I will try to put this carefully, but rationally-
The position of either the defenders of Walder, or the “I
don’t knows” are becoming less and less
tenable, and for a number of reasons. And objections that you keep bringing are
not convincing anyone but yourself.
That the Sephardi BD is not competent – that is nonsense,
and nobody is buying such a line. Rav Eliyahu is a Talmid Chacham, and he knows halacha very
well. To point where someone who is Brisk and totally rejects Zionism, was praising
him.
That they did not follow correct procedure – the halacha is
out in the open, even Rav Silman writes that with such cases, we no longer
follow strict Torah requirements for witnesses, can rely even on recordings, photographs, intermediaries
etc.
That we don’t know the dikduk of the letter from Rav
Sternbuch – there is already sufficient information in the ether – explicit statements
have been made of a history of bad name of Walder, that he was chashud of not keeping all
issurim in the Torah including the gimmel chamurot.
nope that is not the way serious people act.
That there was a Daas Torah statement from Ponovezh Rosh
Yeshiva - the first statement had more
holes than swiss cheese, and was retracted for a more measured statement. The 2nd and authoritative statement
emphasised more the damage to the nifgaim, and the need to go to
authorities.
That the suicide was either murder from the loshon hara, or
from extreme stress and hence not culpable.
One Rav said suicide is never
excusable. And you cannot send a message out that suicide is Ok under stress.
Perhaps everything is permissible, perhaps homosexuality, perhaps chillul
shabbes, etc perhaps even annulling gittin.
Wow so you found one rav - so what that is not the accepted view today
That those who speak out and rise up against the Rebbetzin
were chilonim, This is grasping at
straws – there are many alumni of the Seminary where she teaches, who follow her.
Do you think chilonim are interested or even know about her? This is much bigger than you realize – it is
bigger than Watergate. Unitl now there
has not been an uprising against Rabbonim, against rebbetzen. And that is by frum people. Maybe the haskalah,
there were reformists, but this is about frum people, rejecting their leaders en masse.
The Rabbis are afraid of this – they don’t
realise the depth of the revulsion, or protecting abusers. Parents are sick of
this – they want an end to such whitewashing.
That is why the statements that have come out, have then been retracted
and a more palatable version given.
That Rav Tau and Rav Aviner wanted to bury this – they are
both peripheral figures in RZ world
Nope neither are minor figures and both acknowledged the possibility of guilt
. Rav Tau broke away from Mercaz haRav, I’m
not sure how widely he is accepted – Mercaz HaRav is still mainstream RZ and
has many satellite yeshivas, and hesder yeshivas. Aviner was more prominent 30 years ago, but
again is marginalised. In any case,
there are individuals who are in denial about many things, about covid, vaccines
etc. The majority of the DL and also 99%
of the sephardi world all back Rav
Eliyahu.
That we can continue as we always have done – this is no
longer an option. Today, information is spread in seconds to everyone’s
computer. Even with restrictions, there
are many frum blogs, and the biggest topic is sexual abuse. What is at risk is a fracture in chareidi
society , where people will just walk out, and no longer accept Daas Torah of
their gedolim. In fact, the process has already started.
I don’t know if this claim has been made on this particular
blog, but the claim has been made by individual commentors as well as Roshei
yeshiva, that the process of dayanim involved is corrupted, and they have
arrived at false conclusions. This was
actually what Walder himself claimed in his suicide note. He invited 2 Dayanim to see him in the great
BD in the sky! This is pure evil – it is
alleging that even the greatest dayanim across the board, and orthodox spectrum
are corrupt, and that the “tikkun” is by way of the bullet. This is
lawlessness, chaos, and madness combined.
It is also sheker of the most fundamental nature. I have never been taken to a BD , although I was
once falsely accused in a business
matter – I was confident that I could present my case if I was invited. If a
man of so many words, so articulate, with great lawyers, and more learning than
the kids and women accusing him, claimed his innocence, could he not prove it
in a BD?
Wow! What a profound fantasy I can imagine being able to fly- so what?
And finally, the scale is simply tipping away from the denialist
position. Every day, there is a new Rav, a new Rosh Yeshiva, a new posek coming
out against Walder. They chareidim,
MO, American, Israeli, Brisk,
Lubavitch, RZ etc. The pro-Walder cult
is drying out, they find themselves in
the same position as Walder himself – they have no case, no argument, and they are also following his lead in
committing moral suicide.
Secular /mob etc - both litvish Gedolei hador have said go to the police. That is secular, which will follow secular process.
ReplyDeleteR Eliyahu found evidence in his investigation, but this would be handed to the police.
Secular or not Rebellion will make changes in society whether you like it or not.
Wow!
ReplyDeleteRav Eliyahu BD tried that, Ie to stop him, but he did not do teshuva. They did not reach a psak din when he was alive. After he shoots himself, there is nothing they can do anyway. Did they issue a psak din after the suicide?
ReplyDeleteAlso, I was told by Rav Aharon Feldman shlita , a few years ago that "halacha of spiritual pikuach nefesh is
ReplyDeletein the Mishnah Berura Hilchos Shabbat 306: 57, namely, that one may be
mechalel Shabbat to save someone from leaving a life of Torah
observance."
So why should this not also apply to saving someone from abuse, which can lead also to many bad situations, including leaving frumkeit?
Nope!
ReplyDeletethey said he was guilty first
can you point me to a source where it says this?
ReplyDeletehttps://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/319344
ReplyDeleteAccepting all allegations about a person is not saving someone's spiritual life
ReplyDeletesays what?
ReplyDeletehttps://www.sefaria.org/Mishneh_Torah%2C_The_Sanhedrin_and_the_Penalties_within_their_Jurisdiction.24.6?lang=bi&with=Translations&lang2=en
ReplyDeleteוְכֵן יֵשׁ לְבֵית דִּין בְּכָל מָקוֹם וּבְכָל זְמַן לְהַלְקוֹת אָדָם שֶׁשְּׁמוּעָתוֹ רָעָה וְהָעָם מְרַנְּנִים עָלָיו שֶׁהוּא עוֹבֵר עַל הָעֲרָיוֹת וְהוּא שֶׁיִּהְיֶה קוֹל שֶׁאֵינוֹ פּוֹסֵק כְּמוֹ שֶׁבֵּאַרְנוּ וְלֹא יִהְיוּ אֵלּוּ אוֹיְבִים יְדוּעִים שֶׁמּוֹצִיאִין עָלָיו שְׁמוּעָה רָעָה. וְכֵן מְבַזִּין אֶת זֶה שֶׁשְּׁמוּעָתוֹ רָעָה וּמְחָרְפִין אֶת יוֹלַדְתּוֹ בְּפָנָיו:
Yes, he mentions abuse, if you read carefully -
In addition, we heard recordings in his own voice that attest to serious immoral acts, and we found him guilty without a doubt.
Although it was clear to
him that he was destroying homes, and causing Jewish families to be hurt
and become tamei, he continued this behavior without stopping for a
moment. We heard testimonies about 22 women and girls whom he assaulted,
and there is no doubt that these cases are just a small fraction of the
evil that he did.
https://globally24.com/haredi-writer-haim-walder-accused-of-serial-sexual-abuse-dies-in-apparent-suicide/
ReplyDeletesays he committed suicide on the day after R Eliyahu posted on Facebook that he was guilty
Nope that is about adultery
ReplyDeleteDoes say I heard from 25 victims of rape before I poskened
He is referring to the tape released by Haaretz
On the day after the police began their investigation...
ReplyDeleteSo now you blame rav kanievsky who said go to the police?
Nope!
ReplyDeleteI answered your original question - why not just admit you were wrong instead of attacking me
He mentioned the girls and boys
ReplyDeleteyour source is hotch potch of different translations of various articles
Here he clearly says he dealt with girls who were raped
ReplyDeletehttps://vinnews.com/2021/12/28/rav-shmuel-eliyahu-the-moment-walder-died-dozens-of-girls-were-saved/
Am I attacking you? I said your logic would implicate gedolim who said go to the police - .
He threatened Eliyahu
He also threatened rav silman.
Yes he does. 22. Some were as young as nine.
ReplyDeleteHe doesn't say that was what he claims Walder was guilty of doing- i.e. raping children
ReplyDeleteIt is your fanciful interpretation not his words which we are discussing
Again when he delivered his guilty verdict it was for what?
ReplyDeleteHis claim regarding hearing the testimonies - where does he say Walder raped children?
How did he threaten them?
ReplyDeleteBy calling them to a beis din in heaven?
you are critical of him reaching any verdict at all, without the accused showing up..
ReplyDeletethen you say he should not give details in his psak
then you are critical for not enough details being given
then you question what verdict he gave, and was it enough to shwo rape had occured.
not specified
ReplyDeletehe had a gun, BTW
Adultery is one of the 3 chamurot in the Torah, yehareig v'lo yaavor. In secular law it is not a crime, although it will help in getting a bigger divorce settlement.
ReplyDeleteChild molestation is one of the most serious crimes in secular, but in traditional Halachic sources, is hard to pinpoint the exact issur, and the Torah gives a fine, and a threat of marriage with no divorce.
So is your line of questioning here to achieve a pyrrhic victory, by saying he was according to the Torah a great rasha, but not according to secular law?
we have backing here, of Rav Eliyahu from some of the greatest leaders in RZ world, including Rav Yaakov Ariel shlita, and Rav Shapira R'Y of Mercaz HaRav, and many others.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.kipa.co.il/%D7%97%D7%93%D7%A9%D7%95%D7%AA/1124802-0/
So I am not too bothered by the absence or oppositon from Rav Tau, who usually has little involvement in community issues.
My authority is bigger than yours so I most have the truth!
ReplyDeleteSince when do rely on authority or majority and not the facts?
Nope!
ReplyDeleteI anm trying to understand what actual happened -as opposed to what people claim happened
Nope! I don't think he handled the case properly
ReplyDeleteI am only saying his verdict which he first posted on his Facebook account was not about rape or child abuse
In the gemora this is common to analyze a view from the point of view of someone who mistakenly thinks the view is valid
For example, haaretz released a recording which suggests adultery. That's an adult theme, and usually the thing we'd expect from movie stars and business men.
ReplyDeleteBut the dayanim mentioned other evidence, photos etc.
If children are involved, this would never be released to the public.
It is quite possible that there was either an error, or reliance on a protocol that you would argue against, i.e. that they take a particular leniency in reaching a psak where you would argue they are not allowed to.
ReplyDeleteHowever, that does not really make any practical difference - the court itself had no power to impose any punishment, unless it was taken to secular court.
That is why i previosuly said it was like a private investigator, gathering evidence to present to the police. There was no arbitration. And ideally, the case should go directly to the police , as Rav Kanievsky says.
What if an accused were to play their game, and say they are doing teshuva? Then they would drop the case, might not go to the police, and he is just going to continue further along the line.
2 points -
ReplyDeletefirstly, i read through this again, and I wish to thank you for reading and the collating all of my Kuntres on the matter, even if you disagree, great job.
The follow the mob - recently you cited one Gadol who said Daas Torah is with the people not the rabbis - was it the Netziv?
Also this article https://mishpacha.com/a-heart-transplant/
here, he asks how is it possible for someone frum to do terrible aveiros? the answer is there both in the Torah and in pscyhology. IN Torah, it says biarta haRa mi'kirbecha.
In Psychology, depending on what school of thought, there are narcissitic personalities; there is conditioning - so donning tefillin, keeping even glatt kosher are conditioned responses. Some people simply lack empathy, and are sociopaths. It should be both shocking, and also not surprising, that these freaks occur in all sectors of society.