Thursday, April 30, 2015

From Rav Aviner on his philosophical opponents - admirable approach!

Religious ANTI-Zionists

Satmar Rebbe
Q: How should one relate to the Satmar Rebbe and Ha-Rav Elchanan Wasserman, who scorned Maran Ha-Rav Kook?
A: They erred severely in this area, but we are still obligated to honor them (Shut Radvaz 4:187.  Ma'amrei Ha-Re'eiyah, p. 56.  See Shut Bnei Banim 2:34).

Satmar Book
Q: I have a Satmar book with quotes against the State of Israel.  Should I throw it in the garbage?
A: No.  It also contains sacred words.  Place it in the Geniza.

Chasidei Satmar and Neturei Karta
Q: How should we relate to the Chasidei Satmar and Neturei Karta who participated in the Holocaust Denial Conference in Iran?  Is there an obligation to hate them?
A: G-d forbid.  One must love every Jew.  But it is permissible to wage war against their opinions.  They are confused and do not represent Satmar Chasidim (One of the current Satmar Rebbes, Ha-Rav Yekutiel Yehudah Teitelbaum, said about these members of Neturei Karta who visited Iran: "These people take the pure name of Satmar in vain! Our Holy Rabbi, the 'Vayoel Moshe' [the first Satmar Rebbe, and his uncle], exaggeratedly said that they cause more damage than the Zionists themselves.  We are working to cast off all these extreme sects.  When these went to Iran, the Satmar Beit Din issued a harsh letter against them."  Mishpachah Magazine.  29 Kislev 5773, p. 24).    

Counting Neturei Karta in Minyan
Q: Is it permissible to count someone from Neturei Karta in a Minyan?
A: Of course!  There is no question here.

Satmar Shul
Q: If there is no other Minyan, is it permissible to daven in a Satmar Shul, even though they are against the State of Israel?
A: Yes.  Do not excommunicate people.

Praying for the Health of a Neturei Karta
Q: One of the leaders of Neturei Karta is very ill and is in the hospital.  Should we pray that he dies?  After all, he has blood on his hands for actively supporting our enemies?
A: We should certainly pray for his recovery.  He is in the category of a confused person.   

Learning the Satmar Rebbe's Books
Q: Does one receive the reward for learning Torah when learning the Satmar Rebbe's books?
A: Certainly.

8 comments:

  1. Hi -

    Did you see the new shiurim from RAEK just published?

    See

    http://www.moreshesashkenaz.org/en/yerushaseinu/42-yerushaseinu-8

    http://www.moreshesashkenaz.org/mm/samples/Yerushaseinu8TOC.pdf

    http://www.moreshesashkenaz.org/mm/samples/Yerushaseinu8Sample.pdf

    Enjoy.

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  2. There is no information on how to obtain the book!

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  3. Check your local seforim dealer. The sefer has been seen on sale in NYC in recent days.

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  4. the vayoel moshe was not the first satmar rebbe. that would be his great grandfather r moshe teitlebaum, who was buried in uhjel, Slovakia (today), where the ghetto the Nazis put all the jews in the area (including my father's family) before Shavuot 1944. (first day Shavuot is the day Hungarians jews have yarzeits.)

    and it was the current satmar rebbes's father's uncle, the vayoel moshe.

    as a Hungarian, rav aviner knows this.

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  5. "as a Hungarian, rav aviner knows this."

    Since when is Rav Aviner Hungarian? My recollection is that he is of Polish Jewish descent.

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  6. MiMedinat HaYam: Check your maps ujhel or more properly Satoraljaujhely is still in Hungary.

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  7. correction: you are right.

    that part of hungary (where my father lived) was (and is today) part of (czecho)Slovakia. during the war, hungary took it over as traditional Hungarian territory.

    as for the name, many (?most?) cities, even little "hick towns") throughout eastern Europe have three names, reflecting the german name (which is how jews always, even today, refer to it) and the two countries that always fought over the city.

    thus Bratislava (Slovak) today is still called pressburg (german) by jews, and pozony (hungarian) by my mother.

    lemberg (german) (capital of eastern Galicia) is called Lvov by polish, and lviv by ukranians. (sometimes the difference is minor spelling, but utmost importance nationally.)

    many other examples.

    ujhel is practically on the Hungarian Slovak border. I presume its name ujhel comes from the ohel (ujhel in hungarian) of the yismach moshe , the first satmnar rebbe (died 1848) which even non jewish Hungarians revere as a holy man, giving them blessings even today.

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  8. A true Adam Gadol. I gain more respect for him everytime I hear him speak.

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