In his first radio show following the death of Osama Bin Laden, radio host Michael Savage goes on an anti-Semitic rant in a response to a caller. The caller identifies himself as a teacher in an Orthodox Jewish school, and asks Savage for advice what he should tell his students who are taught by their Rabbi’s that Jews are not supposed to rejoice upon the death of their enemies.
Savage starts off by slamming the students for not “fighting for the country” (Israel), and then calls the Rabbi’s “idiots”. He continued his rant by saying that the Orthodox hide “under their Matzah” instead of fighting in the IDF.
Click HERE to listen from a mobile device.
The following words were based on a talk given by Rabbi Avraham Kahn, the Rosh Yeshiva and Founder of Yeshivas Keser Torah in Toronto.
King Solomon summarizes the proper Jewish attitude towards our enemies: “Don’t rejoice when your enemy falls. Don’t let your heart be glad when he is overthrown” (Mishlei 24:17). Does this mean that we, as Jews, are obligated be kind to our enemies and give them whatever they ask for, even when they plan to kill us? Definitely not! The Torah instructs us to defend ourselves through whatever actions may be necessary, including to be the first one to attack. In the case of our arch enemy Amalek, the Torah even commands that we annihilate any physical presence of them and erase their memory from the face of the earth (see Devarim 25:19). But the Jewish soldier does not rejoice when his enemy falls. Rather, the Jewish soldier feels pain that it is necessary to kill someone created in G’d’s image.
This is what the Torah teaches us. Do whatever you have to, to defend and protect yourself. But do it with a heavy heart, as it may cost human lives, and every human being is created in G’d’s image. Abraham pleaded with G’d not to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, even though they represented the exact opposite of everything that Abraham lived for. Jacob was distressed at the thought of killing his brother and his men, although they came to kill him. To this very day, we omit parts of the Hallel on Pesach because the Egyptians fell at the sea. In this way, we join G’d in His pain that it is necessary to destroy one of His creations. And thus we move closer to G’d and to our purpose in life, to be a light unto the nations of the world.
(Dov Gordon – YWN)
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
58 Responses
I have to say that He is right.
Michael Savage is Jewish.
His real name is Michael Weiner
I dont think that he hates Jews. He just doesnt like many elements in the frum community.
Of course he is wrong, and he shouldn’t have said what he said, but I dont think he is an antisemite.
First of all, Savage IS Jewish himself, and is not anti-Semitic.
Yes, he sometimes does go off on a tirade and has said some very dumb things, (and this is definitely one of them). But let’s not be TOO hard on him…
Although he DOES believe in G-d (in his own way) and talks about his belief fairly frequently, he is obviously ignorant of authentic Torah teachings and hashkafos.
It was EXTREMELY foolish of someone who identifies himself as a teacher in an orthodox school (and presumeably orthodox themself?) to call Savage for advice on such a question. He is hardly the one to ask, as he is, first and foremost a radio host, an ENTERTAINER, definitely NOT a Rov, and certainly not a Gadol!
To say the least Michael Savage is an interesting person. Born in The Bronx NY, Michael Alan Weiner aka Savage is Jewish. I would guess, one either likes him or hates him.
Anti-Semitic Rant??
Even though I have a different view, what he said was NOT Anti-Semitic.
Do you expect him to have the same appreciation for learning Torah as we do?
Call him what you want – an anti-semite is NOT one of them.
Savage has always been a big menuval.
Is MS the only information resource for that teacher? Plenty is said on this issue.
For a Secular jew its not that bad I’ve heard worse from MO or even Orthodox in the workforce, or some Shvigers that talk bad about Yeshiva Leit.
The answer to the callers question is actually quite simple and could be explained as follows , Oiveche, is referring to a Jew who is an enemy, that’s an individual who has strayed from the Jewish faith Aina Oise Masei Amcha.Such a person is considered an enemy. so if he would fall do not rejoice. like the Torah says A wife who Is Senua.
he said “Rabbi Akiva” is just another man.
that is apikurses. reb akiva is not just another man he is a thread in the mesoras hatorah
so ms is an apikores. ay how should he know better? a) he was born in thre bronx not omaha and b) nebuch an apikores is also an apikores.
I agree that this is anti semitism.
“the Orthodox hide “under their Matzah” is an anti-semitic slur.
Shame on Savage whom I always held in high regard.
For the record, I am “Orthodox”, and have been in the IDF.
Your rabbi is an idiot??
Savage is an idiot.
Agreed. That’s anti-Frum not anti-semetic. They are sometimes the same thing, but not always.
This teacher is a real idiot.
He has questions on Hashkafa, and he calls MICHAEL SAVEGE FOR AN ANSWER?
What kind of teachers do we have in our yeshivas?!
Yeshiva World Editor:
Since when are comments by a Jew about Jews that are directed at the ideological issues that exist within the Jewish community considered anti-Semitic.
Please make sure that you properly title your articles.
Not to mention the fact that since Michael “Savage” Weiner is a Jew and stating things falsely about him may be Motzi Shem Ra and Loshon Hara.
He can have a different point and opinion, and that is perfectly ok. In fact, I agree with him about people avoiding IDF service.
That being said, the way he expresssed himself is borderline anti semitism.
He poked fun at rabbis, and called them “idiots”m, and the matza line was way out of line.
#14- We were all waiting for one nut to sy “motzei shem ra” and cry “lashon hara”….were talking about a lowlife radio host.
Here’s an idea. Please give us the maar makom in the shmiras halashon chofetz chaim which says it would be lashon hara to talk about a menuval like Savaga.
Were all waiting with baited breath
Savage is an apikoires ??? Come on guys, even tho he is jewish he did not grow up in a religious home.
ע’ מגילה ט”ז עה”פ בנפל אויבך וכו’ ה”מ בישראל וכו’ עיי”ש
@10, since Savage is jewish he may say whatever he wants about other jew and he knows that!! Isn’t that how it works ??
torah umada u r clueless there is no issur of loshon haraah on someone who is not a shomer torah u’mitzvos everybody but you knows that. it is a possuk לא תלך רכיל בעמך. ודרשו חז”ל בעושה מעשה עמך
”Binfol oyvecha ol teesmach” (dont rejoyce at the fall of your enemy is refering to a yid .
however regarding bin laden it says ”beovad reshoem rinah”
chazal tell us that spilling a rosha’s blood is like bringing a korban, evudently a big simcha.
And regarding that cursed dog……
If i were to ask him why he doesn’t put on a pair of uniform and go serve his country (as opposed to being a talk show host ). he would definitely answer me that a country needs more than just people in uniform they also need doctors and lawyers and painters and talk show hosts.
just as you dont have complaints on an airforce pilot for not serving in the marines rather in the airforce. the same way you cant have complaints about a guy sitting in yeshiva, for if not for them preserving the nation it wouldnt be the same.
p.s.
DEAR RUSH, I WONDER IF YOUR AWARE THAT FOR 2,000 YEARS WE SURVIVED WITHOUT AN ARMY,BUT ONLY WITH LEARNING OUR TORAH
I think I know Michael’s approach prety well.
He admires the Orthodox Jewish community, but he has no patience for people who he considers impractical–frum or otherwise–and he expresses his impatience loudly and bluntly.
Anti-Sermitic?–You probably missed his detailed rendition of “Dayenu” just before he left the program early to attend a Seder.
The Posuk cited from Mishlei is telling us not to rejoice when the smartest bochur in the shiur makes a mistake, or when your business competitor suffers a reversal. It definitely does not apply to a rasha, and certainly not to a total rasha like Bin Laden. To anyone who doubts this, I refer you to Rav Avigdor Miller’s Shiur entitled “Kosher Revenge.”
Still, we shouldn’t overdo public displays of jubilation, and should daven to the RBS”O for the continued safety of our country and of Klal Yisrael.
Empty vessels make the most noise. Savage is one sick puppy…a Jew who would rather be a Christian….
That’s the answer that a Rabbi gets, when asking the secular opinion.
dont rejoice? what about purim? pesach?
“…a teacher in an Orthodox Jewish school, and asks Savage for advice what he should tell his students who are taught by their Rabbi’s that Jews are not supposed to rejoice upon the death of their enemies.”
…I don’t even know where to begin with everything that’s wrong in that sentence.
I have to sharply disagree with him. The Rabbis in Israel do not hide under their MATZAH (rather than fight). They hide under their SHTENDA.
he obviously has no idea what torah is whatsoever. he sounded like an oblivious drunk. his concepts are complete generalizations of 5 second media clip retentions; he’s silly and doesnt even know the slightest bit about the subjects.
Calling Savage for advise on what to say. RIDICULOUS-Check the AISH.com site they have written plenty about it. Read the editorials at Hamodia, OU, and Agudah’s statement.
Mike is a gr8 talk host show, aggresive, out going and SAYSITLIKEHESEESIT.
1- Mishlei’s approach is more complex than this snippet from R’ Avraham Kahn would indicate. There isn’t only 24:17, there is also 11:10: … va’avod resha’im rinah — there is joy at the death of wicked people. How do we reconcile the two? Well, that’s a question requiring thought.
As for Savage… he’s yet another Jew who is tired of hearing about chareidim avoiding the draft. That’s not antisemitism. An antisemite would want to see ALL Jews lay down their arms and not defend ourselves. Why must everything be reduced to simplistic us-vs-them terms?
-micha
Michael Savage is a weiner, and Michael Weiner is a savage. That said, I heard his rant as it was broadcast yesterday, and it was completely in character with what I have heard from him on many other occasions. He is an assimilated Jew and a right-wing nut, not to mention a wing-nut.
Savage is not a model for us to follow. I can’t see why frum Jews would defend his anti-Torah attitudes.
Gemara Megilla daf 16a
בההיא שעתא נתעטף מרדכי וקם ליה לצלותא אתא המן ויתיב ליה קמייהו ואוריך עד דסליק מרדכי לצלותיה אמר להו במאי עסקיתו אמרו ליה בזמן שבית המקדש קיים מאן דמנדב מנחה מייתי מלי קומציה דסולתא ומתכפר ליה אמר להו אתא מלי קומצי קמחא דידכו ודחי עשרה אלפי ככרי כספא דידי אמר ליה רשע עבד שקנה נכסים עבד למי ונכסים למי אמר ליה קום לבוש הני מאני ורכוב האי סוסיא דבעי לך מלכא אמר ליה לא יכילנא עד דעיילנא לבי בני ואשקול למזייא דלאו אורח ארעא לאשתמושי במאני דמלכא הכי שדרה אסתר ואסרתינהו לכולהו בי בני ולכולהו אומני עייליה איהו לבי בני ואסחיה ואזיל ואייתי זוזא מביתיה וקא שקיל ביה מזייה בהדי דקא שקיל ליה אינגד ואיתנח אמר ליה אמאי קא מיתנחת אמר ליה גברא דהוה חשיב ליה למלכא מכולהו רברבנוהי השתא לישוייה בלאני וספר אמר ליה רשע ולאו ספר של כפר קרצום היית תנא המן ספר של כפר קרצום היה עשרים ושתים שנה בתר דשקלינהו למזייה לבשינהו למאניה אמר ליה סק ורכב אמר ליה לא יכילנא דכחישא חילאי מימי תעניתא גחין וסליק
כי סליק בעט ביה אמר ליה לא כתיב לכו (משלי כד) בנפל אויבך אל תשמח אמר ליה הני מילי בישראל אבל בדידכו כתיב (דברים לג) ואתה על במותימו תדרוך
Whats the whole concept of “booing” and stamping” when “haman” is read on purim? Is that not rejoicing over the downfall of an enemy? It certainly is not solely rejoicing over we being saved.
After krias yam suf Bnai Yisroel sang Shira, and Hashem agreed that they were right to do so, since they had suffered so much at the hands of the mitzri’im. However, the mal’achim were chastised by Hashem when they wanted to sing shira, too. Hashem told them, “My creations are dying and you want to sing shira?” The difference is that the mal’achim did not suffer personally from the mitzri’im, while the yidin did. Therefore the yiddin were permitted to rejoice, but not the mal’achim.
Let us join in song.
I hear the Kipa Srugas are a big percentage of the army. He is referring to those who are to the right of the Kipa Sruga folk (Chassidim, Charedim, etc.)
Its the ages old question. Why should the less religious Jews give their blood to protect the Ultra religious Jews? I hate to say it, but there’s validity there.
This teacher, once identified, should be fired, surely there is a stupidity clause in his contract.
i think calling him an apikores/kofer will suffice
and the teacher is probably oiver on lifnei eaver to ask such a thing to this guy on public radio , never mind simple stupidity as mentioned by apushatayid
These guys are ENTERTAINMENT! They are out to get attention and get listeners by being controversial! The more grub you are in the radio world, the more attention you get. If you enjoy – listen. If you don’t – don’t.
#37,
The answer to your question may be that those who are truly learning provide no less protection for Eretz Yisrael than those who serve in the military.
#40. That is true; they are out to entertain people. However, I have to disagree with the fact that he should be able to say what he wants to for the sake of “entertainment”….many people follow what he says & they believe it to be the truth since he projects himself as a man with wisdom (which he isn’t).
What I mean is if Seinfeld made some jokes about this, it would be funny & not too many people would so upset, even though he used it for entertainment. Since we all know that Seinfeld is just a comedian & making a joke. NOT EVERYONE KNOWS THAT SAVAGE IS JEWISH & I’ll stake a bet on it that there are many Jew-haters that listened to Savage & are (even more) hateful against Jews for it.
Ok. My rant is done.
#42 I wouldn’t call your comments a rant at all. Actually they make some factual points. The Jew haters will feed off of Savages comments and enjoy his put downs while the rest of us from one end of the religious spectrum to the other debate the choice of his words. I believe that every Jewish person has birth right to their opinion, but that opinion should not include putting down your own people over the airwaves or in public. The caller in my secular opinion chose the wrong venue to ask such a serious question and set himself up to ridicule by Savage and fueled his need to rant, ramble on and maybe entertain.
Hi all. I registered just to respond to all of this
The man is not an anti Semite, he is expressing an opinion which a lot of us agree with (except for the Rabbi Akiva part).
It is known that he is a “member” of Chabad of San Fransisco and he attends daveing there and some events and dinners etc…he is also very close to the Shliach there, Rabbi Langer.
Just listen to his response to Mumbie http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIG1Ztis6yE
Having said all that, i have actually never heard him admit on air that he is Jewish so perhaps he does have a hang up or two about his own Judaism.
#41
The Kipa Sruga folk do both beautifully. Ain Somchin al Hanes. One doesnt eliminate the need for another. Thats somewhat like saying Ill look into my Siddur and Daven with Kavana, while crossing a busy intersection, and rely on Nisim.
A COMFORT FOR EVERYONE!!!!!
KOL HAMALIG AL DIVREY CHACHOMIM NEEDON BETZ’OAH RO’TOCHOS
(GITIN 57:A)
#46, please explain Kol Hamalig…. Thanks.
מלעיג laugh’s make fun
He is not an apikores at all. Just a tinok shenishba. Very similar to Popus and Lulinus who had Greek names, so they were assimilated and the gmara puts them in the same level of Gan Eden as Rabbi Akiva, because of their dedication to the protection of Yidden.
No. 44: Is there any connection between Mumbie and Gumbie?
the answer is pashut, but it DOES require that we read the next pasuk.
בִּנְפֹל אוֹיְבֶיךָ [אוֹיִבְךָ] אַל־תִּשְׂמָח וּבִכָּשְׁלוֹ אַל־יָגֵל לִבֶּךָ
פֶּן־יִרְאֶה יְה-וָה וְרַע בְּעֵינָיו וְהֵשִׁיב מֵעָלָיו אַפּוֹ
we’re not supposed to be gloat. We need to realize that all is from hashem and we have no right to gloat. If we do hashem may teach us a lesson by removing His wrath (His anger) from the enemy. So it’s absolutely OK that the enemy falls, mishlai warns us that if we want our enemies to stay down we should not get too excited – high & mighty.
sometimes, the simple answer comes from actually reading the Tanach.
Give credit to Michael Savage who says it like it is.
It’s not clear to me that the teacher is frum or even Jewish. So why blame him for not asking a rav for advice?
(Re #3) AinOhdMilvado – Good Morning Old Buddy Old Pal – Haven’t I seen you agreeing with those who label progressive Democrats “Liberal Antisemetic self-hating Jews?” So how come you say that because Savage is a Jew he can’t be an Anitisemite?
Here’s a disturbing fact: I find myself in complete agreement the commenter 29. Apparently, if he stays away from genetics, he can make some sense.
#52, give credit to him for insulting Rav Akiva? I have yet to hear him insulting Yoshke. He insults the easy targtes. Plus, this teacher is an idiot for not fighting back. I would of asked him why he did not serve in the US Army. Coward what he is. He sits behind a microphone and trashes those that he sees fit, he criticizes those that have not fought in the army yet he himself has not either. What a hypocrite
imagine if President Obama said what Michael Savage said
“Torahumada says:
May 3, 2011 at 2:42 pm
Yeshiva World Editor:
Since when are comments by a Jew about Jews that are directed at the ideological issues that exist within the Jewish community considered anti-Semitic.
Please make sure that you properly title your articles.
Not to mention the fact that since Michael “Savage” Weiner is a Jew and stating things falsely about him may be Motzi Shem Ra and Loshon Hara.
Torah Umadah says:
May 3, 2011 at 2:44 pm
He can have a different point and opinion, and that is perfectly ok. In fact, I agree with him about people avoiding IDF service.
That being said, the way he expressed himself is borderline anti semitism.
He poked fun at rabbis, and called them “idiots”m, and the matza line was way out of line.”
I would like to point out that YWN editor decide to distort my words. YWN had no right to edit my words so that my point was flipped 180 degrees. I would like to reiterate what I said originally before it was edited:
Michael Savage made a comment that is hurtful to the Chareidi community. The Charadei community should not like that comment made by him, however, it is not in any way antisemitism. It is a valid, although he may have been a little over the top in the way he made his point, point of contention between the different sociological/political/religiosity leveled groups within Judaism.
For those posters who said that it is not loshon harah you are wrong. Loshon harah applies to Jews no matter if they are religious.
And as a response to the teacher, if you have issues with you students opinions then don’t call up a nationally syndicated talk show for answers. Talk with your Rabbi/Priest/Pastor/Counselor/Close Confidant and work through it that way. If you disagree with the position that your students are receiving from their Rabbis, ask the rabbis to explain it to you before you judge.