Brothers and Sisters in Silver Spring - Wake up! It is deal time for Tamar and you are messing it up big time

Some of you might be aware that the  Baltimore Beis Din  just issued an astounding courageous and honest apology for mistakes which have caused Aharon Friedman much grief. Some of you might have figured out that this is part of a push to persuade Aharon Friedman to give Tamar a Get - which she desperately wants and needs at this point. And you would be right.

So what are the sticking points? There are in fact simply two.

 1) Aharon wants his daughter in Silver Spring. Aharon has requested that Tamar move back to Silver Spring so he will be in close proximity to his daughter. Tamar in fact is willing to do so. However he is concerned that she will move back to Philadelphia  the day after she receives the Get. Fortunately the gedolim involved think they can solve that problem both halachically and legally.

2) Aharon wants his name and reputation restored. For many years Tamar, together with ORA, Rav Herschel Schachter and the Kaminetskys have been publicly slandering him and have done their best to make him a hated outcast. This despite that their actions clearly violated the halacha as stated by the Baltimore Beis Din. (In fact the halacha is that a Beis Din that issues a false seruv - which they clearly did - is itself considered to be in cherem.) Aside from the fact that Tamar never has had the halachic status of Aguna or Aharon having the obligation of giving a Get - they have arrogantly lied and deceived the public and apparently themselves as well.

They cooked up at psychiatric report which is such a basic violation of professional ethics that the author refused to have his name published because he probably would lose his license to practice if it became known. Tamar and the Kaminetskys were well aware that the report was full of lies and yet they ran around the world trashing Aharon as "a total lunatic" and someone who is incapable of marriage. They persuaded Rav Greenblatt to give a heter with false allegations. We are not talking about honest mistakes. We are talking about evil actions - done out of arrogance and a feeling of entitlement to destroy a man - in order to do a favor for the daughter of  a close donor and supporter.

Taking the menchlich formal apology of the Baltimore Beis as an example - the above individuals needs to publicly ask Aharon for forgiveness. The way it stands now - if Aharon gave Tamar a Get - Tamar would be viewed as a heroine for taking something she says she doesn't need and for being so brave all these years in her public fight as Aguna Number 1. This is incredibly perverse and a mockery of truth.

Sorry - but it is absolutely certain that she can not come out of this as the heroic victim. She is the source of all this evil and she needs to acknowledge it. Aharon would be perceived as simply giving into public pressure for giving the Get - but he would continue to be viewed as the vile man who cruelly tormented his wife for years. He wants the truth acknowledged that he and his daughter are the victims. He is not seeking revenge but simply yoshrus and simple justice.

However even if all the above is fulfill, Aharon tells me there is a major problem. Assuming that Tamar moves to Silver Spring with their daughter, the above publicly apologize and assuming Aharon gives a Get - what will life be like for Aharon the day after? 

The answer is it will still be hell for Aharon. The Silver Spring community has placed Aharon in cherem for not giving a Get. This despite being informed by the Baltimore Beis Din that he has no obligation to give a Get and that all sanctions and pressure are against halacha. They were formally sent the recent letter with a request to allow Aharon to enter into the shuls to be able to pray. This trivial request was rejected by these paragons of social justice and political correctness! Aharon tells me these "wonderful" people of Silver Spring will not even let their children play with his 8 year old daughter because he is in cherem. They are torturing his daughter because of their societal values which they view as being superior to Torah values. In fact there are only 2 families that have the elementary human decency not to harm his daughter.

If the Silver Spring community really wants Tamar to receive a Get - then starting this Shabbos they need to welcome Aharon Friedman and his daughter. They need to acknowledge that they were wrong in ostracizing him. If he is not made welcome then that is the end of the story - there is no Get and Tamar will be giving birth to a mamzer. Think about it!