War Unleashed

Now that the  IDF has been sent forth into Gaza, we pray that Israel's leaders will protect our soldiers in every way possible. Unleash fire and blood upon this most brutal enemy. No quarter given to those who would finish Hitler's work. The Arabs are Amalek incarnate, there is no doubt about that. And I don't want to read that any  soldiers were harmed, Heaven Forbid, because Israel wanted to protect the savage "civilians" who would wallow in our blood.

Yahadut maintains that the Jew and gentile have the means (different as they are) to perfect themselves. For the gentile it is only by adhering to the Noachide Covenant. The Arabs are the antithesis of this. They have adopted the blood deity allah ( which has no commonality with the one true Hashem!) and cast their souls away. No mercy can be given. Not one jew should be sacrificed on the idolatrous altar of self-restraint.

The Almighty will protect us if we follow the Torah. Unleash hell on earth and cleanse Gaza of the evil that contaminates the soil. May we see it with our eyes. And may the entire world see that there is only The One Hashem.

Shabbat Shalom.

The Erev Rav's Jihad (audio)

Reflections on the mixed multitude's insidious campaign to demonize Torah in the name of "civil rights."


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Beitar Fans: Hooligans? Or A Ray Of Light?

The Jewish Fist Commentary:  First things first. Ignore the biased heading at the beginning of the video. (Racist chanting by Beitar...) For the fortunate few who have their heads screwed on right, the video speaks for itself.

I hate soccer. I don't understand it. How can any self-respecting physical sport have as their most basic rule, a thoroughly asinine one, which deprives players (excluding the goalie) the use of their arms? Right there, half the potential physicality of the game goes out of the window. American football. Basketball. These are real sports. (Granted, I'm biased. I come from a country where soccer is referred to as "fagball".) What can I say, soccer offends my sensibilities. Perhaps its because soccer is the preferred sport of the world's Jew-haters.

Nevertheless, I must admit, that despite my dislike for the sport, I like the Beitar Yerushalayim soccer fans, who have a reputation for being "hooligans", and "anti-Arab". Let me make myself clear. I oppose the general hellenized drive to mimic the goyim with organized sports leagues, particularly when the Jewish teams frequently compete against Arab teams both inside and outside the country.This is the antithesis of Torah Judaism. I like the Beitar fans for other reasons:

•  I like them because most of them hate the Arabs as one should hate any murderous enemy. 
• I like the fans because a great many of them refuse to honor the dead traitor Rabin with |moments of silence".
• I like that the fans would burn their own stadium to the ground if management ever signed an Israeli-Arab" to the team. 
• I like the Beitar fans because the Israeli leftists revile them. The media demonizes them. Beitar fans don't give a damn. When the dogs of Sakhnin come to town, they rise up to these Arab animals and fight for Jewish honor and power. This is a refreshing change when you consider  how screwed up the majority of the Israeli youth are, courtesy of the mandatory mind rape they endure at the hands of the Ministry of Miseducation. 

 Racists? I don't think so. Beitar fans are normal Jews who care about their survival. They don't give rat's you-know-what about PC sensibilities, or the deranged sentiments of the suicidal left. The Arabs are animals, and they aren't afraid to say it. Hooligans? We need more Jewish hooligans like the Beitar fans. We just need to redirect their energy with yahadut. May the light of the Torah reach them and guide them.

Beitar fans, I salute you. Remember the legacy of Barzel.

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. 

"Attempted Murder?" Of a Terrorist?

Man Charged for Trying to Kill Terrorist who Stabbed his Wife

by Maayana Miskin (Arutz Sheva)

Just over a year ago David Mizrachi's wife Tamar was brutally stabbed at her workplace near Kiryat Arba. David, who raced to the scene in his car, found Tamar's would-be killer, a young Palestinian Authority terrorist, in custody outside. In a rage, he ran over the man.

Now Mizrachi, 56, is facing charges of attempted murder. He was indicted Sunday in the Jerusalem District Court......More Israel news

The Jewish Fist Disclaimer: As a rule, I don't like posting articles from Arutz Sheva. As far as I'm concerned , there are too many questionable things going on over there. For one, they are soft (and worse) when it comes to dealing with the issue of missionaries in Israel.  This should come as no surprise when one consider the mounting evidence which suggests that they are in the pockets of American x-tians. A7 is also parve and ineffectual, and absolutely terrified of taking a true Torah stand on the important issues. They can call themselves "right-wing", but that means nothing as far as yahadut is concerned. They are a haven of "mamlachtiism" , if you will, where one finds all sorts of ideological nonsense masquerading as Judaism in their editorials and op-eds, and in the many advertisements that litter their site (40 Days Of tehilim at the kotel. That kind of pagan garbage). Of course, this is a general statement regarding A7, and it should not be taken as an attack on the author of this article, who I am sure is a fine person.

The Jewish Commentary: Attempted murder? Outrageous. David Mizrachi should be given a medal, and then another opportunity to finish off the job. Were I in charge of this madhouse, he would be given free reign to slaughter the pig who tried to murder his wife. In any manner that suited him. Personally, I would suggest a cruel and inefficient death, in accordance with the Torah's view of justice, that you show no mercy towards the merciless. 

The spiritually diseased leftists who are trying to punish David Mizrachi will ultimately face Divine retribution for harassing this poor man. Hasn't the Mizrachi family suffered enough at the hands of Arabs? Several years ago an Arab driver plowed into their son's car with his vehicle and killed him. Incidentally, they also recently lost a daughter to apparently unknown causes. (Without knowing anything about the case involving their son, I wouldn't be surprised if the Arab murderer is still burning rubber on Israel's roads. Perhaps some leftist Jewish lawyer used the "my client's foot cramped up" defense. Surely it wasn't religiously motivated?) 

Death to the terrorist, Masawa, may his name and memory be obliterated from the face of the earth. I don't know if he's still in prison, or if Bibi freed him with a few hundred other vipers as part of some Ramadan good-will gesture to Abbas. One day soon, Jewish justice will return to Israel. Men of morality will take the reigns and declare "open season" on all terrorists. And savages such as Masawa will be hunted down and exterminated, like rats carrying the plague. No leg shots. No warnings. 

Only a lunatic society would charge a Jew with the "attempted murder" of the Arab terrorist who almost killed his wife. This is the insanity we are dealing with today in Medinat Yisroel. A nation run by quislings and cowards who have the wisdom of Chelm and the morality of Sodom. May The Almighty protect David Mizrachi and his family from both the Arabs and the "erev rav" (mixed multitude). 

Written in a dying Jew's blood. 

Why Did The Feminist Chicken Cross The Road?

"Rabba" Hurwitz with Avi Weiss. 

Q: Why did the feminist chicken cross the road?

A: To daven for the amud at The Hebrew Institute of Riverdale.

It's been a while since I wrote about Avi Weiss, who heads the Hebrew Institute in Riverdale, NY, and whose list of radical innovations in a supposedly "orthodox" synagogue include the recent ordination of a women, Sara Hurwitz, as a "Rabba."  When I last visited this issue, I castigated the Rabbinical Council of America for a weak-kneed response and their failure to throw Weiss out of the organization.The following link contains the RCA's official statement.  Essentially, the RCA told him not to do it again, and he agreed. It's important to note what the RCA did not require of him. They did not demand that Weiss remove the title Rabba from Sara Hurwitz, or remove her from her post. They neglected to deal with the dangerous precedent that even one Rabba represents to Torah Judaism. This concession was a major victory for Weiss and the other ortho-feminists out there. At the end of the day, the Hebrew Institute has a female Rabba. (For more on this subject, read my post, The RCA Is Dead.) As seen by this screen shot from the HIR website, Sara Hurwitz still retains her title.

I wasn't even aware of Weiss's latest outrage, until I stumbled upon an online article from The Jewish Week entitled, "Weiss Moves Beyond Rabba."  The title was appropriate, for indeed Weiss had moved beyond the issue, by allowing a female congregant to lead the Kabbalat Shabbat prayer service one Friday night. 

I don't feel like regurgitating the article. Read it yourself and consider the following points that jumped right off the screen at me:

• Just how smug and brazen is Avi Weiss, to take this next descent into the abyss right after a public clash with the RCA? He's making an absolute laughingstock of the RCA, and they have neither the courage nor the intellectual honesty to remove him.

• Consider the contempt he has for many of his former and present congregants, some of whom have already left his congregation, and others who may now reconsider it, after being put off by this latest incident. Avi Weiss does what he wants and the congregation can come along for the ride or leave. Of course there are many sheep in his congregation who will adapt to the innovations of their esteemed rabbi and mentor. In time they may even learn to enjoy it. And then they will hail him as an even greater innovator of "open orthodoxy."

• Surprisingly, Rabbi Shafran of the Agudath Israel of America had mild words about the incident. While obviously opposing these innovations as contrary to yahadut, his response was parve. This is what I got out of Rabbi Shafran's words. "Rabbi Weiss's move saddens me." Really earth-shaking sentiments. I would have expected the condemnation to have some bite. It did not. And for that the Agudah should be ashamed of itself. Of course, in the grander scheme of things,  the Agudah is irrelevant to Avi Weiss. We're talking about two different planets.

• Ironically, Rabbi Shmuel Goldin of the RCA had stronger words on the matter, as seen in the following segment of the article. This makes the RCA's subsequent failure to address the issue even more inexplicable:

Rabbi Shmuel Goldin of Englewood, N.J., a vice president of the Rabbinical Council of America, said RCA leadership is critical of Rabbi Weiss’ action, but has not yet decided on any action it may take.

“A woman serving as shaliachat tzibbur [the cantor] for any portion of synagogue services is unacceptable,” Rabbi Goldin said. “If such a thing occurred, it would obviously be wrong and not in keeping with Orthodox tradition.”

The recent RCA agreement with Rabbi Weiss, in which he agreed not to ordain women, did not foresee and “did not address” a woman leading services, Rabbi Goldin said, so Rabbi Weiss’ action is not in technical violation of the agreement. “The question is, is it a violation of Jewish tradition, and we believe it is.”

Does Rabbi Weiss face disciplining by, or suspension from, the RCA?

“It is premature for us to comment on any particular action that we will be taking,” Rabbi Goldin said, “but all actions are on the table.” 

This article was from August 4, 2010 (one day short of a mere five months after the RCA's "Rabbah statement"). From the tone of Rabbi Goldin's words, it sounded like Weiss was in trouble with the RCA.  I've checked the RCA website. I've clicked on every link and searched the site repeatedly. I don't even see a reference to the incident, let alone a statement reflecting any discipline. I don't know about you, but I find this this very disturbing. (I suspect that one or more philanthropists who support  Weiss and the RCA may have put a damper on any plans to oust him.) The RCA purports to represent "Torah true" Judaism. Yet time and time again, they fail to stand up for the Torah. Exactly how far can Avi Weiss push the envelope before they throw him out? Perhaps when a lesbian "Rabba" blows the shofar following neilah.Then again, maybe not.

Where is the public outrage from Torah leaders? There are striking similarities between orthodoxy's collective  failure to address the menace of Lubavitch messianism that arose after the Rebbe's (of blessed memory) death, and this very different but no less dangerous infection that endangers many segments of the "modern-orthodox" world.

"Separate but equal." An obscenity when it comes to dividing people based on skin color, or absurd notions of race. But in yahadut, separate but equal is essential to the perpetuation of the mesorah (tradition). One could surely argue that the role of the woman is even more essential than the man's. In many aspects I believe this to be true. The Torah requires a separation in roles, both for halachic and hashkafic (idealogical) reasons. And both are critical for the Torah observant Jew. Gender confusion, role reversal, these will prove to be the spiritual death of the Jewish family. Jews will leave the fold in even greater numbers if the fundamentals of our tradition become warped, skewed, and finally abandoned. (When Jonathan's Ema starts behaving like a second Aba, something is bound to go wrong.)

Women are as good as men. And Jewish women are as essential to Judaism as men are. But they are not men, and men are not women. Let women find fulfillment as Jewish women in accordance with the Halachah. And let them not be led astray by the false shepherds, who would sacrifice the flock to the wolves, to satisfy a feminist agenda. 

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.

Where Are The Rabbis? (audio)

Reflections on the Halachah (Jewish law) of selling and/or renting homes or fields to goyim (literally translated "nations", i.e. non-Jews) in Israel. As evidenced by the recent outcry against the handful of Rabbis who had the courage to state the Halachah, truth remains a rare commodity even in the so-called "Torah camp." Check out my good friend and fellow blogger's excellent post at Esser Agaroth , which tackled this issue.


MP3 File

The Authentic Chanukah

If the Maccabees were around today, Netanyahu would stand up on national television and declare them to be public enemy #1. Forget about Hamas, Hezbollah,  Syria, or even Iran for that matter. Certainly not Fatah. Netanyahu and Ehud Barak would declare total war and send an army of Yassamnikim capos and border police to destroy them. No tactic would be considered too dirty in the war against the Maccabees. The Shabak would have an entire division devoted to infiltrating the movement. 


The leftists would scream hysterically for Maccabee blood, and applaud the most brutal crackdowns. The media and academia would soak the minds of the masses in rabid anti-Maccabee propaganda. Across th world secular Jewish organizations and their self-appointed leaders would revile the Maccabees. The Anti- Defamation League would jump into the fray and volunteer their assistance to various U.S. and Israeli government agencies, in the war against the Maccabees.


Mainstream religious Jewish organizations would condemn them. Respected Rabbis would declare that their actions were a chillul Hashem and contrary to Halachah. Respectable "modern-orthodoxy" would unanimously blacklist them. Representatives of the Maccabee movement would be banned from speaking in most religious institutions. In Israel, the state worshiping mamlachtim would similarly condemn them with the harshest terminology.The chareidim would have no part of them. "This is the way of the goyim", they would declare. "Draft deferments and child allowances are the only to defeat the chilonim." 


Only a small group of Jews would openly join the Maccabees. But in private, a great many more would sympathize with them. Some things never change. 


Why do I write these things? Isn't Chanukah universally enjoyed by Jews across the religious divide? It is. But Jews celebrate a false Chanukah that has nothing in common with the historical reality. Here's a reminder to those who haven't absorbed the lesson of Chanukah. Chanukah isn't a universal "festival of lights" for Jews to share with the gentile world. The Maccabees weren't multiculturalists fighting for religious freedom. They were Jewish zealots who waged a brutal war against the Greek swine who tried to destroy the Jewish soul.


And it wasn't just the Greeks. Let's be honest for a moment. The Maccabees fought violently against Jewish hellenists, who were trying to contaminate the Torah. When Matityahu saw a Jew publicly defiling The Almighty's name in the town of Modiin, he didn't respect the man's ability "to worship as he saw fit." He slaughtered the gentilized Jew with his sword and started a revolutionary inferno. And Yahadut lionizes him and his sons for sanctifying the Almighty's name and saving Judaism from extinction. Of course history is for the victors. So we celebrate Chanukah because Judaism survived. The irony is that Hellenists revised history, and Chanukah is considered parve today.


Is Chanukah for you?

• If you support the concept of interfaith-dialogue with x-tians and taking money from evangelicals, then Chanukah really isn't the chag for you.

•  If you proudly declare that Israel grants equal rights to its citizens and allows all faiths to worship, you should boycott Chanukah. Were he alive, Matityahu would burn down every mosque, church, and Bahai temple that defiles the Holy Land. Forget about spitting at "messianic Jews". He would've slaughtered them. If the image of burning mosques and churches upsets you, then yours is a different Chanukah than the one that was originally celebrated by the Maccabees. 

• If you support a woman's right to abort a fully formed fetus on the altar of free choice, you're a Hellenist, not a Maccabee. Feminists should protest Chanukah.  

• If you believe that homosexuals have the right to prance through the streets of Jerusalem, Chanukah is not your cup of tea. The rampant homosexuality of the Greeks was another virus that the Maccabees warred against. The sanctity of the Jewish family and the holy expression of permitted sexuality is central to Jewish thinking. Be honest about Chanukah instead of perverting it.

Chanukah symbolizes Judaism's complete rejection of the profane influences of the world. It represents the commitment to use the sword in defense of the Jewish body and soul.  This is the Chanukah that leftists want to destroy. Any proud, self-respecting, knowledgeable Jew basks in this reality. Only one who has been contaminated by 2000+ years of exile chooses to deny this, distort it, or reject it.


The legacy of the true Maccabees lives on. And the day will come when Jews embrace it and incorporate the Maccabee model as the solution to destroying the Arab enemy and sanctifying the State of Israel. In the meantime, continue to learn Torah and perform mitzvot. But take care of  your Jewish body. Strengthen it, so that you can be a good Jew. Don't worship it. Sanctify it for Kiddush Hashem. Forge it with iron and stone. Take a walk with an 80 pound sandbag on your back. Practice stick fighting, sword fighting, whatever your game. Go to the range and become a crack shot that would make Matityahu proud. One day soon, a new generation of Maccabees will arise.Good Jews will want to join them. Prepare yourself now.