In this week’s Torah reading, Parshas Shoftim in Deuteronomy, Israel is commanded to have judges and officers, those who maintain both justice and order. A judge in particular is required to be entirely unbiased, and not to accept ‘Shochad’, usually translated as bribery.
The Torah warns us that “bribery blinds the eyes of the wise, and perverts the words of the righteous.” [Deut. 16:19] G-d is not talking about a corrupt person here, He is talking about the “wise” and the “righteous”!
The Talmud tells us that the ‘bribery’ discussed also goes well beyond passing money to the judge and back-room deals. In one case discussed in the Talmud, two litigants are sent to a noted sage for arbitration. One of them recognizes the judge and asks, “didn’t you stay in my hotel?”
The Rabbi answered, “yes I did, and now I can’t judge your case!”
Having previously conducted a commercial transaction, with no ulterior motive or quid pro quo, isn’t something we would understand as ‘bribery’ at all. But the scholarly Rabbi correctly understood that even this was enough to create a small connection, and perhaps was enough to intimidate the other party.
Despite the encouragement of the Jerusalem Post’s editorialists, and despite several signatures from friends and colleagues in Jewish outreach, I believe that last week’s “Statement of Principles” regarding those “in our community who have a homosexual orientation” was a grave mistake.
The statement isn’t entirely objectionable; mostly it is neither new nor newsworthy. Over a decade ago, the Dean of the Ner Israel Rabbinical College, Rabbi Aharon Feldman shlit”a — of the Council of Torah Sages of Agudath Israel of America, those whom the Post would categorize as the reactionaries and extremists — published an open letter in which he provided support and encouragement to a newly-Orthodox Jew challenged by homosexual desires. Rather than calling upon others to treat those with homosexual attractions with respect, Rabbi Feldman provided a paradigm of compassion, warmth and understanding from which we all can and should learn.
To borrow a turn of phrase from another context, the Statement is thus both original and good; the problem is that the good parts are not original, and the original parts are not good. Without attempting to create an exhaustive list, I will focus upon merely three major problems with this Statement.
The Rotem Conversion Bill in Israel has, as we know, generated a lot of press. I suppose it is unsurprising to many to find that the coverage has been so intellectually dishonest — claiming that the bill says a host of things about topics upon which it doesn’t even touch. False statements from liberal “leaders” were picked up by a sympathetic media far too lazy to double-check the facts — or even to look for a contrary viewpoint.
Thus the following essay from Reform Rabbi Mark Golub, the President of Shalom TV, is a sorely-needed breath of fresh air. He actually read the bill. He even links to it so you can read it for yourself. And much as he, as a Reform Rabbi, advocates for “pluralism,” creation of a fragmented model of “Judaism” in Israel much as we have in the United States, he still denounces the “wildly exaggerated” “hysteria” which has governed coverage of this issue. His video presentation and written review are both more than welcome additions, injecting a healthy dose of realism into the debate.
Matisyahu, for those who don’t know, is an American Jewish kid who grew up listening to reggae, became a BT, started singing Jewish-oriented reggae and became a (very) popular artist. His lyrics speak about Torah and Chassidic themes, but are sung in a “faux-Jamaican patois” to a reggae beat.
Several weeks ago, an activist for disabled children, “Shlomit,” attended a seminar conducted by the New Israel Fund. She self-identifies as “left-wing, Zionist, and religious,” and she supports criticism of Israel. But she was unprepared for an NIF event in which she was surrounded by
activists who negated the State of Israel’s existence. With people who want to annihilate the State without ruling out violent means, who believe that the State of Israel was born out of sin and who apologize for its existence, who loathe Israel and its symbols, who justify harming Israel, its soldiers and all its institutions, who devote their lives and efforts towards turning Israel into a bi or multi-national country. In fact the above is inaccurate. These people are fighting for one nationality alone – Palestinian. These same people oppose communal or civil national service for Arabs within the State. They also equate Israel’s actions with those of Nazi Germany.
NIF — no one understands you. When you say that you are for a Jewish democratic state, but you support organizations that work with all their might against a Jewish democratic state — … Read More >>
I am amazed. Larry Derfner has written many articles about Charedim — usually reflecting his left-wing opinions, in religion as in politics. Four years ago I wrote a two-part essay on “Fisking Larry Derfner,” responding to what Jonathan Rosenblum called “a particularly nasty attack on the charedi community.” R’ Yonason averred that Derfner “would hardly be classified as an inveterate chareidi-baiter,” but he was not particularly friendly.
So I certainly did not expect to discover, under his byline, an article which is not merely favorable, but practically glowing in its praise, while addressing a topic which has exacerbated the secular-religious polarization in Israel. In discussing the fathers from Emanuel who were jailed, Derfner endorses the Charedi narrative of a struggle for religious liberty, rejects the ethnic bias charge as “a misperception fed by the mainstream media,” calls the result a victory for the Haredim, and describes the experience of the fathers themselves in moving words — moving, to the point of tears.
What follows are highlights, but I recommend reading the full article.
Chaim Krimalovski, one of the “Emmanuel prisoners,” recalls: “The most revered rabbis were coming up to me, sobbing, saying how they … Read More >>
From Arutz-7: The Regavim Association has issued a report showing that the Supreme Court gives blatant preferential treatment to left-wing associations.
Regavim, The Association for the Preservation of State Lands, conducted a four-year review of lawsuits brought by various groups, and how those groups were treated in the “pre-ruling” stages, “when the legal merits of the various cases are not yet known.”
The report shows the Chief Justice Dorit Beinisch, in particular, is biased towards the left wing.
The preferential treatment towards lawsuits brought by the left wing is manifest in the following areas: Rushed proceedings, Beinisch’s participation on the judicial panel, the issuance of restraining orders against the State, intervention in government decisions, and especially the final rulings…
Regavim explains that its report concentrated on the procedural matters of a given suit, which take place before its merits are considered. “At this stage,” the report’s author, Betzalel Smutrich, explains, “the decisions reflect the judges’ basic positions and biases, if any, towards the matter. This is why the tremendous differences between the right-wing and left-wing petitions, as we show in the report, cannot be attributed to scholarly legal hairsplitting.”
“The facts described in the report clearly … Read More >>
Sentence of 27 Years Inconsistent with Calls from Legal Community for Judge to Avoid Disparity of Justice
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – Family, friends and supporters of Sholom Rubashkin expressed outrage Monday after the federal court announced a sentence of 27 years in prison for Rubashkin for his bank fraud conviction. The sentence is greater than the amended recommendation from prosecutors, and is inconsistent with calls from throughout the legal community for Rubashkin to be sentenced in a manner similar to other men and women convicted of white-collar crimes.
“The sentence is greater than necessary, indeed, it is greater than what the government asked for,” said Guy Cook, a member of Rubashkin’s legal defense team. “It is unfair and excessive, essentially a life sentence for a 51-year-old man, and is not in the public interest.”
The Hon. Bob Barr announced Monday that Rubashkin will appeal the verdict and the sentence.
“This sentence is inconsistent with the overwhelming view of the legal community, including six former U.S. attorneys general, who have all said a first-time, non-violent offense does not warrant a multi-decade sentence,” Barr said. “The court’s sentence today is even more than prosecutors asked for, which … Read More >>
Late yesterday the news services were abuzz with news of a possible settlement in L’Affaire Emmanuel, with the news that Yoav Lallum had signed an arbitration agreement with the Beis Din of HaRav Avraham David Levin. Mr. Lallum, by the agreement, had to immediately withdraw all suits with Israel’s secular High Court.
Today it emerged that Lallum manipulated the Beis Din, and its words were immediately twisted and misrepresented. Lallum has apparently told Israel Radio that the reason the Beis Din did not move forward is because none of the parents from Emanuel signed the agreement. Besides that most of them are now imprisoned due to his actions, the Beis Din made withdrawal of the Supreme Court actions a precondition. Lallum has added mocking the Beis Din to his list of offenses.
Beith Din Tsedek Jerusalem 28 Chayei Adam Street
Founded in the year 1978 by HaGaon Rav Levin zt”l
Ninth of Tammuz 5770 (June 21 2010)
File number 1590
Slonim of Emanuel et al (side A) vs. Yoav Lallum et al (side B)
Protocol
As of now, the Beth Din has not received any notice stating that Mr. Lallum notified the Supreme Court on his alleged withdrawal of … Read More >>
עש”ק, ו’ תמוז תש”ע. לרגלי העלילה הנוראה מאת בית משפט חילוני על אחינו היקרים החרדים לדבר ה’ בעיר עמנואל בארה”ק, שהובלו לבית סוהר על שמוסרים את נפשם למען חינוך בנותיהם בדרך מסורת קדשנו, הננו מוחים בכל עוז על העול והפשע שנעשה להם, ועל הזדון המעוות לכפות עליהם אופי של חינוך נגד אורח חייהם ודעת רבותיהם. הדעה הכוזבת שמשפט חילוני יש לו תוקף למעלה מדעת התורה הנשמעת מפי נושאי דגלה, היא סילוף האמונה וחתירה תחת פינת היסוד שזאת התורה לא תהא מוחלפת, ורק היא הקובעת בחייו של היהודי, ואינה נתונה תחת שום שלטון ומשפט זולת חוקי התורה לבד.הננו משתתפים בכל לב בצערם של האסירים, יחד עם רבבות אלפי ישראל די בכל אתר ואתר. תחזקנה ידיהם ואשרי חלקם שנושאים על גבם כבוד שמים וכבוד ישראל סבא בעת כזאת. ויהי רצון שיתקדש שם שמים בימינו וימלא כבודו את כל הארץ. מועצת גדולי התורה בארה”ב
Friday the 6th of Tamuz, 5770
In the wake of the terrible libel from secular court on our precious brothers “Charedim l’dvar HaShem” (trembling for G-d’s Word) in the city of Emmanuel in the Holy Land, who were brought to prison because they have dedicated their souls for … Read More >>
Thank you to Shira Schmidt for doing the heavy lifting with her extended write-up about the more than 200,000 (police estimates, others exceeded 300,000) who demonstrated yesterday against Israel’s Supreme Court and its latest anti-religious outrage.
But the bizarre nature of the claim of racist or ethnic bias is more succinctly found in the headline to this piece, which is perfectly accurate. While I do not have the list of exactly who went to jail, the following families were all among the 43 in contempt of this contemptible charade: Elmaliach (Moroccan), Beit Yaakov (Persian), Meirav (Egyptian), Naimi & Naimi (Iraqi), Biton (Moroccan, the Rosh Kollel), Tubul (Moroccan-Kurdistani), Levi (Yemenite), Klein-Hallali (Hungarian-Iraqi), Baruch, Avraham (Yemenite), Lang and Vagshal. Berber is part Persian.
Even those unfamiliar with spoken Hebrew can watch the brief words of HaRav Biton shown at Arutz-7, Israel National News, which conclude: “I am Yemenite, yes. You see, they are imprisoning a Yemenite for racism! Do you understand?” — And he points his hand towards his temple in the classic international gesture for insanity.
HaAretz can lie to their readers, claiming that “the parents of Ashkenazi (European) descent at the all girls’ school have refused … Read More >>
A first-person account, from the always-excellent IMRA News Service:
Emek Hospital saves a Palestinian boy from Jenin
On Thursday, June 3, 2010, 15 year old Muhammed Kalalwe … noticed a deadly viper snake and tried killing it with a rock, but the dangerous creature struck out and bit his right palm. Screams and panic ensued and within minutes, the boy’s father, Hafed, grabbed his stricken son and rushed him to the Jenin Hospital. They were ill-prepared to treat the boy, had no anti-serum and decided to send him by ambulance to the Emek Medical Center in Afula. Hafed later related that he was genuinely afraid to be taken to Emek because he was sure that they would be ignored and not even spoken to…
The humanitarian reality of Emek shocked both the father and son as they were immediately greeted in Arabic, rushed into the ER where Emek’s multi-ethnic staff administered life-saving anti-serum and brought the boy back from the brink of death…
I asked the father how he felt now about Emek Hospital and the Israelis he has come into contact with. Staring me straight in the eyes he said, “Our people do not know the … Read More >>
The Forward this week has a story about the effort to secure just treatment for Sholom Rubashkin, regarding whom prosecutors have asked for a 25-year sentence, down from their earlier request for a life sentence. Despite the obviously disproportionate sentencing request for a first-time offender convicted of bank fraud, the Forward casts all of Rubashkin’s supporters as exclusively Charedi, even calling Rabbi Pesach Lerner “a Lubavitcher who is the executive vice president of Brooklyn’s National Council of Young Israel.” [Besides the fact that the NCYI is in Manhattan, the revelation that Rabbi Lerner is a Lubavitcher surely comes as a shock to all who know him, not least of all himself.]
And what of Janet Reno and five other US Attorneys General dating back to the Johnson Administration, several deputy attorneys general and solicitors general (including Kenneth Starr), other non-Jewish judges and US attorneys nationwide? They were “convinced,” according to the Forward, somehow cajoled into defending other than simple justice. According to the Forward, the “non-Haredi” view is that “Rubashkin exploited poor illegal immigrants, some of them underage. He cheated banks and caused great economic harm to the small Iowa town.”
Dale McAlpine was charged with causing “harassment, alarm or distress” after a homosexual police community support officer (PCSO) overheard him reciting a number of “sins” referred to in the Bible, including blasphemy, drunkenness and same sex relationships.
The 42-year-old Baptist, who has preached Christianity in Workington, Cumbria for years, said he did not mention homosexuality while delivering a sermon from the top of a stepladder, but admitted telling a passing shopper that he believed it went against the word of God.
Not knowing much about “The Cutting Edge News,” a few clicks led to “Rubashkin Sentence Must Be Fair—Not Shocking,” by the Hon. Paul Cassell, a Professor of Criminal Law at the University of Utah.
This piece was originally written as a response to Rabbi Landesman’s of last night, but I think my point is important enough to be worth posting separately. I believe he has conflated two entirely different things — “why we are viewed with such antipathy,” and the many real deficiencies in the observant community.
One thing I can tell you with certainty: we are not viewed with antipathy because of our failures; we are viewed with antipathy because of our successes. How do I know? Simple: 25 years ago, today’s problems were barely on the radar, yet the antipathy was much the same. If anything has changed, it is that the Chinuch Atzmai schools are blossoming, attracting ever more non-religious Israeli families to “abandon” the secular system. It is that the Rabbi of the Western Wall is now able to preserve Jewish practice at our holiest site. It is that the number of those serving the Jewish people in the halls of a yeshiva rather than on a military base increases every year, rather than dying on the vine as the Zionists expected (Despite the Charedi Nachal units, with their apparently very positive history of discipline and performance).
Having now spoken both with “RG” and Rabbi Pesach Zaide, the latter being a very involved parent working with the Beis Yaakov HaChasidi of Emanuel, I have enough additional information that it’s worth an additional post.
First of all, those who claim that Sephardim are not involved with or do not approve of this school are flatly contradicted by those actually living in Emanuel. Ezra Gerashi, the mayor, is of Yemenite heritage and, says RG, in favor of the Beis Yaakov HaChasidi. Both sources named several Sephardi Rabbanim whose children and grandchildren attend the school. The actual percentage of Sephardi children, says Rabbi Zaide, is approaching 30% — but does not count those like RG who have “mixed” lineage. He told me “every time someone asks this question, I feel sick. Am I supposed to investigate whose parent is this or that?” He could not understand why anyone would have a problem with another child in the classroom that wasn’t well-founded on grounds of religious standards, specifically by contrast to racists in the US.
So, this being the case, who sued? The case before the Supreme Court was not initiated by parents in Emanuel, but by Y. Lallum of … Read More >>
Reform Judaism Blog: The commonly held view of the polarized division between Orthodox and non-Orthodox is in fact far from accurate. Those who become Orthodox are not being tricked — they are finding something they’ve been looking for. … Read More >>
First bring your open palms towards your chest and upwards, then out & down, and repeat — “Happy”
Then open your first two fingers of each hand and make a “mask” by bringing your fingertips together over your nose. Draw them out to the sides while closing them. The mask is “Purim.”
That’s how you say “Happy Purim” in Sign Language. Share the greeting with those who can’t hear it!
JERUSALEM (AP) — An Israeli archaeologist said Monday that ancient fortifications recently excavated in Jerusalem date back 3,000 years to the time of King Solomon and support the biblical narrative about the era.
If the age of the wall is correct, the finding would be an indication that Jerusalem was home to a strong central government that had the resources and manpower needed to build massive fortifications in the 10th century B.C.
That’s a key point of dispute among scholars, because it would match the Bible’s account that the Hebrew kings David and Solomon ruled from Jerusalem around that time.
WHEN Yitta Schwartz died last month at 93, she left behind 15 children, more than 200 grandchildren and so many great- and great-great-grandchildren that, by her family’s count, she could claim perhaps 2,000 living descendants.
Mrs. Schwartz was a member of the Satmar Hasidic sect, whose couples have nine children on average and whose ranks of descendants can multiply exponentially. But even among Satmars, the size of Mrs. Schwartz’s family is astonishing. A round-faced woman with a high-voltage smile, she may have generated one of the largest clans of any survivor of the Holocaust — a thumb in the eye of the Nazis.
