As Israel prepares for yet another election in five days, one of the Chevrei Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah, Rosh Yeshivas Chevron HaGaon HaRav Dovid Cohen, issued a fierce attack against Otzma Yehudit chairman Itamar Ben-Gvir.
“This man is the biggest mechallel Shem Shamayim of the generation,” the Rosh Yeshivah said. “He’s metamei the Mikdash [Har Habayis] in public. He’s persecuting Jews with his behavior.”
“People are following after him and running after him and singing for him. And they’re saying that there’s a tzibur that’s going to vote for him. If you do, you’re a partner with that Mechallel Shamayim. You’re playing with your Olam Haba – not just that you’re going to lose your Kiddush Hashem.”
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
36 Responses
He somehow omitted to say that one would also be playing with his/her עולם הזה השם ירחם
HaGaon HaRav Dovid Cohen is the Rabbi of every shrink in America. Many people do not accept his Geoines. It would be better if he kept out of politics
It is entirely מותר to walk on the הר הבית if you walk a big circle on the outer edge like all yidden do when they go up there.
Saying that ascending to the הר הבית causes the place to be “metamei” is an opinion and does not have to be followed. There are numerous legitimate choshuveh rabbonim in Eretz Yisroel that allow for and even encourage Yidden to visit the Temple Mount complex.
Wish I were already an Israeli citizen so I could vote for Ben Gvir. Why are you publishing this off the wall unsubstantiated accusation? Ben Gvir reflects a successful approach to Israeli politics. It is time that Israel stops caring what the U.S. thinks. Hashem rules the world. (Or is that too radical a notion?)
It’s so comforting to see that even baby squirrels know better than the Gedolai Hador.
It is a real Chiuv Korress to go to the Har HaBayis. Let’s not play games with this inch is ok and that inch is Assur.
Even if you think that you know the exact areas which is Assur and permitted, but one of the problems is that the next guy who is watching you walk all over, that guy does not follow you 100% inch by inch and you caused that other Yid to be Chayov Korres
חייב כרת
We all know the real truth, some people could not care less if another Yid is watching me and by mistake he moved over one inch to the left and bingo-now he is going to get severely punished. This is a disease called—the main thing is that I am alive and my children are alive and my best friend is alive. Of course I want my favorite Pizza store , the workers should be alive and the candy store the ice cream store. But that is it, as far as I am concerned, the whole world could relocate to Jupiter. I only care about my immediate family–tough luck on you—I found out exactly which inch on the Har Habayis is ok and you can all drop.
It’s all about ME MYSELF AND I—ME MYSELF & I————
I could not care less if people will learn from me to go to the Har Habayis.
Who cares Chiyuv Korress or no Chiyuv Korress—–
I will do what I want and you can shut up.
Also as a side note:
If something happens to you on the Har Habayis-meaning an arab hurt you- Are they going to set up on the internet a Go Fund Me Page or maybe the wife and children will need desperate funds if the father is no longer able to work????
Sure no problem at all— We will raise funds through the internet—and of course they will advertise this cause on all the Jewish websites.
The chutzpah displayed above to one of the gedoeli roshei yeshivos is mind boggling and disgusting.
the only ones standing harshly in the Israeli Knesset against the chukos of the goyim are people like Avi Maoz of the Noam party under the guidance of Rabbi Zvi Thau. standing up against lgbtq parades in yerushalayim and elsewhere.
sorry but for me that would mean yes to religious zionism and no to UTJ
@Bklyntrucker:
It’s that a general statement that he should keep out of politics?
It is that you masking your disagreement with him as a sort of separation of church and state (which never really has a place in Judaism)?
Because regardless of he has every right to make a statement with regards to the upcoming election and especially with regards to a political party that seems to be attracting some of his parties base.
It’s not a matter of an inch here or an inch there. The entire area where frum Jews go is 100% WITHOUT ANY DOUBT permitted. If this rav isn’t an expert in where one may and may not go, then he should defer to those who ARE experts. He has no right to declare that his own ignorance trumps their knowledge.
Furthermore, even if he had studied the subject (which he has not) and became an expert in it, and came to the conclusion that the areas that all the other experts say are permitted are actually forbidden, he would have the right to proclaim his opinion that it’s forbidden to go to those areas, but he would ABSOLUTELY NOT have the right to proclaim that those who do so are resha’im. That is contrary to the Torah. Even if he is convinced what they are doing is an issur kares, he is not their rav, and they are entitled (and indeed required) to follow their rabbanim who say it is muttar and a mitzvah. No rav has the right to dismiss the opinions of other rabbanim, who are AT LEAST his equals, and demand that the whole world follow his opinion.
This is a klal in all of halacha; a person is entitled to follow his rabbanim’s opinions, and he remains a frum Jew in good standing, with an unbroken chezkas kashrus, even according to those who hold that he is doing serious issurim. He is doing them beheter. This is true whether it’s a machlokes in kashrus, eiruvin, zmanei hayom, or even arayos! The Jews of the Rhineland ate what we consider to be chelev de’oraisa, and yet we may eat from their fleishige keilim. More than that, according to Beis Hillel (which means according to the ultimate halacha), some Beis Shammai marriages were literally arayos, and the children were mamzerim, and yet Beis Hillel continued to make shiduchim with Beis Shamai, trusting them to tell them which children were kosher according to their standard and which ones they should avoid. They did not say Beis Shammai were resha’im and could not be trusted. They certainly didn’t say Beis Shammai were playing with their Olam Haba. They respected Beis Shamai’s right to follow their incorrect opinion.
And the wonder is that Beis Shamai did not take offense, and willingly steered the Beis Hillel shadchonim away from the children whom they considered to be perfectly kosher, but whom Beis Hillel considered to be mamzerim. I don’t know who nowadays would have such tolerance and respect, and still be willing to make shiduchim with them.
one of the first questions they ask you before you can enter the gates of gan ayden is Who did you vote for in israeli politics?
Not.
Be honest in business, be mekayim Pru Rvu, learn torah Kevuah, the Gemara has already discussed this topic. Didn’t see anything about who to vote for.
@Milhouse: It is quite ironic how you wax poetic (and it was indeed poetic; the last half of your comment was very eloquent and accurate) about “respect” while simultaneously disrespecting the person who is arguably the gadol shebiroshei yeshivos b’asra kadisha hadein… “his own ignorance”!? Seriously, my guy!?!? and that’s coming from me who has no connection to the rosh yeshiva and is not part of his tzibbur or its like whatsoever. (Maybe I actually do have that respect you seem to find so elusive, huh? Lol)
Additionally, and quite unrelatedly, I think your opening point about everyone following their own posek is an example of taking a klal in Torah to the extreme. It is certainly illogical to presume that one could simply choose to follow a single Rav of lesser standing than THE ENTIRE GAMUT OF GEDOLEI HADOR. That is silly. That is not a question of following one’s own psak; it’s just stupid. Now let me be clear: I have never researched the historical psakim on this inyan… perhaps Rav Kook, who, while starkly I’m contrast to the mainstream, was indeed megedolei doro, is the one who signed off on this psak… I don’t know. I’m just saying that the hashkafa you seemed to be advocating dorky at seemed too extreme.
What can I tell you, Milhouse
Reb Chaim zatzal. Reb Elyashiv zatzal. Reb Aharon Leib Zatzal. Chacham Ovadiah zatzal.
And MANY, MANY more…
You are wise enough – I assume – to know where I am going with this.
Why the great divide in opinion regarding entering Har Habayis?
I wonder…
@ Milhouse:
Very Well Said.
Rav Avraham Kook and his son Rav Zvi Yehuda and all the Mizrachi rabbanim of the past generation forbade going up to Har Habayis because of the issur of koreis. And Rav Kook knew what he was talking about. It’s just this younger generation of Dati Leumi rabbis who allow it. Rav Dovid Cohen is da’as Torah and he also knows what he is talking about. But we are living in a generation where many people do not listen to any rabbanim from either side and they think they know better. And this is a sad and dangerous situation.
Yashar, yes, his ignorance. He is completely ignorant on the topic of where the azara may have been and where it definitely wasn’t, simply because he has never made a study of it. If you ask him he will admit it himself. He has simply never looked into it. And the same is true of ALL the osrim. Not one of them has ever given five minutes to study the subject; they simply say “we don’t know, so safek de’oraisa lechumra”. But this is not something that cannot be known; the information is available, and those who have studied it have reached certain conclusions. They are not in complete agreement on exactly where the azara was, and most of them are not 100% certain where it was, but they all agree that there are large areas where it definitely wasn’t, where it just couldn’t have been. And in those areas a t’mei meis is permitted to walk, provided he has no other tum’ah and he behaves as the mishna in Brachos says one must on the har habayis.
Some of the comments about one of the גדולים of our time are a חילול השם of epic proportions.
Presumably they are not aware about whom they are disparaging in this manner.
Although they clearly have a different viewpoint, I trust they understand the gravity – and danger! – in speaking in this manner against such a giant.
Hatzlocho to all
The clowns here degrading an Adam gadol is so pathetic it’s beyond
These comments above are disgusting and a real example of what Chazal would call a ‘BIZOY TALMID CHACHAM!!!!’
To go ahead and speak like that about one of the gedolei hador whose geoines knows no bounds and undoubtedly has learnt the sugya of Har Habayis is a disgrace on you and will come to haunt you one day. Let alone to go and argue on the gedolei hador of the previous dor including gedolim from all apectrums, from Rav Kook, Rav Ahron Leib, Rav Elyashiv, Rav Ovadiah, and ALL the gedolei hador. To make up some krum opinion is disgraceful no matter how many marei mekomos you site.
The gemara says bifeirush that if you learn Torah and are not michabed talmidei chachaimim your torah is worthless; YOU (and those agreeing with you) are a direct expamle of such a person!!!!
THIS IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST CHILLULEI HASHEM YWN HAS EVER SEEN!!!
Ywn, please REMOVE and delete all and any posts which has a remez of bizoy gedolim in it.
In the zechus of kavod hatorah, we should be zoche to see the return of malchus beis Dovid bkarov!
And remember, a mechallel Hashem has no chelek in Olam Habah and Yom Kippur is not michaper (Mechalel Hashem- a chareidi who goes against the gedolim particularly by voting for a party other than gimmel, based on the psak of Marav Rav Gershon Shlit’a).
If anybody ever had any question as to why the Gedolim curse out YWN, the above comments disrespecting a gadol b’yisroel (apikursus) should tell you all you have to know. Moderator??
“This man is the biggest mechallel Shem Shamayim of the generation,” the Rosh Yeshivah said.
Wow! Itamar Ben-Gvir gets the top spot! He is THE biggest mechallel Shem Shamayim of the ENTIRE generation!……I thought others were in the lead, like Avigdor Liberman
Maybe the distinction belongs to the many MK’s that daily battle Torah, shabbos, kashrus, geirus etc
Maybe the Religious Affairs Minister Matan Kahana should hold the spot of THE biggest mechallel Shem Shamayim of the ENTIRE generation.
But I am wrong!
The ultimate top spot of the biggest mechallel Shem Shamayim of the ENTIRE generation belongs to Itamar Ben-Gvir and NO ONE ELSE!
Isn’t that a CHIDDUSH?!
And then we wonder why people don’t respect Gedolim that shoot off such words just to incite division and hatred, to achieve their goals at all costs, even resorting to falsehoods שפתיך מדבר מרמה.
We must respect Gedolim in Torah! The test of a Gadol isn’t the size of his yeshiva, rather: דבר שקר ישנא צדיק
(משלי יג ה). After all, Torah is Emes, and words of falsehood are the exact opposite of Torah.
There are Gedolim which are יצר את האדם בצלמו but there are also gedolim afterwards we must say another אשר יצר.
All disrespectful commentators please do תשובה ASAP! there are severe consequences for בזיון תלמידי חכמים! besides, rebbitzen’s comment is utterly ignorant. of course Ben-Gvir who wears a kippa and calls himself religious is a bigger mechalel shem shomayim than leiberman. next time you have a different opinion than a Gadol keep it to yourself and realize that they’re way smarter than us. And YWN your’e also going to pay the price for publishing these disrespectful comments
YalkutYosef, justifies that “of course, Ben-Gvir who wears a kippa and calls himself religious is a bigger mechalel shem shomayim than leiberman”.
Well, if wearing a kippa is the reason Ben-Gvir qualifies for the top spot in being mechalel shem shomayim, I wonder why Religious Affairs Minister Matan Kahana or even Bennet do not qualify for the position?!
Reb Moshe zt”l has a teshuva if one should remove his kippa when doing an aveirah (-going to a movie) in order to avoid the chillul Hashm. The psak of the Posek Hador was to keep the kippah, and adarabeh, removing the kippah is a BIGGER chilul Hashem.
YalkutYosef, Don’t EVER make wearing a kippah into an aveirah!
suddenly everyone wakes up and attacks ben-gvir just before there is an election
I will not be voting for Gimmel
Furthermore, is it not possible for a Godol to say a shtus?! Are you making the Rosh Yeshiva into some kind of an infallible Chassidishe Rebbe? Is that the new Litvish/Yeshiva hashkofa, to become chassidim of the Rosh Yeshivos?!
Let’s be honest, a shtus is a shtus, even if it is said by a Rosh Yeshiva. In other words, to say that when a Rosh Yeshiva says a shtus doesn’t make it any longer a shtus – is in itself shtus.
It is a bigger shtus to pretend that the shtus isn’t a shtus. It is further a shtus to try to say a lomdus on why the shtus isn’t really a shtus. And then to further the shtus would be to complain about anyone that dares to laugh at the shtus.
@yalkutyosef: Well said. I’m curious what exactly the mods filter out on this site? Harmless little swear-words, maybe? I mean, what exactly could be worse than bizuy talmid chacham?
Rebbitzen, go read the תשובה, Rav Moshe’s Reason is that we don’t tell someone to do another issur and especially if people know that he usually wars a kippa then its a bigger chilul hashem. but of course somone who always wears a kippah and does aveirot is a bigger mechalel shem shamayim than someone that never does. and we have no right to call something a gadol says a shtus even if it doesn’t make sense to us. this is not a chasidish thing its a pasuk in the תורה
The only bizuy talmid chacham that happened here is when the talmid chochem was mevazeh himself by saying a narish shtus. A talmid chochom has the the full right to be mevazeh himself. The mods do not need to filter his words to protect him from his self-bizuy.
“This man is the biggest mechallel Shem Shamayim of the generation,” the Rosh Yeshivah said, and that was the Rosh Yeshiva being mevazeh himself by saying a shtus b’rabim.
Al pi Torah, the Rosh Yeshiva must ask mechillah from Itamar Ben-Gvir and do teshuvah for speaking loshon horah, rechilus and motzei shem rah b’rabim!
When a Rosh Yeshiva speaks loshon horah b’rabim, THAT is a chillul Hashem.
As a gadol, one of the Chevrei Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah AND a rosh yeshiva, his actions will be imitated by others, to freely speak loshon harah, motzei shem rah and rechilus against anyone that one may feel is not following the particular shitah of one’s posek.
We, as a tzibur, must point out that even a gadol can say a shtus. He is still a gadol, but the words uttered are simply a shtus said in desperation to get people to vote for UTJ.
There are many other prominent חכמים and roshei yeshivos that allow for people walk on areas that are 100% certain not included in the area that even has a smigit of a chance of giving one כרת, such as up on the outer edge of the הר הבית including 200ft behind the back wall of the היכל הקדוש where even goyim were allowed to walk around freely back when the beis hamikdash was standing because that area was outside of the 10-tefach fence which separated those who were tomei from those who were tahor.
YalkutYosef, following your logic that “somone who always wears a kippah and does aveirot is a bigger mechalel shem shamayim than someone that never does”…
clearly you would agree that someone who is a Rosh Yeshiva AND one of the Chevrei Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah who publicly speaks loshon harah, motzi shen rah and recilus against a frum yid…for the ONLY purpose of getting people to vote for UTJ…
clearly THAT is the biggest mechallel Shem Shamayim of the generation!
This Godol has a complaint against Itamar Ben-Gvir because Ben Gvir follows HIS daas Torah that allows entering the Har Habayis. Does that allow this Gadol to smear mud on this frum yid and label him as THE biggest mechalel Shem Shamayim?!
This Gadol allows and encourages his bochurim to shave their beards. That is against the ooinion of many poskim and Gedolim including the Chofetz Chaim and Reb Chaim Kanevsky and dozens others. Does that make this Rosh Yeshiva into the biggest mechalel Shen Shimayim?!
Enough with treating Gedolim and Rish Yeshivas like Chassidic Rebbes that are without fault and never imperfect.
We keep their pictures on our walls – like a Rebbe.
We ask them advice and brochas – like a Rebbe.
We even have their “blessed” dollars and parnasa knives and wine – like a Rebbe.
We have become 100% chassidim of our Gedolim!! The new “chassidim” of Lita!
OMG!
Where are the “misnagdim”?! Those that don’t treat their gedolim as infalible deities.
Because if we treat Gefolim like a chassidic rebbe, we might as well join the true chassidim and have a Real Rebbe!
Rav Mazuz says another wise… good let gimel sit with the left in the opposition !!!!
YalkutYosef , change your name , you’re embarrassing yourself ! What about respect for Rav Mazuz who blessed Bengvir !? His daas Torah doesn’t matter !? Why ? Bc he’s Sephardi !? You call yourself YalkutYosef!?!?!?! L O L
MRS REBBITZIN….. First of all you should switch your username to Absolute Laitz who do you think you are to call youself rebbitzin (or maybe just stop commenting on ywn)
Just to let you know Your playing with FIRE!!!! being mevazeh a talmid chochom?????,( and i dont care what your tainaas are if hes a rassha or not) even if he was wrong (which in my opinion he is tottally right) you dont publicize your stupid comments in a public site. If you have any stupid comments you keep it to yourself!!!
And your talking about mechillah you better go and beg the rosh yeshiva harav hagaon habaki bekol hatorah koolah Rav Dovid Cohen Shlitt’a for mechillah on your hands and knees.
And to say publicly that the rosh yeshiva said lashon hara rechilus motzi shem ra… thats not lashon hara..????????
And your making fun of the holy yidden who choose there rosh yeshiva to be there rebbe and everything they say they accept like it was received from sinai, well let me tell you something i dont know what kind of mishna you have but in my mishna it says aseh lecha rav, what do you think that means to have a rav to shmooze with and make leitzanus out of like all the other fools over here who dont know wht it means kavod hatorah.
Wel thats absolutely wrong it means to make for yourself rav who you will listen to and RESPECT him and make him your REBBE
YES and ask him advice like a rebbe
get brochos from him like a rebbe
put a picture on you wall like a rebbe and make him your role model
YES we all need to have someone to look up to especially in this generation where so many ppl are descentitized to wht it means KAVOD TALMIDEI CHOCHOMIM!!!!
I read your comments and was disgustied hashem yerachem
I guess you send kvittels to Ltvish Gedolim. Do you also proclaim them as Moshiach?
To A Lamdin:
Thank you for your wise comment.
Hashem should Bentsch your entire family with the best health possible.
To all those Chevra that said nice things about Reb Dovid Cohen:
Hashem should Bentsch all your families with the best health possible.
avraham, I said a few times that he is (1) a Gadol and (2) a Rosh Yeshiva and (3) one of the Chevrei Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah – all nice things!
But unfortunately, like any human being (except a Chassidic Rebbes) this Gadol can and did say a shtus gomur in a desperate attempt at all costs to sway voters away from Gvir, causing this Gadol to publicly speak loshon horah, motzi shem rah and rechilus against Gvir.
The ONLY aveirah this Gadol found to smear Gvir with is that Gvir relies on his own poskim to enter areas of the Har Habayis – aside from that – Gvir is a tzaddik gomur (that is moser nefesh for Eretz Yisroel and It HaAvos- Chevron).
The ONLY reason this Gadol proclaimed that Gvir does this “terrible” aveirah, not because he wants to be mocheh against Gvir for following his own daas Torah and poskim, but because many in the tzibur are voting for Gvir – and UTJ needs their votes. For this, one may be over on any aveirah including publicly smearing a frum yid that lives with mesiras nefesh.
SUCH BEHAVIOR IS A CHILUL HASHEM
SHAME!
במקום שיש חילול השם אין חולקים כבוד לרב