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

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.

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.

The Hornet's Nest (audio)

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The haters of G-d, both Jewish and non-Jewish, often portray biblical warfare as an expression of violent degenerates who were mirroring the barbarism of their times. These fools are irrelevant. The Torah is eternal. The various manifestations (both old and new) of gentile morality have no commonality with the authentic truths of Torah. The Halachah is true, even when the law goes against the politically correct grain. I believe in fighting Jewish wars according to Jewish law. The Joshuah of the bible wasn't a primitive, he was a prophet. He was the successor to Moses, the greatest prophet of all, and the most righteous Jew that ever lived. Joshua was following the Halachah. He understood that you have to be merciless towards those who have no mercy, otherwise they will wallow in your blood. The Arabs and Muslims of the world are a testament to this eternal law of the Torah.

Biblical warfare was brutal. That's the way it must be when you fight evil people. Brutality towards the brutal. As the Chosen People, we cannot coexist with barbarians and idolaters. Physically, they are committed to our extermination, spiritually they defile our souls. During  a "milchemet mitzvah" (obligatory war), the Halachah demanded (and demands) total warfare against the enemy. This is the only model for fighting a war against the enemies of Israel and the Jewish people. This is obviously a pipe-dream today, when you consider that the Israel of today is a G-dless state run by Jewish heathens. The "mercy of fools" is the prevailing ideology.

Gaza 2011. Hamas-Land. Let's be honest for a moment. Gaza isn't a civilian region (click on link for video). Bombing Gaza into oblivion is at the very least, the moral equivalent of bombing Dresden during WWII. Now I know that there are sick people today, (many of them Jews) who would have opposed this moral action which ended the war a day earlier than it might have. Anyone with common sense understands that there were no "innocent Germans" in a society that allowed a Hitler to arise, and a Holocaust to consume European Jewry. Similarly, there are no civilians in Gaza today, a place where they distribute candy in the streets whenever some human disease detonates himself in a crowd of Jews. Innocent civilians? They don't exists in Gaza. Let the innocent civilians pick up and leave or revolt, if they disagree with the tactics of Hamas. Otherwise, let them reap the punishment of the Torah.

I am not a ghoul. Despite what my detractors might think, I have no innate blood-lust within me that desires carnage. I value the lives of decent people, including the lives of decent gentiles. But I understand that one cannot live with a genocidal enemy. The recipe for such foolishness is another Holocaust. I am calling for the application of the Halachah, as it was articulated by the sword of King David and codified as the Halachah by Maimonides.

That is why I want to see Gaza drowned in napalm and allowed to burn itself clean. Then we can bring back the dispossessed victims of Sharon's War Crime and allow them to resume their lives. Every shekel of reparation should be paid for by the State. A national sin should be repaired by the institution that committed the sin, not by the generosity of world Jewry. May we see it with our eyes.

The RCA Is (Still) Dead: Part II

"What will the goyim say?"  

Recently, a group of Israeli Rabbis disseminated a letter regarding one aspect of the Halachic status of non-Jews in the land of Israel. They correctly stated that according to the Torah, Jews are prohibited from selling or leasing property to gentiles in the Holy Land. The responses to this honest but politically incorrect statement came from all ends of the political and religious spectrum. The secular leftists condemned the declaration as racist and contrary to democratic values. Unfortunately, there is little to be done with people who have no concept of Torah, and whose ethics are premised on self-indulgence, hedonism, and the diseased ideology of moral relativism. 

The real tragedy in this whole affair is that too many orthodox Rabbis (both in Israel and abroad), publicly condemned this statement and declared it to be a distortion of the Halachah (Jewish law). To my knowledge, these Rabbis consistently neglected to cite even one Torah source to support their position. Regardless of how one chooses to interpret the Halachah (assuming that it is done with intellectual honesty and the fear of Heaven), a Torah scholar always brings a Torah source to validate a position. 

One prominent opponent of the letter in Israel was Rabbi Druckman, who after expressing his own dissatisfaction with the letter, went about revising the statement and drafting a more parve version.  (I don't know whether or not the original group of Tzfat Rabbis agreed to sign the revised "Halachah" or whether they're still standing by their original position. Naturally, if they agreed to follow the latter statement, it would negate their original action.) Several other prominent mamlachti (state-worshiping) Rabbis chimed in with their dissatisfaction. An absolute chillul Hashem (desecration of The Almighty's name).

Religious opponents of the "extremist" letter received a boost from across the Atlantic, when the Rabbinical Council of America (RCA) stuck its nose into the affair. Had the RCA stood up for Torah and not the perceived interest of American shtetl Jewry, their interference would have been appreciated. Unfortunately, the RCA took a stand against the Tzfat Rabbis. As the old adage goes, they should have stayed home.

For an excellent treatment of this subject, check out my friend and fellow blogger's post, Esser Agaroth On The RCA. He covers all the bases. But I wanted to make a few comments of my own about this latest disgrace from the RCA. (For some of the RCA's previous "winning moments", see my older posts The RCA Is Dead (audio), and Where Is The RCA?)  In the interest of presenting my objections to this recent RCA position, I have included the entire statement below. My own comments (in blue) follow each paragraph:

Statement on Renting to Non-Jews Tsfat RCA Statement Regarding the Sale or Rental of Property to non-Jews in Israel

Dec 14, 2010 -- The Rabbinical Council of America places great value on the judicious balancing of halachic and ethical principles of policy and action. The brilliance of the halachic tradition lies in its ability to affirm the Torah and rabbinic teachings of past generations, in a way which elevates and ennobles contemporary life, while bringing honor and respect to the Torah. This requires a special sensitivity to societal realities, widely-held ethical principles, and historical injustices. This is true no matter the particular circumstances that might militate in favor of policies or actions intended to protect a narrow community concern or interest.

The Jewish Fist Commentary: A whole lot of pseudo-babble without any Torah sources. The opening statement sounds like it was drafted by the Rabbinical Assembly, which is the international association of Conservative Rabbis. (I've often said that the RCA should drop the "c" and merge with the former group.) It pays homage to Halachic commitment while affirming the need to recognize "societal realities, widely held ethical principles, and historical injustices." Let's be honest. This is really a call for a malleable halachah that can be melted and molded to the times. What they really mean to say is that the Halachic prohibition of selling land to goyim in Israel is somehow affected by the fact that Jews (in America, and elsewhere) refuse to pack their bags and make Aliyah. This statement was written by people who are uncomfortable with an uncompromising politically-incorrect  psak Halachah coming out of the mouths of a minority of Israeli Rabbis. They don't want to be labeled "Jewish fundamentalists" by their goyish American neighbors.

For this reason, the Rabbinical Council of America finds the recent statement by certain rabbinic leaders in Tsfat, Israel, regarding rental and sale of residences to non-Jews, to be objectionable. The halachic issues at hand are indeed complex, and we are surely sympathetic to the impulse to protect a Jewish community in the face of intermarriage, communal conflict, or unsafe neighborhoods. We are also mindful of the need to respect the halachic and policy rulings of rabbis in other countries and specific locales, given their general familiarity with the facts on the ground.

The Jewish Fist Commentary: The Halachic issues are not complex. Playing pilpulisitc gymnastics with the Halachah because it makes you uncomfortable, isn't the definition of a complex issue. On this particular point, the Halachah was as clear to the Chazon Ish as it was to the Rambam. 

Rambam-Laws of Foreign Worship 10 4 [3] 

"One does not sell them houses or fields in Eretz Yisrael; but in Syria one may sell them houses, but not fields. One may rent them houses in Eretz Yisrael, provided that one does not make them a neighborhood -  and there is no neighborhood with less than three [households]. One does not rent them fields; but in Syria one rents them fields. And why were they strict regarding fields? For two reasons -[because they would] expropriate the tithes and be allowed to settle the land."

Keep in mind that there is unanimous agreement among the Rabbinic decisors (from the medieval periods to modern times), that only a ger toshav (Halachic resident stranger) who accepts 'tribute and servitude' can remain in the land.  It is important to note that while there are disagreements among these decisors regarding the exact criteria that must be met for one to be called a ger toshav, no gentile in Israel (Arab or otherwise) fulfills these criteria.

Chazon Ish-In a Letter to Rav Betzalel Zolti, Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem (Kovetz Torah Sheb'al Peh, 11 pg. 44)

"I can find no pretext to allow selling land either to a non-Jew or to a Jew suspected of selling land to non-Jews."

Presumably, the RCA has sources that the Chazon Ish was unaware of. They just don't want to disclose them to us.

In spite of all of these considerations, we find it necessary to express our views from afar insofar as the statement in question affects not just Jewish communities in Israel, but communities in North America as well. In addition many rabbis across Israel whom we hold in high regard have spoken out in opposition to the statement.

The Jewish Fist Commentary: Within this statement, we see the typical reaction of shtetl Jews who worry about the goyim of the world. They pick and choose their religious Zionism. On the one hand they acknowledge the great miracles that The Almighty performed (and continues to perform for us) with the creation of the State of Israel. I'm fairly certain that most of the RCA membership would admit that the Israeli wars (past and present) constitute a Milchemet Mitzvah. However, when it comes to applying the Halachah as it pertains to goyim, the RCA suddenly becomes uncomfortable and plays what essentially boils down to as the "Satmar card." You can't upset the goyim before the Messiah arrives on eagles wings. (Of course, if a non-Jew entered Williamsburg and tried to entice Satmar girls to sin, they would hang him from the lampposts. On this issue I applaud the Satmar approach, despite their inconsistency.)

Recently, a group of religious Israeli women (their husbands are Rabbis) came out with a statement urging Jews to refrain from dating Arabs. What does the RCA make of this? Are the issues pertaining to intermarriage too complex to make such a blatant statement, or were these women correct to state what every observant Jew already knows? Isn't the RCA concerned about how American x-tians will react to such intolerant beliefs? If they are, I present Exhibit # 2 for the RCA to merge with the Conservative movement. If they agree with the position, then they need to immediately take the following actions:

• Draft a letter in support of these strong women, regarding the dangers intermarriage poses to the Jewish people.
• Make a retraction  for their recent statement and publicly acknowledge that some issues have to be stated outright regardless of how gentiles will perceive their statements.

It is our view that in spite of the concerns of the authors of the statement, 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. This is especially so, when as in the statement issued by the rabbis in question, the halachic sources and arguments are a matter of debate, and even disagreement. And even were that not the case, it is not at all clear that the principles in question would apply in the State of Israel in the 21st Century.

The Jewish Fist Commentary: First we have an appeal not to use "blanket exclusionary policies against minorities..." Then the authors remind us that we have an obligation as Jews to remember that we suffered from discriminatory practices. First of all, to equate the Halachah with the kind of treatment we received at the hands of our muslim and x-tian hosts is the stuff of nausea. As if the motivations of the proper application of the Halachah have anything in common with the kind of psychopathic hatred that the goyim of the world visited upon us. Furthermore, the fact that we were treated brutally by gentiles doesn't  change the Halachah. For example, the Torah commanded us to wipe out the 7 Nations, despite the fact that we as Jews had already experienced a genocidal enemy known as Amalek. Nevertheless, the obligation to wipe out the 7 Nations (as well as Amalek) stands. Would the RCA like to cut out all sections of Tanach that make us look intolerant? 

We thus respectfully call upon the authors of the statement in question to reconsider their position, in the interest of communal harmony, societal peace, and the public sanctification of God's name, which are as always the hallmarks of the Torah way of life.

The Jewish Fist Commentary: There you have it in a nutshell. The RCA is calling upon Rabbonim to alter the Halachah so that it's more palpable for goyim to digest. It's bad enough that the RCA is unwilling to abandon the American exile and change the name of their organization to the RCI ("I" for Israel). But to call for the sanctification of G-d's name while trampling upon basic Halachic truisms, is another degree of outrage.

I remind the reader that in their entire statement, the RCA did not include one Halachic source. which permits Jews to sell or rent land to non-Jews. The problem is that there are no sources. Throughout history, this issue was never contested by those who know the Halachah. You can be certain that if there was a reliable source, the RCA would have included it. 

The Halachah is clear that the status of the non-Jew (any non-Jew) in Israel is not the same as a Jew. Only within the framework of very strict and specific conditions, (which includes acceptance of tribute and servitude) may a limited number of gentiles reside in Israel under the category of ger toshav. Without this status, no gentile can even remain in the land! This crucial point has been overlooked during this public outcry. The first Halachah that the Tzfat Rabbis (and indeed all Rabbis) should have stated is that gentiles who don't meet the criteria of resident stranger cannot remain in the land. Unfortunately, only Rabbi Meir Kahane (may G-d avenge his blood!) had the courage to state this without apologetics. The whole issue involving the prohibition of selling land to non-Jews only arises in the context of the "resident stranger", who can remain in the land with strict limitations.  Obviously, the murderous, thieving, non-Noahide Arabs do not fall in this Halachic category!

The RCA purports to represent a Torah position.  It's bad enough that they lacked the courage to state the truth.  At the very least they should have remained silent. (Not a high level, to be sure, but light years ahead of where they are now.) Instead we have this tremendous chillul Hashem that will never go away. It doesn't matter that the RCA presented their objections "respectfully" and at least superficially with respect for the Rabbis in question. That was all a veneer. They threw mud at the handful of Rabbis who had the courage to state the Halachic truth. They threw mud at the Torah, when they twisted the Halachah and declared that the impure was pure. Given the prominence of the RCA, another sin they can add to the list, is that they did it in front of the goyim. 

We can learn two important lessons from this affair:

1. After 2000 years of degradation and despair at the hands of gentiles, we have whole communities of neurotic Jews today who behave like grasshoppers. Tragically, this includes learned Rabbis who make Halachic decisions on controversial issues, while ruminating about what goyim will think on the matter. As we've already seen, this is a disease that crosses oceans. In this particular case, the first grasshoppers that chirped were heard in the Holy Land.
2. Anyone who acts like a grasshopper has no business making Halachic decisions, regardless of their intellectual brilliance or Torah accomplishments. Follow the advice of Pirkei Avot (Ethics of the Forefathers) carefully. Choose for yourself a rebbe (teacher), not a grasshopper.

The RCA is (still) dead. 

Shabbat Shalom!