"Rav Sternbuch makes it very clear that if a person who is a descendant of the Anusim insists he is really Jewish then it of necessity raises the issue of mamzerus. It is not a minor issue and it wasn't something that I put a spin on. I suggest you reread the teshuva in a more relaxed and objective state."
I comment on your answer here, since this is it's proper place.
Please reread the she'elah properly, and you will see that it was not Rav Sternbuch who brought up the issue of mamzerut, but it was in the original question.
You might ask Rav Sternbuch, since you seem to be on good terms with him, whether he would had brought up this question by himself if he had not been confronted with the question...
Furthermore, the answer does not say anything on the Mamzer or Safek Mamzer status of this particular person or group of persons. It just says: Since you already brought up the question, it would have to be investigated further (what exactely were the customs of this particular group of Anusim), and it could be that the result would be that there could be a Safek of Mamzerut. But since we have an easier solution at hand, I suggest we consider him a Ger, then this problem is settled even without further investigation.
PS: There was no reason to bring the question up in the first place, considering how the issue of Mamzerut is handled to-day. I heard of a RAbbi (hareidi, I suppose) who was invited to a Briss and declined the invitation "Don't invite me, because if I am present, I would be obliged to state that the child is a Mamzer." The parents insisted on wanting him there, so he had to declare the child a mamzer indeed.
Meaning: The rabbi was fine with no-one except himself knowing this child is a Mamzer, and all the ramifications it would imply (i.e. Mamzer marrying Israel).
PS: There was no reason to bring the question up in the first place, considering how the issue of Mamzerut is handled to-day. I heard of a RAbbi (hareidi, I suppose) who was invited to a Briss and declined the invitation "Don't invite me, because if I am present, I would be obliged to state that the child is a Mamzer." The parents insisted on wanting him there, so he had to declare the child a mamzer indeed. ===============
Link you are simply misreading the teshvua. You clearly have an agenda and I am not wasting anymore time trying to explain that which is obvious.
PS: If it has been a custom for a long time to ignore the mamzer status as long as it is not too obvious, considering that mamzer status is passed on by the mother and by the father and never ceases, it could well be that all Ysrael (except the Gerim or near descendents of Gerim) are really Mamzerim today.
That's pure statistics...
So it could well be that this question is also settled in our time.
So in short: for the descendents, intermarriage might be preferrable to remaining faithful crypto-jews...
ReplyDeleteInteresting. Thank you for publishing this page.
"Rav Sternbuch makes it very clear that if a person who is a descendant of the Anusim insists he is really Jewish then it of necessity raises the issue of mamzerus. It is not a minor issue and it wasn't something that I put a spin on. I suggest you reread the teshuva in a more relaxed and objective state."
ReplyDeleteI comment on your answer here, since this is it's proper place.
Please reread the she'elah properly, and you will see that it was not Rav Sternbuch who brought up the issue of mamzerut, but it was in the original question.
You might ask Rav Sternbuch, since you seem to be on good terms with him, whether he would had brought up this question by himself if he had not been confronted with the question...
Furthermore, the answer does not say anything on the Mamzer or Safek Mamzer status of this particular person or group of persons. It just says: Since you already brought up the question, it would have to be investigated further (what exactely were the customs of this particular group of Anusim), and it could be that the result would be that there could be a Safek of Mamzerut. But since we have an easier solution at hand, I suggest we consider him a Ger, then this problem is settled even without further investigation.
PS: There was no reason to bring the question up in the first place, considering how the issue of Mamzerut is handled to-day. I heard of a RAbbi (hareidi, I suppose) who was invited to a Briss and declined the invitation "Don't invite me, because if I am present, I would be obliged to state that the child is a Mamzer." The parents insisted on wanting him there, so he had to declare the child a mamzer indeed.
ReplyDeleteMeaning: The rabbi was fine with no-one except himself knowing this child is a Mamzer, and all the ramifications it would imply (i.e. Mamzer marrying Israel).
link said...
ReplyDeletePS: There was no reason to bring the question up in the first place, considering how the issue of Mamzerut is handled to-day. I heard of a RAbbi (hareidi, I suppose) who was invited to a Briss and declined the invitation "Don't invite me, because if I am present, I would be obliged to state that the child is a Mamzer." The parents insisted on wanting him there, so he had to declare the child a mamzer indeed.
===============
Link you are simply misreading the teshvua. You clearly have an agenda and I am not wasting anymore time trying to explain that which is obvious.
PS: If it has been a custom for a long time to ignore the mamzer status as long as it is not too obvious, considering that mamzer status is passed on by the mother and by the father and never ceases, it could well be that all Ysrael (except the Gerim or near descendents of Gerim) are really Mamzerim today.
ReplyDeleteThat's pure statistics...
So it could well be that this question is also settled in our time.