Schlesinger Twins: Rebbitzen Rosenberg comes to Vienna community to help Beth and her children

 Guest post by Rebbetzin Miriam Rosenberg. 2014

The Rebbetzin is the wife of Rav Sariel Rosenberg from Bnei Brak -  a major talmid chachom and posek who is a member of the beis din of Rav Karelitz. She is very actively involved in helping woman who have lost the custody of their children. She has visited Vienna a number of times and spent much time investigating Beth's case and she was appalled at the lack of support for  Beth as well as how the twins have suffered. I asked her to write a guest post of what she has found.

Below is her 5 page letter translated in full from the Hebrew she sent me for posting here. In the first part she describes the tragic story of Yael which led her to Vienna to raise money for lawyers and where she found out about Beth. She describes in great detail the great miscarriage of justice and the reasons the community - which is known for it kindness and generosity - has failed to intervene.

Fifteen years ago my righteous daughters were cruelly taken from Bnei Brak to Italy , where they were systematically turned against their religion. My eldest daughter was thirteen years old and her sister was nine years old. They received an excellent Jewish education in the wonderful schools of Beis Yaacov. But they were pushed to the ultimate heresy.My story was serialized in AMI MAGAZINE and then published as a book titled:TO MY DAUGHTERS WITH LOVE / GITTY GOLD

For the past fifteen years I have been providing  physical and emotional support to women abused by their former husbands, powerful and wealthy men , who try and sometimes succeed in gaining custody of their             children for various reasons; mainly manipulating the courts in the worst possible way; claiming their wives are insane or lack parenting skills.Time after time I flew places to try and prove women innocent, in most cases there have never been mental health problems and their great distress stems from the fact that their parental rights have been undermined. They want to keep their most precious possession: their children.This is almost always the same woman, just in different circumstances. I meet an intelligent and warm woman without any economic support to back her in her struggle, her entire world destroyed. Hanging on any shred of hope that might overturn this evil decree; maybe G-d will help and this will not happen, she prays.  Maybe there will be messengers that will redeem her and her children from their suffering; from the pain of separation, the bias against her and the destruction that plagues her....I decided to fly to Vienna to try to fundraise from the women of the community for Yael (one such case in Golders Green).I organized a number of lectures during which I told my life story of tragedy, of kidnapping my girls.After I told the story of Yael, religious women contributed generously to help pay her lawyers. At the end of one lecture a young woman came up to me and told me the story of Beth Schlesinger , a story that the whole community of Vienna knows very well but no one is able to intervene. She asked me to try to help Beth regain custody of her twins who were cruelly taken from her husband, a psychiatrist who fabricated a report claiming she was insane and was unable to raise her children.’Everybody in Vienna knows that's not true but the husband was assisted by a number of Rabbis and a close acquaintance of the judge.Since then I have returned to Vienna several times to try to connect the puzzle of the Schlesinger family. Hearing evidence of community members I met personally and from conversations with friends of Beth, as well as meetings with Beth and the children, I uncovered a few facts Beth, a young, intelligent, pretty, thirty year old, has suffered a humiliating and trying ordeal. All the while the people around her are fully aware of the injustices done to her and are unable to help her uncover the truth . They are afraid!!! Everyone who spoke to me painfully told me how much they sympathized with Beth , know that she is 100% innocent and her children were impeccably well cared for by her, but they implored me in every way possible not to get involved in the story and not to ask them to testify because they were afraid , because their husbands did not allow them to intervene, or they had already been threatened more than once; if they help Beth, their lives are in danger. Religious men and women and even Rabbonim shared with me their distress and a sense of powerlessness knowing that nothing could be done . They received threatening phone calls and emails that if they helped Beth, their reputations would be ruined in the community and they would be forced to remove their children from the Jewish schools. Had I not heard this for myself from serious people, I would have suspected they had made it up. It sounded so absurd.A whole community know and are aware of a grave injustice and all stay silent???I met Beth and the children. I brought them a kindergarten level book about Shabbat as a present, with coloured pictures of the Shabbat table with bright script. I sat with the children while they lay in Beth’s arms and tried to read them the story, to interest them in the nice pictures and try to elicit some kind of reaction from them. I spoke to them in Hebrew, Yiddish and English, words recognisable to any Jewish child that goes to kindergarten; Shabbat candles, challot, kippa. They both stared at the pictures but it was clear that the words were alien to them. They held on to their mother, clinging to her sweater. The only words I heard from them were sounds when I managed to really make them laugh or tickled them. They did a nice activity together but the interaction was mainly just between the two of them. We were together for a few hours, both inside and outside the apartment. The children ate meatballs cooked in tomato sauce with rice that Beth had made for them with love and care. We played together and went to the park on bikes. The children interact naturally with their mother but it is difficult to recognize any speech. They are not developed for their age.They only mumble a few syllables in baby talk.The separation from their mother is evidently difficult for them. In order not to make it even more difficult for them, Beth takes them to the park and the visiting centre on their bikes; a meeting place with the father which involves traveling an hour away from where she lives, even though the father lives nearby. What a waste of 4 year old children’s energy, to be dragged by bus to a distant place .This story is delusional . I saw a devoted mother who treats her children with love, warmth , who showers them with the love of a mother. I cried together with her. Together we tried to hold back the tears when it was time to return them. I was there. I saw with my own eyes . I cried with her. The world calls out when a cat is taken away or a chicken from its pen but Vienna,  an enlightened community of 5774 remains silent while Beth was wickedly separated from her children. I met Beth and the kids again. The heartbreaking picture repeated itself. I took another member of the community with me as a witness. I wanted someone else to see what I saw. This injustice cries to heaven.I asked to interview Beth's friends from the past, those who were her friends when she was married to Dr. Schlesinger and betrayed her. These religious women admitted that they played a role in taking the children away.  Either through naivety or stupidity, they were manipulated by the Schlesinger family and spread around that Beth had post natal depression and couldn’t function. They wanted to help him get custody the children.  They were young and naive and didn’t understand how brutal this game is. The community have known him since childhood, Beth is the outsider.  Are these grounds enough to separate a devoted mother from her children ?It was explained to me how this reality came about .The judge who decided the fate of the Schlesinger children is a friend of the father ! ! !A High court judge who is a convert to Judaism and doesn’t keep Torah and Mitzvot. At the  Bar mitzvah of her son nobody from the religious community was present except for one Rabbi. I met him and talked with him for a  long time. The Rabbi assured me that he is not involved in the matter concerning family Schlesinger but lo and behold, he is the only member of the community that is in contact with the judge on the case! This judge 's husband is a psychiatrist who works with Dr. Schlesinger in the same hospital ! ! !I also found out that every lawyer that has hired to represent her custody case has quit without any explanation.  I have been told that it doesn’t matter what the reality is, it’s irrelevant what the facts are, it doesn’t matter how much the children are suffering, everyone in Vienna knows that nothing can be done. They will continue to support the father, despite believing the mother. Since then I have returned to Vienna often. On  Chanukah the mother was told that there was no Chanukah party in the kindergarten even though there was. Nobody came to be with the children there; not the father, not the grandmother, and not the aunt. But the mother was denied entry. An entire community, living, breathing and silent. Religious mothers tell their children a bedtime story , tuck their children into their blankets and give them a goodnight kiss. Beth 's kids are not as lucky. They are looked after by 2 Filipinos On Simchat Torah, they were not with the father in the synagogue, but the rabbis backing him claim he cares for them wonderfully, that the children speak 3 languages and they are thriving! They have even submitted a written statement with these claims to court! I saw with my own eyes ... that's not true. In the Vienna community religious women know the truth and are afraid to speak out. At one of my talks, I gave Beth the opportunity to speak. She  is a wonderful , warm and sensitive. She is going through an unbearable test.I hope that soon we will celebrate her redemptionAnd her children will be returned .

In sorrow

Miriam Rosenberg

NJ court rules in favor of woman who used social media to lobby for Jewish divorce

 https://www.timesofisrael.com/nj-court-rules-in-favor-of-woman-who-used-social-media-to-lobby-for-jewish-divorce/

 Advocates for Jewish women who say their estranged husbands are abusing them by refusing to assent to a religious divorce are cheering after a New Jersey appellate court overturned a ruling against a woman in that state who used social media to advocate for her divorce.

A lower court ruled in 2021 that the woman’s social media posts constituted harassment and incitement. The American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey got involved in the case, joining several Orthodox women’s rights groups who had already been working on her behalf.

So the secular court says it is not harassment - but the resulting Get is problematic!

Range of Legitimate Views

I just received the following comment to a recent post that included:

 I remember going to visit Rav Bulman at Ohr Someach where he served as Mashgiach. He quickly grasped what I was doing even before I did. He said, ”You are showing that there is a range of legitimate Jewish views. But since the official view is that there is only one correct view, you will never get away with it. I want to buy the first copy. Do you understand I don’t want a copy as a gift, I want to buy it." 

The above is very important but I would like to get your thoughts (especially as a psychologist) on whether this could also shake a person's sense of stability. Seeing that basing everything is open to question and different opinions sort of pulls out the rug from under the person's feet (at least for some people). Basically, the answer to most questions of basic hashkafa is "we don't know." That's the truth, but it can be unsettling. 

I replied

true. But that applies to most things in life

Even getting married or child rearing or politics has no simplistic answers

JEWISH THOUGHT AS A SUBVERSIVE ACTIVITY

Just want to add - I went to speak with Rav Eliyahiv  concerning this exact issue.

He first asked whether my sources were all acceptable main stream ones. Which I assured him that was all I used. He said simply, do not censor material  just because they seem to contradict each other. If a person is confused that is why he has a rebbe. Let him go to discuss this with his rebbe. 

Kosher Theft

 There is a bizarre phenomenon in Religious circles where taking something which belongs to others is justified because it is needed. 

There was a sign in the shul where I daven on Shabbos that a number of Kollels were using the building during the week without paying rent or even paying for the electricity they used or even for cleaning the mess they leave or even asking permission. Additionally we find schools or congregations taking over buildings that belong to others - because they need the building. This also applies to building on land that belongs to others. We also find individuals taking seforim from shuls and yeshivas because they need them. 

In apartments, storage areas are used even when it prevents others from their property. In one case one person blocked access to a public stair case because he wanted to expand his own apartment. People illegally extend storage areas and endanger the structure of the entire building - because they need the income from the illegal rooms that they have created

The excuse is well it wasn't being used and I need it. Much like the supreme court justice who said he merely sat in what would have been an empty seat on a private jet. Thus it is being claimed that the victim was being nasty by not sharing that which he didn't really need or use. 

Introduction to Daas Torah Blog Selections

 After I published the Yad Moshe – which facilitated accurate reporting of Halachic issues, I realized the next frontier was Jewish thought or hashkofa. The internet provided me a large audience through the free blogging platform available from Google.  While it is unquestionable that there are many opposed to the internet there is also the problem that  too much of reality was being censored by the print media. The internet was the only way to by pass the self serving censorship

I first started blogging about 15 years ago. I was living in Har Nof. Working during the day in the beis hamedrash of the Bostoner Rebbe on various seforim  and where I also had ready access to the head of the Kollel – Rabbi Ashkenasi and many who enjoyed discussing Jewish issues. In addition I was providing psychotherapy to a diverse population. I also was davening on Friday night Shabbos with  Rav Sternbuch. I spent many hours consulting with Rav Sternbuch on various issues. I also met Rabbi MeirTriebitz from Machon Shlomo  who was close with Rav Sternburg and with whom I developed a close relationship. 

After I started blogging I found Rav Sternbuch was interested in what I was doing. I typically printed out a copy of my blog and news items that I thought might interest him which I gave him every Friday night. He read it in shul during Kabbolas Shabbos. When I got to the issue of EJF, there were some who were convinced I was brain washing him and the Bedatz, when in fact he was the one directing. At one point he told me I was so hated that I should have the Bedatz perform a ceremony to protect me from curses.  

When Dr. Shulem and I got involved in the issue of child abuse Rav Sternbuch not only answered questions but encouraged publication of the then radical notion of going to the police. When I asked him for a haskoma, he said I should write a summary and he would make comments – which he did. When I was asked to speak at the White Institute, I presented his views – which one participant exclaimed he had never heard such views from a widely respected Jewish halachic source. In the early days it was simply accepted that reporting abuse violated the laws of Lashon harah and Mesirah. When I first published my volumes on child abuse it was widely assumed that I would be ostracized as Dr. Twersky had been when he revealed the problem of wife abuse. Fortunately the tide had turned. Primarily because of the flood of revelations not only on the Internet but in the mainstream press

Rav Sternbuch also played a critical role in the Tamar Epstein –“aguna” case. At one time he told me I was serving as his Yisro. More of this is in the posting of the 3 Belzer chasidim. I also became friends with Rabbi Yaakov Ber who helped me to meet Rabbi Eiyashiv and Rav Moshe Shapiro. I met Rabbi Chaim Malinowitz when visiting my son in Beis Shemesh and he became an important resource as well as a regular reader of the Blog and eventual a contributor of posts. 

Additional issues of divorce were brought to my attention such as the Schlesinger twins, the Tranquility bay scandal the Mendel Epstein scandal, the Feinstein grandson case which had a boycott of Artscroll and the phony aguna who made claims of rape and made ridiculous legal suits and ultimately reconciled and returned to her husband 

I got involved in the Tamar Epstein “aguna”case because my brother Dovid was advising her husband as well as the fact that Rav Sternbuch had seen the heter and thought it was nonsense. I was shown the documents to get my view as a psychologist

The awareness of the corruption in “aguna” cases led to an outpouring of Rabbinic denunciations of the “heter”. During this time I also realized the widespread ignorance of the diversity of Jewish sources and that led to publishing Daas Torah. I remember going to visit Rav Bulman at Ohr Someach where he served as Mashgiach. He quickly grasped what I was doing even before I did. He said, ”You are showing that there is a range of legitimate Jewish views. But since the official view is that there is only one correct view, you will never get away with it. I want to buy the first copy. Do you understand I don’t want a copy as a gift, I want to buy it." 

The Malka Leifer case is symbolic of Israel's problems - editorial

 https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-756357

It is unclear why the country didn’t take the Leifer case – and other similar cases – seriously, and instead opened its gates for people who are accused of being predators abroad.

Why is EJF refusing to have open for-the-record dialogue?

From 2008

The fact that we have two anonymous commentators on this blog claiming to speak for Eternal Jewish Family raises the obvious question - why can't EJF speak openly on the public record. Are they afraid of providing a genuine accounting of their activities?

1) I started blogging about EJF because the Bedatz was unable to get clear answers concerning the halachic basis of EJF's activities. The two letters from the Bedatz strongly criticizing EJF were simply the result of Rabbi Tropper's arrogant refusal to clarify the nature and basis of his operations.

2) I had an intensive email correspondence with Rabbi Tropper in which my questions were answered with - "It's in the Igros Moshe! Why don't you use the Yad Moshe index to find the answers?" When I replied that Rav Moshe does not write in the Igros Moshe that it is permitted to pursue or activiely persuade someone to convert - just because they are intermarried - I was told to contact Rav Reuven Feinstein but that I should wait until he calmed down from being upset about my questions. I was also given the astonishing response of "Why is it prohibited". In short I was given the run around concerning some very basic halachic issues.

3) The obsessive secrecy is also reflected in the fact that they used to have a manual describing their proceduces and halachic bases but this was discontinued two years ago because it wasn't clear. Why after two years they still don't have an official manual is very puzzling.

4) The paranoia of EJF was manifest in a nasty slur against me that was gratuitously added to the response to an request for advice regarding a problem in conversion. The person who sent the question to EJF mentioned that I had recommended that they ask EJF. The slur questioned my integrity and grossly misread material contained in my sefer Daas Torah

5) An additional example of EJF paranoia was told to me by Rav Sternuch shlita. "EJF is convinced that you have manipulated me and the Bedatz organization to attack them because of Rav Eisenstein's statement that those who believe the universe is more than 6000 years old are kofrim and their geirus is no good. They believe that you think the world is more than 6000 years old so you have to destroy them." While this sounds unbelievable but the letters I received from Rabbi Tropper contained repeated demands that I reveal to him and to Rav Reuven Feinstein the evidence I used to convince the Bedatz to turn against EJF.

6) Why doesn't EJF have written letters of support from the gedolim that they claim are supporting them?

7)Why are there no written teshuvos from these gedolim explaining the legitimacy of spending millions of dollars to persuade the nonJewish spouse to convert?

8) Where are the list of rabbis of EJF who do the work of supervising and certifying the rabbinic courts that are acceptable to do geirus?

9) Why does Rabbbi Tropper repeatedly deny he is involved in proselytizing when he acknowledges doing this in the interview in Mishpocha magazine which I translated and put on this blog. To say that proselytizing an intermarried couple is not proselytizing is to make words meaningless.

10) Why is EJF working at apparently contradictory goals of raising standards and making it harder to convert at the same time actively trying to convince the non-Jewish spouse to convert?

There are two active anonymous commentators to this blog who have asserted that they are accurately expressing the view of EJF. [No verification or letter from Rabbi Tropper concerning either of them] They have seriously attempted to clarify our questions and to answer important concerns. For example one of them asserted that EJF was not interested in converting descendants of Marranos. They also hinted that EJF might soon be producing a letter of support signed by the gedolim who are purported to support it.

Why does EJF rely on anonymous spokesmen? What are they hiding? Or is EJF just so arrogant that they don't feel it necessary to justify anything they do? In other words are these individuals actual spokesmen who are in fact representing Rabbi Tropper - but he doesn't want their identity revealed? Or are they self-appointed representatives because Rabbi Tropper doesn't feel the need to explain the true nature of his operations. If they are true representatives - why are they anonymous? If they are not representatives - why doesn't Rabbi Tropper want to clarify and justify what he is doing?

Rivash - Kabbala is not for everyone

Rivash(#157): You should know that my teacher and master R’ Peretz HaCohen never talked about Sefiros or concerned himself with them. I also heard from his mouth that R’ Shimshon of Keinon - who was the greatest scholar of his time and I also recall him even though I never saw him in person –said that “I pray with the thoughts of a child.” In other words he rejected the approach of the kabbalists who pray sometimes to one Sefira and on other occassions pray to a different Sefira – depending on what they want to accomplish with their prayers. The kabbalists in their own defense say that they are simply following the path of our Sages (Bava Basra 25b) who said, “One who wishes to become wise should turn to the south while wealth is obtained by turning to the north.” In other words the kabbalists say that one should direct one’s attention to the attribute of the right or the attribute of the left. Also when saying the Amida prayer they have particular concentration on a particular Sefira for each one of the berachos. However I - as a non-kabbalist - find all of this very strange and it seems like the heretical belief of secondary deities. I once heard a philosophically oriented person speaking in disparagement of the kabbalists, He said,” the Christians have their belief in the trinity and the kabbalists have their belief in the ten Sefiros.”… [However I also heard the kabbalistic view about Sefiros from] the elderly scholar Don Yosef Ibn Shushan… He was a great talmudic scholar and was familiar with philosophy and he was also a kabbalist. In addition he was very pious and careful in performing the mitzvos. Between us there was great love and affection. Once I asked him how he and the other kabbalists concentrated on one Sefira for a particular beracha and a different Sefira for another beracha? In addition I asked him whether the Sefiros were divinities that a person should pray to them? He replied, “G‑d forbid! Prayer should only be directed to G‑d.” He explained that it is comparable to a person who has a legal dispute and he asks the king to provide justice by asking the judge to hear his case. The person would not ask that the head of the treasury should be involved since that would obviously be a mistake. Similarly if the person was pleading that the king give him a present he would not request the involvement of the judge but one of the king’s attendants. If he was requesting wine from the king he would ask the involvement of the chief of the wine cellar. If he wanted bread he would ask for the involvement of the chief baker. Obviously he would only ask for the involvement of the minister or servant directly involved in what he needed. Prayer is exactly the same. It is obviously always directed to G‑d but there is also a direction of thought to obtain the required bounty from the Sefira which is connected with his needs. For the beracha of “Ahl hatzadikim” there is a direction of thought toward the Sefira which is called chesed (kindness) which is the attribute of mercy. On the other hand for the beracha of “Minim” (heretics) there is a concentration on the Sefira which is called gevura (strength) which is the attribute of strict justice. All of this was explained to me by this pious person concerning the intent of the kabbalists and it is a very good explanation. Nevertheless who should be involved in this approach? Isn’t it better to prayer with full concentration just to G‑d and He knows how to fulfill the requests? This is stated in Tehilim(37:5), “Commit your way to G‑d and trust in Him and He will do.” This is the view of the great master R’ Shimshon of Keinon whom I mentioned before. I also want to tell you in particular what said to me by my teacher and master Rabbeinu Nissim, “The Ramban was too much involved in the kabbalistic beliefs while I was not involved in that wisdom since I had not received knowledge of it from a kabbalistic teacher. Even if I see explanations based on the kabbalistic secrets of the Ramban but they don’t reveal the foundation principles of this wisdom. Thus they reveal a little but conceal even more. It is therefore highly likely that one would err in understanding these matters. Therefore I chose not to be involved in hidden matters”…

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ריב"ש (סימן קנז): ...וגם הודעתיך, כי מורי הרב רבי פרץ הכהן ז"ל, לא היה כלל מדבר ולא מחשיב באותן הספירות. גם שמעתי מפיו, שהרב רבי שמשון מקינון ז"ל, שהיה רב גדול מכל בני דורו, וגם אני זכור ממנו ואם לא ראיתיו בעיני, והוא היה אומר: אני מתפלל לדעת זה התינוק; כלומר, להוציא מלב המקובלים, שהם מתפללים פעם לספירה אחת ופעם לספירה אחת, כפי ענין התפלה. והם אומרים, כי זה פי' מה שאז"ל (בבא בתרא כה:): הרוצה להתחכם, ידרים, להתעשר, יצפין; ר"ל, יכוין למדת ימין או למדת שמאל. גם בתפלת שמנה עשרה יש להם בכל אחת ואחת כונה לספירה ידועה. וכל זה הוא דבר זר מאד בעיני מי שאינו מקובל כמו הם; וחושבים, שזה אמונת שניות. וכבר שמעתי אחד מן המתפלספים מספר בגנות המקובלים, והיה אומר: הע"ג מאמיני השלוש, והמקובלים מאמיני העשיריות. וכבר קרה לי בהיותי בסרקסט"ה, שבא לשם החכם הישיש דון יוסף ן' שושאן ז"ל, אשר כבר ראיתי אותו בבלנסיא"ה, והוא היה חכם בתלמוד, וראה בפילוסופיא, והיה מקובל וחסיד גדול ומדקדק במצות, וביני ובינו היתה אהבה וחשק גדול. ופעם אחת שאלתי לו: איך אתם המקובלים, בברכה אחת מכוונים לספירה ידועה, ובברכה אחרת לספירה אחרת? ועוד, הכי יש אלהות לספירות, שיתפלל אדם להן? וענה לי: חלילה שתהיה התפלה כי אם לשם יתברך עלת העלות. אבל הדבר הזה כמו מי שיש לו ריב, ושואל מן המלך שיעשה לו דין, יבקש ממנו שיצוה אל היושב על המשפט שידין לו, לא שיצוה זה אל הסוכן הממונה על האוצרות, כי תהיה שאלתו בטעות. וכן אם ישאל מן המלך שיתן לו מתן, לא יאמר לו שיצוה אל השופט, אבל שיצוה אל הסוכן. וכן אם ישאל ממנו יין, יבקש שיצוה זה לשר המשקים; ואם ישאל לחם, יאמר לשר האופים; לא בהפך זה. כך הוא בענין התפלה, שהיא לעולם לעלת העלות, אלא שמכוין המחשבה להמשיך השפע לאותה ספירה המתיחסת לאותו דבר שהוא מבקש עליו. כמו שתאמר, שבברכת על הצדיקים יכוין לספירה הנקראת חסד, שהיא מדת רחמים, ובברכת המינין יכוין לספירה הנקראת גבורה, שהיא מדת הדין; והקש על זה. זה באר לי החסיד הנז' מכונת המקובלים, והנה טוב מאד. אמנם, מי מכניס אותנו בכל זה? הלא טוב להתפלל סתם לשם יתברך בכונה, והוא ידע באיזה דרך ישלים המבוקש; כמאמר הכתוב (תהילים לז:ה): גול על ה' דרכך, ובטח עליו והוא יעשה. וזה מה שאמר הרב הגדול רבי שמשון דקינון ז"ל, שהזכרתי למעלה. וכן הודעתיך מה שאמר אלי ביחוד מורי הרב רבינו נסים ז"ל, כי הרבה יותר מדאי תקע עצמו הרמב"ן ז"ל להאמין בענין הקבלה ההיא; ולזה איני תוקע עצמי באותה חכמה, אחר שלא קבלתיה מפי מקובל חכם. ואם ראיתי באורים על סודות הרמב"ן ז"ל, וגם הם אינם מגלי' שרשי החכמה ההיא, ומגלים טפח ומכסים כמה טפחים, וקרוב לטעות בדבר מהם; ולכן בחרתי לבל יהיה לי עסק בנסתרות...

Ben Shapiro Is Helping Elon Musk Fight a War on Freedom of Speech

 https://www.thedailybeast.com/ben-shapiro-is-helping-elon-musk-fight-a-war-on-freedom-of-speech?ref=home?ref=home

Shapiro correctly acknowledged that such defamation lawsuits have very little chance of success—thanks to First Amendment protections allowing for robust criticism of public figures—but insisted Musk was right about pretty much everything else.

“A lot of these progressive interest groups are very much interested in removing advertising revenue from sources where they can't control the speech,” Shapiro said on his show. He also said the ADL defends antisemites in Congress, as long as they’re Democrats, and claimed the group is essentially threatening, “Abide by left-wing standards of speech or watch your advertising dollars disappear.”

‘Offensive’: Georgia prosecutor excoriates Jordan for probe into Trump charges

 https://www.politico.com/news/2023/09/07/fani-willis-jim-jordan-offensive-00114583

In the blistering, nine-page response, Willis called Jordan’s actions “offensive,” accused him of being “misinformed” and said it’s “clear that you lack a basic understanding of the law, its practice, and the ethical obligations of attorneys generally and prosecutors specifically.”

Rav Yaakov Kaminetsky, zt"l: Zealotry is necessary - but only if guided by a clear understanding of Torah

Emes L’Yaakov (Bereishis 49:7): ... Look at what I wrote previously in Bereishis (34:5). There I explained that it is certain that that this represents a punishment for Shimon and Levi, nevertheless Yaakov specifically appointed these tribes to these exalted responsibilities of educating the children and supervision of holy food. That is because only Shimon and Levi manifested the kano’as (zealotry) required for these jobs. This was seen by their response to Yaakov concerning the rape of their sister Dinah (Bereishis 34:5): “Is our sister to be a prostitute?” They alone were referred to as the brothers of Dinah because they were willing to sacrifice themselves for her welfare. Thus for these positions to be fulfilled successfully it is necessary to appoint people who have the attribute of kano’as (zealotry) and mesiras nefesh (total devotion) to serve G-d and His Torah. These positions require men who when they see something irregular, will immediately be aroused for the sake of G-d like an inferno and they will serve their position well. Therefore Yaakov specially appointed Shimon and Levi for this work.

However if we look carefully to see whether they in fact did these jobs according to their father’s expectations, we see that only the tribe of Levi actually did the work of education but not the tribe of Shimon. It was only the tribe of Levi that served as a strong barrier against those who arose to nullify the covenant with G-d. In contrast we don’t find that Shimon was involved in this work. The reason for this is clear. Only the tribe of Levi was exempt from working for Pharaoh during all the years of slavery. Thus only the tribe of Levi was able to sit and be immersed in Torah study. Only when kano’as (zealotry) is grounded and defined by Torah parameters - is it successful. That is why when the Leviim saw the terrible chilul HaShem that resulted from the sin of the Golden Calf they immediately expressed their zealotry for G‑d and killed even friends and relatives who were participating in the sin. Similarly when there were Jews in the Wilderness who wanted to return to Egypt, it was the Leviim who were in the vanguard against them. During the entire time that passed from the events concerning Dinah until the Redemption from Egypt they maintained their zealotry - but it was always bounded and guided by their deep knowledge of Torah.

In contrast, while the kano’as of Shimon was also strong it was not guided by Torah and thus did not have proper nature. When did his “kano’as" manifest itself? It was in the events of the worship of Baal Peor. It was Zimri who expressed this “kano’as” against the rule of Torah provided by Moshe. It was used to uproot the attribute of modesty which was then prevelant amongst the Jews. He expressed his zealotry by his open involvement in sexual immorality with the non‑Jewish woman. Therefore it was only the kano’as of Pinchus, from the tribe of Levi ,who was guided by the laws of the Torah who was able to attack Zimri and defeat him and stop the plague that was punishing the Jews. Kano’as which is not guided by halacha does not have the ability to be successful because it ultimately just destroys the kanoi. It is only the gedolim in each generation who have the proper intuition and sensitivity to know and decide when it is necessary to be a kanoi and to protest and when it is best to remain silent. This ability is only acquired by those who have the keys to Torah in their hands.

Yeshiva is an artificial institution - Rav Hutner

This is part of Rav Hutner's talk on why the yeshiva system was instituted. It is the last chapter in the Pachad Yitzhok for Shavuos. Basic idea is that the yeshiva system is comparable to the use of incubators. It works but is a not ideal - the true Torah system is for the father to teach his son.

Significance of having a yeshiva system [Part of last chapter in Pachad Yitzchok – Shavuos] 

In order to properly understand the Daas Torah concerning the unique characteristic of contemporary teachers, we must correct a deeply entrenched error concerning how the Jewish system of teaching originated. The undisputed fact is that the teaching system was initiated by the Tanna - Yehoshua ben Gamla. The gemora (Bava Basra 21a) says, "The name of that man should be remembered for the good - and Yehoshua ben Gamla was his name - that if it hadn't been for him - the Torah would have been forgotten from the Jews. Originally all those who had a father - his father would teach him Torah. He that did not have a father would not learn Torah... Then Yehoshua ben Gamla came and decreed that an educational system of teachers of children should be established." 

It is a standard refrain amongst those who write the history of Jewish education, that they take great pride in the fact that Jews were so progressive and had established their mandatory educational system already in ancient times. Let me state clearly and unambiguously that this whole idea is the opposite of the truth. Those who express this mistaken notion indicate that they have absolutely no understanding of the difference between Jews and non-Jews. 

Let's learn through this piece of gemora. The Gemora states that if it hadn't been for the decree of Yehoshua ben Gamla then, "The Torah would have been forgotten from Yisroel." This is an astounding assertion. From the Revelation at Sinai until the time of Yehoshua ben Gamla was a very large amount of time. And in all that time, the accepted view was, "Whoever had a father would be taught by him, while those who didn't have a father would not learn Torah." Nevertheless, in all those years there was never a danger that Torah should be forgotten from Yisroel. So therefore if there had never been such a problem, why should Yehoshua ben Gamla be praised so strongly in the gemora - that without his decree of establishing an educational system the Torah would have been forgotten from Yisroel? 

You have to know that in all the generations which were governed by the principle, "Whoever had a father he would teach him Torah" - this practice was built on the axiom that one must obtain Torah where one obtained life itself. And since he had obtained his life from his father he must of necessity obtain Torah from him. Let me explain this with an analogy. Let's say that we suddenly found ourselves in a particular country where we discovered that there was decree that all new born babies must be placed in an incubator. Of course we would immediately deduce that something must be wrong with the mothers in the whole country. 

This is exactly what the gemora is telling us when it says that until the time of Yehoshua ben Gamla, "Those who had a father - he would teach him Torah." A profession is definitely a blessing in life. However life itself can never be a profession. And Torah is identical with life itself. Just as one generation cannot give over life to the next generation through professionals, so is it impossible that one generation give the next generation Torah through professionals. Just like a mother must carry her children biologically, so must the fathers carry their children spiritually. The nature of an embryo is that it eats that which his mother eats and he drinks what his mother drinks. The best incubator is never anything more than a substitute. Consequently if the nature of chinuch is that no substitutes are utilized then one must have the condition that, "One who has a father - he will be taught Torah and one who doesn't will not learn Torah." 

However the existential reality is that the Jew and Torah form an identity. So just as it was Divinely decreed on Jews that they had to be subject to various types of degradation, so it was decreed on Torah itself to descend through various types degradations. And thus there came a time when there was a degradation in the nature of the father's house. The father's house lost is fundamental ability to provide a chinuch with genuine vitality. [When we say "lost" we only mean relatively. A millionaire can lose a lot of money and still remain a rich man.] When this degradation happened then Yehoshua ben Gamla came and created the educational system with teachers. In other words, he replaced the dynamic of education in the father house with the dynamic of education in schools. 

This is the true understanding of the circumstances of, "One who had a father he would teach him Torah, while one who didn't have a father would not learn Torah." And when this was the reality of the world - there was absolutely no danger that Torah would be forgotten. In fact the opposite of common understanding is true. This is truly the healthiest circumstance for Torah and Mesora for Jews, and even if a boy was orphaned in this environment of "One who had a father he would teach him Torah". In such a climate you will find no concern raised about Torah being forgotten. Yehoshua ben Gamla deserved praise in the gemora because he had anticipated the coming degradation and therefore had created the educational system before it was too late. 

Therefore when someone writes the history of Jewish education and boasts with pride that Jews had already had mandatory education in ancient times - we need reject this boasting with ridicule and the derogatory laughter reserved for idolatry. That which is being claimed as a point of pride for us should be viewed as the greatest shame and embarrassment - even if the age of mandatory education is old. However it is unquestionably true that for the goyim the institution of mandatory education constitutes progress and a movement to the ideal of "education." In contrast for Jews, however, it is merely an "adjustment." So if people sing our praises with how ancient our mandatory education is, then we need to reply that they don't even begin to understand the difference between Jews and non-Jews. 

However it is important to understand that when the Sanhedrin institutes a decree for all the subsequent generations until the end of days - the decree itself gives the Jewish people all the powers which are needed in order fulfill the decree properly. Therefore when a decree is made to transfer the chinuch from the father's house to the schools, the decree itself gives the power that through the teaching of Torah that a teacher acquires the various skills needed for the good of the student. Therefore a proper Jewish teacher never falls into the mentality of being a "professional." That is because deep inside his soul he realizes that he is only a "stand in." The teacher is merely substituting for the father. 

It is important to know that the many sources that say that the Mesora (tradition) of Torah is specifically from father to son - are in fact describing only an aspect of the Giving of the Torah. That is because the Torah itself speaks about the Giving of the Torah in two different ways. One aspect is that the Torah was given to 600,000 recipients. The verse concerning this says, "And you shall teach the Torah to your children to speak regarding it when they dwell in your house ... " and "You shall make the Torah known to your children and grandchildren - as the day which you stood before the L-rd Your G-d at Choreb." All the sources which are connected to, "He who has a father - he should teach his son", are only concerned with this aspect of the Giving of Torah."

However the second aspect of the Giving of the Torah is explicitly described in the Torah as not being a transmission from father to son. Rather it is addressed equally to the fathers, sons and grandsons. This is the Torah verse which states, "Those who are in fact standing with us today before the L-rd our G-d and those who are not here with us today." 

We typically describe the second aspect of the Giving of the Torah mentioned in the verse, "Those who are here today ... and those who are not here" as describing the Giving of the Torah to neshamos (souls). That is because our Sages stated that this verse teaches that all the souls were there at Sinai. And since it is referred to as the Giving of the Torah to souls, people think it has nothing at all to do with our world. This is simply not true. That is because if it weren't for the second aspect of the Giving of the Torah, and it was exclusively the transmission from father to son - then if there was break in the transmission for one generation there would be a break in the chain. And if there is a break in even one link in a long chain - then the integrity of the entire chain is destroyed - it is simply broken and ceases to be a chain. But since the Giving of the Torah has a second aspect which is actually much deeper than the first aspect and it addresses itself to fathers and sons equally - then even if a misfortune happens - chalilah - and one generation falls away - the next generation is not cut off from the Source. It can start anew. 

Now we will be able to understand that which is in the halachos of teaching a special description for a special case of chinuch. The case is that of teaching the son of an ignoramus Torah. The special description is that when someone teaches the son of an ignoramus Torah - the psak is that it as if the student is learning directly from the mouth of G-d. This described by the prophet Yermiyahu (15: 19), "If you take out the precious from the vile, you shall be as My mouth." [You should not be surprised how this psak was stated because a halacha is derived from this expression that the son of an ignoramus is given priority in chinuch.] 

In this lies the unique spirituality in this issue. We can only activate our souls through our bodies. Our natural path for Torah and the Mesora is only through the transmission of father to son. The Giving of the Torah to souls can only go from G-d's mouth alone. Therefore when someone is a teacher of Torah to the son of an ignoramus it is a case where the transmission of father and son has been broken and represents a failed generation. It is only then it necessary to utilize the alternative path of the Giving of Torah to the souls. This Giving of Torah to the souls is direct and is only relevant to the mouth of G-d. Therefore when a teacher is successful in bringing forth the "precious from the vile" and is successful in returning the lost ring in the chain - it is a sign that he is utilizing the Giving of the Torah of souls. Therefore we can say that one who teaches Torah to an ignoramus - his mouth is like the mouth of G-d. "If you bring forth the precious from the vile you shall be as My mouth." 

In first, leading kosher authority Orthodox Union certifies lab-grown meat

 https://www.timesofisrael.com/in-first-leading-kosher-authority-orthodox-union-certifies-lab-grown-meat/

The Orthodox Union has certified a strain of lab-grown meat as kosher for the first time, marking a significant step forward for the food technology’s acceptance under Jewish dietary law.

Orthodox Union Kosher, the world’s largest and most influential kosher certification authority, recognized poultry products from Israeli startup SuperMeat as kosher, the company announced on Wednesday.

SuperMeat’s chicken cell line products were recognized as kosher Mehadrin meat, meeting the most stringent qualification for kosher supervision.

Elon Musk Takes Aim at Anti-Defamation League, Threatens Lawsuit

 https://www.thedailybeast.com/elon-musk-blames-anti-defamation-league-for-falling-revenue-threatens-lawsuit?ref=home?ref=home

Musk has blamed the ADL and other groups for the exodus in advertisers that the platform formerly known as Twitter has experienced since Musk took charge last year. On Monday, he accused the ADL of “trying to kill this platform by falsely accusing it & me of being anti-Semitic,” adding that, “our US advertising revenue is still down 60%, primarily due to pressure on advertisers by @ADL (that’s what advertisers tell us), so they almost succeeded in killing X/Twitter!”