy.
What? And what about the victims? Do they have to keep quiet while their abuse is swept under the carpet?
Really YWN? … Really!?
(I wish I could say more and point out more specifics, but it would be hypocritical of me to do so while speaking against loshen horah, so I will try to limit myself to this…)
I’m sure there will be many other commentators also making this point, but being that I don’t see any yet, I will say it too.
In the very article that you publish this kol koreh, and it’s translation (thank you), how could you possibly go and write those last three paragraphs!!?!
What are you going to say, that these are true facts!? If so, let me remind you of the first point in Hilchos Loshen horah 101 – it applies also, and even more so, to statements that are true.
And if you say that these are already well known facts, then let me remind you of the second most pointed out rule in Hilchos L”H – it’s immaterial, and possibly even worse to rely on ‘many already know it’.
My thoughts on the subject of this article are irrelevant.
Every Yid is obligated to not speak L”H. That goes for me (I’ll try), and that goes for a news website too.
(R’ Hoffman, doesn’t allowing for comments on this site count as Avak L”H, even if the site itself always writes correctly?)
Every Yid is also obligated, D’Oraisa, to listen to this kol koreh, and certainly not to mevazeh these dayonim.
For those who would appreciate to hear an original and excellent short vort on this, (I presume I can’t paste links here? so) I suggest checking out TorahAnytime’s recent shiur by Rabbi Shraga Kallus titled “Parashat Shelach: Who is the worst Jew in the world!”
Kol tov.
Incredible.
One of the most respected Beis Din in the world says to stop all lashon hara against him, yet IN THE VERY SAME ARTICLE, YWN ends with what is at very least, avak lashon hara, if not worse.
Do we listen to gedolei hador, or not??
I don’t know any details but the headline is misleading there is zero indication that it is problematic to talk against someone who admitted having done things like this rather when making a borerus you have to start it with no leanings to any side therefore the beis din writes that the TWO SIDES have to stop publicizing slander against each other rather any t’aanos on either side have to be brought to the beis din.
In addition the translation “Rabbi” is misleading, the roshei teyvos הרה”ח is used before the name of every chasidishe person whether or not he is a Rabbi and the usage of it in front of the name of someone believed by many to be a big Tzadik is not very honorable to say the least..
Again I am not taking any side because I don’t know the details I am just pointing out what is implied or not by this letter of the beis din.
No worries- if it was muttar to speak out against him before, it still is.
The Beis din is not enforcing Hilchos Lashon Hara. They are only addressing the two sides involved. Since they have agreed to this din torah, THEY must desist from spreading propaganda during the process.
YWN. R u out of your minds?
After writing and translating a kol koreh from Beis Din and Gedolim not to speak badly of Rav Berland shlita, u immediately wrote the evil history!
I saw this hanging in meah shearim. nobody is sure if its real or a forgery created by shuvu banim followers
makes sense, why should he be different than any other rabbi who assualts people and they hush it up
Careful examination of the wording in the Hebrew text shows clearly that this document is a forgery.
So will ywn abide by this psak?
The court wants to handle this case according to its procedures.
“all the hate,…and all the slander” are wrong for Jews to engage in whether there is a court case or not.
These rabbonim may try to contain the public revulsion against Berland and his followers but as has been repeatedly documented here, he is an abusive cult leader whose own bizarre behavior and efforts to evade the judicial system and create a chilul hashem in multiple foreign countries warrents the disgust expressed by the large percentage of the tzibur.
Fine, I will comply with the Psak. I do, however want to ask one question of the Dayanim: Would any of you let this man near your daughters, granddaughters, or any female member of your families?
Why do these rabbonim need to dirty their names by associating themselves with a menuval like Berland who was convicted as a pedophile, had relations with women and girls and the like even if they dress like frum yiddin? Don’t give excuses that he accepted the shame as a kappora. Shabbtai Tzvi converted to Islam to bring mosheach, right! I have a bridge to sell you
I love how YWN brings a letter written by tremendous gedolim and undersigned my many more of the greatest Rabbanim in Israel, then proceeds to do EXACTLY what the letter says NOT to do.
Great move.
Berland is a rapist.
Now I went against the bais din’s psak? Give me a break.
You just had to add those last three paragraphs, in direct violation of the very same Kol Koreh that you publicized?
12 hours later why has my previous comment not posted
Can this be authenticated? If yes, it matters. If not, it is just another strategy to legitimize something otherwise illegitimate.
BisBoy, no one who does not accept these rabbanim is obligated to comply.
Interjection, it only says that about that specific suit.
For all those seeking to impose a gag rule in relation to this serial abuser and convicted felon, I don’t think anyone cares about this letter whose scope is clearly meant to limit comments by the litigants to this din torah by the relevant beis din. For those who watched a disgusting circus evolve over more than a year in the media of this rashah convicted of assaulting women who was running around foreign airports and courtrooms dressed in tallis/tefillin creating a big chilul hashem for yidden in those countries and elsewhere, there are no limits on expressions of revulsion in relation to his behavior, then and now.
seems a little strange for a beis to issue such a psak. is this authentic 9i dont mean the translation).
It’s really astonishing that for years people badmouthing the Rav have been claiming “daas torah” and when real daas torah is finally out they completely ignore it!
What’s also astonishing is that this psak needed to come out in the first place. The Chafetz Chaim doesn’t need a haskama from Beis Din. Lashon Harah is a very serious sin whether Beis Din writes about it or not. Even if someone wins in Beis Din he is not allowed to talk bad about the guilty party. Even more so in this case where it is obvious to every sane person that all these allegations against Rav Berland is made up stuff created by his persecutors who didn’t like that he was having so much influence making Breslov Baalei Teshuva, especially ex-criminals. Read the books One in a Generation which is a great biography about Rabbi Berland’s and get educated a little. The biggest tzaddikim in the generation, R Chaim Kanievsky, R Dovid Abuchatzeira, R Dov Kook, R Shimon Badani, R Dovid Chaim Stern, R Shalom Arush, etc all hold him in esteemed regard. Even gedolim from the previous generation showed him unusual respect. The Steipler who was Rabbi Berlands chavrusa for years used to stand up for R Berland when he walked in the door. Rav Kaduri and Rav Mordechai Sharabi used to send people to him for brachos. Give me a break! Do we need a beis din to tell us that he’s innocent?! I’m sure all these people who were against him would be taking the side of Korach and the Sanhedrin against Moshe, or the generation against the Rambam, against the Ramchal, against R Yonasan Eibshitz or the Baal Shem Tov. When are we going to wake up?! Am Yisrael! When are we going to wake up?!
Avi K when a psak beis din comes out everyone needs to comply. It’s not like a halachic psak of one Rav in kashrus where you can have another Rav who disagrees. A beis din’s psak stands for everyone. Especially when the top Rabanim are endorsing the beis din.
To Avi K and all his minions.
What part of WHOMSOEVER do you not understand?
“Whomsoever has any complaint or response, or legal tort in this matter must bring and present all complaints to be examined and resolved solely in front of this Beis Din”.
Providing a forum for for Loshon Hora to take place is probably the highest form of Chilul HaShem.
BisBoy, i do not have to listen to a beit din that i do not follow. i don’t listen to the satmar or eidah BD as well as many others. The BDA is enough for me.
The Shady Charedi:
The answer to Who is the worst Jew in the world, is… BERLAND!!!
DrYidd, Gadolhatorah, YWN, (yeshivishrockstar the tag along)
You are blatant anti semites.
Where is the respect to a Beis Din.
Shavuos just ended, with it was the story of Elimelech etc.
In those times they disregarded Beis Din and it’s not the best story.
We must adhere to the call of our Gedolim. We are punks and grassho
DrYidd, Gadolhatorah, YWN, (yeshivishrockstar the tag along)
You are blatant anti semites.
Where is the respect to a Beis Din.
Shavuos just ended, with it was the story of Elimelech etc.
In those times they disregarded Beis Din and it’s not the best story.
We must adhere to the call of our Gedolim. We are punks and grasshoppers who can’t even lick the toenails of the Torah they know, and the Daas Torah they have.
This forum provides the platform for your hate and for your divisiveness.
Beis Din has come out against you and beseeched you to please hold your tounge until they make a case with a ruling.
The Gemara states: if someone sees a man walk out of a house holding a bloody knife and he thereupon enters to see a dead man on the floor, the suspect is not convicted unless there is a case in Beis Din with valid witnesses etc….
Please cut the hate, respect our Gedolim and Rabbonim and bring peace and serenity to this beautiful world!
(Lackof)Forsight
When Berland does tshuvah and seeks mechilah from the women, your musar might have some credibility
Achen Noda Hadavar
GadolHatorah – Do you even Know first hand even one woman that made those claims?
Please make my day and post that info.
We would all like to know.
You know we have a Shulchon Aruch and Chafetz Chaim for those who love HaShem and his Holy Torah.
“It’s Assur to be Mekabel on heresay or YWN unproven Ra’ash”
There is a Chiyuv to be Dan LKaf Zchus for Talmid Chacham and even if it looks bleak.
The whole thing was a made up farce by those who are like you and Korach.
Gantz Yar with Kinaa Sinah and Ra Ayin All in One.
Everyone knows he was Modeh in order to keep the haters and Shakranim at bay.
Do your research. I have. And I’m embarrassed by Fake News Like Yourself.
Be Ehrlich Be Real Be Honest.
Well, this comment thread is certainly a birur process. Those of you who cannot follow a psak din, including YWN, are showing your true colors. May Hashem expose the truth now, and we will see that the psak din should be obeyed as correct.
Wow the Berland gang is out in full force today….
He is a rapist. He can also be seen TOUCHING women in a video keneged halacha. His rasha talmud Ofer Erez admits he did it “but it was a mitzva”
His Tzaddik Talmud Harav Shalom Arush shlita has denounced Berland and disassociated with him completely. Not by mistake.
Read the Brelsev Emet website.
BTW, Berland Gang, when the Beis Din confirms he is a rapist, will you guys go along with the Beis DIn? Of course not.
what about its lashon hara even if its true dont ppl understand? if you know someone whos trying to join warn him. if not, then go do your tabloid gossip somewhere else
I saw the psak. It relates only to talk regarding a specific dispute within the Shuvu Banim organization. It is not a gag order on the broader topics for or against this man.
Yeshivishrockstar you’re a lier!
Rabbi Arush is a talmid muvhak of Rav Berland, he himself was one of he people who went to the bais din to testify who the Rav really is along with the Spinka Rebbe and Rabbi Grossman and other gedolim who consider themselves talmidim of Rav Berland.
And this is what Rabbi Arush recently said in Kol B’ramah Israel radio (direct transcription from Shuvu website where you can also hear the interview):
“Rav Berland is an angel of G-d, he is atoning for the sins of the generation.
To my sorrow people today the way people believe the media… if only they would believe the torah as much as they believe the media! I merited being the first shamesh of the rav, and his first driver, in the year 1975, more than 40 years ago. I can tell you what I saw with my eyes. This is not a story that someone told me, it’s what saw with my own eyes all these 40 plus years! The man is not a man, he is an angel! He is a ‘Malach Hashem’, who can stand 16 hours without moving for Shmona Esrei. Who knows what people are thinking, I always ask him questions in my mind and he turns around and answers me! And much more miracles which I promised the Rav I will never speak about. You need to understand it will take 10 hours straight for me to relate stories that I saw with my own eyes.
He is almost 80 and they say about him these things?! (laughs), it’s funny! A person paid money to women to speak about him!
And the Rav said even before this happened that there are terrible heavenly decrees against the Jewish Nation and if there is a Tzadik which takes upon himself the disgrace of a libel about adultery he will cancel the decree! He took upon himself the disgrace! And this terrible exile!
Gedolei Tzaddikim, many that I am connected with say about him that the Rav is atoning for the entire generation.
So what could we do, there are people who believe the media that an 80-year-old person (laughs) it’s insane!
As far as sleep is concerned I was his shamash so I know he never sleeps. I used to be with him every Thursday night we would be together the whole night, he would give a shiur until the morning, in the morning we would daven, then he would beg me to come to him for Shabbos, the entire Shabbos I saw he didn’t sleep a drop. This is an angel of G-d! What I saw with my own eyes we can write books…
Also here in Israel that they believe the rumors without checking, without checking the depths of it. Maybe here they received bribes, they should investigate! One person gets up and says a story and everyone believes him! This is forbidden! There are no witnesses there is nothing!
We should be zoche that the Rav should lead Am Yisrael, and merit to see his redemption together with the redemption of all Am Yisrael. Amen.”
Gadolhatorah: Unfortunately your name has risen to high. You can’t allow the true Rabonei Yisrael to speak.
The Rabbonim said: let us go to Beis Din and process it as a case and then we will decide.
You can’t have a case over a guilty man.
Harav HaChasid Eliezer Berlant Shlita is innocent as the Beis Din did not process the case.
You know nothing.
You get your news like everyone else and believe everything you want to.
This is who the Kol Koreh was for.
It was to stop this act of everyone taking matters in their own hands and to allow a process to run.
Daas Torah is the only way to do this.
Don’t think you are better than anyone else.
whats with freedom of speech
Don’t all you morons understand anything?
YWN, just like all “news” sources, relies on shock value and controversial content to keep its readership engaged and hot under the collar, because it helps their bottom line. It gets more visits, more clicks, more comments, and ultimately, more money from sponsored ads.
If you truly don’t like the way YWN reports things, stop visiting this site and stop commenting.
Now signing off, never to visit this trash heap of a news site again. Good bye.
BisBuy: What he said two years ago is not what he says now. He now knows things he didn’t before. Do you know Rav Arush kicked out Ofer Erez? Did you know that he said emuna pshuta means believing in Hashem even when the person who brought you close to yiddishkeit was found out to be a mushches? That doesn’t sound like a Berland shr”y supporter to me.
BisBoy: Do you think Berland is the Moshiach? I can send you letters and emails I get everyday from Berlanders who tell me the “Rav” is the Moshiach due to the mutterings of some autisitic kids. Do you think that Berland, today’s Shabsai Tzvi is Moshiach (or even could be Moshiach?) YES OR NO?
Bisboy: Read the BreslevEmet website (I cant post links in the comments). There you will find out the truth about who this awful rasha really is.
From Rav Arush:
תמימות אינה טיפשות אבל חשוב מאוד לדעת, בפרט בדורנו, שהתמימות צריכה להיות עם ה’ יתברך, כמו שכתוב: “תמים תהיה עם ה’ אלוקיך”. התמימות היא במה
שכתוב בתורה ובספרי הפוסקים הלכה למעשה ובספרי צדיקי האמת, בלי לסטות ולזוז ימין ושמאל כחוט השערה. תמים אמתי לא ילך ב”תמימות” אחרי רבנים שהם עצמם אינם תמימים ואינם נאמנים לתורה ולחז”ל בתמימות. לכן אנשים שהולכים בעיוורון – אינם תמימים. אנשים טיפשים – אינם תמימים. רבינו מדגיש שהתם הקדוש לא היה טיפש. לכן רואים לאורך כל הדרך במעשה מחכם ותם, שהתם לא מתבלבל הוא לא זז מתמימותו הגדולה. אבל ה”חכם” – דווקא הוא כל הזמן מתבלבל, ממש כמו שיכור, וכל כולו רק ייסורים וצער. כי התמימות היא החכמה העמוקה ביותר: לחפש אמת ולמאוס בשקר. אברהם אבינו ע”ה לא קיבל ב”תמימות” את אותה אמונה טיפשית שקיבל מאביו ומכל בני הדור. כשהוא ראה את השקר – הוא קם וזעק ‘זה שקר!’ תמימותו התבטאה בכך שהוא חיפש את האמת בכל כוחו, ולא היה יכול לסבול שקר וזיוף – זו תמימות אמתית.
תם אינו טועה ואדרבא, תמים אמתי – אי אפשר להטעות אותו, כי הוא לא זז מהתורה ולא יכול לסבול שום סטייה מהתורה. הוא מכבד את כולם, ולא חולק, ולא נלחם, אבל אם הוא רואה דברים שאינם כפי התורה, אפילו אצל הרב שלו – הוא ‘שומר מרחק’, וממשיך לחפש רבנים שידריכו אותו בדרכי התמימות.
לכן כדי שהתמימות לא תהפוך לטמטום צריך לדעת שההלכה היא ה”מצפן” של התמימות, כל “תמימות” שאינה מכוונת לדיוק בהלכה המקובלת והמסורה – היא סכנה גדולה והיא היפך התמימות. ‘הצור התמים פעלו’ יזכנו להיות ‘תמימי דרך ההולכים בתורת ה”, ויצילנו מהתמימות של הסטרא אחרא ש’רגליה יורדות מוות’, ובזכות אבותינו התמימים נזכה לעבוד את ה’ באמת ובתמים ויתקיים בנו “הולך בתום ישכון בטח”
Who do you think he’s refering to?
Also have you been to Rav Arush’s house? I have. He took down all pictures of Berland after the video of Berland touching women came out. So NEWS FLASH: He doesn’t hold of him anymore!!!
YWN: Gedolei Danyanim of the generation have issued a psak din!
YWN in same article: Goes against psak din.
Moderators Note: You didn’t read the psak Din. Did you?
@ywn Don’t think of “learning up the Psak” and trying to twist for you to make controversy and MONEY.
The Psak says that they are making a case in Beis Din, so refrain from speaking so that there can be a case.
That includes everyone.
And YWN.
YWN Moderators…!
Allow us to parallel the psak din, and highlights from your article for you:
“The Beis Din is obligating all sides … to immediately cease all the … slander. They are not to speak nor publicize any negative matter … in any manner or form.”
And yet you wrote:
“Rabbi Berland … house arrest … conviction for assault … pleaded guilty … multiple victims … fled Israel … avoiding extradition … warrant for his arrest … arrested and extradited … faced the law.”
The point here is not to debate whether we postulate his guilt or innocence. Let him be guilty if you want. The point, and halachah, and YOUR OBLIGATION is “not to speak nor publicize any negative matter”.
Now, tell us again, if YOU read the psak Din.
We, the readers, await your genuine apology, and removal of those last paragraphs in this article.
(And please, keep any responses to this comment, or any comments here professional and without any puerile pettiness.)
The Beis Din has been informed about internet posts, articles and comments which go against the psak and they will be contacting those who do. Please provide your full name when posting Lashon Hara and don’t hide behind anonymous comments.
And by the way “yeshivishrockstar”, Rav Arush, Rav Grossman, the Spinka Rebbe and other gedolim are CURRENTLY very active in supporting Rav Berland in front of the Beis Din. So stop spewing your blatant lies that no one appreciates.
You have no idea who Rav Berland is. Did you even read his multiple volume biography One in a Generation???
Bisboy: of course I know who Berland is. He is a rapist. Does the “multiple volume” hagiography mention that?
Furthermore , I quoted from Rav Arush’s very own shiur (reprinted in his weekly parsha sheet). You can’t bring proof to anything that isnt from more than 2 years ago (when the video of rapist Berland touchimg a woman came out.) So put up or shut up.
MO World News.
Lol to all the Shabtai Tzvi supporters
Bis Boy says, “You have no idea who Rav Berland is….”
Actually, BissyBochur, most of us do. Going back to 2012, a number of women in EY reported that Berland sexually harassed or assaulted them. The allegations came to light in 2012, when Israeli media reported incidents in which one of Berland’s “talmidim” encountered him at home, standing beside a woman in totally compromising circumstances. He subsequently fled EY to avoid arrest and ran around Europe and Africa engaging in bizarre efforts to avoid extradition before finally being dragged back to EY .On November 18, 2016, Berland was convicted by the Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court after admitting to two counts of indecent acts and one assault against women. He was sentenced on November 22 to 18 months imprisonment. Berland went to prison and has subsequently expressed remorse over his acts and said that he” takes responsibility” for what happened. He was released from prison due to “health issues” but has subsequently continued to lead what most regard as cult rituals and his supporters continue to engage in violent acts against those who criticize him.
Yes BisselBochur, most know who Berland is. The question is, DO YOU??
am not sure what they feel they need to investigate. The investigation was already done by the police. What is this beis din going to add to that? Much of what was discovered about Berland is online and available for the public to view on Youtube. He has publicly confessed to at least some of his crimes. What more does this beis din want or expect to be able to determine? What are they capable of determining? Does the beis din have the necessary skills to investigate such heinous crimes? Do they have access to the victims to call them in to testify against him, and to persuade them to come and testify again if they dont want to, thinking they had already put this behind them?
And what can their decision possibly be in light of an investigation? Even if they say he is guilty, then what?
Why would Berland agree to this investigation, and to putting himself and his future in their hands? He would agree to it because he knows the risk is negligible. The worst case scenario is that they confirm what the police and courts already determined – that he is guilty. Then what? What can they do to him? Whatever they say is unenforceable, and he can continue living his life as he wants to no matter what they say.
But that tiny bit of risk is infinitesimal. Berland is in a no-lose situation, and he stands to gain a lot. Just by holding the investigation, they are already showing him honor. he was given honorifics in the letter. He is an important person. And he knows that since there is nothing new for them to discover or add to what is already known by the public, this is going to be a whitewash. Either they will clear him of all wrongdoing and say he was framed, or they will give him a slap on the wrist and say he has since done tshuva and already suffered enough anyway, or they will say his confessions were forced or were confessed when he was sick and not in a clear state of mind.
Berland has everything to gain by this investigation and nothing to lose. This is pure reputation laundering.
You use the false claim that he “admitted” to something in order to support your false allegation that he is guilty. Well, first of all, he did not ADMIT to anything. His lawyers decided to make a PLEA BARGAIN in order to get him out of jail and not wait for two years until they are given a chance to prove his innocence. Rabbi Berland was suffering from cancer in jail and it was pikuach nefesh for him to stay there without receive the necessary care. Rav Elyashiv already made a psak in a similar case that a person must make a plea bargain even if it seems like he is admitting, in order that he doesn’t sit in jail for something he didn’t do. Also, if you do it bit of research in your “Internet” which you apparently hold more dearly than the Shulchan Aruch, you will see that most plea bargains done in Israel are done by people who are 100% innocent, and many times a good lawyer would recommend settling for a plea bargain than fighting a long battle to prove innocence especially when it’s a case against the Israeli Government with a religious or political agenda. Also just to remind you about how many Rabbi’s ‘mysteriously’ died in jail at the hands of the Israeli Government.
Number two, just the fact that you are sitting here spewing your Motzei Shem Ra on a post in a Jewish Forum which clearly states above that the biggest batei din in Eretz Yisrael said it’s forbidden. Forbidden to do something which we didn’t really need a Beis Din to forbid as it is a clear Shulchan Aruch and the Chofetz Chaim actually already wrote two whole books about. This just shows that you have no regard whatsoever to Halacha, or to daas torah, and nothing you say has any value. There is no point to answer your nonsense. Period.
Oy! May Hashem have mercy! I hope we don’t have another holocaust or something because of the way people are going against the Torah saying terrible things about this tzaddik. The tzadikim already warned about this. Hashem! PLEASE HAVE RACHMANUS! ITS NOT THEIR FAULT! THEY ARE INFLUENCED BY THE MEDIA AND THE INTERNET! PLEASE HAVE RACHMANUS AND SHOW THEM THE TRUTH!!!
Please YWN close the comments on this! Whoever wants to find out more should just go to Rav Berlands own website. This discussion is not news anymore.