This scandal is becoming sicker and more disgusting by the day. The Kaminetsky-Greenblatt heter gave Tamar Epstein permssion to commit adultery by remarrying without a Get. The embarrassing defense of the heter has been "we are gedolim how dare you insult us by asking for an explanation" It doesn't conern them that many gedolim have publicly denounced what they have done as a direct assault on the kedusha of the Jewish people because "we are gedolim".
Rav Aharon Feldman - who initially led the campaign against the heter - now has taken a detour. He attacks the public discussion of this scandal - especially on blogs. But more pathetic - instead of the cogent arguments he used when he criticized the heter - he is now saying that public exposure of the scandal is itself worse then committing adultery?! An assertion that has no basis in halacha. ( yes I know BM 58 - but that is clearly not relevant see Rambam hilchos de'os 6:8)
Now a letter has been released with the signatures of some of the many talmidim of Rav Kaminetsky. But instead of addressing the serious charges - they simple repeat "he is a gadol". As if that is a valid excuse for any questionable behavior.
I hereby challenge any of the great rabbis (or even little ones) - who are either supporting Rav Kaminetsky and Rav Greenblatt or are remaining silent - to produce a coherent teshuva regarding the facts and halacha of the heter. No more "I am a gadol and therefore don't need to explain" defenses.
The letter of RAF is a forgery, and the Topic is the false heter, the PROTEST must go on!
ReplyDeleteCrickets...
ReplyDeleteHe sure needs to explain, sheim ken ma hoilu chachamim bitekantom of * YELAMDENU RABBEINU, MEHEICHAN DANTANI*. And if you can't explain, throw in the towel and resign, effective immediately. No one is beyond scrutiny. We Pasken from the Torah, not BEYOND the Torah. vek'al
ReplyDeleteIt could be asked why is this humiliation occurring to Rav Shmuel Kaminetzky. Perhaps this will help answer that question.
ReplyDelete(From a Shiur of HaRav Y. B. Soloveitchik, zt'l, on Parshas Mishpatim):
"You shall not oppress any widow or orphan". "If you shall oppress them
and he shall cry out to me I will listen to his plea". "And I shall be
angry and I will kill you through the sword and your wives will become
widows and your children orphans". (Shemos 22:21‑23)
The Torah enjoins the Jew from oppressing any widow or orphan. One who
commits this action is to be punished by HKB'H (V'Haragti Eschem
B'Cherev). The Gemara (Sanhedrin 17b) enumerates the transgressions for
which one receives Misah Biyday Shamayim. Why does the Gemara omit the
case of oppressing the widow?
The Ibn Ezra notes the transition from the plural (Lo Ta'anun) to the
singular (Im Aneh Te'aneh) followed by the plural (Vharagti Eschem). According
to the Ibn Ezra, this indicates that if someone observes someone else
treating a widow or orphan in this manner and does not intercede on
their behalf, the silent observer is considered to have transgressed as
well. He too will receive the identical punishment as the one who
committed the act. The Torah uses the plural form to indicate that both
the transgressor and the observer will be considered guilty (Teanun) and
are both punishable by death (Vharagti ESCHEM). In fact, this is the
only place we ascribe guilt to both the transgressor and silent observer
and both receive the same punishment.
About twelve years ago Rav Kaminetzky was asked by R. Peretz Steinberg of Young Israel to write a letter denouncing a minyan that formed in response to the wickedness of an Young Israel rabbi who committed MESIRAH when he had a widow charged with trespassing. Rav Shmuel Kaminetzky issued the letter WITHOUT HEARING THE REASONS FROM THE MINYAN why they left Young Israel! When they contacted Rav Kaminetzky, he would not rectify his mistake! (Rav Shmuel's letter is in the file GrossKaminetzky.pdf at this link http://1drv.ms/1O6WSLn )
Rav Shmuel Kaminetzky exacerbated harm to the widow that continues to this day with the letter he wrote at a colleague's request without checking the facts. Now he is the one who did with Rabbi N. Greenblatt what Rabbi P. Steinberg did with him.
Bravo “I hereby challenge any of the great rabbis (or even
ReplyDeletelittle ones) - who are either supporting Rav Kaminetsky and Rav Greenblatt or
are remaining silent - to produce a coherent teshuva regarding the facts and
halacha of the heter. No more "I am a gadol and therefore don't need to
explain" defenses.”
The blogs of the radical feminists are so sick and
disgusting: http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/the-women-bringing-down-orthodoxy/ “Horrifically, we watch as a sordid, vile saga
continues to unfold surrounding a woman who was denied a get for years and
eventually was given an annulment by a reputable religious court. We read the
letters from rabbis calling one another traitors and ‘evil men’. We watch in
disbelief as some rabbis declare her to still be married and her future
children bastards.”
There are two issues here. 1) The peak and 2) The tone of the argument. Rev Shmuel's talmidim are not intending to defend the psak. They are protesting the tone of the rhetoric. Rav Shmuel had given his life for klal. One can disagree with the psak without the character assasination that is taking place. There is no need to place "rov" in quotation marks and accuse him of being the reason for the current situation in Ererz Yisrael amingst other outlandish statements and claims.
ReplyDeleteAsher Kaufman cites “You shall not wrong a stranger or oppress him, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. You shall not ill-treat any widow or orphan. If you do mistreat them, I will heed their outcry as soon as they cry out to Me, and My anger shall blaze forth and I will put you to the sword, and your own wives shall become widows and your children orphans.” (Exodus 22:20-23).
ReplyDeleteThe Malbim says: “Rabbi Yishmael says “You shall not ill-treat any widow or orphan” only as an example. Indeed, all weak and oppressed like widow and
orphan [You shall not ill-treat].”
The radical feminists pushed the pendulum to the extreme that today the husband is the weak and oppressed! The radical feminists wrong and ill-treat the husband in violation of Exodus 22:20-23.
One need only look at what happened to Shaul Hamelech when he made a mistake vs. what Dovid Hamelech did when he was chastised.
ReplyDelete1) True, most times one can disagree respectfully, but in some instances, not. Here's a case in point: A group of doctors are intensively involved in a serious operation. One of the doctors is about to make a wrong and dangerous incision. Although his colleagues FIRST caution him to the potential catastrophic result, he nonetheless ignores them. Although they expediently and exasperatingly try to indicate their concern, he first says it's none of their business. When their pleas reach a high pitched crescendo, he gives an incoherent explanation. Here is such an instance where disagreeing respectfully is grossly inappropriate aside from other concerns and informing oneself with the factual history of this saga, one will see that the mashal is pretty much a pro Po. ..
ReplyDelete2) I haven't seen any such accusation against Reb Shmuel coming from this blog per se. I understand that rabbonim in Eretz Yisroel, in their letters of protest, have written that.
(Can anybody lead me to the letter? )