Halacha and the Internet by Rabbi Ari Kahn
Born in Brooklyn NY, moved to Israel in 1984. I teach and write about Torah topics. Author of "Explorations" on the weekly Parsha and "Emanations" on holidays - both published by Targum/Feldheim http://rabbiarikahn.com
While Jews, especially traditional ones, seem to have an aversion to the concept of evolution, halacha itself, the stuff of which Jewish observance is made, may be seen as evolving. We who accept that Torah is the Word of God, and that the Written and Oral Torah were given to us, through Moshe, are aware that, as new situations arise, halacha adapts – has always adapted - in an evolutionary rather than a revolutionary fashion.
At times, though, catalysts of more dramatic change present themselves: Cataclysms, especially those that cause massive population shifts, tend to impact halachic thinking and action in more discernable increments. Nonetheless, we may say that halacha is impacted and affected, rather than pointing to blatant, obvious "changes." Part of the impact is due to what and how people learn.[1]
Throughout Jewish history, catastrophe has often given rise to the perceived need to collect data, to preserve what runs the risk of being lost. Thus, after the destruction of the First Beit Hamikdash we find the canonization of Tanach. After the destruction of the Second Beit Hamikdash, the Bar Kochva rebellion and Hadrionic persecution, the Mishna emerged in an edited form. After a major earthquake destroyed the north of Israel
It's important to know if Baba Elazar was a tzadik or guilty as accused, of being a con artist and extortionist, because there are still dangerous fake mekubalim out there that so called establishment rabbonim are covering up for. Rav Kaduri and the mekubal of Bais She'an, R' Machluf, did not ask for money, certainly not the collective $80 million in Baba Elazar's bank account.
ReplyDeleteWe know that Baba Elazar would no longer travel to NY because of fear of being arrested by Brooklyn DA detectives who were actively investigating him for fraud. There have been countless stories from all kinds of people alleging they were conned by him, this man who Pinny Lipschitz calls a tzaddik. While some gedolim went to the levaya, many more did not.
http://www.cross-currents.com/archives/2006/11/01/rav-yaakov-hillel-outs-the-charlatans/
R' Yaakov Hillel shlita who is very outspoken against fake mekubalim has specifically said some of the Babas are fakers. He often says over the Ramchal that koychos are sometimes given to shlechte mentchen as an oynesh.
There are also rumors that R' Chaim Kanievsky warned people to stay away and his hand written note to the aveilim made public is certainly cryptic enough that it could mean anything.
Rabbi Dr. Josh Waxman who resides in Kew Gardens Hills and davens at a Queens Vaad shul writes on his website that he has personal knowledge of Baba Elazar extorting people in the neighborhood. He says that a rabbi in Queens (who he refuses to name) was approached and acknowledged the problem but refused to do or say anything about it.
http://www.jpost.com/International/Article.aspx?id=234262
ReplyDeleteanother rabbi perpetrator
so, if you do not walk 4 paces with a bear head, you will not fall into sin..
It's hard to believe the 5 Towns Jewish Times can get away with something like this. Pinny Lipschitz will jump all over Avi Weiss and other people distorting the Torah but 5 Towns Jewish Times publisher Larry Gordon is spared because he goes along with Pinny's propaganda campaign for Rubashkin.
ReplyDelete5 Towns Jewish Times published an article in the last 2 weeks promoting the Ethiopian Falasha "Shulchan Aruch". The mechaber Sharon Shalom works closely with Rabbi Dr. Daniel Sperber who is the lowlife who wrote the "halacha teshuva" at the request of Avi Weiss to be matir women rabbis. Falashas do not follow the Talmud. Falashas require giyur. Even the lowlives with Sperber who are all at Bar Ilan University admit that if this "Shulchan Aruch" was written exactly according to how Falashas fir zich, there is no difference between them and the Prushim. So what Sperber's disciple did was to convince the Falashas to allow (in print only) a couple of pretend changes from how they actually perform their pseudo-Judaism.
The article actually says they are "following in the footsteps" of the Amoraim, the Ramoh and the Shulchan Aruch Harav.