Rabbi Rafi Feuerstein,chairman of Tzohar, removes writings of Rabbi Tau after he claims that Chaim Walder accusations are 'built on a lie'.
But Eliyahu has also faced backlash from nationalist Haredi Rabbi Zvi Tau, who spoke in defense of Walder, claiming the accusations against the publisher are baseless. In recordings leaked on Friday, Tau could be heard claiming that Eliyahu is feeding the flames of a leftist media bent on promoting secularism.
R Tau is a breakaway, who is both supprotive of Zionism but also opponent of the State. he is one foot in neturei karta, the other in rav kook's teaching.
ReplyDeleteTo me, he seems to be a bit o a walter mitty character, he claimed he is the only one who can rightfully interpret Rav Kook's teachings.
In any case, he is sitting in hsi yeshiva, and has no knowledge of the case, other than his grand conspiracy theories against the secular state. A Dayan has to judge by what he sees in front of him - Tau sees nothing but illusions and fantasies.
More ad hominem attacks
ReplyDeleteyou mean like your ad ominem attacks on Rav Berkovits this morning? "I was only showing how he processes information".
ReplyDeletenope!
ReplyDeleteI was referring to your attacks
https://www.akhlah.com/jewish-holidays/shavuot/ten-commandments/
ReplyDelete10 commandments, are not just for reading loud in shul, they must govern our lives.
Even gedolim can't bypass them. That's what they said about berland Who claimed a tzaddik can.
The comments I made are to show how he views the world - Ie state = always Evil, frum=always good.
ReplyDeleteSo a frum person accused of doing evil does not fit into his scheme, therefore it is a zionist conspiracy.
I just posted this on Harry Maryles's blog, it is my view on what is appropriate and what is not appropriate when discussing the Gadol Hador Rav Edelstein shlita :
ReplyDelete"I wish to point out that it is a serious aveirah to attack
Rav Edelstein, even if we vehemently disagree with his comments. I will try to provide my rationale for this,
and also point to his updated version (v2) which was published on Friday, and
has expunged a lot of the false and egregious errors that apparently were not said by him.
Here is his updated version (v2.)
https://vinnews.com/2021/12/31/official-response-to-walder-affair-by-rabbi-edelstein-shlita-these-matters-must-be-dealt-with-confidentially/
Firstly, the nonsensical claim /accusation that the detractors
of Walder were guilty of “murdering” him has been removed. Yes, logic does prevail, as emotions calm
down.
Next, his opening statement is now focused on the wellbeing
of the victims – he does not deny that there are victims, and he does not deny
that they are Walder’s victims.
Although he slams the media, and doing dirty washing in
public, he is explicitly telling people to go to the police – the secular Israeli
police! This is to be welcomed. The Hareidi leadership, the Gadol hador has
broken with the old tradition of calling anyone who goes to the police “informers”.
IMHO, a) there are benefits to publicizing such matters, as it puts pressure
on the perpetrators, and may help some people
to act and report.
b) by going to the police, the matter will be publicized anyway, so the whole idea of
avoiding publicity is moot.
His final point is also significant,
since it dispels a grave error of the first communiqué in his name. The first communiqué (v1.) was only focussing on the suicide, and trying
to make [W] a victim, and a martyr. Such
a view is contrary to Torah and Jewish tradition, as suicide is severe sin, like
murder, and there are sanctions against such a person, eg not being buried in a
proper part of a cemetery, not saying kaddish, and not observing shiva. It is
clear and obvious that v2 recognises this error, since it is no pointing out that
suicide is a sin and has no justification under any sort of life stress.
There are some important things to say about Rav Gershon Edelstein shlita,
and that MO/RZ should not under any circumstances defame him or start a
conflict with him.
Rav Edelstein is one of the few still living gedolim who were born in pre-war Europe.
His family was close to Rav Kook, who studied with his grandfather, and whom
the family visited once they arrived in Israel. Rav Edelstein is not one
who gets involved in controversies, and this is the biggest or perhaps only
controversy he has faced since he came to the fore, after Rav Shteinman’s
passing. He is known for his chesed and
good deeds, and has never attacked other Jews vociferously – not MO, not RZ,
not even secularists. If MO feel that they have had a tough 40 years since the attacks
on leaders like rav Soloveitchik and rav Goren ztl, this is the ideal time to enhance better
relationships with the Hareidim, with Rav Edelstein, and with Ponovezh.
As I said, I may not personally
agree with all of his points, but that is not to say that v2. is without any
merits – it is radically different from v1. I am not Chareidi in any way, I am a radically
modern rationalist – and even if there is gap between modern thinking and Haredi
thinking, fighting and shaming is not
going to help, but will only cause a greater chasm.