The Dangerous Uman Cult (audio)

As Rosh Hashanah draws near, thousands of Breslover chasidim will once again abandon their families and head to Uman to worship their dead Rebbe. Is this Judaism? I think not. My reflections on this lunacy.


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See also:  http://jewishfist.blogspot.com/2008/09/next-year-in-uman.html

Sin City: NY Sinks Even Lower

Queen Elton Loves NY!

The sodomite lobby in America grows stronger every day.  So it should come as no surprise that New York City, the original "Sin City", has plunged into the abyss with the recent legalization of gay marriage. How long will it before the rest of the lib states legalize this sickness? And how long will it be before bestiality, necrophilia, and pedophilia receive the OK?

After all, who are we to judge? 

America has gone the way of European Godlessness, where moral relativism rules the roost. Between this general pursuit of the profane and the monumental sin of cursing the seed of Abraham, America's leaders are ensuring the destruction of their country. Righteous gentiles need to rise up and save their floundering society from the inevitable punishment. They need to reject their idolatry, (whatever version they worship), embrace the 7 Laws of Noah, and spread the message of monotheism to the world. Otherwise, the day will come when Hurricane Katrina will seem like a walk in the park.

What Happened to Sephardic Jewry? (audio)

Tragically, Torah Judaism is plagued with the infection of superstitious, pagan, beliefs. For many (perhaps most) Ashkenazim, this may range from having distorted ideas about such esoteric subjects as "Ayin Horah" (the evil eye), a genuine rational Jewish concept but terribly misunderstood, inserting kvitlach in the kotel, and performing silly segulas that were stolen from the x-tians. Of course, there are many Ashkenazim whose views degenerate into even more obscene beliefs. This can clearly be seen in chasidic circles where the cult of worshiping Rebbes and praying to them (under the equally problematic pretext of using them as conduits) at their graves is often the norm. But as a general rule, the worst superstitious beliefs and rituals are usually found among Sephardi Jews, who by and large abandoned a legacy of intellectual Torah learning and replaced it with the superstitious rites and rituals of pagan Arabs. In the following audio, I reflect on this sad state of affairs.


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Response to a Reader

Whether or not I agree with them, I appreciate the opportunity to engage in an intelligent discussion with a reader.  In response to my latest post, "The Amuqah Idolatry", I received a comment from a reader which prompted a dialogue. In the interest of elucidating my position for other readers, I decided to include his comments (in purple) and my responses (in blue), in the form of a post.

Jesterhead45: Out of interest what is your opinion of Hitbodedut, is that something which is foreign to Judaism? - 2/11/11 

Daniel Ben Shmuel: My opinion is that I am unaware of any normative Torah source that supports this "practice." What I am aware of is the fact that contemporary expressions of "hitbodedut" often encroach into the world of paganism and primitive worship that has more in common with eastern-idolatry than Judaism. Of course I could be wrong. Perhaps you could point out some classical Torah sources (other than chasidic writings)which refer to it. - 2/12/11 

Jesterhead45 : I see where you are coming from regarding the practice of hitbodedut, though I fail to see how laying one’s cards on the table (so to speak) and speaking to G-d with complete honesty, in order to gain a clearer understanding of one's personal motives and aspirations can be considered pagan or a form of primitive worship.

Especially since one is essentially praying to G-d, talking about his or her issues to G-d and expressing one’s gratitude to G-d.

Unfortunately, I have not been able to find any non-chasidic sources that refer to hitbodedut though for what it’s worth I have come across a book about the practise called “In Forest Fields” by Rabbi Shalom Arush, which claims to have approbations from Rabbi Ovadia Yosef amongst other people. It would be interesting to hear non-chasidic views on the practice of hitbodedut if they exist.

Thing is, I would of thought that all Orthodox rabbis agree, or at least should agree, that the Torah is not something academic and detached but rather, a means to come close to God. That is not to say I agree with stuff like “amuqah”, it is just I fear where an overly rational anti-emotive approach to Yahadut will lead. - 2/12/11

Daniel Ben Shmuel: I appreciate you intelligent points, and your desire to have an intellectual discussion. As a result I would like to address your points in a follow-up blog post entitled "Response To A Reader." Thank you once again for providing a forum to engage in these issues, whether or not we ultimately will agree with each other. 2/13/11

My latest response: I am not denying or denigrating the right of man to call out to Hakadosh Baruch Hu at any time, and in any tongue. There is a concept of halachic tefillah which is time based, and then there is man's individual right to call out to G-d in general. (Tehillim would certainly be an expression of this, albeit on a more elevated level.) The main problem with hitbodedut is that it presupposes a false relationship with Hakadosh Baruch Hu that is based upon primitive thinking. Hashem is not "our friend" as these practitioners are wont to believe. Such childish notions (while understandable for a child) are anathema to yahadut, along with other infantile notions such as those who conceptualize G-d as a bearded old man with a kipah sitting on a throne in heaven. At the very least, such beliefs are heresy. 

I do indeed refer to the idea and actual practice of hitbodedut as a primitive and spiritually dangerous behavior. I don't know about R' Shalom Arush nor do I care to. I'm not Breslov, and I oppose their ideology, so naturally he has nothing to say to me on any matter. (I don't know whether or not Rav Ovadyah Yosef actually gave his sefer an approbation, nor would it matter to me either. With genuine respect and kavod to the gadol, he is not my Rebbe.) Again, I don't think that you can find any non-chasidic source for this practice. It was created by chasidim. I am not a chasid. I see contemporary expressions of hitbodedut as deviations from Judaism that are laden with pagan notions.

Forget about hitbodedut and try to emulate the practice of David Hamelech who used the majesty of the creation and the natural world to reflect on The Almighty. This is indeed a Jewish endeavor, because it solidifies in the mind of any true thinking person that there is a G-d.  As such, even an overnight stay in the forest can be a throughly Jewish expression and an intellectual endeavor, albeit one without the constraints of "dry intellectualism." But to enter the forest for the purpose of screaming out "Aba" like an escaped lunatic from an asylum is an entirely different matter. 

(As an aside, I want to emphasize that there is a danger anytime man approaches nature without the intellect. As the Rambam teaches us, this was the mistake of the people in the days of Enosh, who started to worship the stars as an  expression of honoring The Almighty (l'havdil). Instead of learning from nature and reflecting on the source of all creation, they deified nature and became idolaters. The native Americans  were another example. They accumulated a tremendous amount of real knowledge about the earth. They mastered the science of the interconnectivity of ecosystems, the behaviors of animals, tracking skills, and even patterns of weather. Furthermore, they respected the earth and didn't waste natural resources. The problem? They deified nature.)

I made no reference at all to an academic or detached Judaism, which I course oppose. For the Torah committed Jew, there is no such thing as "academic Judaism." That kind of nonsense is what we see in universities where they make it a practice to tear down the knowledge of The Almighty under the framework of "scholarly research" and "biblical criticism." Nor does a concept of detached Judaism exist for the Jew who is bidden to live every single waking hour as a Torah Jew. 

Overly rational? Anti-emotive? Again you are making false generalizations. There is no such thing as being overly rational. I am calling for Jews to extricate superstition from the Jewish camp and cast it away. A Jew must always use seichal to understand Torah concepts. This is not the pursuit of a secular philosopher. Yahadut requires man's full intellectual involvement, along with a commitment to advancing his intellectual development. Of course at the end of the day, since there are concepts we can't possibly understand (along with notions that the Torah prohibits us to ponder about) we are obligated to follow the mesorah. Our best efforts are always limited. Even Moshe Rabbenu had limitations. 

It is true that a Jew must have emotions. Strong emotions, but ones which are always guided and tempered by Torah. Torah can only be understood with the intellect. There is no such thing as mysticism. Abandoning one's seichal is akin to idolatry. In Judaism, emotions follow knowledge, not the the other way around. The practitioners of hitbodedut and shrine-hopping do the exact opposite. They construct (or deconstruct) "knowledge" based on primitive needs and emotions. And they are particularly dangerous, because their teachings are so attractive to misguided Jews. This isn't Judaism. It is merely a modern manifestation of the pagan drive within ignorant man that has always drawn him to the profane.

I hope this clarifies my position. I don't see Jewish superstitions and abberant practices as harmless folklore. I see it them as genuine diseases to the Jewish soul that distance people from The Creator. As a religious Jew, I feel obligated within the reach of my arm to tear down these false altars and convey true Jewish ideas. I've had enough of this shamanistic garbage masquerading as Torah.  Hakadosh Baruch Hu is "available" (so to speak) to those who search for Him. 

Feel free to continue the discussion. Have a good night.

The "Amuqah" Idolatry (audio)

Disclaimer: I would like to point out that in general, whenever I cite a certain Rabbi or scholar, it should not be taken as an indication that the person mentioned supports (or in the case of a deceased person, would have supported) the ideas expressed in this blog. In the interest of the reader, here are three works I cite in the following audio. They are worth reading and owning. 

• Rav Chaim Zimmerman, "Torah and Existence"
• Dr. Paul Eidelberg, A Jewish Philosophy of History (I read a quote from his accompanying essay on a section of R' Zimmerman's work, on page 273)
• Rav Nathan Kaminetsky, "Making of a Gadol"

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For some inexplicable reason, so many deluded Jews find that the Halachic imperative to pray to Hakadosh Baruch Hu lacks the attraction of visiting a shrine and praying to the dead. Or receiving a vial of holy water from a wonder worker. Or putting an amulet under a pillow to aid a woman in childbirth. Amulets. Segulot. These are the kinds of pagan (and possibly idolatrous) expressions of religiosity which call out to them. What runs through the minds of such people? I can only imagine. 

"Really? Just praying to Hashem, does that actually work?" 

The laundry lists of segulot would fill an encyclopedia. Many of them are reportedly useful for finding one's eventual partner, having children, financial success, or curing disease. All of them are nonsense, all of them contrary to Torah. They are expressions of Jewish magic. Useless and forbidden. Only with complete faith in The One, are we permitted to place our trust.

"You shall be perfectly faithful to Hashem your G-d." (Devarim, 18:13)

And then of course there is the popular superstition of visiting the purported grave of the Tanna, Yonathan Ben Uziel, at Amuqah, as a segula for finding one's "bashert." (An ancient custom we are told, which as it turns out , isn't so ancient.)  This pagan practice has even descended to the level where some undignified woman drape certain "garments" on the tomb in the hope of finding their match. While those who propagate and encourage the Amuqah myth generally condemn such practices as obscene and disrespectful, they themselves are to blame. The pagan drive (which draws them there in the first place) often leads to sexual impropriety.

I'm not of the school of thought that says that its better to let Jews keep their narishkeit. Certainly not when a particular practice involves the abrogation of biblical prohibitions. At the very least, going to Amuqah skirts the periphery of idolatry. For that matter, so does writing kvitlach to dead people. And the entire periphery has a sudden drop right into the abyss of idolatry. Praying to the dead in hopes of salvation is the definition of Avodah Zarah.

As I will point out in the accompanying audio post, the Amuqah shrine was invented in the 50's by a tour guide who wanted to make money. I don't know if this repugnant person is alive today, but one can only gasp at the Divine punishment in the afterlife, of one who creates a pagan mythology to profit from peoples pain. Most Jews who go to Amuqah or other shrines, whether they be fertility shrines, marriage shrines, or parnasa shrines, are searching for something to alleviate emotional pain. They are the tragic byproduct of a Judaism that is largely devoid of any intellectualism. "Captured babies", if you will. Their teachers and rabbanim who cultivated these superstitions are really to blame. And in the absence of true Torah wisdom, man will usually turn to soothsayers when he is desperate. 

Rational Torah committed Jews should make it their mission to denigrate superstitious practices whenever the subject comes up, even if it upsets their Shabbat dinner guests. Praying to the dead is idolatry. (I would venture to say that even the permissible practice of visiting the graves of righteous people is dangerous for many Jews, who unfortunately end up praying to the Tzadik.) Many simpletons will bring up the story of Calev, as some sort of proof for visiting graves. As if Calev, who was one of the gedolei hador, was actually praying to the dead, Heaven forbid! In the hostile environment of the sinful meraglim, Calev went to the Maachpela to derive strength from these great Jews. He reflected on the tribulations of the Patriarchs and the Matriarchs, and strengthened himself in the knowledge that he and Yehoshua could persevere as the lone righteous voices in the group. When a Torah committed individual visits a grave, he reflects on the life of the gadol and then turns away (both literally and figuratively). Out of sight, and out of mind. The popular notion of a "meilitz yosher" is a dangerous and problematic concept. We Jews have no such need. We pray to The Creator. Anything else is idolatry. 

Fellow Jew, stay away from Amuqah and other forms of pagan worship. There are entire movements within "orthodoxy" who propagate a Judaism based on outlandish folklore and "Jewish mysticism." One who has any sense of yahadut knows that such practices and beliefs are merely an expression of 2000 years of living with goyim. Those who purport to be wonder-workers are all charlatans, and those who would send you to them are either delusional or worse. 

"You shall not suffer a witch to live" (Shemot 22:17)

Once again, I am not callous to the pain and suffering of misguided Jews, who cleave to a profanity masquerading as "holiness." On the contrary. I feel for them. I also care for their souls. By trying to rectify corrupt ideas, I hope to point Jews in the only proper direction. Man (Jews and gentiles) needs no conduit to Hashem. I am advocating the only authentic Torah approach. Turning to The Almighty. May Hakadosh Baruch Hu protect His chosen nation from all spiritual contagions, and from those who perpetuate them. * Click the following link to hear some fascinating views from Harav Bar Chaim, shlitah, on the general practice of visiting graves."The Superstitions of Graves"

Warning: The following video contains approximately 12 minutes of ramblings from one who knows nothing about Judaism. It is important to see an example of the pagan infection that contaminates so many Jewish souls. This ignorant fellow endangers Jews with his foolishness. The fact of the matter is that the contemporary Breslov movement offers nothing to the thinking Jew, the exception being a litany of dangerous notions which pervert the fundamentals of Torah. As a movement, it is a replete with concepts that are both foreign and forbidden to Judaism. At the core, it is a cult dedicated to the worship and veneration of a dead Rebbe. I speak not only of the "Nah, Nah, Nuts", but also the "mainstream ones" whose Judaism is premised almost exclusively on superstition, demonology, segulos, perverted ideas of "purity and holiness" (based on sexual/aggressive frustration) bizarre tikkunim, and the idol worship of praying to the dead. I think it is a fair question to ask a genuine Torah scholar whether this constitutes a form of necromancy.

Judaism & Superstition-The "Red Bendel"

It is a genuine tragedy that so many Jews are attracted to the profanity of superstition. Far too many "people of the book" read the wrong books which distort the fundamentals of Torah. Far too many "religious Jews seek out the advice of contemporary soothsayers and magicians who engage in the most obscene biblical prohibitions to profit from confused and misguided Jews. The "red bendel" is perhaps the most popular example of this obscenity. Those who adhere to such foolish and problematic practices are walking on dangerous ground which endangers their souls. Open your minds, fellow Jews. This is not authentic Judaism. It is sorcery.

Baruch Hashem, there are good Jews who are fighting to correct these distorted practices which masquerade as Judaism. Check out the following link at www. mesorah.org, "Not a Thread of Truth", which exposes the spiritual dangers inherent in the practice of wearing a red string to ward off a pagan's notion of the "evil eye." (There is such a concept as the evil eye, but it has nothing in common with the one that most Jews subscribe to. There is a rational concept that requires careful elucidation.) 

My linking to the above referenced site should not be taken as proof that the author(s) approve of or support the ideas espoused in "The Jewish Fist" blog. (More likely, they are entirely unaware that it even exists.) Nor should this be taken as an indication that I approve of everything espoused on their site. This is simply my recognition of the fact that there is great wisdom in what they are saying, and tremendous chesed in their endeavor to teach Jews and correct distorted ideas. Truth is truth, and with The Almighty's help, many Jews will benefit from their efforts. Please forward and email the link to as many people as you can. We need to spread the authentic knowledge of The Almighty to both Jews and gentiles alike, and not mimic the ways of those who worship and wallow in the profane.

You Might Be A Jewish Pagan If...

In this past week's portion of the Torah reading (Parshat Mishpatim), we read about the biblical prohibition of engaging in witchcraft."Thou shall not suffer a witch to live." The Torah wasn't merely referring to ancient times when men sacrificed each other to appease the gods. The pagan drive is still strong today, and there are many Jews who seek out the advice of  contemporary Jewish "witches". Naturally, I want to help out these headless chickens. So I've authored a list to aid the reader's self-diagnosis:

You Might Be A Jewish Pagan If.......

1. You wrap your head in a tallit ball during Birkat Kohanim, (the priestly benediction) out of concern  that if you see the kohen's hands, your eyeballs will explode like grapes. (As an aside, "The Jewish Fist" follows the authentic Jewish approach on the matter, which is to refrain from looking at the kohen during the benediction because it would be distracting.)
2. a) You believe that the Lubavitcher Rebbe (of blessed memory) is Moshiach. b) you pray to him.
3. "Nah Nah Nah...." Your holy mantra to keep away lewd thoughts. Or at least elevate them.
4. At the local tisch, you make it a practice to eat the Rebba's masticated "arbes"(a holy legume) to fulfill the ancient  mitzvah of shrayim.
5. You enjoy leaping over roaring bonfires at the grave-sites of Rishonim. 
6. When walking alone at night, you worry about Ashmodai ( the king of the demons).
7. When you attend a brit, you ask the mohel for the foreskin, as a segulah for parnasah (a livelihood).
8. You keep a clove of garlic in your pocket to ward off the "evil eye" and "agents of Lilith" aka women.(Some maintain that a piece of stale matzoh smeared with the jelly off a rotten etrog is also effective, but that's plain nonsense.)
9. Palm reading is important to you. But only if its done by a "holy person" who accepts credit cards for his holy work. Your definition of an apikorus: Someone who denies the merits of palm reading. 
10. You keep a giant ball of red string in the trunk of your car. 
11. You deal with "unwanted thoughts" by rolling around naked in the snow. 
12. You enjoy reading "spiritual books" which speak about "G-d's needs and feelings." As a committed pagan, you understand that tying your shoelace without proper kavanah can destroy entire worlds. 
13. As a warrior against pritzus, you spend the better part of the day thinking about seminal emissions and self-defilement. And about the army of deformed changelings that are waiting for  you. 

Diagnosis: If even one of these applies, you're a pagan. For starters, you might want to use your intellect for a change and learn some authentic Torah. Try studying the Rambam or Saadyah Gaon's "Emunah V'deot" to get your head right.

One last thing. If you believe that the author of "The Jewish Fist" warrants the ancient curse of pulsa d'nurah for writing this list, you're definitely a pagan. 

Baptists In The Synagogue

Martin Luther King Day at the Hebrew Institute- January 2010

Those Jews with their heads screwed on right will instantly recognize this for what it is. A pagan ceremony. An astounding chillul Hashem. How else to describe a Baptist reverend and his church choir performing in the Beit Knesset of a supposedly "orthodox" synagogue? (Albeit, one that now has a female "Rabba", and that has at least on one occasion featured a female cantor leading the Kabbalat Shabbat service. Personally, I don't consider them orthodox, nor have I for some time now.) My understanding is that the Hebrew Institute of Riverdale has been hosting this interfaith-concert for years. As seen in the screen capture below, they continued the tradition this year. I couldn't find this year's concert on the internet, but I'm quite certain that it will make its way there eventually. Thanks to technology, every outrage can now be shared with millions across the world.

Now why, you may ask, is it necessary for an orthodox synagogue to hold this function? Isn't it enough to recognize the legacy of Dr. King, and treat all people with dignity and equality? You my unenlightened friend obviously don't understand "open-minded, modern-orthodoxy." The liberal, modern-orthodox, Jew feels a burning need to atone for the sin of x-tian slavery. And what better way to engage in this "tikkun" than to host an annual church choir in the synagogue? They even had Neshama Carlebach singing niggunim.

Can you feel the holiness? I can't. 

For some time now, Avi Weiss has trampled upon his Rebbe's p'sak Halachah regarding interfaith-dialogue. Rav Soloveitchik (of blessed memory) prohibited Jews from participating in any form of interfaith-ceremony, religious discussion, debate, or dialogue with members of other faith communities. His classic essay "Confrontation" is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand the Rav's definitive position on the matter. (Many of the Rav's misguided detractors falsely portrayed his stance as a radical one. The Rav's position was deeply rooted in the normative Jewish approach to interfaith matters. He differed with Rav Moshe Feinstein (of blessed memory) and the other gedolim on the question of whether it was permissible to engage in dialogue with members of other faith communities, on non-religious issues, that affect society as a whole.)  Avi Weiss's actions are merely the next logical step of one who doesn't really believe in any separation from the goyim. If your Judaism is so influenced by goyish values that you extol the benefit of interacting with priests and "moderate" imams, the next step is to take down the barrier. Enter the Baptist choir into the synagogue. 

The x-tian faith is a rejection of the Noachide covenant. Maimonides maintained that they are idolaters. (No posek denies that for a Jew it constitutes idolatry.) If Weiss wants to sanctify The Almighty's name, he should introduce his  friends to the 7 Noachide Laws. This is the real meaning of Tikkun Olam. To bring the knowledge of The Almighty to Jews and non-Jews. Not to host interfaith concerts that not only involve serious Halachic and Hashkafic violations, but also come across as patronizing carnivals of liberal Jewish guilt.

Racism is repugnant to Judaism, and Dr. King deserves to be remembered for his struggle to end legislated discrimination. But not with interfaith-concerts in a synagogue, where a preacher calls upon his Jewish brothers and sisters to "clap their hands together and let him hear it", to the rhythm of a church choir. I'm sure many of the deluded Jews and gentiles in the audience truly believed that they felt something "spiritual" that night. So do the animists who pound on drums and wear death masks. The pagan drive is strong. Music is a powerful but dangerous medium. (Unfortunately, many talented, religious Jewish musicians allow their emotions to shape their deot, and not the opposite.) 

No religious Jew should ever attend an interfaith concert. Not in a synagogue, or on the beach, or in a night-club. Even if it means missing a rare opportunity to hear a Baptist preacher sing, "L-rd, Get Me High" with Neshama Carlebach. (And what about the kol isha prohibition?)  Ironically, the song was written to bring Jews back to the fold. Considering the setting and the participants, renditions such as this latest one, will surely send many Jews away. And Heaven forbid, they may never come back.


The only way to truly get "high", is to elevate the soul with the intellect, by studying the Torah. The Rambam speaks about a supremely elevated state whereby a perfected man becomes almost "lovesick" (so to speak) for Hakadosh Baruch Hu. This should be the model for the authentic "spiritual experience", unattainable as it probably is, for most of us. An elevated level where one is totally immersed in the knowledge of Hakadosh Baruch Hu. Not some "mystical" experience of goyish paganism. Shabbat Shalom.

"Brother Esau" (video footage)

David Haivri (Head of Shomron International Liason Office) 

with Tommy Waller, a x-tian missionary.

Warning: The following is a segment of a video from the x-tian missionary group "Hayovel" (The Jubilee). As seen in this clip, the sneaky idolaters have found a way to infiltrate the Holy Land under the pretext of helping Jewish farmers with their fields and vineyards. Tragically many greedy Jewish farmers accept this halachically prohibited free labor, rather than employ Jews with an honest day's wages. The most outrageous thing of all is that these Jesus freaks are aided by "religious" Jews. At the end of this clip, we can see an outrageous example of this phenomenon. David Haivri is a religious Jew who heads the Shomron International Liaison Office. Yet in this video, Haivri can be seen standing next to Tommy Waller (of the notorious missionizing Waller family, may their names and memories be blotted out!) encouraging (actually inviting) thousands of x-tians to join "The Harvesters." Is he out of his mind? How dare he invite these soul-snatching idolaters into the Holy Land! (Check out the link at Tomer Devorah to learn more about the malevolent Waller family.)  

I was initially going to include an email from Tommy Waller in this post (it was forwarded to me), which betrays his diseased beliefs and intentions. His rambling email is littered with x-tian verses and pagan references as he implores an associate to bring more missionaries to Israel. (To the missionaries out there who fear that Jews have infiltrated their organizations, the answer is yes. From top to bottom.) I decided to omit the email after a friend reminded me of the Halachic problems involved in even posting the message due to the idolatrous "new testament" verses.

• The Un-Kosher Part- "Hayovel" Missionary video

• End of Un-Kosher Section.

The Jewish Fist Commentary: What does the Torah have to say about religious tolerance in the Holy Land? Were there calls to arrange interfaith-meetings with the Canaanites? Let's take a look at the authentic Bible.

Deuteronomy 12:3: "And you shall destroy their name from this place."  

Judges 2:1-2: "'The angel of the L-rd came up from Gilgal to Bochim and said, "I made you go up out of Egypt, and have brought you unto the Land which I swore unto to your fathers, and I said....'You shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of the land. You shall smash their altars..." 

Altar smashing? Pretty rough stuff. 

If you are a spiritually healthy Jew who is unaffected by 2000 years of exile, this won't bother you. Of course, many Jews are upset by this. They have a name for it. Jewish fundamentalism. Let them take it up with The Almighty. When Jews are in control of the Holy Land, religious pluralism goes out the window. It has nothing at all to do with racism, which is repugnant to Judaism. It has to do with the unique mandate and mission of the Jewish people. In order to spread the knowledge of G-d to the world, we need to have that knowledge ourselves. That requires separation. We need to live alone and apart from the nations of the world.The Torah prohibits gentiles (even when they aren't preying on Jews) from living in Israel unless they accept the conditions of "resident strangers."  Even non-hostile gentiles (with the exception of "resident strangers") have a deleterious effect on the spiritual integrity of the Jewish people.

We have many enemies in Israel. On the one hand we have the Arab Amalekites who want to exterminate us. And then there are the spiritual Nazis who want our souls. Many religious Jews recognize the danger of the former, but not of the latter. An apparent lesion of the brain makes them forget 2000 years of mass slaughter, mutilation, and rape at the hands of Esau, who simply wanted us to kiss the cross. Now that the sword isn't an option (for the time being) they prey on us with love. Esau. Ishmael. They both want to destroy us. It's simple logic:

• Jews without souls are worse off than the dead. 
• Jewish souls without Jewish bodies are usually six feet under the ground. 

We don't need Esau to fight the Ishmaelites. We need to follow the Torah, and purify the land of both types of contagions. The nauseating spectacle of men with kipot (and even peyot!) and women with skirts and mitpachot dancing the hora with missionaries, is as egregious a chillul Hashem as is the failure to throw the Arabs out. Here is an important point to remember. Dancing with idolaters doesn't become kosher, even if the pious pagans put  up a  mechitzha (divider betweeen the sexes). That's akin to eating pork with shmura matzo. 

Shabbat Shalom.

A Pop Quiz For The RCA

Disclaimer: The following post should not be taken as an attack against individual rabbis within the RCA. My problem is with the organization itself, which purports to represent  a segment of the "orthodox Rabbinate", and then releases a statement that is contrary to Halachah. A rabbinical organization has an obligation to formulate a statement from a Torah framework, without resorting to the kind of politically correct nonsense that one expects to hear from the Anti-Defamation League. Naturally, I have zero confidence in the RCA, which leads me to my next point. If there are individual rabbis within the RCA who disagree with the official position, I believe they have an obligation to publicly state their opposition and then rescind their membership. In this manner, they will be able to distance themselves from an egregious desecration of The Almighty's name. As a general rule, in the interest of maintaining respect for the Torah, one should accord respect to the individual rabbis within the RCA (Most of them anyway. Some have gone off the deep end.), despite the collective chillul Hashem of the organization's statement, which cannot go unanswered. Yahadut maintains that whenever there is a desecration of G-d's name, one cannot remain silent.


As Ricky Ricardo would say, the RCA has some "splainin to do." I'm still waiting for a comprehensive Halachic statement from the RCA which addresses the issue of renting and selling property to non-Jews in the land of Israel. After all, they were the ones who interfered when several Tzfat Rabbis stated the Halachic prohibition of selling or renting property to Arabs  in Israel. According to the RCA, the issue is more "complex", yet in their entire statement they neglected to mention even one Torah source. Somehow, I don't think that Rav Soloveitchik (of blessed memory) would have authored such a statement (whatever his position would have been). So much for their commitment to "Halachic Man." So I'm waiting for something more substantial from the RCA. Something with meat in it. Perhaps there are sources that the Tzfat Rabbis are unaware of. I want to see these sources. Don't lecture us, without giving us a proper shiur. 

No. There were no Torah sources, but there were a lot of tired cliches from the PC obsessed RCA. Instead of Halachah, we were lectured on the need to show "special sensitivity to societal realities, widely-held ethical principles, and historical injustices." The RCA noted that, " it is wrong and unacceptable to advocate blanket exclusionary policies directed against minorities of other faiths or ethnic groups. Of all people, Jews should know that such practices are beyond the pale, having ourselves suffered from them in the past." Very moving of course, but what about the Halachah? 

I'm not finished with the RCA. I've got a pop quiz for them. Open book, in fact. It shouldn't be difficult for anyone who underwent the rigors of semicha (rabbinical ordination). The questions may seem a bit disjointed, but I assure you they were chosen with great deliberation. I wrote them because I am concerned with the theoretical mindset behind this recent RCA statement. The purpose of the quiz is to get a sense where they are coming from. Obviously, the "7 Nations" are not around anymore (see question 1) but a response to the question will tell us a lot about the hashkafah of the individual members. To ascertain if they are more modern than orthodox. To gauge their perception of yahadut. (I'm considering emailing this quiz to the RCA, with a request to take my test. I don't expect that any of them will oblige me. Of course, my readers can also print up this post and hand it to their local RCA affiliated Rabbi. With respect of course. Always with respect.) 

The Jewish Fist Pop Quiz: Answer the questions as detailed as possible, citing any and all classical Torah sources that are available. Feel free to bring in the Acharonim.

1. What was the Halachic mandate regarding the "7 Nations", when the Jews first entered Israel? 
2. What were the Jews required to do with the rampant idolatry (temples, altars) ?
3. What is a ger toshav? What are the criteria for becoming a ger toshav?
4. What is the Halachah regarding selling or renting property to non-Jews in Israel? (What did you expect, that I wouldn't ask this?)
5. What is Judaism's classical approach to individuals who want to convert Jews to another faith? 
6. May Jews date or marry non-Jews? 
7. What is a milchemet mitzvah? How does the Halachah instruct us to treat the enemy, during a milchemet mitzvah?
8. In your opinion, was Matityahu, the Hasmonean priest, correct in slaughtering the idolatrous Jew in Modiin? If yes, what halachic justification can be cited for killing a man without following the standard halachic procedure of justice?
9. The Torah speaks of an ongoing war "from generation to generation" against the nation of Amalek, including an eventual final showdown where Amalek is obliterated. How do you rationalize the original mandate (as well as any implications for the future) which calls for collective annihilation against seemingly innocent members of society? In your understanding of the issue, will the future war with Amalek require us to slaughter men, woman, and children? 
10. Is Israel's current democracy consistent with the Halachah? Theoretically, would it be proper for an Arab to become Prime Minister if Israeli demographics were to change? What should a religious Jew do when the secular state of Israel engages in actions that contradict or violate the Torah? May one evict Jews and tear down Jewish homes?

Oh, and one last thing, before I forget. I expect Torah answers to these Torah questions.

Reflections On A Dead Missionary (audio)

A x-tian missionary was recently murdered. The fact that an Arab killed this pagan soul-snatcher should do nothing to detract from the fact that she was a wicked person who had no business being in our country in the first place. Personally, I will make a L'Chaim this Shabbat. And then I'll have another one. Spare me the grotesque portraits that the Leftist rags are painting of 'an innocent woman hiking in a Jerusalem forest'. I don't need anyone to explain to me who my enemies are. "Save me from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau." That's from the only true testament there ever was.

After 2000 years of unsuccessfully trying to steal Jewish souls with the pagan cross, x-tianity finally discovered a far more successful tactic when dealing with Jews. The missionary. "Brother" Esau now preys on the most vulnerable Jews with a smile on his face and x-tian love in his heart. Here are my reflections on Judaism's authentic approach to missionaries, which explains why a Jew should rejoice whenever a missionary is killed. Judaism mourns the loss of all innocent lives, both Jew and gentile alike. But it celebrates the death of the wicked. And as I always like to say, - PC be damned! The Torah is the law eternal.

Shabbat Shalom.


MP3 File

Shmuley's World (audio)

A recent Chillul Hashem in Shmuley's career.

Reflections on Shmuley Boteach's recent article in which he expressed support for evangelical x-tians, and lambasted religious Jews for being "ungrateful" of the massive sums of money they give Israel.  Shmuley needs a lesson on the basic principles of Chanukah. 


MP3 File