[SEE VIDEOS BELOW] Does everyone remember the story with the Dibuk from Brazil in December of 2009? The one that the Mekubal from Yerushalayim made a grand scene about, by first attempting to remove the Dibuk via the Internet over “Skype”?
Well, the person who had the Dibuk inside of him, has now come forward to say that it was all one big lie.
The story which was reported extensively by YWN, and caused lots of discussion at the time, all began when an individual from Brazil was overtaken by mysterious voices in multiple languages – all without his lips not moving. The community was concerned, and the Mekubal from Yerushalayim, Rabbi Dovid Batzri was called and asked what he can do. Rabbi Batzri first made an attempt to remove the Dibuk on a webcam via Skype.
That didn’t work, so the individual was brought to Eretz Yisroel, and thousands of residents were given some free entertainment when Rav Batzri once again attempted to remove the Dibuk publicly in his Shul. Thousands of people gathered in the streets near Yeshivat Shalom, and watched and listened as Rav Batzri and a group of Mekubalim yelled “get out Dibuk!”, and repeatedly blew Shofars. Witnesses reported at the time that as the tzibur recited Shema and 13 Midos along with the mekubalim, two different distinct voices were heard from the young avreich.
Despite all the efforts, it appeared that Rav Batzri was unsuccessful in his efforts to remove the dibuk from the avreich.
It is interesting to note, that Maran Hagon Rav Elyashiv, Maran Hagon Rav Shteinman, and Maran Hagon Rav Chaim Kanievsky all refused to meet with the individual who claimed he was possessed by the Dibuk. Additionally, Rav Moshe Sternbach Shlita had said that the man was most probably mentally ill.
Well this morning it is being reported by Bichadrei Chardeim that the man has come forward and admits that he spoke from his body. He says he learned all these languages before, and was never possessed by a Dibuk. He says he would like to ask forgiveness from Rav Batzri for involving him in the fiasco.
It should be noted that this is not the first false Dibuk that Rabbi Batzri has been involved in. In the late 1990’s Rav Batzri was involved in a widely publicized exorcism which turned out to be a fake as well. That scene was broadcasted on Israeli TV and Radio.
In August of 2009, during the scare of Swine Flue, Rabbi Batzri and a group of mekubalim flew around Eretz Yisroel on a private airplane armed with tehillim, seforim, shofaros and silver trumpets, to “create a blanket of protection”.
(Shmuel Finkelman – YWN Israel)
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24 Responses
I heard there were no dibukim anymore because we are not on the madreiga to have one.
For a Bochur to watch these Clips, and read the out-come of the story, can be extremely harmful to his over-all Emunah.
Does this mean we cant believe any stories YWN post?!?!
Did the man explain why the fiasco?
any one who ever believed that it was a real dibuk has got something wrong with them. when I first heard this story, I didnt even pay slight attention to it for I knew that it was completely false
This is clearly a sign from Shamayim that people should find better things to do with their time. What a waste of time and what a joke! All these people blowing the shofar and screaming like a bunch of lunatics, should get a TV and watch some sesame street or History Channel, at least it wont be such a waste of time. These are the “elite” of Klal Israel who are learning in Kollelim and “devoting” their time to Avodat Hashem? What a joke. They are bored out of their minds and do not have anything better to do. Let them go to work and be contributing members of society.
#2, please explain to me how watching these videos and reading the article can be so harmful to someones Emunah?!?
#3, No it just means you can’t believe the guy who claimed he had the Dibuk in him.
#4, he probably did it for attention!
#5, A lot of people were fooled (including me)! Can you explain how you knew from the beginning that it wasn’t a real Dibuk?
No!!! You’re kidding me!!!! :-O
Yeshiva World – I’d say , if you continue in this style , your reputation is going to go down fast .
“One big pack of Lies” – sensationalist journalism to say the least .
I’ve checked B’Chadrei Chadarim – couldn’t find anything on it .
The fact that Rav Elyashiv etc. did not want to meet with him , could also be interpreted to mean that they in fact , did hold this to be authentic . The Gaon refused to have any contact with this type of thing .
As far as I know , Rav Batzri is very respected – could he not know the difference between this person making it all up or not ? He was not involved in a ‘fake” similar thing in late 1990’s . Who says so ?
Please Mr Yeshiva World , more facts , less interpretations .
to #9 (user111):
first of all, ‘shkoyich to YWN for printing this. part of journalistic integrity is being honest to your readers. when you get a story wrong (or a new development comes to light), it is your responsibility as a journalist, to report the facts.
it would seem that you presumably held that YWN had ‘ne’monus’ when it came to the original dybbuk story, but now that they are printing a retraction on it, they have no ‘ne’emonus’?? please…. having covered this story so seriously, YWN would be one of the last parties to report that this was all a hoax. the fact that they did anyway is a pretty strong proof that its all fake (as it seemed to many all along).
look up ‘cognitive dissonance’ in the dictionary.
What are we do say of R. Batzri? Why did he not se through the hoax, if indeed he is such an expert? Is this not proof that there are no such things as dybbuks?
There was no dibuk because the CHOFETZ CHAIM said there will be no more dibukkim after his incident. Period. As publicized in that incident, he was acclaimed to be at the level of a Tanna! Anyone here today on His level to disagree?!?
Why did the guy do it?
I really hope that he gets put into Cheirem for making a laughingstock out of all the Mekubalim and anyone else who got involved in this fiasco. Personally, I believed that the guy was mentally ill, but now that he comes forward and says he faked it? He deserves a serious dose of “petch” to say the least. He’s a real azus ponim.
must_hock – your words are quite haughty. Since when did you become an expert on Dybuks? I never believe it was, nor believed it was not a dybuk and decided to let time run its course. You on the other hand outright without giving any explanation decide it fake and then proceed to downcast anyone who doesn’t have your illustrious vision. I’m wondering if you don’t believe in the concept of Dybuking in the first place. Which if that’s the case you need to seriously discuss with Kosher Rabbanim on what’s excepted and what’s not excepted as Emes according to chazal. Things in spiritual realms are beyond our ability to know as fact and we have to rely on what Chazal teach us. (See Avos – 1,3)
Rov Avraham Chaim Bloomenstiel gave a shiur in Dallas on the makoros for the whole inyan of dibbuk several months ago. He concluded that dibbukim are only given rshus to happen in a time and place where there is someone has the capability to excorcise the dibbuk and give it a tikun,. He said that since no one had successfully removed the dybuk in this case, that was mochiach that it was a hoax and that Rav Batzri had been mislead by very skillful tricksters.
Really, are people shocked? LOL
No wander it didn’t work to get the dibuk out if it was real the tefilos would have gotten it out in a second
this is not the first flop for rabbi batsri i think
No wander it didn’t work to get the dibuk out if it was real the tefilos would have gotten it out in a second
Its not the mekubalim that are at fault over this story its news and media outlets that are responsible for this terrible chillul hashem may be in the future a little more discrepancy should be given to coverage of stories with this sensitivity
To mr bizrivut how dare you say that this is a kollel waste of time you where not there you didn’t see how many non kollel people where there and besides YWN is not a kollel outlet nor are his readers and they seem to be the ones that where the most caught up in this
With all the charlatans going around, at least Harav Batzri was considered a true Baal Mekubal. even in this case, he sounded sincere in his efforts to exorcise the dybbuk. But it’s surprising how he got taken in. A few more of these fake dybbuk cases will, instead of enhancing Emunah, have the opposite effect. It will be like the classical story of the boy who cried wolf.
yw fan & softwords: as yochie so eloquently wrote: “There was no dibuk because the CHOFETZ CHAIM said there will be no more dibukkim after his incident. Period. As publicized in that incident, he was acclaimed to be at the level of a Tanna!”
I’m not Mekabel! I think a Dibbuk wrote this story for YWN.
The Chovetz Chaim did not say that the dibbuk in his time was the last. It was R Yaacov Kaminetszky z’l that said that since we always have a balance between Kedusha and Tumah-today that we have no one equal to the Chovetz Chaim most probably we will never see a dibbuk again either.
I KNOW THE MAN, HE’S NOT MENTALLY ILL, FOR SURE HE DIDN’T KNOW ALL OF THAT LANGUAGES AND HE DID NOT NOT SAY WAS LIE.
WAS REALLY A SERIOUS PROBLEM OF DIBUK!
BE CAREFULLY OF WHAT YOU ARE SAIYNG ABOUT THIS CAUSE!