I recently had conversations with some Chaim Berliners. They expressed strong disappointed that their revered leader has gotten involved in this matter. They also expressed surprise at his support for Hersh. It is important to realize that Reb Aaron is not just a gadol in Torah - but he also is known for his wise and perceptive advice, self-sacrificeand his many devoted followers. They were concerned that this episode would severely tarnish his reputation and overshadow his many accomplishments - not just for Yeshiva Chaim Berlin but for Clall Yisroel. They felt that the information in this case has been presented in a misleading manner to him. It is a problem, however, finding someonewhom Reb Aaron respects that can inform him of the remendous chillul hashem in this lawsuit which also threatens his reputation and that of Yeshiva Chaim Berlin. If anyone has a suggestion of someone who can play the role of honest broker - please contact me. There is no question that Michael Hersh is losing this lawsuit. While I can understand his pain -but he needs to realize that he has no right to misuse this tzadik and prince of the Torah. Whatever the merits of this lawsuit - he will eventually have to give an accounting for what he is doing to Reb Aaron.
"he needs to realize that he has no right to misuse this tzadik and
ReplyDeleteprince of the Torah."
I suppose that this tzadik and prince of the Torah should be more aware about who is using and misusing him...
"I recently had conversations with some Chaim Berliners."
ReplyDeleteRaP: It would be best if they spoke up on the record and to know who they are. Otherwise this could all be a hoax.
"They expressed strong disappointed that their revered leader has gotten involved in
this matter. They also expressed surprise at his support for Hersh."
RaP: Why are they so disappointed and surprised, he is doing it openly and with conviction because it's known that he loves Michel Hersh and treats him no less than he would treat his own son because talmidim=bonim, it's as simple as that.
"It is important to realize that Reb Aaron is not just a gadol in Torah - but he also is known for his wise and perceptive advice, self-sacrifice"
RaP: But no gadol is infallible, even Moshe Rabbeinu made mistakes.
"and his many devoted followers. They were concerned that this episode would severely tarnish his reputation and overshadow his many
accomplishments - not just for Yeshiva Chaim Berlin but for Clall
Yisroel."
RaP: This is a non-reaction. It would be better if it was known what they felt about the case itself. Is it just because it's causing bad PR otherwise if not they could care less what happened to Isaac Hersh. They need to clarify where they stand and take a stand themselves. Otherwise it is just hot air and wishful thinking.
"They felt that the information in this case has been presented
in a misleading manner to him."
RaP: Perhaps somewhat, but he has made his own decision, not just based on what Hersh told him, and is not backing down.
"It is a problem, however, finding someone whom Reb Aaron respects that can inform him of the tremendous chillul hashem in this lawsuit which also threatens his reputation and that of Yeshiva Chaim Berlin."
RaP: Obviously he does not see it that way and he does think or deem it to be a chillul Hashem because he has backed Hersh to the hilt and has supported all his moves. This runs deeper than most people can even begin to imagine.
"If anyone has a suggestion of someone who can play the role of honest broker - please contact me."
RaP: In the middle of Hersh's legal action against bloggers and blog owners, yourself included, there is absolutely nothing to talk about. it's known that Rav Shmuel Kaminetsky and Rav Dovid Feinstein disagreed with him original and yet he saw fit to ignore them. Supposedly Rav Zelik Epstein zt"l who Rav Aron respected put pressure on him to back off last time. Perhaps the ONLY one who could possibly put a stop to all this madness is if the case was brought to none other than Rav Elyashiv Shlita who is the only gadol who Rav Aron respects as being the true RASKEBEHAG, otherwise he will respond to no one and to nothing and will go on until this matter is brought to an end by the courts as the various teams of lawyers slog it out in full view of the media and the world, and what a Chillul Hashem that would be.
"There is no question that
Michael Hersh is losing this lawsuit."
RaP: Amen!
"While I can understand his pain -"
RaP: Like what? This requires professional evaluation to be true.
"but he needs to realize that he has no right to misuse this tzadik and prince of the Torah."
RaP: It's too late, the bonds are forged and neither of them will back off.
"Whatever the merits of this lawsuit"
RaP: It has zero merits!
"- he will eventually have to give an accounting for what he is doing to Reb Aaron."
RaP: Neither of them sees it that way. They feel they are fighting "the soton" r"l, and they are in lockstep in this matter as all the indicators, both legal and in their world bears out. It is all a very sad state of affairs.
I must strongly disagree with you. I myself spoke to Rav Aharon while IH was in Jamaica, and was there with a group that brought proof of the horror acts that were going on there, and he chose to ignore it.
ReplyDeletePerhaps he was duped into thinking that Mr. hersh was a tzadik at that point, so chose to ignore all else.
But once IH came out, and was doing well, to give a heter to go to court, and not even beis din, and to do so saying that he NEEDED to do this in order to further help his talmid / son, shows me that Rav Aharon made that decision. He may have been duped once, but the second time..... there must be something that we are missing in the Michael Hersh - Rav Aharon relationship, because this is clearly not a normal situation.
"Anonymous said...there must be something that we are missing in the Michael Hersh - Rav Aharon relationship, because this is clearly not a normal situation."
ReplyDelete100% Correct!
Correction : RaP: Obviously he does not see it that way and he does not think or deem it to be a chillul Hashem because he has backed Hersh to the hilt and has supported all his moves. This runs deeper than most people can even begin to imagine.
ReplyDeleteJust to add to the above, it is important to note that Rav Aron Schechter is a man steeped in the mystical teachings of the Maharal of Prague, the Vilna Gaon and in the Pachad Yitzchok writings and thought system of his own Rebbe Rav Yitzchok Hutner zt"l who in turn was a disciple of Rav Avraham Yitzchok Cook zt"l. All these men were great mystics and kabbalists. Rav Aron when he meets people penetrates deeply into their eyes and souls and arrives at very unique decisions.
He has a particular fondness and soft spot for baalei teshuva who in turn make the perfect acolytes and disciples becoming virtual chasidim. It is hard to know exactly what qualities of soul and personality Rav Aron appreciates about these people, but he does, he keeps his reasons to himself, and he displays his affection to them by his smiles, the time he gives them, and the way he backs them up no matter what as he is doing in the case of Hersh.
Most of these types have fallen by the wayside over the years and they have distanced themselves from Rav Aron for good reasons. But there are a minority who have been won over and this is the case with Hersh. It is a mistake to think that his support for Hersh is "misguided" or was artificially induced by Hersh because it's coming 100% from the heart. Love is blind and this is what this is.
So unless a Gadol like Rav Elyashiv who Rav Aron Schechter respects beyond measure intervenes, or if the ENTIRE Moetzes of Agudah in America tell him in unison that he must stop this slide into self-destruction and damage for all concerned, Rav Schechter and Hersh are going to march in lock-step to the very end. It will be a case of irresistible force meets immovable object and may the best man win.
Even if they were to lose in court they will feel self-vindicated that they tried and they will blame a loss in court on the "satan" even though it will be proven beyond a doubt that no one agrees with Hersh. To them it's in some ways a bizzare "win-win" situation, if they "win" they get vindicated and a bundle of loot, if they lose, they also "win" because look at who came out against them and how justice was not done.
That's the scenario when dealing with "true-believers" and it's very difficult to convince them otherwise or change their pre-determined thinking they have built up based on their own "mystical" self-justifications.
One question to ask is would the Maharal, or Rav Hutner, or the Vilna Gaon, or Rav Cook, be party to trying to catch by force one's own two sons and send one of them by force to a place like Tranquility Bay?
Rav Hutner was a man who did not stand down from confrontation but at least he battled with men and rabbonim but not with 16 year old skinny kids. The Maharal supposedly created a golem to serve as a body guard, not to kidnap kids at risk. The Vilna Gaon protected the Ger Tzedek (maybe that's what Hersh is in Rav Aron's eyes, who knows) but the Ger never did what Hersh did to his kids, and Rav Cook loved each and every Jews even the biggest sinners who he saw hope for, his name is blotted out in Chaim Berlin folk lore now, maybe he was just too kind of a mentsch.
In the post Holocaust years who would send a Jewish boy to a concentration camp? It is just so terrible to think of and that is why NORMAL fair minded people are so puzzled and angry about this disgusting affair.
No reliable source has ever demonstrated that Rav Ahron supports this new lawsuit by Hirsch.
ReplyDelete"Dan said...No reliable source has ever demonstrated that Rav Ahron supports this new lawsuit by Hirsch."
ReplyDeleteWhat "reliable source" would you prefer? Chaim Berlin yeshiva and its rosh yeshiva and for that matter any yeshiva or its roshei yeshiva do not issue "press releases" and they do no explain themselves in their newsletters about litigation and problems of its alumni.
The support of Rav Schechter for Hersh is obvious and self-evident simply because Hersh is tightly bound up with Rav Aron Schechter and would not make such a serious move of suing the world without his blessings. Only a fool would say that Rav Aron is not involved here.
Furthermore, if you have been paying close attention to the posts on this blog, very recently one of Hersh's lawyers submitted a statement to the court going so far as to claim that Rav Schechter was being "threatened" which is total lie and fabrication, also quoting in the name of Rav Schechter's "son" a certain Sholom Eliyahu Yorkmark but it was probably his son in law by that name who is in close touch with Hersh and therefore proves that he is probably the designated contact representing Rav Aron Schechter to deal with Hersh and his ever-growing brood of attorneys on a day to day basis because this must be a huge distraction for someone who is supposed to be running a large yeshiva and who has to deal with matters and problems that have nothing to do with Hersh's constant child-like cravings for negative attention and obsessive self-centeredness.
Gothamist.com is asking why Hersh and his wife are suing critics when the better question is why are they not in jail for child abuse.
ReplyDeleteI did not link to the article because it contains foul language.
Isn't he also a supporter of Tropper (still)?
ReplyDeleteDan: Rav Aharon's son in law has come himself to court, and said himself to the judge that he was there because his father in law wasn't feeling well enough to come on his own, and was showing support for the "tzaddik gamur" Michal Hersh.
ReplyDeleteIs that proof enough??
Since I was late in reading and responding to the "theologically nasty litvak" entry, and you might not have seen my response there, I just wanted to clarify here what my intention was with my comment.
ReplyDeleteYou guys didn't understand my comment.
Yes, Torah once flourished in Lithuania. But the Jewish world collapsed there. Judaism collapsed there. Barely any yeshivas left and barely any bochurim to fill them. You need to reexamine the pre-war period and get your own facts straight. History is not the rosy picture of East European nostalgia you were taught in grade school. After world war one and the lead-up to world war two Judaism was dying in Europe.
And please think deeply about the numbers.
R. D. Eidensohn - Is Rav Shterbuch familiar with your blog post content (i.e. your coverage of the Hirsch issue and R. Schechter)?
ReplyDeleteR Shechter ignored hazmana from rav Feinstein (copies which the UOJ posted on his blog) so why he would he listen to anybody?
ReplyDeleteR' Eideonson, I sense from your post here that you are shaking in your pants.
ReplyDeleteIL be darned if im wrong.
"SD said...Isn't he also a supporter of Tropper (still)?"
ReplyDeleteIndeed, Rav Aron Schechter has consistently maintained his unwavering loyal support for Leib Tropper at all times in the same way he is doing so for Hersh now, it's the exact same pattern and phenomenon at work, a supra-rational almost mystical bond that exists between certain "chosen ones" and the supreme spiritual leader that will never be broken by the raw realities of what happens in real life.
These are not the only cases, there are others that have never become openly known public scandals yet Rav Aron Schechter, once he has locked on to his chosen devotee in order to stand by them and protect them come what may is always the same.
There are strong parallels between the Hersh and Tropper case, and because the high profile Tropper case has evidently essentially run its course as thing stand right now, one can learn some lessons as to how the Hersh case will run its course.
Tropper's career and public notoriety ended when true-life sound and video recordings of him performing sexually immoral acts with another woman, some including his wife, finally stripped all pretenses and rationalizations away. Hersh's public career (it was not as high profile as Tropper's was of course) ended when the news broke of the rescue of his son from Tranquility Bay when the full story of what he had done and the family feuds behind broke out in the general media and online (Hersh claims it was a "conspiracy" but it was a genuine breaking news story). In both cases Rav Aron Schechter was on the scene as the pre-eminent rabbi behind the two main characters being unmasked in public once and for all, Hersh and Tropper.
In the case of Tropper he was openly condemned, in writing, by the full BADATS with Rav Moshe Shternbuch in the lead who classed Tropper a "menuval" and in the case of Hersh at the height of the struggle to rescue 16 year old Isaac from Tranquility Bay, there was utter turmoil in the American Aguda's Moetzes and none other than one of its key leaders Rav Shmuel Kaminetsky, backed by Rav Dovid Feinstein and on the outside by Rav Zelik Epstein zt"l, were 100% for the rescue of Isaac, and later Rav Kaminetsky in writing prohibited any Jewish children from being sent to Tranquility Bay. Supposedly behind closed doors the struggle between Rav Kaminetsky and Rav Schechter was furious and bitter and according to reoprts that were leaked, Rav Shmuel Kaminetsky condemned Rav Schechter as a "rotzeach" (a proverbial but not God-forbid literal "murderer" a strong epithet in Hebrew) for endangering the life of a Jewish child by agreeing and supporting his jailing on Tranquility Bay.
In both cases, in spite of a wall of opposition from the most notable rabbis, such as the BADATS and Rav Shternbuch's protesting against Tropper and many in the American Aguda with Rav Kaminetsky protesting against Hersh, with all that, Rav Schechter never budged a skinny scintilla in his utter faith, support and devotion to both Tropper and Hersh unto this very moment!
continuing...
ReplyDeleteSo how was Tropper removed from his positions as rosh yeshiva at Kol Yaakov and head of the EJF-proselytization apparat even after the revelations of his immorality captured on sound and video tape was published and with the support of Rav Schechter still behind him? Tropper's resignation and his signing of a letter to move away from Monsey was only achieved when there arose a solid wall of opposition by the Monsey on Tropper's home ground for 30 years rabbinate against him. He was summoned to a hearing and a virtual tribunal in Monsey and told by all the distinguished rabbis of Monsey that he had no option but to quit at once, and quit he did, with all the disgrace of the taped sex thrown in his face. Yet in spite of everything, Rav Schechter is still 100% behind Tropper even in his disgrace and exile. He believes that Tropper is a total "tzadik" and that he was wrongfully "framed" and he accepted Tropper's disciples to come and seek shelter in Chaim Berlin yeshiva.
Now back to Hersh, one can count on Rav Schechter supporting him to the hilt until the day he leaves this world. It will never change. Only Hersh could disappoint his rebbe if he were to turn on him or some such act, otherwise as long as Hersh remains loyal to his rebbe, he can count on his rebbe returning that loyalty a thousand times over as we openly see is happening right now. It should not come a surprise at all if one understands how this cast of characters functions and the type of supra-rational and even beyond-normal world they live. Some may call it a dementia or a delusion or a state of denial, or more such bizarre things. Take your pick.
The only thing that will ever stop Hersh and Rav Schechter from their chosen path of confrontation that they imagine is correct but the world deems otherwise, is if like in the case of Tropper there will be a solid wall of unanimity to put all this madness to a stop once and for all. Hersh has already provided the grounds for why he should be stopped, it was the ugly and cruel way he endangered the life of his own son Isaac by sending him away to a place like Tranquility Bay that no sane and humane human or society will ever agree to.
What is needed is total unity based on the facts that are confronting Hersh. He is willing to go head to head with a whole community in his fight, he does not care and never has. The only thing that matters to a groupie like Hersh is that he is in harmony with his chosen spiritual rebbe. No doubt many normal disciples of Rav Aron look on helplessly as they always have watching their rebbe carry on to his own and their detriment. But that's the way it is.
Student V it is true that WWI marked a turning point for Europe and for European Jews. On the other hand what survived the collapse (not only in Lithuania, by the way) was nothing compared to the flourishing that used to be, but still very valuable compared to what we have on average in our days.
ReplyDeleteWe don't know what is happening. We can just speculate that the Rabbi is very painfully aware of the facts, and he may be afraid that something very terrible is going to happen if he does not support MH in public (for whom he has much compassion), and is willing to compromise his own honor for that. BTW, he may or may not want MH to win in court. He may or may not think that MH is doing something good; all we know is that he is convinced he should say out loud that he supports MH.
That said, the Rabbi has failed, and I am not only referring to the letter of support, but much earlier; because if a person becomes like this - not overnight, but along decades - no matter how many flaws a person has, his Rabbi has some responsibility, and much more so a Hassidic Rabbi. Then again, there are terrible situations and all of us would probably have failed both in the place of MH (can you imagine how much pain it takes, to destroy a person and turn him like this?) and of course also in the place of the Rabbi (even hearing about it, is more pain that a human can take, do you think it easy to think straight?) and we should be grateful we never have been faced with such unbearable pain.
"Justin Bieber said...R Shechter ignored hazmana from rav Feinstein (copies which the UOJ posted on his blog) so why he would he listen to anybody?"
ReplyDeleteIndeed. More than one blog owner posted copies of the actual hazamonas, the first four hazmonas "summonses") came from the Satmar CRC's beis din, followed by one from Rav Moshe Feinstein's zt"l beis din in his capacity as Nosi of the Agudas Harabanim, and there is no doubt that they were released from the side of the aggrieved party that was trying to get Rav Schechter and the president and main financial backer of the Chaim Berlin yeshiva probably also one of the main ANONYMOUS DONORS to Hersh's legal "defense" fund, Avrohom Fruchthandler.
The hazmonas are still online and copies of the originals can still be seen at Hazmonoh Milsoh Hi (December 12, 2007): first CRC hazmona; second CRC hazmona; third CRC hazmona; fourth CRC hazmona that was totally ignored by both Rav Aron Schechter and Fruchthandler setting up a terrible precedent and that they have never fully explained beyond supposedly claiming "lav baal devarim hu" (roughly: "the complaint/s do/does NOT relate to me/us" or "the plaintiff has nothing against me/us"), meaning they alleged NOT to be "part" of the alleged episode and so to speak threw it back at the batei din as a matter not between themselves but implying it was really between all of their mutual rebbe's Rav Yitzchok Hutner zt"l, who while not cited in any of the hazmonas, he was alive then and had moved to Israel which was part of what caused the dispute as to who gets to run the yeshiva, was a party to the entire subject in question relating to the termination of the employment of their yeshiva's famous mashgiach one of Rav Hutner's most trusted and closest disciples who had been the spokesman in Rav Hutner's Pachad Yitzchok books and a great teacher of Rav Hutner's derech, Rav Shlomoh Carlebach a Holocaust survivor and a first cousin of the late singer by that same name.
To "Justin Bieber" continued:
ReplyDeleteThe hazmona of Rav Moshe Feinstein zt"l and the Agudas Harabanim's beis din to Rav Aron Schechter and to Avrohom Fruchthandler is also still online at "Gedolei HaWhat?!" (December 13, 2007), with a copy of original posted.
These are VERY serious Halachic matters and cannot be shoved aside even after the approximately 30 years since they took place. They have very unfortunately cast a great shadow over a very great yeshiva like Chaim Berlin in the broader Torah world and have hurt Rav Aron Schechter's abilities to be seen as an honest broker and hurt his ability to function to an even greater capacity as a leader of the Torah world in many different situations.
Unfortunately, it has meant he and Chaim Berlin cannot go to any beis din to settle disputes that would otherwise retain a low profile and be settled al pi Shulchan Oruch and haderech hayashar, and has opened the dangerous temptations to settle disputes between Torah Jews in secular courts, where Chaim Berliners can enter using both many non-Jewish lawyers and even the ones who are Jewish, and as applies to the Hersh case, know nothing about the life of Charedi communities, the complexities of integrating baalei teshuva (Hersh is a classical BT while his wife is not) into frum life, and many more nuances that they will never understand.
So Rav Schechter can't send Hersh to a beis din simply because no one tied in as closely with Rav Schechter himself and who Rav Schechter backs so openly and personally has any credibility until such time as the original beis din problems and hazmonas that Rav Schechter and Avrhom Fruchthandler faced are settled and brought to closure once and for all, until such time and with stubborn refusal, they have other temptations, like running to secular courts to score points as we see is happening now. Hersh is cynically exploiting this scenario while he may not know every last detail of CB history, he is savvy enough to create havoc for it based on his own personal issues and struggles with dysfuntionality in his family life that he exhibitionistically displays on a global scale, by posing as "just" another "wronged employee" when he is part of a complex world that's far bigger and better than his myopic view of himself.
RESPONSE TO BEN TORAH:
ReplyDeleteHappy you brought the subject up,
Dan Eidensohn used Rav Sterbuch as his excuse heter for all of his Loshon Horah. Hersh might have presented the facts to Rav Aharon the same way Dan presents "facts" to Rav Sternbuch....I know his nephew Dayan Eherentrau and he is even disgusted with Dan meddling in people problems and life only to make matters worse….The sickest thing is that Dan the PHD is soaked in Shaddenfrued and loves to hear other peoples misery to feel better about his pathetic self….Even worse he enjoys the sport of hurting people as evidenced on this sick twisted blog……I checked with Eicheler’s nobody buys his books.
Daniela, perfectly valid point. I never suggested that the astounding ignorance we have today "on average" is anything impressive. The quality of those yeshivot and their students may have been extremely high. I was just commenting on the fact that they were not numerous, people were starving, and Judaism was dying out. These facts contradict the "pre-war Europe nostalgia" (pre ww2) often passed off as historical, including by some people on this blog's comments. The soul of our people was dying and then unfortunately our bodies went along with it.
ReplyDelete"Martin LK said...Dan Eidensohn used Rav Sterbuch as his excuse heter for all of his Loshon Horah."
ReplyDeleteRaP: There is no doubt in anyone's mind that Rabbi Eidensohn consults with Rav Shternbuch. Where has he used that as a "heter" for "Loshon Horah"? What, precisely, is the "Loshon Horah" you object to? because sweeping charges are useless. Over the years Rabbi Eidensohn has cited detailed sources and reasoning for his approach, you need to check that out before making false accusations.
"Hersh might have presented the facts to Rav Aharon the same way Dan presents "facts" to Rav Sternbuch...."
RaP: What a good joke! This is "moral equivalency" at work equating Rabbi Eidensohn with Hersh. How stupid can anyone be?
"I know his nephew Dayan Eherentrau and he is even disgusted with Dan meddling in people problems and life only to make matters worse…."
RaP: Rabbi Ehrentrau is not a neutral character. He was deeply involved as an ally of Leib Tropper and was EJF's man in Europe receiving much funding from Tropper/EJF for that. He has an axe to grind and will obviously not miss a chance at taking a pot shot at those who revealed the truth about Tropper and thereby stopped funds from flowing to people like Rabbi Ehrentrau. So this is no surprise and it's meaningless to hear these fake "complaints" if they are even true at all.
"The sickest thing is that Dan the PHD is soaked in Shaddenfrued and loves to hear other peoples misery to feel better about his pathetic self…."
RaP: Now why do you think you will be heard out by degrading Rabbi Eidensohn? On the contrary, Rabbi Eidensohn deserves a special yasher koach for being the ONLY one to report all the facts, from original documents about the miserable Hersh affair. This is a great public service, while trying to hide or go on about tangents will not bring about a better understanding and cure of the problem.
"Even worse he enjoys the sport of hurting people as evidenced on this sick twisted blog……"
RaP: So far, it is Hersh that has literally hurt his twin sons directly, his entire family, all his friends, many rabbis who tried to help him and his kids, and with his never-ending self-justified and self-righteous approach is hurting the entire Orthodox and Charedi world that stems from his now very obvious personality disorders. Just where did Hersh pick up the shtik of sending people, in fact his own kids, to psych wards when he should be in one himself!!! That's not "loshon hora" it's a fact!!!
"I checked with Eicheler’s nobody buys his books."
RaP: And it'' been checked with people who know Rabbi Eidensohn even better and they say that the books are a good source of parnossah for him for a long time already. Is there anything in them that you find objectionable? instead of just ranting how about pointing to facts?
Response to RaPs:
ReplyDeleteMe thinks MLK meant Reb Asher Ehrentreu Of The Jerusalem Bais Din,nephew of Horav Shternbuch,, who is yasherous as they come ,he rolls his eyes everytime somebody tells him that they went to Rabbi Daniel Eidesohn for advise.
Kanfe Nesharim said...
ReplyDeleteResponse to RaPs:
Me thinks MLK meant Reb Asher Ehrentreu Of The Jerusalem Bais Din,nephew of Horav Shternbuch,, who is yasherous as they come ,he rolls his eyes everytime somebody tells him that they went to Rabbi Daniel Eidesohn for advise.
============
This is a bit curious. I gather that you are claiming to have been with Rabbi Ehrentreu on many occasions and that often my name comes up as having advised someone and his constant response is to roll his eyes.
He works in a beis din to verify Jewish identity. So I assume that you are claiming that people come to him about their geirus and when they told him what I have advised them he roles his eyes in contempt of my views?!
My involvement with geirus had to do with the Tropper affair - everything concerning the halacha of geirus and the validity of conversion gets vetted by Rav Sternbuch.
So what exactly do you claim he objects to? My involvement in the Tropper affair? My involvment with publicizing Rav Sternbuch's views? the fact that I have a Ph.D. and have a blog?
Actually when involved in the Dybuk affair I was attacked very strongly. I mentioned this to Rav Sternbuch and he said,"That's good. It show that you are accomplishing something."
If these claims are the strongest criticism you could find [or make up] - so what!
Does that mean that the postings about Tropper or child abuse or the Hersh affair are disproven?
Ad hominem attacks seem to be the only arguments you can find.
Regarding Rav Aron Schechter and the hazmonah to B"D years ago, check out this:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.rabbileff.net/shiurim/ask/index.htm
Question #1826