Kosel Rav, Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz was among those slamming the decision of a mainstream newspaper to publicize the kvitel left in the cracks of the Kosel by visiting US Senator Barak Obama, who prior to leaving the Kosel left his prayer in the wall as is the custom of many many visitors to the Holy Site.
The daily Ma’ariv publicized the note, reading, “Lord – Protect my family and me. Forgive me my sins, and help me guard against pride and despair. Give me the wisdom to do what is right and just. And make me an instrument of your will.”
YWN, Yediot and others refrained from doing so, opting to respect the privacy of the visiting dignitary but now, the context of the note is public knowledge.
Speaking to Galei Tzahal (Army Radio), Rav Rabinowitz slammed the decision by Ma’ariv, stating the notes placed in the Kosel are private, and are to be respected. He explained the decision to publicize the note is damaging to the Wall and “damaging to a deep portion of every one of us.”
According to Ma’ariv, after Obama left the Kosel, a seminary student removed the note, reporting the handwriting did indeed match the handwriting of the senator when he signed in at Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum during his visit last week.
(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)
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30 Responses
Gimme a break! If Barry Hussein Obama wanted it private he wouldnt have stood there like a Brisker trying to stick it in without pushing his finger into the wall. The note was right in front and could have easily fallen off the stone too just like many other kvitlach that fall off.
Shame on Ma’ariv, and shame on a seminary student for perpetrating this stupidity.
This is, G-d forbid, just the kind of infantile behavior that tends to make all of k’lal Yisroel look like a nation stuck on pettiness and on minding other peoples’ business — which thank G-d, most of us are not.
That we don’t or cannot control the few who decide to be meddlesome though, means we can indeed apply ourselves more to tachlis — much more!
Now these yentas with nothing better to do have undoubtedly given the prying world even more to think about.
Therefore, in my humble opinion, anyone who wants to do something about this will protest Ma’ariv, and be mechazaik others to keep their hearts and minds in Torah and tefilla, and to think twice, and more, before picking the low-hanging fruit like this.
Why would someone do something so stupid and inconsiderate as to take out a person’s private note and, on top of that lack of consideration to another human being, show the note to the media? Where is the sechel which should be in abundance while studying in the land blessed with aveera diAr’a machkimah, which would have prevented a person from doing such a foolish thing?
Every report I’ve seen on this story made sure to mention (whether or not it is actually the truth) that it was a “Jewish seminary student” who removed it from the wall. Isn’t that wonderful?
Oh, yah, sure. The security police allowed people to stand so close to Obama and see exactly where he placed his kvitel. Typical anti-religious media faulting religious Jews.
The kvitle may even be included in cherem drabenu gershom. Now that it is public, I must say that it is a very respectable request. Considering that he didn’t ask that he be elected, which would have been a reasonable request, I assume that he had a feeling that someone would publicize it.
This is despicable and a chilul Hashem.
I am not voting fot Obama. However, let me tell you, he is not a fool.
Clearly the note was written knowing that he better be careful and remain agood politician, just in case soeone reads his note!
The bochur must have gotten some shekels for passing the kvital on to the media. I hope he put the money to good use!
nice request.
I wonder which speach writer originally penned these words for him…
I am absolutely appalled. I can’t believe someone would read another person’s kitvel and then have it published in the newspaper. Whether the content printed is true or false is irrelevant.
The fact that some of you have the gall to try and justify this action is deeply disturbing.
If he indeed wrote the kitvel thinking that some Jew would read it and publicize it. That is a horrible Chilul Hashem. It would indicate that he has a extremely low opinion of the Jewish People. Yup, we just gave his anti-semitic advisors the floor. Way to go!! The Three weeks would not be a period of tradegies if we would get our act to together. The only thing bad about this period is our behavior!!! All of the tradegies that happened during this period are the result of self-inflicted avoidable behavior.
pardon me while I go barf.
Oh the shame, oh the shame.
Let’s take a look at the Kitzur Chofetz Chaim, shall we.
Vayikra 19:16. “Do not go as a talebearer amongst your nation”
Shemos 23:1. “Do not bear false testimony”
Vayikra 19:14 “Do not place a stumbling block before the blind”
Devarim 8:11. “Guard yourself, lest you forget Hashem, your G-d”
Vayikra 22:32. “Do not descrate My holy Name”
Bemidbar 35:33. “Do not bring guilt upon the land”
Vayikra 19:18. “Love your neighbor as yourself”
Just had a thought. It could have been someone from his campaign who presented the above text as the contents. Nevetheless, the newspaper should not have published it even if they were paid handsomely to do so. So, we still have egg on our face. The fact that it was stressed that a Yeshiva Bochur handed over the note, would indicate that his campaign knows the difference between a Jew who is shomer mitzvos and a Jew who isn’t. If this was done by a Jew who wasn’t shomer mitzvos, so what, they don’t know the Torah anyway. Thus, the important of identifying someone who was shomer mitzvos.
Where did this custom come from??? Does it have a basis in halacha? Tanach? Mishnah? Gemara?
I have a feeling that while he wrote it, he pictured people reading it…
Immaturity and stupidity portrayed at its finest. Both on the part of the seminary student and the newspaper that published it.
although this may not have been the brightest move on the part of “the seminary student”, let us keep things in perspective. I assure you this is exactly what Obama hoped would ensue.
From Maariv (the newspaper that published the note):
“Obama’s note was published in Ma’ariv and other international publications following Obama’s authorization to make the content of the note public. Obama submitted a copy of the note to media outlets when he left his hotel in Jerusalem.”
In short, it was a media ploy by Obama.
doeshe have neat handwriting?
It never ceases to amaze me how so many hear believe the lying anti Orthodox leftist Israeli press whenever they slander a yeshiva bochur or seminary student. It was probably some leftist self hating Jew lowlife that took the kvittel out to make money on it or gain some fame for it.
this was staged ,just like those …who “swooned” ant “fainted” on the campaign trail for democratic candidate…
Just because the contents of the note are public knowledge, I think it was wrong for YWN to publicize it on this site. I, myself was oblivious to the note and it’s contents. Until now.
feh, they didnt even identify who the bochur was..he was probably some chiloni who didnt care aout the koisel anyway, so he was probably either paid by obama to take it ut and expose it to the media, making his beautiful, ‘sincere’ intentions known to the *voting* masses, how much he wants forgiveness of sin and how much he wants to do G-d’s will – come on, this was a ploy if i ever saw one..no bochur would take a kvitel out of the kosel stam to get money or as a prank, im sorry, maariv is as anti-religious as they come, and it comes as no surprise that they said bochur, not just talmid – also, why not just say a young man, i mean, when a kid in america does something, we say ‘a youth’ or ‘ a teenager did..’ we dont say ‘ a student at high school ploni’ – why? because maariv hates frume yidden.
it was a yeshiva bachur I know who it is.
it is a big chilul hashem [even if he wrote it knowing that people will read it the fact that a yeshiva bachur pulled it out is a big chilul hashem]
To #1 I cant seem to understand why you would put a Brisker and Obama in the same sentence. I am not a Brisker and also hold that you cant touch the Kosel. Remember its during the 3 weeks so think twice before you go and make fun of other people. Sinas Chinum destroyed the Bais Hamikdash we should be trying ty rebuild it.
The note was undoubtedly slipped in as one of many retractions to several other prior notes, which does him no good in the eternal sense; Hashem knows the truth in a man’s heart.
If this is a bad thing why did you print the contents of the kvittel? I realize that it has already been made public but you could have refrained from printing the contents. I don’t get it.
It is very possible that what Joseph, in post 16 says, is the case.
lesschumras /#26: See my post #16.
veryinteresting /#27: That statement is from the paper (Maariv) that originally published the note (not my own.)
to #26 less chumress..where’s your proof it wasn’t? hope your not libving with head buried in sand..we mentioned another example…could elaborate plenty…
who cares—-this obama business is so boring already
to #26 less chumress ,according to #16, we wern’t so off base..also why are you so protective of obama?
Joseph, #28, that is fine. It is through you that my thought was corroborated. Obama’s writing seemed less personal and more polished and sterilized, as though he wanted others to read what he wrote so his detractors would think he was not such a bad guy, after all.
t0 #33 nebech, nebech..