Rabbi Shlomo Peppenheim Shlita, a member of the Vaad Eida Chareidis is calling on the tzibur to begin showing tznius regarding the purchase of a shtreimal. He calls on followers to distance themselves from the practice of buying real fur shtreimals and begin using synthetics. The rav was addressing a forum that included animal right activists. The rav called today’s use of real fur a chilul Hashem, for he feels there is no need to kill animals for the manufacture of the shtreimals.
Peppenheim explained that today, when the issue of animal rights is a headline issue, continuing to do so is a chilul Hashem. “There are those who will say ‘a synthetic shtreimal is not the same, not as nice.’ Do we have to be bigger chassidim than the Baal Shem Tov and his chassidim?” I don’t believe that the shtreimal worn by the talmidim of the Baal Shem Tov were nicer than today.”
Rav Peppenheim is quoted in Maariv explaining that since animal rights has become such a prominent issue in the international community, continuing to manufacture fur shtreimals is a chilul Hashem. “Baruch Hashem I have many grandchildren and great grandchildren who are getting married and I attend the weddings with my simple shtreimal. When my children urged me to accept a new one, I told them only a synthetic one.”
The rav added that “this is not an issue of an aveira or annulling a mitzvah. We are simply saying a shtreimal should be synthetic and not from an animal.”
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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24 Responses
Is this for real? It can’t be. Animals’ only tafkid in life is to serve us, and so through becoming shtreimels these animals are actually performing ratzon hashem in a great way. Why would we stop this? This is a big zechus for them.
Rabbi Shlomo Peppenheim isn’t a spokesman or official of the Eidah HaChareidus. He is a plain member like tens of thousands of other members of the Eidah. He only speaks for himself (despite media portrayals of him as some sort of spokesman.)
This view of his is not shared by almost anyone in the Eidah.
good idea and would save people thousands of dollars
but who will listen
The idea that everyone in many communities doesn’t feel he is fully dressed with a streimel is actually quite new. It is sort of a frum version of “living well is the best revenge” – they tried to kill us and we’re not only here, but we’re able to afford fancy hats (not to mention Boro Park’s infamous chandaliers).
As goyim are decreasingly wearing fur, real fur will become more expensive as there won’t be the economies of scale to support a fur industry.
this is sick
Time to use some eidah ppl and wear them as streimels. As we know animal rights groups like PETA hate reg people. Stop hating reg ppl and leave the shtreimalich.
When I read the opening sentence of the article:
Rabbi Shlomo Peppenheim Shlita, a member of the Vaad Eida Chareidis is calling on the tzibur to begin showing tznius regarding the purchase of a shtreimal.
I assumed that was because Rabbi Peppenheim holds there’s a lack of tznius in a public display of having spent a large sum of money. But that was the last remez to tznius in the article. It went on to discuss how we should try not to offend the world’s biggest people-hating, animal-loving organization. That’s got nothing to do with tznius…
“this is not an issue of an aveira.”
thanks for clearing that one up. just wanted to be sure that dressing up as 19th century polish nobility wasnt one of the 613. that being said commenter #3 should show more sensitivity to those with dissimilar dressing habits.
Chesssed says:
August 22, 2013 at 3:54 pm
this is sick
did you ever see how they catch and skin the animals and anyway that is tzar ball hchaim
how about making a takana that all engagement rings should be synthetic diamonds? nobody can tell the difference, and it will save the chosson tons of $$$ too
The Nazis YMS”V also were concerned with animal rights…
Is everyone missing the point? Klapei Shmaya does it matter if the Shtreimel is real fur or not? If the synthetic doesn’t look embarrassing and is cheaper, what justification would there be for wasting Yiddish gelt on a real one? And, yes, we are allowed to kill animals for our tzoraich, such as food and clothing. But is this a tzoraich?
If it is just for kovod, it would be better to forgo it.
BTW – I don’t wear a shtreimel, but the clothes and hat that I wear are just regular off-the rack. I don’t spend anything extra on Kovod.
it would be more understandable if the reason was purely economic, but the animal rightists want to ban shechita as well, is it a chilul H’ to have cholent on Shabbos too?
I don’t know who Rabbi Shlomo Peppenheim is and I am sure he means well, but his comments will only incite the anti animals aka animal “right” wackos left — for EVERYTHING.
Animals are on the earth to serve humans. GOD said this, not some shmoyga posting on YWN.
Jew Yorker: Actually, it’s more like 19th century Hungarians. Poles preferred taller hats. More modern orthodox are influenced by the decision of King George V of English to switch from a frock coat (a.k.a. morning coat, what we call a kapote) to a short jacket (our suit coats). The decision of almost all Jews (except for some hasidim) to wear long pants was highly influenced by Beau Brummel – a British fashion maven of the late 19th century.
The only “Jewish” garment is the tallis (and even that is based on a style of cloak that was common in the past). The actually strings – they are pure Jewish.
Whether it is modest to wear super-expensive clothes on Shabbos is another issue. Many of the modern orthodox (especially those who are bankers and lawyers) wear suits costing thousands of dollars, and certainly it is a mitzva to be better dressed on Shabbos than what you wear to work during the week.
Just because some animal lovers who may or may not be anti-human beings, anti-Semites or whatever who would support what the Rabbi said, doesn’t mean we have to reject it. We have rules about animals long, long before they became their protectors.
1) Issur of tzar baalei chaim
2) Feeding animals BEFORE we eat breakfast
3) Moshe Rabbeinu’s well known reaction to a sheep he watched over which resulted in him being picked by Hashem as the redeemer
4) Rabbeinu Hakodosh’s famous incident in the Gemarrah where he was physically punished for momentarily not favorably reacting to its pain
And finally, I’m glad that at least for a post here, I concur with Akuperma… You’re so right…. and thanks about the tzitzis info… I never thought of it.
I’m sure that the Avos wore only the best quality streimels…
uckovicher Chossid says:
August 22, 2013 at 5:00 pm
how about making a takana that all engagement rings should be synthetic diamonds? nobody can tell the difference, and it will save the chosson tons of $$$ too
not the same no issue of tzar ball chasim even thought some say animals where created for us still the thorah said no tzar ball h’chaim. That means you jsut cannot do as you please
While there is nothing asur about using animal products for clothing — I’m wearing a leather belt as I write this and I wear leather shoes about 363 days a year — there IS an issur to cause unnecessary suffering to animals. Yes, animals were created to serve us, but we are also commanded to take care of them and to treat them with respect. If it is a mitzvah to wear a streimel, wearing a streimel that was produced through torturous treatment of the animals is a mitzvah ha ba b’aveirah. In addition, synthetic products are much less expensive and can potentially be much more weather-resistant.
Isn’t there also the screaming issue of “ever min ha-chai”, some of the animals are skinned alive for their fur because it remains softer like that, or because they just aren’t killed properly before skinning….
And of course all those who say we have no concern for animals are very wrong as Lo Soguru sums up above, yes we use animals and animal products, but that is a big bedi-eved and if you can avoid it you should.
(The world was meant to be vegetarian, only after Noah were we allowed to eat animals. You can’t enter har habayis wearing leather shoes.
– and yes I do eat meat and I do wear leather shoes from time to time, but I don’t eat meat exclusively or even primarily)
In my opinion some of the commentators here are missing the point. What’s problematic with Rav Peppenheim’s statement is that it is based on the beliefs of a small sector of people (namely PETA) instead of financial considerations.
Concerning financial considerations, Chabad dropped it and Gur set price restrictions. Recently Satmar instituted wedding restrictions including purchasing synthetic diamonds instead of real ones. After 9/11 the Rabbanim in America instituted restrictions on Chasunas as well.
If Rav Peppenheim would have stated that due to the present financial situation, the outlandish cost of streimels, and the advanced technology of making quality items from synthetic fibers, we should move away the common practice of buying streimels made out of real fur, that I could definitely hear.
On the other hand, as soon as you state that the proper consideration is based on how a certain organization of wicked (or at least misguided) people believe, then I have a challenging question for you. PETA believe that animals should not be used for ANY purpose! That includes WOOL and COTTON!
Rav Peppenheim – STOP WEARING YOUR SILK BEKESHER! (you can buy a synthetic silk imitation!)
Litvaks – STOP WEARING WOOL SUITS!!!
HOW FAR ARE YOU WILLING TO GO?!?!?
Softwords # 21 – PETA has no issue with cotton, as that is a plant product.
an Israeli Yid
anIsraeli #22: Who cares what issues PETA has or does not have. We certainly don’t.
#23 Bogen – That was not my point. I was merely pointing out that including cotton, a plant product, in a list of things PETA is likely to object to is incorrect. I was not expressing any opinion on whether we should or should not care about PETA’s concerns.
an Israeli Yid (presntly in the US, where it’s still Friday)