The appalling violence that took place throughout Israel on Sunday was fiercely condemned by Charedi Rabbanim and authorities.
HaGaon HaRav Shalom Cohen, the nasi of the Moetzet Chachmei HaTorah of Shas stated that even being present at one of these clashes for a moment is completely assur and one who does so is a partner to a terrible Chillul Hashem that can never be atoned.
“Lawless people create their own justice, clash with the police, riot and cause damage to people and property while seriously endangering other people’s lives, causing a terrible Chillul Hashem and besmirching all frum Jews,” HaRav Cohen wrote in a letter condemning the protests and violence. “Woe to the eyes that witness this.”
“And apart from the great Chillul Hashem caused by this, it poses a terrible spiritual danger to our youth…that threatens to destroy all the foundations of the chinuch of our children for which we have toiled and sacrificed.”
“Hence a stern warning..to keep away from these clashes. No one should be present [at these clashes] for even one moment. It is an issur chamur to be present in the area of these protests and clashes which are completely contrary to the derech HaTorah. Whoever joins [the clashes] is a partner to a great Chillul Hashem and his sin is too great to bear.”
The Rishon L’Tzion HaGaon HaRav Yitzchak Yosef stated on Monday: “I heard with great pain and shock about the appalling violence and severe Chillul Hashem that has taken place in recent days…and the violent behavior of a group of youths who have strayed from Torah and middos and Derech Eretz.”
“Certainly there is no justification for such terrible actions – those who are acting in the ‘name of the Torah’ are being mechallel Sheim Shamayim b’rabim.”
“In Masechas Yoma, it’s explained that the sin of Chillul Hashem is the worst possible sin. Even is one suffers yissurim, even after Yom Kippur and even after one does Teshuvah – this sin is not atoned for.”
“Therefore those rioters must be condemned and shunned. Our way is the derech of the Torah and Derech Eretz Kadma L’Torah.”
Eliyahu Arnas, the coronavirus czar for the Chareidi sector, spoke to Army Radio on Monday about the terrible violence in Bnei Brak, especially the incident in which a bus was attacked and set on fire. “There’s no question that this was a horrific incident but it was [carried out] by a group of marginalized youths. No Rav or community stand behind this.”
Chairman of the Knesset’s Constitution Committee, UTJ MK Yaakov Asher, who previously served as Bnei Brak’s mayor, also referred to the violence at the start of a committee meeting on Monday.
“What you see in recent days is not Bnei Brak,” Asher asserted. “Marginal groups of fringe youth besmirch the residents of the city, the majority of whom are law-abiding citizens.”
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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9 Responses
Good news is that the rabbonim are finally speaking out. Bad news is that increasingly, no one is listening since this kind of violence keeps growing, although the pretext constantly seems to change.
Sadly, “you reap what you sow”.
Last few years it’s become accepted to protest even using physical contact for “heilger” protests. Usually even when supposedly “sanctioned” by their Rabonim, still those Rabonim never showed up to oversee the protests. So why now different? Its been “kashered” to do allow doing anything you please in the name of protesting the “Treife Zionim”. So now they simply raised the bar to a new and “holier” level! ……..Nebech…..Sigh!
Gadolhadorah
Here you go again speaking negatively towards Rabbonim. “Good news is that the Rabbonim are finally speaking out”.
I am sure you know so much better than them and would’ve spoken out years before. Know your place….
stated that even being present at one of these clashes for a moment is completely assur Does this Pesak include Peleg? & if so:- Do they know that they are bound by this Pesak?
Agree. Sunday night’s “extreme” violence was forseen by anyone with an ounce of brains. All the violent protests that went on days and weeks before went on with silence from the Rabbonim.
Don’t you love the posters over here bashing the gedolim
If they were around in Moshe rabbeinu’s time, דתן ואבירם wouldn’t hold a candle to them
@Gadolhadorah, great news would be if your computer broke.
Pashut: YES, here I go again stating the obvious, w/o “disrepecting” anyone. These types of protests have been going on for years on a multitude of issues long before the current Covid-related protests and the prior Peleg protests etc. and have become increasingly violent w/o the rabbonim speaking out in a clear and unequivocal way to STOP. In certain cases there were rabbonim actually encouraging the protests who know (or should have known) that they would ultimately result in violence and vandalism. Once these bochurim are led to believe that violent protests are legitimate and there will be few consequences, you cannot assume they will know the boundaries between peaceful and violent protests.
Woe to the eyes that Witness and don’t protest the gay parades in Yerushalayim,tel aviv,Haifa,Ashdod and other major cities in the holy land. When chareidim will stop that real chillul H will talk.