Light Unto the Nations?

Martin Grossman, Jonathan Pollard, and Shalom Rubashkin. What do these three people have in common? Absolutely nothing! Except that they are Jews and have been convicted of crimes. Vastly different ones. But they have one other thing in common. They are the subject of intense lobbying by the Orthodox world for mercy.

Now I have no problem with the concept of tempering justice with mercy. In fact I completely understand the motivation and support it. I might even grant that these three individuals are worthy of the particular form of mercy being asked for each. But I must admit that it still bothers me. What does it say to the world about Jewish values when some of our most visible efforts are in the cause of getting mercy for convicted criminals?

Think about it.

Martin Grossman is a convicted murderer. He brutally murdered a Florida wildlife officer in 1984 using her own gun to shoot her in the back of her head. Mr. Grossman is scheduled to receive the death penalty in February. And yet I’m told that there are signs all over Lakewood rallying support for him in the form of calling the governor and begging for a commutation of his death sentence.

It seems that he is now remorseful and has begun the process of becoming a Baal Teshuva. That is a good thing for his soul. But that does not help the victim. Nor does it help her family. It is unseemly for the Jewish community to be asking for mercy for a brutal murderer- and with such a sense of urgency.

His victim had a family who probably still grieves for her. I can’t imagine what it must be like for a family to have a wife or sister or mother or daughter go off to her daily job one morning and then find out she was murdered by a drug crazed criminal – never to come home again.

That said, I nevertheless find it hard to not try and save someone from a death penalty that Jewish law would not have mandated - even if he had killed the Gadol HaDor. God forbid. Without 2 valid witnesses and the requisite warnings about the death penalty prior to the murder - no Jewish court could have issued the death penalty.

I suppose the a commutation of the death sentence to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole might be a compromise that would take into account my ambiguity. I know its not the best solution, but I don’t know that there is a ‘best’ solution. However it still bothers me that there is such an outcry by the Orthodox world to save this man as though he were Albert Schweitzer. What does that say about us to the world?

Then there is Jonathan Pollard. He has now served over 20 years of his sentence for spying for a foreign country. It doesn’t matter that the country was Israel. It only matters that he broke the trust the United States placed in him. He betrayed his country. And he is now suffering the consequences. And yet Jonathan Pollard has become a national obsession for Orthodox Jews. There have been what seems like an infinite number of attempts to free him. As if he was unjustly convicted.

Now here too, I feel sorry for him. After 20 years I think he has paid for his crime and think the government ought to cut him a break. But it bothers me here too that there is such an obsession about him in the Frum community – as though he were some sort of hero because he spied for Israel. What does this say about us to the world?

And then there is Shalom Rubashkin. He was convicted of bank fraud. And there is the fact that he hired tons of illegal aliens and was accused of taking advantage of them for financial gain. This - among many other accusations and evidence of misdeeds, irregularities, and just plain violations of the law. The Agudah, the National Council of Young Israel, and other rabbinic organizations have joined forces in appealing to the highest levels of government for leniency. This man is not what I would call a paragon of virtue under any circumstances. And yet he is being painted that way by his defenders.

Now here too, I feel sorry for Mr. Rubashkin. He has suffered quite a lot- as has his family. He has lost his business, all his money, and his reputation. He went from being ‘king of the hill’ to being a convicted criminal. That alone seems like a just punishment. I couldn’t be happier that he is no longer involved with Agriprocessors, the company his family founded. I find his current circumstances to be overkill at this point.

But still he is yet another criminal that the Frum community is agitating for. What does this say about us to the world?

I’m not even saying they shouldn’t do it. They probably should. But it is so sad that it has come to this. And these three Jews are not the only ones who have been caught in crimes. Is this what our energies should be spent on? Is this the light we shed onto the world?

Special Opportunity for Contributors to Kupat Ha-Ir

Guest Post by Rabbi Dovid Landesman

I am generally opposed to giving Tezdaka based on Segulos.

For those who don’t know what a Segulah is, let me try and explain. It is a specific act designed to produce a desired goal via Heavenly intervention. The act is often unrelated to the actual goal but has somehow been deemed effective in acheiving it. Segulos were once very common only among certain Chasidim but have become much more mainstream in recent years.

The most recent example of this was via Kupat Ha-Ir whose fundraising needs are greater than ever. They keep coming out with new segulahs all the time. Full color flyers extolling the succeses of various people who have used this Segula are distributed all over the country.

If I recall correctly, the Segula went something like this: 10 certifiable Talmidei Chachamim would say the entire Sefer Tehilim at the Kotel for 40 days straight. It could be for any purpose such as prayer to cure a serious illness. All for a pre determined fee (donation to Kupat Ha-Ir).

In my view such fund raisers border on cruelty and ought to be abolished. In a world that holds bans so dearly, it is puzzling that this kind of thing is allowed to go on.

Or maybe not. Avreichim in Bnei Brak need money now more than ever. This fund raising tactic works. Why hinder it? There is nothing wrong with selling Segulos for money. Is there? If it doesn’t work, well that is God’s will. We can’t question it. Besides - what’s the harm in trying? Especially since they need the money so badly!

Be that as it may - there is a new Segulah in town – just in time for Tu B’Shvat. Finally – a Segulah that I can really sink my teeth into.

It was sent to me by Rabbi Dovid Landesman. I urge people to send me the fee and I will put it in my own Kupah – (which is in my Ir) and see to it that it gets put to good use. (I have a lot of unpaid bills.)

Please hurry. Tu B’Shvat is tommorrow and it must be postmarked no later than sunset of this date (5:01 pm CST) for the Segula to work.

The Segulah - originally in Hebrew - is translated by Rabbi Landesman and follows.

On Tu b’Shvat, the New Year for Trees, the day that is a segulah for salvation, a minyan of talmidei chachamim will pray in ten zoos throughout the Holy Land. They will recite perek Shirah with each animal and bird separately, each animal with the appropriate verse, word by word, thirteen times [the gematria of the Hebrew letters zayin and vav – zoo] with great intent.

This act is known as a proven and oft used segulah as is explained in the holy sefarim. The powers of the holy animals are well known – especially on Shabbos Shirah, and especially this year when Tu b’Shvat and Shabbos Shirah coincide, when the kedushah of Shabbos is co-joined with the kedushah of the day. It is well known that the holy rabbi, R. Ber of Chondalinsk” zt’ l, may his merits protect us, was wont to say: “The pure chirping of a bird is preferable to all Torah and prayer that are not pure.”

Once the monies are given [to the Kupah], the talmidei chachamim will have the following kavanos:

Lion [Hebrew aryeh] which in gematria equals gevurah [strength] – to sweeten the heavenly gevuros – that are contained within the secret of the sweetness of the fruit … and this is especially effective in the tikkun of the sins of gilui arayos.

Giraffe – [Hebrew gimmel, resh, peh, heh] – a tikkun for the 288 [resh, peh, heh] sparks – they will also have kavanah for the name giraffe with the addition of a yud [between the gimmel and resh] which in gematria equals the word rachamim – mercy.

Hippopotamuses [Hebrew hippipotamim]- 276 [heh, peh,yud, peh, vav, tes, mem, yud, mem] in gematria to bring tikkun to the eating of the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge [tov vera - vera in gematria is 276] that is part of the mystical meaning of the New year for Trees.

Fox [Hebrew shu’al] which is alluded to in the last letters of the passuk: b’poel kapov nokesh resha [lamed, vav, shin,ayin] – which is equivalent to the gematria of metzora, which is a tikkun of the fox of the sitra achra who emerges from the Holy of Holies.

When they depart from the zoos, the talmidei chachamim will reflect on the secret of the words v’chol b’hemtom which is equivalent to the gematria of [the name] Mordechai Gross and the words ani imachem b’keri.

Each talmid chacham will be in his selected spot already on erev Shabbos so that we not, chas veshalom, come to violate the Shabbos and they will only select animals who are shomer Shabbos under the supervision of the Committee for Shmiras Shabbos. The animals will also only be those who do not surf, Heaven forbid, in forbidden places, according to the instructions of the Rabbinical Committee Regarding Communications and the Internet.

All of these [arrangements] are in co-operation with the Committee for the Holy Places. [The announcements] are printed on paper [produced] without any fear of chilul Shabbos or requiring genizah or that is [produce] of the seventh year, without relying on the heter mechirah, produce of non-Jews or wigs [made of hair] offered to idols.

After the prayers and recital of the pesukim, a public seudah of fruit will be held as is the custom of Jews in the Holy Halls [of the chassidim] with thirty special fruits brought from distant islands, remnants of those saved from the terrible earthquake that struck Haiti which is located on the bottom half of the globe.

Contribute thirteen times fifteen [tes, vav] at one of the known sites and fill out the attached form.

A ONCE IN A LIFETIME OPPORTUNITY!

DON’T MISS OUT!

THREE SEGULOS FOR ONE PRICE:
TU B’SHVAT
SHABBOS SHIRAH
AND ZOOS!

Common Sense

We all know how severely the Charedi world in Israel judges the internet. I’ve written about it so many times in the past.

The Charedi world has built many fences around itself to protect it from the outside world. Until now it was relatively successful. The internet has changed all that. It is one area that is almost impossible to fence out.

All that insularity is about rejecting and protecting against the values of the outside world. They believe that any outside contact at all will erode Torah values. One of their biggest fears is an erosion sexual mores. The internet can challenge that value in a single moment. We all know what internet pornography has done to people with a propensity toward sex addictions. That’s true even in the secular world.

But it isn’t only porn. It is any contact between the sexes at all that forbidden. Interaction between the sexes at any level will produce serious consequences in these circles. Until the advent of the internet opportunities for contact were extremely limited and rare. But chat rooms have changed all that. That is one reason why there is such a sense of urgency about it. Old walls are coming down.

It is so sad that innocent behavior (a boy and girl having an innocent conversation) in one segment of Orhtodoxy is seen as a serious infraction in another.

How serious? The consequences can be severe. The following story was reported in an Associated Press story in the Washington Post:

In one infamous incident, the family of Israel's Sephardic chief rabbi, Shlomo Amar, had a 17-year-old boy kidnapped and beaten at knifepoint after he became acquainted with the rabbi's daughter through an Internet chat room and later met her unchaperoned.

So friend and neighbors… if you want to know how to discipline your children – there you have it! Just don’t use a knife that is too sharp. You may cut yourself!

The current effort by Charedi rabbinic leaders in Israel is not motivated by such concerns. That was probably their original motivation and though it is still a concern it is no longer the focus. Now it is almost all about insularity and control. Without insularity, they will lose control. That is their biggest fear. Bigger than pornography.

Now their targets are all ‘Kosher’. By Kosher I mean that there is no pornography or anything close to it in websites they frequent. Even pictures of modestly dressed women are forbidden on those sites. And there are no private chat rooms.

Charedi websites in Israel are all about communication and venting. Now Charedim have a place on the internet to speak their minds and vent their frustrations. In doing so they often criticise the rabbinic establishment. This is eroding their positions as Torah leaders. There is also discussion of scandals that the leadership thinks ought to be swept under the rug. They truly believe these websites are eroding Torah values.

It is they who represent Daas Torah and define, articulate those values - and legislate how to protect them from erosion. And that is the way most of their constituents understand it. Only the rabbinic leadership can speak in the name of God. The rest of us may not even attempt it. Doing so risks defying Torah law!

They are our shepherds and we are their sheep.

Israeli rabbinic leaders mean well. They truly believe that these actions are the best way to accomplish their goals of sanctity... that these bans are serving God in the best possible way

But are they really? Is a ban of the internet the only - or even the best – solution to their problem?

In order for me to believe that, I would have to believe that there is unanimity in the Torah world on this solution. There isn’t. Not even all Charedi leaders agree that it is. There is no rabbinic movement to ban the internet in America. Yes, it’s frowned upon and discouraged. American rabbinic leaders have similar concerns to those of the Israeli leadership.

Yes, there are isolated pockets where the internet is banned even in America. Like the one imposed by most of Lakewood school system. But there is no official ban. They realize that its use is so widespread that attempting to ban it would be like spitting in the wind. I’m sure they would if they could. But on this issue they are realists – even though they spare no effort to disparage it in tones similar to their Israeli counterparts.

The Israeli rabbinic establishment has no such inhibitions. They have decided that they are going to fully ban it. A ban that will probably include serious sanctions against violators!

It will not work.

When rabbinic leaders are so clueless about their actual power on this issue it tells me something. They are not leaders. Oh… I’m sure that many of their constituents will adhere to the ban. But I am equally sure that many more will not.

That is a good thing. Knowing a lot of Torah and dedicating your life to serving Klal Yisroel may make one a Gadol BaTorah but it does not make one a leader. That requires a modicum of common sense. Something my father used to call ‘Dem Fiftin Shulchan Aruch’. Without it one cannot lead.

I realize that few if any Charedim in Israel who are influenced by these rabbinic leaders read my blog. But if they did, I would urge them to unite and honor the ban in the breach. And then look for new leaders.

Update on Reuven Ben Tova Chaya

6 years old. That’s how old Reuven is. He was diagnosed with Ewing’s Sarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer, 3 and ½ years ago. Stage IV.

He has gone through multiple chemotherapies and cutting edge orthopedic surgery. His cancer is still there. It is on his lung. Fortunately it has so far not spread beyond that.

He is in the middle of yet another chemotherapy. Doctors know that chemotherapy in his case is not curative. But they are administering it as a maintenance since it has eliminated or reduced his tumors in the past. The problem is the tumors keep coming back. Doctors are buying time in the hope that a new treatment will be developed that will be curative.

In spite of all this, one would never know Reuven is sick. That’s because of the way his family, friends, and teachers treat him. He is a normal kid. In fact he is kind of a celebrity in his class. His friends love him.

Reuven may be a child in years but he is much more than that in character. I never before saw a 6 year old Daven and Bentch like he does. On his own without being asked. When he visited here last I saw him walk into the living room early on Shabbos morning, take a Siddur, sit down on the couch and say Brachos. I don’t think he skipped a single word. Most six year olds wake up and find a toy to play with. Not Reuven. He never has to be told to Daven. My daughter told me that he does this all the time.

Speaking of my daughter she sent out an update on Reuven to friends and family. With her permission I am posting it here.

Dear Family and Friends,

It’s hard to believe, but it’s been almost 3 ½ years since our son, Reuven, was diagnosed with Stage IV Ewing’s Sarcoma, a very serious form of cancer. From high dose chemotherapy and radiation, to multiple surgeries, Reuven has certainly undergone more challenges than the average 6 year old. And yet, his battle is not over. The cancer has come back more than once. But, with the help of Hashem, he is still fighting!

All this being said, we truly feel that we have so much to be thankful for. First and foremost we thank Hashem for carrying us through this challenge every step of the way. Many people have asked us, “how do you do it?” It is Hashem who gives us the strength each and every day to be able to go on and lead a “normal” life.

To our family and friends, how do we express the proper Hakaras Hatov for all that you have done for us both physically and a spiritually? How many times have tears been brought to our eyes upon hearing about Mitzvos that people have taken on or strengthened as a merit for our son! Challah baking, Learning, Shmeras Halashon, Tzedaka, Minyanim gathering at the Kotel at Chatzos Halayla to finish the entire Sefer Tehillim, and so much more!

Many times these things have been done by people we do not even know! And what about the cooking, the babysitting, the hospital runs, the visits, the moral support? Mi K’amcha Yisroel! We could never thank you enough!

And the Tefillah! The tremendous outpouring of Tefillah! We know that each and every Tefillah is savored by Hakadosh Baruch Hu, and they are surely helping Reuven, ourselves, and all of Klal Yisroel!

So now what? It seems that although, Baruch Hashem, his cancer has responded well to chemotherapy, it has not brought about the cure. Microscopic cancer cells have lingered in his body causing him to relapse numerous times. Therefore the doctors feel that we need to search elsewhere for a cure. Reuven is about to start a new Phase I study. This means he will be getting experimental medicine.

No, he is not the first one to ever get it, but it has not been given out enough yet to be FDA approved. It treats cancer differently than conventional chemotherapy. We have no idea how he will respond but we daven that it will be through these means that Hashem, the true Rofei Cholim, will send him a Refuah Shelaima. He still desperately needs our Tefillos! He starts this new protocol IY”H this coming Monday.

They will scan him about one month later to see if his existing tumor has responded to this new treatment. Please continue to intensify your Tefillos for Reuven Ben Tova Chaya.

Once again we thank you all for everything and hope, please G-d, to share Besuros Tovos with you!

All our gratitude,
Menachem (Neil) and Tovi Kirshner

Extolling Violence

Astonishing! That is the only word I can think of that most accurately reflects my reaction to a post on Matzav.com.

Well… it isn’t even so much the post that bothered me. It was after all only a cut and paste form Ynet. It was the comments that upset me. And even more so - the fact that Matzav allowed them.

There was an incident during a Supreme Court session in Israel today. Apparently a madman by the name of Pini Cohen managed to enter the court remove his shoes and throw them violently at Supreme Court President Dorit Beinish (pictured) hitting her in the face, knocking her down, and breaking her glasses while shouting, “You’re corrupt, you’ve ruined our lives. You’ll be corrupt your entire life.’”

Mr. Cohen was quickly removed from the court.

One can have his differences with the Israeli court system. But one may not resolve differences by throwing objects at the judges. Any normal person would easily understand that and condemn what he did.

But not Matzav’s readers. And apparently not Matzav’s publishers either. The comments section is fully moderated like this one. Those comments were read and approved. How sick is it when a Charedi website publishes accolades for this violent criminal from its readership! Here is the very first comment of eight (as of this writing) – all of which so far have similar sentiments:

Kol hakavod to Pini Cohen!

It’s not Pini who should be removed from the court but the self-appointed judge Beinish who thinks she’s above the law and has the chutzpah to run the country behind the scenes. Israel must get rid of this evil witch as soon as possible. She’s becoming a bigger terror by the day and a danger to Israel’s existence.

Whenever I brought up the violence in Meah Shearim, I got bombarded with comments about how those are just hooligans and that vast majority of Charedim are opposed to them.

I believe that.

But Matzav is mainstream Charedi is it not? If this is an example of how mainstream Charedim think judges should be treated - maybe I’m wrong.

Evil Intent or Honest Disagreement?

A lot of people – even Orthodox ones – are upset at Rabbi Avi Shafran. He has certainly taken his lumps on various issues. In my view unfairly so. The latest volley against him comes in the form of wholesale vicious attacks by various bloggers on the subject of the Haitian earthquake. Rabbi Shafran wrote a post about it upon which I commented here.

The perception by them is that he blamed bloggers and other media who write Lashon Hora or ‘evil speech’ for the Haitian earthquake.

I don’t think he really did that. What he did is ask for a little introspection at a time like this and pointed to ‘evil speech’ as a focal point. He gave a few examples of it on the internet, referenced traditional sources, and quoted contemporary rabbinic leaders in support of doing that.

As I indicated in my previous post - I disagreed with him. Not to say that we shouldn’t be introspective on the very issues he talked about, but because of his omission of a bit of self reflection on the part of those for whom he writes.

I reasoned that if Lashon Hara on our part is what aroused God’s anger then perhaps so too may God have been angered by how some of the larger problems in the Jewish world were dealt with by his employers, the Agudah Moetzes. I need not go into a litany of those. We all know what they are.

But the bottom line is that he was not necessarily wrong in asking for introspection by Jews in one area. It was however my view that he erred in omitting that introspection was also needed by members of his own circle as well in areas that are perhaps of greater concern.

He was not really blaming bloggers – even anti Frum ones – for the earthquake in Haiti. He was just saying that as Jews we should try and see what message there is for us as God’s chosen people. What can we do to improve ourselves.

To be fair, it would really be inappropriate for Rabbi Shafran to criticize his employers - especially since he believes in the Agudah motto that one must heed them. And that even if we agree, we must defer to their judgment since via their greatness in Torah knowledge they most closely express the Torah’s Daas.

Based on this alone how could he possibly criticize them?

So I do not really fault him here. My criticism is really aimed not at him personally but at the very Hashkafa of Bitul Daas to the Gedolim of the Agudah Moetzes. That confers defacto – if not dejure infallibility to them. As I have said many times - I do not agree that the final word of Torah necessarily lies with the Agudah Moetzes.

That said, Rabbi Shafran has made some serious mistakes. I’m sure he would be the first to admit that. The most notorious one being that article praising Bernie Madoff for apologizing to his investors for stealing 50 billion of their dollars and minimizing Capatin Sully Sullenberger’s heroic skills in flying and landing a disabled aircraft safely in the Hudson River and seeing to it that his passengers remained safe until they were fully rescued.

Even there he was trying to make a point about the importance of Teshuva but as he later admitted, he made it very badly if at all and pulled the whole post.

There were other issues with which I had serious disagreement. Such as his opposition to the Markey Bill - prposed New York State legislation that would have granted a onetime extension of the statute of limitations for victims of sex abused to sue their abusers and enablers. The views of the Agudah Moetzes which he defended were not unreasonable. I strongly disagreed with him but I never questioned his integrity or accused him of evil intent. We each had good reasons for our respective positions.

At the end of the day, I respect Rabbi Shafran’s views even when I disagree with him. He is a brilliant writer and does a great job expressing the Agudah viewpoint. I truly believe he is an honorable man and 100% sincere in his beliefs. I think he expresses them clearly in all of his writings. Furthermore I actually agree with him most of the time. That is a function of the Orthodoxy to which we both belong.

Daas Torah Vs. Daas Baalei Batim, Redux

Guest Post by Rabbi Yossi Ginzberg

Because there was some criticism of my lengthy preface on part one, I’ll not write one this time. I will, however, again attempt to make clear that while I feel I speak the truth and therefore fear not, this is NOT meant as an attack on the Gedolei Torah, it is an attempt to offer constructive criticism that will allow them to do what they, deep down, must know needs doing.

My own conscience is my harshest critic, and it told me that the previous article could be read as focusing too much on the negative. There’s no great talent involved at pointing out past mistakes. Brains come into play when planning for the future.

That thought was percolating in my mind through a recent exceptionally busy week. Erev Shabbos, as I started to relax a bit, I sat down with a cup of coffee and two Jewish newspapers. One, a very Orthodox one, had as a front-page story the issue of “Toeivah” marriage. The other, a secular Jewish paper, had a letter to the editor referring to the rabbis who spoke out against the YU Gay panel meeting, with the following paragraph: “One would think that rabbis of all stripes would speak out with outrage against those congregants and associates who are found or even suspected to be involved I illicit business dealings and certainly not be willing to accept ill-gotten gains for charities, Shuls, and Yeshivot” (Joyce Lampel Semel, Manhattan, in the 1/8 N.Y. Jewish Week).

The confluence of the two made me wonder about why it was, in fact, possible for so many rabbis and activists (Askanim) to work together quickly and efficiently to combat the looming specter of gay marriage becoming legal in New Jersey, while they cannot seem to work together on other issues that seem to me to be far more pressing needs of their constituent communities. The logistics of getting signators, raising the funds for the ads, designing and placing the ads- all these indicate that when there is sufficient desire, things can get done quickly. This lends credibility to the left-wing anti-frum rhetoric of “when there’s a rabbinic will, there’s a halachic way”. If the Orthodox world rejects this thesis, as I do, why in fact is there efficient movement when it comes to fighting “Toeivah” and not something equivalent for the Agunah situation? For over 30 years, Agunah has been the rallying cry for attacks on Orthodoxy; why not finally deal with it?

Too complicated an issue? I’m being simplistic?

Okay, forget Agunahs. How about a simple pre-nuptial; agreement? If one that is accepted universally is agreed upon and insisted upon by all those who officiate at marriage, the Agunah problem will disappear with time. It’s decades since I first heard that observation, yet we seem no closer to having it in place. Why?

If you’re like many readers of the religious blogs (i.e., you support the bans on TV and internet but have both in your bedroom), at this point you’re likely thinking, “Ah, he’s foolish. We must have Emunas Chachamim (faith in our sages), the Gedolim have been working on these very complex issues for centuries and haven’t found a solution for such serious things. He’s being simplistic and foolish”. The problem is that you’d be wrong. You would be exhibiting the traditional frum response to adversity: Denial. And it’s denial that got us into this mess in the first place.

The thoughts outlined above combined with my guilt over the negativity that I felt leads me to make an attempt to right the wrong by offering not just criticism, but actual examples of what I expect the Gedolim (If you prefer, insert here “The Agudah”, “The Badatz”, “The RCA”, “The Rebbes”, “The OU”, or your preferred choice of who should lead Judaism in the 21st Century.) to do, instead of a list of what they did wrong. Here’s a list of items that could & should be dealt with, that could presumably be solved more easily than the Toeivah issue, and that appear to lack only the rabbinic desire to solve them:

Agunahs- See above.


Appearances

Too often, a reserved stance gives the impression of being stand-offish, and while innocently meant, is perceived as hostile. Among the top 10 Jewish Religious gripes (JW, 1/15/10) is “Self-righteous and judgmental Orthodox”. The Orthodox world would be far better served if Yeshiva students were taught to interact better socially, even while maintaining their separateness. Once upon a time, Gedolim were known to everyone in the town, and were distinguished by their demeanor, greeting people in the street, even non-Jews. Learn from Chabad’s singular success- It’s due to their open and friendly attitude, not their politics.


Acceptable Halachic forms (Living will, shtar chatzi zachar, heter iska, etc)

I once lent someone money using a Heter Iska form I had in my office, issued by a well-known NYC Beis DIn. When it ended up in a Brooklyn Beis Din a year later, the presiding Rabbi said, “I don’t like this form, so I am going to waive all the interest”. While it ended up not making any difference (I never even got the principal back), it could have been a big problem. Why should simple things be so random? I know that any stationary-store lease or other form is good, why should Torah-related things be so uncontrolled? I tried recently to find an Iska form for someone, and found dozens online, but none that were clearly acceptable across the spectrum. Instead, most said, “As per Rabbi Xxxxx”, leaving validity questionable.


Business Ethics

Why does Daf Yomi take such a prominent place in virtually every rabbi’s Drashas and schedule? (Don’t misunderstand- I am pro-daf, and have done the cycle myself several times) Why the emphasis on learning Shemiras Halashon? Would not that very same effort in time, organization, and money have easily solved many of the problems we are speaking of? Even if not that, wouldn’t you think that learning halachic business ethics (halacha l’maaseh) is a better investment of time? It’s the failure to think that way that has led to having authors of seforim behind bars or under dark clouds. 19th century America is famous in Jewish history for having had noted Talmidei Chachamim and authors in far-flung towns where they languished. This century appears to be rapidly gaining a reputation for having the same type of people, but in prisons wouldn’t it be a good idea to replace Daf Yomi (or augment it) with business Halacha in a practical, applicable way?


Combined Batei Din

Another case of “Lo achabar ganva, ela Chura ganva” (It’s not that the mouse is a thief, but that having a hole where he can enter that’s the issue).

The absolutely unorganized system of Jewish Courts is an obscenity. It allows the lowest forms of life to label themselves “Toanim” and do irreparable harm to our people. Chilul Hashems are caused almost daily, corruption stories abound, and it’s a shame. One of the basic seven mitzvos of Bnei Noach is having a court system, yet here we are, a presence in the country for better than a hundred years, and we still have no organized system.

A well-known Flatbush Rav, consulted by someone close to me about whether she should take part in a Din Torah her boss was bringing, told her, “Your Emunah isn’t strong enough to survive a Din Torah”!


Day School Tuitions

How is it that millions were raised for Shemitta support (I heard that $11 million was raised), and Shemittah nowadays is at most a rabbinic mitzvah? We’re not even certain which year Shemittah is! Yet day-school tuition has become a major cause of the plummeting Orthodox birth rate in the Charedi community, despite the relevant Halacha.
Where are the Rabbis to protect our interests, to set priorities? Something must be done to bring this situation under control.


Geirus

This topic has been in the news far too much of late, and is an absolute scandal. The only redeeming factor is that few potential Gerim read the Jewish blogs.
I have no idea why there is such resistance to allowing Gerim in, nor do I understand why there cannot be simple minimum standards set. Certainly all the talk about revoking conversions and so on has created Chilul Hashem on a large scale, and I cannot imagine why there is so much resistance to having a simple printed set of rules that everyone would agree to.
The Torah commandments of kindness towards Gerim should be sufficient reason to stifle the inane impulsive blurts of self-appointed guardians of the faith.


Internet

This is a good example of the Halachic principle of not making prohibitions which will not be observed. The TV ban had very limited success, and TV has almost no redeeming qualities. Banning internet, very simply put, cannot succeed. Far better would be teaching moderation, warning that parental supervision is needed, and constructive ideas of how to minimize the ill effects. Only idiots could think that the major problems facing us are caused by the web: They are just becoming more visible because of it.


Life insurance for frum men

It is with increasing frequency that we see ads begging for charity to support the widow and orphans of Rabbi Xxxxx, who devoted his life to true Torah learning, etc., etc. Why is it that so many look at basic life insurance as a luxury? Especially if you have a large family, this is a very basic requirement, and should be treated as such. The fact that it goes on, year after year, case after case, and not just from unsophisticated Meah Shearim Yidden but from world-travelling Boro Park Jews too, is a sign of total failure to understand basic economics and mortality. Throwing oneself (and even more so one’s widow & children) upon the mercy of the community is a Shanda, and should not be considered an option. Having $2000 Tefilin, a $3000 sheitel, and a silver atara on your talis but no insurance is obscene, and an easily-solved problem. Most men with large families are young enough to buy protection inexpensively.


Limiting Sefer publishing

It’s ironic that two of the recent crop of scandal-producers were both published authors of seforim. While these books may someday be collector’s items, for now they are an embarrassment.

I’ve never even seen either, so I’ll limit my comments to noting that Haskamos, approbations, have become an industry in themselves, and no longer have any meaning at all. Being a published author is no longer the status symbol it was when printing was expensive.

It’s just sad that anyone can print a sefer, and if he finds a fertile field to claim expertise in, have it accepted. Obvious examples that spring to mind are Tznius, where the extremes have become the norm thanks to often-unsourced chumras, and music, where total ignorance of both music and source material was accepted. (I’ll not name names, as that would be purposeless Lash on Hara- Either you know whom I mean, or you don’t need to). Blatant falsification of sources, misrepresentations, and simple distortion is sometimes used in these “seforim” to impose the author’s will on an unknowing religious public that seeks only to better follow the directives of Hashem. The Tznius standards of many schools have been altered to fit the rulings of that “authoritve” text’s author, and recent news includes reports of an Israeli “Hechsher” on music, probably based on bad data like this.


Sheitels

Too complex a subject for here, Sheitels have become so necessary and so expensive that I have reliably heard that theft from Frum stores has become an issue. This sounds vaguely absurd, like stealing Tefilin, but it is apparently happening frequently. When Boro Park girls started shoplifting in numbers, uniforms were imposed in the schools. Perhaps something similar might be called for. It’s not the rabbi’s who are causing this problem, but they are the only ones who might be able to solve it.

The appearance recently of the “Pretty Woman” sheitel style only points out the absurdity. Wearing a sheitel named after a famous hooker? If some gentile wrote a parody implying it, he’d be called an anti-Semite!


Stop supporting criminals

Accept that crime happens, sometimes even done by good people, good people from good families. Accept that the ONLY way to combat it is to stop protecting them, and while it is very sad that their innocent spouses and children suffer; covering up crime only makes it happen more often. This is easily provable: Since the powers that be have greatly reduced media coverage of Frum crime, the rate has increased greatly. As the Mishna says, “Ilmalei Moraah shel malchus….” (Were it not for fear of the authorities, man would live in anarchy)


Takanos (Sumptuary laws)

The rules regulating allowed expenses for weddings and such have a long history, and this would argue for their being a necessary part of Jewish life. Unfortunately, as they exist now, they are simply a mockery, observed only in the breach. I have a plan for a new, more effective, formulation, but it is too lengthy to insert into this post. I hope to submit it on its own soon.


Training

That there are thousands of young men who cannot earn an honest living is nothing less than a disaster. It is contributing greatly both to the rapidly-increasing divorce rate and to the rising Orthodox white-collar crime rate. Not teaching your child a trade is the same as teaching him crime. I realize that things are different from what they used to be, but an honest profession is crucial. The days of pots of money being found in IPO’s, hedge funds, Silicon Valley, real estate, silver, and so on are clearly over.


Tzedaka verification

Several cities have successfully instituted supervision over collectors of charity funds. It’s about time someone did the same for the organizations with big ads and those that claim to be “the” best tzedaka. Are the gedolim really going all out for these places, or are they simply being manipulated into being photographed as if they were?
Likewise with the new-ish “segulah” charities. Do they really go to the Kosel, distribute food, do all that they claim? Do the alleged Gadol endorsers of them actually check at all?

Baalei Batim have done amazing things: Hatzalah, Bikur Cholims, Gemachs of all types, amazing Chesed projects all over the place. When will the rabbinate step up to the plate and do the same?

It’s About the Money

I recently ran a poll on my other blog EvE II about what my readers think is the most important issue affecting Orthodox Judaism in our day. There were 129 respondents.

First the standard disclaimer: This poll was not scientific. I realize that it is not necessarily representative of all of Orthodox Jewry. For one thing the number of respondents is less than a tenth of my readership. And my readership is heavily weighted toward right wing modern Orthodox and moderate Charedim (as per my last poll results). Nonetheless I somehow think that it more or less reflects Orthodox thinking - even if not in the exact proportion that the poll indicated. Here are the categories - in alphabetical order - and the breakdown:

Agunos 0%
Cheating the government 9%
Kids at risk 6%
Poverty 10%
Sex abuse 10%
Shiduchim 1%
The slide to the right 26%
Tuitions 36%

Here is my homegrown analysis.

Considering the fact that every other category has either devastating effects on the family or is responsible for major Chilul HaShem, it was a bit surprising that tuition costs were the number one concern. 36% of those who responded indicated that tuition is the biggest problem facing Orthodoxy in our day.

I suppose that most people realize that most of the other problems on the list are more devastating to those individuals personally affected by them. But I guess when you get hit in the pocket book that is what you feel the most. I also realize that tuition obligations are back breaking to most families. Very few of us pay full tuition. And tuition costs hit everyone (i.e. - those with children). That is perhaps why this category received the greatest number of votes.

$100,000 sounds like a pretty good income. But is it? A typical family like that with say 5 children at a cost of $10,000 (minimally) per child will have a tuition bill $50,000. How many people make $100, 000 per year? And yet - is it even a consideration that such a family pay half of their pre-tax income for tuition? Of course it isn’t. But that doesn’t mean they don’t pay anything. Families like these are asked to pay as much of that $50,000 as they can. That means sacrificing a lot.

Most families make less than six figure incomes and more than a few have more than 5 children. They are squeezed the most. I guess I shouldn’t wonder why parents seem to be focusing on this issue. Financial pressures can break down a family. Squeezing parents like this does not help.

To the average tuition paying parent this is what seems to be on their daily plate. How are they going to be able to afford to pay tuition? How will they be able to live a half way decent middle class lifestyle without maximizing debt – even at $100,000 per year?

And yet from the school’s perspective – how can they ask for less? The teachers deserve to be paid. By not maximizing tuition schools run the risk of falling short in their payroll - especially in this economy where fund raising efforts are being negatively affected.

Of course I have been through all this before. The cost of Jewish education is definitely a major problem for our time - a fact that I have never disputed. And one that seems to defy solution. It’s just that some of these other problems seem to be a so much more serious in the over-all scheme of things.

Is not sex abuse a bigger issue?

Or the poverty that is rampant in the more Charedi sectors – especially among the Avreichim in Israel?

What about Shiduchim? How many young women – and even some young men - are there that are single, desperately trying to get married, and getting older with every passing moment? That population seems to be growing by leaps and bounds in all segments of Orthodoxy.

What about the slide to the right? Doesn’t that affect us all? Taken to its ultimate conclusion, doesn’t living in a world full of isolationism, ignorance, and Chumra scare anyone? On the other hand this category got the second highest number of votes at 26%. But that is still a full 10 points lower than the concern over the cost of Jewish education.

What about the rampant disregard for the laws of the land that result in cheating the government? Is the huge Chilul HaShem resulting form that a cause for great concern? Does that not increase anti-Semitism in the world? That affects all of us.

What about Agunos? OK, I realize that as a percentage of the population they are very small. But what does it matter how small the numbers are when it God forbid happens to you? Can anyone imagine what it is like to be an Agunah? Never being able to marry again? This category received no votes at all!

Last but obviously not least what about the Kids at risk phenomenon? This category does not have small numbers. I’m sure that everyone knows at least one family that has a child who is at risk of going off the Derech – or worse. The numbers are so huge that they have evolved into an entire community of their own. One that some experts say is here to stay. Is that not a bigger problem for Orthodoxy than tuition costs?

Please do not misunderstand. The high cost of Jewish education is definitely an important one. One which I have addressed many times in the past. But I just didn’t realize it was the number one concern on most people’s minds.

I guess I was wrong. And I guess the question now is - what do we do about it?

Notice: I will shortly (hopefully) have a new poll at my other blog and will notify when it is up.

The Blind Mules

The Chicago chapter of the Aneinu Organization is e-mail group that anyone can subscribe to. Here is their description: Aneinu (sends out) names of cholim to daven for or say Tehillim for them to have a refua shelema from (R"L) their injury, illness or surgical procedure, or community announcements or inspiring, uplifting and informative articles.

I was forwarded a message from this group by a subscriber and friend of mine that was both troubling and yet his goal is something that I support. The message in Aneinu was in the form of a letter written by Rabbi Chaim David Yosef Weiss, the Satmar Dayan of Antwerp (pictured). He is perhaps the most dedicated and selfess worker on behalf of those Chasidic adolescents who were arrested and tried in Japan for drug smuggling.

The trial is over; the verdict pending and due around Pesach. He was there for the trial. He has asked that Klal Yisroel strengthen the Mitzvah being Dan L’Kaf Zechus – judging others favorably. In that merit he hopes that God will grant these boys a ‘not guilty’ verdict from the judges in that case.

Just to refresh our memories - these teenage Chasidic boys from Bnei Brak were asked by a Chasidic acquaintance to take a suitcase with them to Japan in exchange for a free trip to Europe. They were enticed by the opportunity to be able to visit the grave-sites of various righteous people -Tzadikim - and pray there. This is a practice Chasidim in particular hold very dear.

When they passed through customs in Japan, they were discovered to be carrying illegal drugs in the false bottom of that suitcase. The boys claimed they didn’t know what was in that suitcase. They thought they were carrying some sort of antiques.

I have always believed that they were telling the truth. They didn’t know that what was in the suitcase. But that is as far as their innocence goes. I do believe that they knew they were smuggling something past customs. That does not speak so well for their character. Stealing – even on the behalf of another for pay - is still stealing. In essence they were trying to steal revenue from the government of Japan by sneaking something past customs. It was on Japanese soil –subject to their laws. That is not a Mitzvah. It is a crime.

That said, I do not think it was a crime worthy of the potential punishment they will get if convicted of drug smuggling. The Japanese do not have a sense of humor about drug smuggling. So I do believe that we should do everything we can to get those boys out of there. They have certainly suffered enough by now for the crime I believe they actually committed.

Up until this point, it seems that everything was done to help them. Hundreds of thousands of dollars have been spent on their legal defense – paid for by donations from caring people. As for Rav Weiss's suggestion - there is certainly nothing wrong with strengthening the character trait of judging people favorably.

But as I read the letter written by Rav Weiss, it had a dual affect on me. On the one hand it was a gut wrenching sincere cry for help for fellow Jews in trouble. On the other hand the description of these boys as cherubic angles made me angry: Expressions like “An inner glow shines from his face” and “these helige bochruim (holy boys) exuding emunah and yiras shomayim” almost had an opposite affect on me.

Why does Rav Weiss consider them so holy? He has in the past described how careful these boys were during their incarceration in Mitzvos Bein Aadm L’Makom – ritual practices like keeping Kosher. They truly went the extra mile in this area. But are they really to be seen as holy and exuding Emunah and Yiras Shamyim?

How holy is someone who thinks that smuggling anything is OK? Just because these kids deserve a break now doesn’t mean we have to embellish the truth and make angels out of them. What message does that send to other young Chasidim? As long as you are Medakdek in Chalav Yisroel and Glatt Kosher meat you can steal from the government? As long as your Esrog is Mehudar you can smuggle things past customs? Only next time don’t get caught?!

Where is the message about Lo Sigzol - Do not steal?!

Unfortunately this seems to be an ongoing pattern these days. Certain rabbinic leaders like Rav Weiss seem to place far more importance on saving the guilty than they do one helping the innocent. Especially when they are Frum in areas of Bein Adam l’Makom.

Unfortunately there are a lot of ‘Frum’ criminals like this out there to choose from these days. I need not list them. They have all been in the news a lot. And so have efforts to save them from justice. According to Rav Weiss - it seems that when it comes to criminals we must all go the extra mile and sacrifice ourselves for them. But when it comes to victims of abuse – well we have to consider the consequences for ourselves before we help them!

It is somewhat ironic that his ‘Segula’ is in the area of Bein Adam L’Chavero. If only that were treated as important as Bein Adam L’Makom in their Yeshivos and day schools; If only - instead of ignoring it - they would emphasize that stealing from non Jews is an Aveira that does not exude Emunah and Yiras Shomayim… maybe this never would have happened.

Like I said, we do need to help those Chasidic teens as much as we can. But please let’s not make heroes out of them and please, L’Maan HaShem - for God’s sake! …let us have a sense of priorities for the innocent over the guilty.

Awakening the Sleeping Giant of Orthodoxy

Guest Post by Baruch C. Cohen

This is the latest contribution from the Orthodox silent majority.

They are no longer so silent. I think that has a lot to do with the Frum blogs like this one that promote and spread our Hashkafos, ideas, and critiques to many thousands of observant Jewish readers who would ordinarily not come in contact with these thoughts. And they do so quickly! And get immediate feedback from supporters and detractors alike. They are getting an education they could not get anywhere else.

The internet has enabled Orthodox Jews to join together in a new world of virtual Orthodoxy. It has enabled people from widely differeing Hashkafos to see what other Orthodox Jews think. Perhaps this is what the Rabbinic establishment fears most about the internet: a challenge to their authority. This new virtual Orthodox community has precipitated an accelerated awakening of a ‘sleeping giant’.

This post is but one more step in the direction of the common sense attitude missing in much of the Yeshiva world. The pendulum is swinging back. And with each passing moment, it seems to be swinging a little bit faster.

The following are Baruch Cohen’s thoughts.

This is an observation that's long overdue.

Rather than being relegated to the rank and status of an "askan" (a frum baal habos who assists in community endeavors), I believe that frum Baal Habatim have a far greater potential to contribute to Klal Yisroel.

There's a sea of frum professionals in their 40's 50's and 60's who've been Koveah Itim - committed to learning every day before or after work - since we were learning in Bais Medrash in the 60's 70's and 80's.

We come from all of the major yeshivos in the Tri-State area and in Israel and have been consistently growing in our learning as well as in our given professions. Some of us were chavrusas with many of the popular Rabbis of today. We share in the same Mesorah that they do. We had the same Rabbeim as they did.

Many of us have daily Chavrusas and have been going to Shiurim for years. We are frum professionals: doctors, lawyers, judges, accountants, CEO's, and owners of businesses. We are financial supporters of Torah. Many of us have completed at least 2-3 cycles of Daf Hayomi and have been learning consistently and in depth for years.

We have successfully fused two worlds together: the world of Torah and the world of a professional career.

It seems that the only time we are seen or heard from publically is at a Sheva Berachos, or at a Yahrtzeit seudah, or at a Siyum, or MC'ing a banquet or our son's Bar Mitzvah. We will be seen learning to ourselves or with our sons in shul. For the most part, we are invisible to the general public when it comes to dissemination of Torah to others. We have been relatively passive or quiet, storing all that Torah knowledge for ourselves.

Perhaps the time has come to reshuffle and shake things up a bit and perhaps we need to start sharing what we know.

If we were to begin to flex our muscles and share our Torah knowledge with others by giving Shiurim, we could have a major impact on Klal Yisroel. Just think what American Jewry would look like in a year, if everyone of these frum professionals starting giving shiurim. Hundreds of new opportunities would unfold within our own community.

It could detonate the biggest wave of Harbotzas Torah ever. It could literally transform and revolutionize our kehilah. Our numbers are many and the ripple effect of this effort could be great and powerful.

As an aside, in every shul, there are guys who appear to be stragglers who don't seem to be inspired enough to learn Torah on their own. What if we would initiate learning with those disenchanted Mispallelim? Torah learning would increase substantially from within our ranks. Our internal core would become more solidified making us stronger.

While people generally need to hear from their Rabbonim on all matters of life, it is my experience as a civil trial attorney, that there are time when audiences are sometimes more receptive to hear from someone like myself. The trial attorney who gives the shiur carries a different punch as the shiur contains a different dynamic. People don't expect shtark hashkafah from such an unlikely source.

There is also a recognition that this guy is committed to learning and didn't forsake it to pursue his professional career. People place a high premium on such balancing. To me, it's a great kiddush hashem when that happens. It sets a great example.

Further, when I present a Torah shiur with the same passion, professionalism, persuasive style and story-telling technique that I employ at trial: with powerful opening and closing arguments and powerpoint presentations, the results are incredibly positive and moving. I see the effects this has on juries, judges and on Shiur goers.

And we don't necessarily need to be experts in giving powerful presentations or shiurim. I have merely read aloud popular Jewish books (ie Praying with Fire or Gateway to Happiness) together with others and the Chavrusas were successful in and of itself.

I firmly believe that we frum Baal Habatim make exceptional role models for the hundreds if not thousands of high school and college-level students who were told that if they do not dedicate themselves to full-time kollel for life that they will be demoted to 2nd class citizenry in Klal Yisroel.

They struggle with the notion that it's all or nothing, and the frum Baal Habas paves his footprints in the snow for them and gives them hope that all is not lost if they decide to not become a Rosh Yeshivah. That their contribution to Klal Yisroel can still be very meaningful and substantial.

Our successes in both disciplines disproves the myth and sets concrete examples of how we can accomplish and not forsake our heritage. That we can work for a living and maintain a very active learning schedule. More of our kids need to see and hear that message.

Finally, when one of our own group steps up to the plate to share our Torah with others, it will have a contagious effect on others as they will hopefully be equally inspired and motivated to do the same ("if he could do it, perhaps I could do it too.")

So rather than sit back and listen to the next shiur, consider shifting gears and offer to give the next shiur, create a new chaburah, start a new mussar vaad, lead a hashkafah discussion group; anything to be Marbitz Torah from our perspective. Instead of sitting and receiving, let's consider standing in front of the shul and transmitting next time around. Instead of reading the next Torah article, write it. The time has come for the sleeping giant of Klal Yisroel to awaken and start sharing its Torah knowledge with others.

I would be interested in hearing your response.

Baruch C. Cohen, attended Yeshivas Chafetz Chaim and is a practicing trial attorney in Los Angeles, California.

The Charedi View of the Tropper Affair

There is an interview in the 5 Towns Jewish News of Rabbi Dovid Ribiat who heads a Kollel in Monsey NY, and is the author of a popular four-volume work on the 39 Melochos of Shabbos. I am not sure of his background or Hashkafos, but based on this interview and the credentials listed therein - it seems that he is squarely in the Charedi camp. The reason this is significant is because we have not yet heard any of the Charedi leadership in America weigh in on the Tropper affair.

This Charedi Rav and Posek did. Sort of. If the allegations are true – a position to which he does not necessarily subscribe - he said the following:

We have discovered a venomous snake in our midst, an immoral individual who abused his rabbinical position and caused immeasurable Chillul Hashem [desecration to the Name], and shame to our community. We in the Torah community must collectively take swift measures to eradicate this abomination from our midst, and to do all in our power to search and root out any other potential charlatans before they can cause their great harm.

This is of course a very positive statement. But I am not surprised by it. I would expect the Charedi rabbinic establishment to say exactly this kind of thing when something like this happens.

However, I am troubled by the over-all tone of Rabbi Ribiat’s response. I do not buy his explanation of reticence on the part of his rabbinic establishment for not vigorously pursuing justice here. Nor do I buy his explanation of the double standard used in explaining the differences between the swift condemnation of Rabbi Slifkin’s books and the near catatonic response with respect to Tropper.

His explanation for the lack of any statement so far about Tropper is that his guilt has yet to be determined. The quick condemnation of Rabbi Slifkin’s books – on the other hand - was based on the printed word. It was there for everyone to see. The guilt was on the page. There was no question about what was being condemned. If Tropper’s guilt becomes established - action will be taken just as swiftly.

Rabbi Ribiat points outs that with a religious Jew one must be Dan L’Kaf Zechus. Tropper must therefore be assumed innocent until proven guilty. Tropper currently denies everything and says that recordings of him discussing illicit sexual acts with one of his potential converts - are a fraud.

Rabbi Ribiat added that members of the rabbinic establishment are not forensic experts. They therefore have no way of knowing whether the recordings are legitimate or not.

The problem with this attitude is that the weight of the evidence against him Tropper pretty huge. It seems that everyone who knows Tropper well and heard those recordings say unequivocally that it is him and that there is no room for doubt. A lengthy phone conversation with a man whose voice and speech patterns that are so very distinctive would be nearly impossible to reproduce with any degree of believability.

Besides - voice recognition technology is pretty sophisticated these days. It should not be that difficult to find a experts with the right equipment to examine those recordings and see if they are a fraud. Why hasn’t this been done yet? This story broke in mid December. It has been over a month. Why the procrastination?

What about the testimony of the Shanon Orand – the Giyores he victimized and threatened to withhold her conversion if she didn’t comply with his perversions? She recorded those conversations? Is she not believed at all?

And the fact that Tropper resigned from EJF immediately after he story broke.

What about the parting praise Tropper received from Rabbinic leaders involved with EJF upon his resignation? Can they have been so naïve about why he resigned? Even if they wanted to be Dan L’Kaf Zechus and not condemn him - why all that praise?

What about the fact that Rav Moshe Sternbuch minced no words in construing his guilt?

What about Rav Aba Dunner’s condemnations? Does this not at least give some pause to Rabbi Ribiat about his overly protective attitude?

And yet Rabbi Ribiat says, “If the allegations are proven to be false, those who perpetrated the slander owe a profound apology, not only to Rabbi Tropper, but also to the entire Orthodox community.” Does he really believe that there is any real chance of that?

Then there is the matter of the response to the Slifkin affair versus the Tropper affair. Rabbi Ribiat claims that the lack of due process is why there has been no comment from them.

But where was the due process with Rabbi Slifkin? Yes his views were published but he was prepared to defend all of his views with sources and approbations including that of his mentor Rav Aryeh Carmel the chief disciple of Rav Eliyahu Dessler.

And yet virtually the entire Agudah Moetzes and every other Charedi Rav jumped immediately on the band wagon and viscuously attacked Rabbis Slifkin’s views as Heresy!

Instead of giving Rabbi Slifkin due process they quickly condemned him based on the opinion of one man – whom they considered to be the Gadol HaDor. A man who cannot read English and therefore could not do any personal investigation. He just relied on what others told him.

But it didn’t matter. There was swift movement. No one dared to contradict the Gadol HaDor and keep his Charedi credentials. No further investigation was necessary. No need to read his books. And certainly there was no way anyone connected to Rav Elayshiv were going to let this ‘impudent little heretic’ try and explain his views to him.

Due process???! The Gadol HaDor had spoken. End of conversation!

I think part of Rav Ribiat’s problem is his veneration for ‘Daas Torah’. He doesn’t use those words but he might as well have:

You have to realize that these are truly great people, completely dedicated to the public.

Translation: Don’t question the Gedolim. They are Daas Torah. That is what is really going on here if you ask me.

The snail’s pace at which the Charedi rabbinic establishment is moving makes it questionable if they will ever really do anything to find out the truth – a truth which I suspect most of us already know.

The Teffilin Bomber

An incident that occurred last week on a USAir flight from Laguardia Airport in New York to Louisville, Kentucky has generated much debate in the Orthodox world. It is synopsized in a Philadelphia CBS affiliate news broadcast that can be viewed in the above clip.

Here is what happened. A 17 year old Orthodox Jew by the name of Calev Lebowitz decided to Daven Shacharis on that morning flight. That of course entailed putting on Teffilin.

Flight attendants noticed it and - unfamiliar with Teffilin - approached the young man and started questioning him about it. He responded quietly and politely explaining what Teffilin are and why he was wearing them.

Nonetheless the flight was immediately diverted to Philadelphia International Airport where it was surrounded of police, FBI, the TSA, and all manner of security officials. They boarded the plane, saw the Teffilin, interviewed the young man and apparently saw immediately that there was no real threat and let him go.

First let me say that this young man is completely innocent of any wrongdoing. He did absolutely nothing wrong. Furthermore I would add that he seemed to handle his predicament with poise and honor in a way that might even be seen as a Kiddush HaShem.

How many of us have Davened in a plane? I have. Dozens of times. Without incident. He was not disruptive, sat in his seat, and did what I have suggested all of us do in similar situations. He did not try to make a Minyan, stand in the aisle, block any lavatory entrance, or in any way hinder the flight staff from carrying on their duties. There was absolutely no commotion at all.

But neither do I feel that the flight attendants and airline officials did anything wrong. They were acting with an ‘abundance of caution’ as one airline official said. I do think they over–reacted but who can blame them in this new climate of underpants suicide bombers?

And yet there are a lot of people very upset at this airline. They apparently see this as some kind of anti-Semitic incident.

I can say with almost 100% certainty that this was not the case. Those who think it was are very angry and want to make an issue out of it. One normally very gentle person I know has suggested we boycott this airline – and make our upset feelings publicly known! They think our freedom was stepped on and if we don’t speak up we will get a lot more of this.

My answer to such suggestions is - God forbid! That would almost certainly turn an overly cautious error in judgment by airline officials into a Chilul HaShem by us.

Are we so ethnocentric that we think that everybody knows what Teffilin are? The truth is that very few people outside of Judaism have ever seen - or even heard of Teffilin. Why would they? What circumstance would they normally encounter where they might learn about them? Most non Jews have no such circumstance. When was the last time anyone saw a non Jew in a Shul for Shachris?

Flight attendants may be a bit better informed about it if they fly out of major cities where there is a large Orthodox Jewish population. But even that is no guarantee -unless they fly international flights to Israel. On most domestic flights Orthodox passengers manage to Daven before or after a flight.

In this case it is obvious that these flight officials never saw and did not know what Teffilin are. They saw a strange item being worn by a man who seemed to be praying. They didn’t know if he was Jewish or Muslim. They just knew that he wasn’t Christian as the vast majority of flight attendants are themselves Christian.

Muslim suicide bombers are usually very religious. The flight attendants see this young man and think ‘What if that little black box on his forehead has a bomb in it – like the Muslim who hid a bomb in his underpants?’ If I were a flight attendant and had never seen Teffilin before I would be just as suspicious. How hard is it, after all, to put some explosive material into a little black leather box and disguise it as Teffilin? That is what I believe happened here.

I am always very self conscious when I have to Daven in an airport or on a plane. I do in fact realize that most people have never seen a Jew Daven before. A non Jew who never saw or heard of it can easily mistake me for a religious Muslim praying before I blow myself up.

What can we do to prevent this type of thing happening in the future? I don’t know. I would suggest that we all try very hard to find ways to Daven before or after a flight. If this is not possible it is probably a good idea to talk to the flight attendants before-hand and explain it to them. If they still forbid it, then it shouldn’t be done. Daven quietly in your seat inconspicuously without Teffilin and put them on after the flight.

In the meantime it would be a good idea if the Orthodox public service agencies like the Agudah or OU contact the TSA and airline officials to try and make awareness of Talis, Teffilin, and prayer part of flight attendant training. In this way the entire problem will be solved. I believe that the Agudah has actually said they were going to do this.

The one thing we should not do is make an international incident out of it. Instead we need to understand what happened, that nobody was at fault, and all get on with our lives. No one is to blame here except Islamist terrorists who have put fear into the hearts of every man woman and child who will ever take a flight anywhere.

I still remember a time where there was no such thing as a security check. In those days, you bought a ticket and got on the plane. That was it. Then in 1970 the PLO hijacked and blew up a plane. That changed everything. Islamic fundamentalists took a cue from that - which culminated in 9/11… and here we are.

Looking in the Mirror

I have recently written that one should not try to attribute the Haitian earthquake to a particular sin. I find it reprehensible when that is done. Some have tried to do that with the holocaust. We don’t know why God does what he does. In my view it is an exercise in self aggrandizement to speculate with specificty about God’s reasons. People who do this think that their agenda is God’s agenda. That’s why one may for example hear that the reason a particular disaster happens is because of Tznius issues.

But that does not mean that we should not reflect on our shortcomings.

Cross-Currents has an article by Rabbi Avi Shafran in which he relates the famous story about how a true Gadol, the Chafetz Chaim, reacted when he heard about a natural disaster like the Haitian earthquake. In his day it was Japan. At 85 years of age he fasted. And he urged introspection and repentance by all Jews.

Rabbi Shafran points out the following:

Jewish religious sources maintain that catastrophes, even when they do not directly affect Jews, are nevertheless messages for them, wake-up calls to change for the better. Insurers call such occurrences “Acts of G-d.” For Jews, the phrase is apt, and every such lamentable event demands a personal response.

Rabbi Shafran then goes on to try and explain that we should see ourselves as the people to whom God directs His messages. I am not here to argue his point. Let us assume he is correct.

Introspection is never a bad idea. I can certainly understand why natural disasters might bring out such thoughts in all of humankind. The idea of ‘But for the grace of God, there go I’ comes to mind. People will reflect about why they deserve God’s mercy and think that perhaps the next time they might not be so lucky. If they don’t repent their personal shortcomings may be seen by God as not meriting protection.

I see no problem with reflecting on one’s own shortcomings at times like these. I believe that much of the generosity shown by people in in times like these reflects - only in part - this kind of thinking.

It is when specific reasons are mentioned by some rabbinic leaders implying the exclusion of other reasons - that I have a problem. Not that those reasons are necessarily wrong. They may in fact be right. But the operative word is ‘may’. We have no way of really knowing what specifically God was telling us. Perhaps He is telling us that our personal behavior needs to somehow change.

Rabbi Shafran also reported the following about the 2004 Tzunami in Asia:

It is a time considered particularly ripe for repentance. After that cataclysm, a revered contemporary Jewish sage in Israel, Rabbi Aharon Leib Steinman, pointed out that the revered Gaon of Vilna identified a particularly powerful merit at this time of year in “guarding one’s speech” – avoiding the expression of ill will, slander and the like.

OK. I can accept that as a general failing in all of us. How many of us can truly say we never violated the Halachos of Lashon Hara? Certainly not me. We should all be looking in that mirror. We all need to improve in that area.

But I would think that there are other issues - perhaps a bit higher up on the list of problems affecting Klal Yisroel that God might just be sending messages about. I have yet to hear any rabbinic leader of any stature say that this is what we have to look at.

The Chafetz Chaim should be their model. He did not tell Klal Yisroel to fast. He told them to do Teshuva. But he went the extra mile and fasted.

This tells me not only of the great piety of the man, but it tells me that he felt the message was directed as much to him as anyone else - perhaps even more so. His responsibility as a Gadol was greater than that of the masses. This from a man who is considered saintly by all! His level of caring for every Jew; his level of personal ethics; his sense of responsibility for Klal Yisroel… he had few peers even in his day. That’s saying a lot if you consider who some of his contemporaries were.

I wonder how many of today’s rabbinic leaders fasted. I have not heard of any although there may have been. On the other hand everyone heard about the Chafetz Chaim's fast. That is no secret. If there are rabbinic leaders today who have done so we should know about it as that would be inspirational for the rest of us. It would send a message about how serious they really are about the issue.

But more than that, I would ask if any rabbinic leaders did a little self reflection on the great issues of our day. Just to list a few: Their ‘learning or bust’ attitude which is in large part responsible the poverty of Avreichim and their large families here and especially Israel - or their slow and tepid response to the victims of sex abuse - or their part in the phenomenon of ‘kids at risk’ which is directly related to how the religious educational system has evolved over the years - or their lack of addressing the core reasons of why so many Jews feel it is OK to cheat on your taxes etc.

If I were a rabbinic leader trying to figure out God’s message, these are some of the things I would reflect upon. This is where my thoughts would be. The Chafetz Chaim fasted. But I would suggest another route for today’s leaders. It should start with a self examination on how they have handled these and other serious matters in the past and how they are going to handle them in the future. That would be a good start.

Does Religious Ritual Outweigh Health Risks?

Rabbi Shlomo Brody has written a very informative article in the Jerusalem Post on the subject of Metzitza B’Peh.

There is a common perception among many Charedi Jews that A Bris Milah – ritual circumcision - is invalid if there is no Metziza P’Peh – oral suction of blood from the area of the wound made by removing the foreskin.

But it’s not true.

The Gemarah that deals with circumcision talks about its various components. The first two are required as part of the actual Bris Milah. It is invalid without them. There is no dispute about that.

The third component is Metzitza – drawing out the blood from the wound. It is discussed in terms of the health benefit. Medical experts of that day understood that if blood was allowed to accumulate at the area of the wound it could turn into puss and kill the infant. Because of this the blood must be ‘drawn out’. Though it was never considered part of the Milah itself it was nonetheless considered even more important to do this procedure than the actual Milah because of the concept of ‘Sakanta Chamira Me’Isrua’ . This is the Halachic principle that it is more important to prevent dangerous situations than it is avoiding sin.

Drawing out the blood at the source of the incision of a Bris Milah is in that category. That’s why Chazal deemed it so important.

Additionally I would note that in requiring observance of it laws the Torah says V’Chai Bahem - and live by them! That is interpreted by the sages to mean we must live by them - and not die by them. In life threatening situations that require violating Torah law we may– indeed we must violate it.

Besides that very important Halacha - the Gemarah does not even tell us how to do Metzitza. However the it was widely adopted procedure was that it would be orally suctioned - by placing the mouth directly on the wound. That has been the practice over the millennia.

The question arises, what if one discovers that there are potential serious health issues involved in this very procedure. We now know that microscopic bacteria and viruses cause infections and disease. A Mohel may be carrying bacteria or viruses and by oral contact transfer the deadly disease to the infant. Can we change a millennia old practice?

The most recent manifestation of this issue came up several years ago when an infant died shortly after his Bris. The Mohel – a widely respected one who had done hundreds if not thousands of circumcisions had contracted herpes. Once contracted herpes remains in the system. When dormant it is not transmitted. The problem is that one is not always aware of whether it is dormant at any given time. It was widely believed by the medical community that infant died of a herpes infection transmitted by the Metzitza B’Peh of Mohel who admitted he had herpes but believed it was dormant at the time of the Bris.

Health officials became involved and there were immediate calls for abandoning Metzitza B’Peh… to the pint of outlawing the procedure. There are after all other more sterile ways of doing it, among them using gauze or a pipette – a straw-like implement where there is no direct contact between the mouth and the wound.

Why not simply do it that way? Wouldn’t it be prudent to adopt these safer methods of Metzitza? I would think that this is a no brainer. And yet the Charedi world mostly insists on it. And The Chasidic world won’t even hear of not doing Metzitza B’Peh. Apparently they consider a Bris done any other way to be invalid.

But is it? I would think that the very principle that requires suctioning the blood out of the wound in the first place should be the one that requires changing the procedure - Sakanta Chamira Me’Isurah. The danger of transferring serious illness to an infant surpasses the importance of doing Metzitza B’Peh.

Rabbi Moshe Tendler felt this way. He advocated outlawing Metzitza B’Peh. For this he was vilified by Charedi critics. He was widely compared to the great anti Semitic ancient Greeks who wanted to do away with Bris Milah in an attempt to completely assimilate all Jews and eradicate all vestiges of Judaism.

Was Rabbi Tendler guilty of that? Of course not. But that didn’t bother those who accused him of it.

The fact is that the alterantive procedures are not new. They date back to 1837 - the era of the Chasam Sofer. Because of a series of deaths to newborn infants he - like Rav Tendler - realized that ‘Sakanta Chamira Me’Isura’ and permitted gauze to be used. Was he alone? No. The Maharatz Chajes endorsed this alternative procedure because it did not contradict the Gemarah in any way. It just slightly altered the adopted method of drawing blood from the wound in a safer way.

What about later Poskim? How did they feel about it? In 1885 Rav Shamshon Raphael Hirsch adopted the pipette method of Metzitza for his community. This method was endorsed by some of the greatest Poskim of that era including Rav Yitzchak Elchanan Spector, R’ Chaim Soloveichik, and more recently Rav Tzvi Pesach Frank.

And yet the suggestion that this be made mandatory in our day is vilified as anti-Semitic. Why? Because Chasidm believe that a Psak by the Maharam Schick is the authoritative one. He forbids any deviation from Metzitza B’Peh – calling it integral to the actual Bris. Of course they ignore that Maharam Schick’s Psak was done in the context of a real challenge to Bris Milah itself by the Reform Movement.

Nonetheless they argue that they have a right to follow whomever they believe. Besides... since transmission of disease has been miniscule and statistically insignificant over the Millenia - why tamper with tradition?

Rav Tendler has always contended that his insistence on outlawing Metziza B’Peh was solidly based in Halacha. That some one who is ‘Machmir’ in this issue in our day is inherently violating the Torah’s mandate of V’Chai BaHem or V’Shomartem Meod Es Nafshosechem. He argued that the danger of transmitting disease is real and that many Poskim over the ages have permitted these slight variations of Metzitza.

I think Rav Tendler is probably right. Tradition pales in comparison to protecting lives, no matter how slight the risk. Why have any risk at all?

Protecting a Child Molester

As most people who have been following this story know by now, the Israeli Supreme Court accepted an appeal by Avreimal Mondrowitz’s attorney. They have denied his extradition to the United States to stand trial for multiple sex crimes.

A more detailed account of events are available in an article by Michael Orbach in the Jewish Star. It was however the following statement by attorney Michael Lesher, an Orthodox Jew and a long time advocate for abuse victims that piqued my ire:

“If prosecuted it [the case] would reveal so much about the corrupt underside of the society he comes from. All we ever wanted was simply for him to come to trial like others accused of such crimes. If he did come to trial we would learn a lot of unpleasant things, but invaluable things. I think there were a lot of people who didn’t want that to happen.”

This issue is an aspect of the Mondrowitz case that many people have danced around. But I think it deserves more than a cursory mention.

First let me say that an accusatory statement like this made out of the blue would be highly suspect. But Mr. Lesher much credibility on this issue. He is a religious Jew and has a Chazaka of Ne’emanus. He is presumed to be telling the truth. Furthermore he is more intimately involved with this case than most of the rest of us. He knows very well what is going on… and ‘who’ is doing ‘what’ for ‘whom’ behind the scenes.

The society Mondrowitz comes from is Ger.

Gerer Chasidim are one of the largest segments of Orthodox Jewry in the world. They have a long history going back many generations. And their Chasidus – perhaps more than any other - has a history of excellence in Torah learning. The Sefer ‘Sfas Emes’ a brilliant commentary on Shas was written by one of the previous Gerrer Rebbes and can be found in virtually every Beis HaMedrash in Yeshivos all over the world.

Like all other Chasidim they look to the Gerer Rebbe as the virtual Gadol HaDor. They don’t call him that because it is not really part of their terminology. But they view him as greatest leader in all of Jewry (as do all other Chasidim of their Rebbe). His word is their command. He is treated as virtually their king and sage advisor They often even see him as a miracle worker. Stories about miracles Rebbes do abound in all of Chasidus. It is the characteristic trait of the Chasidic Rebbe to be looked at in this way.

Their way of life is pretty much based on the values imparted by the current Rebbe and built upon the values of previous Rebbes. Their society is based solely on those values – irrespective of the values of other Jews -even the high profile rabbinic leaders of other segments. For the most part their values are quite high. They are Baalei Chesed who will do whatever they can for a fellow Jew – as is the case with much of Chasidus. They value learning and insist that a lot of time be spenyt on it - but do not see it as a permanent way of life for everyone. They therefore encourage working for a living for most of their Chasidim. That is some of the good stuff.

Sometimes such extreme devotion and loyalty to one man can lead to conflict – as it has in the recent election for mayor of Jerusalem. The Rebbe told his Chasidim to vote for the secular candidate. He won and the Charedi world blames Ger for their losing the seat of power in that city.

That was an outward manifestation of how their society works.

There are however aspects of that society that are far more secretive and some are truly sick - and even corrupt by any civilized standard.

That is the situation with Mondrowitz. He is ‘one of their own’. And as such they feel obligated to protect him from the outside world. The outside world is any secular official or institution. It doesn’t apparently matter to them what an individual is accused of. If he is one of them – he gets ‘protected’.

Do they believe he is not in any way guilty? Are they not aware of any of accusations? Do they automatically dismiss them because they of secular sources? Or perhaps they think what he did wasn’t so bad???!

All they seem to care about is that one of their own faces secular justice and they will not allow that to happen. Nor do they seem to care about how they are viewed in this.

Or do they? Mr. Lesher points out that they wanted to prevent Mondrowitz’s extradition precisely because they did not want the world to find out unflattering things about them. They realize that the entire world – including most of the Torah world –does not view what they are doing here favorably. But they consider what they do as a heroic attempt to defend a fellow Jew.

How can people whose values are so high - justify what they are doing here? They are supporting a sex criminal! They can’t possibly believe that everybody is wrong and only they are right.

How can they not sympathize with the victims? How can they just ignore- not only the evidence - but the many religious authorities - whether rabbinic, or mental health professionals - who believe in Mondrowitz’s guilt and have advocated for his extradition?

How can they protect this guy without even a thought of his possible guilt? How can an internal ‘group bond’ override the safety of their children? Mondrowitz is about to be freed to roam the streets. He will just pick up where he left off – advising adolescents about sex!

The answers to these questions - is apparently what that community wants to hide. They realize that most of the rest of the Frum world will completely reject those answers. When the truth is exposed Ger’s reputation will sink. It will be shown that their Hashkafa protects child molesters.

What a sad chapter for Ger. I used to really respect them.

Welcome to the Gates of Hell

Rav Michal Lefkowitz is considered by Charedim to be one of the Gedolei HaDor. To be honest I don’t know that much about him. Perhaps he has published some Seforim containing great Chidushei Torah or Seforim containing Shailos and Teshuvos... I don’t know. But he is often one of the names one finds at the bottom of a Kol Korei – an edict or pronouncement published in the Charedi media in Israel.

Lately I seem to have noticed his name mentioned a lot. His latest pronouncement is located at YWN. Here is that post in its entirety:

According to a front page article in the erev Shabbos HaMevaser, HaGaon HaRav Michal Lefkowitz Shlita stated the internet’s threat to kedushas Am Yisrael is far worse than the threat from television, adding those using it bring themselves down to a low level, compromising their share in “both worlds” because in this world, the internet takes one down to a low place and of course, the spiritual world to come. The Rav warns that if not brought under control the internet chas v’sholom may result in the loss of an entire generation. Those using the internet separate themselves from the klal bnei Torah, the Rav adds.

The article goes on to quote the gadol hador, who addresses the so-called ‘chareidi websites’, accusing those sites of taking down the entire generation – calling upon every rav in every community to make his voice heard clearly on the matter.

The article goes on to quote R’ Gershon Edelstein Shlita, who relates to the internet as the “opening to the gate of gehenom”.

For the record, I never heard of Rav Edelstein either. It would be quite helpful if someone would inform me why these two names (and many others who are listed as signatories on other edicts) have earned such veneration.

But I digress.

I am not going to repeat my position on this issue. I’ve done that more times than I can count. Suffice it to say that I agree with many but not all of their criticisms - and am completely opposed to their solutions as public policy.

This pronouncement is by far the biggest condemnation of the internet that I have seen to date. It is in line with my analysis of the hard right that I have written about recently. Each successive comment by the hard right is more condemning than the last. And will probably result in increased rejection of Daas Torah by the Charedi masses. (Yes - the core will remain loyal but as I’ve said in the past - I believe that they are in the minority.)

Think about it. If one is to believe that Rav Lefkowitz actually said and believes this - it means that every Jew that uses the internet is compromising his Olam HaBa – and is a Poresh Min HaTzibur who is is participating in lowering Kedushas Yisroel. Even if he frequents only Charedi websites. They are ‘taking down the entire generation’! Those who use the internet stand virtually at the precipice of hell!

No Charedi that ever posts a comment here can possibly agree with that. No matter how right wing he or she is. And yet – this is Daas Torah on this issue. Rav Lefkowitz is not a Daas Yachid here. On this issue virtually all the Israeli Charedi rabbinic leaders are of a single mind. They absolutely forbid internet use!

I am not even sure that Rva Lefkowitz and Rav Edelstein allow it for livelihood reasons. How could they? Is Parnassa a reason to allow one to stand at the gates of hell?

Lest someone say that Rabbis Lefkowitz and Edelstein were only talking to Israelis… I didn’t see them qualifying their comments that way. Hell is hell, isn’t it?

As for American rabbinic leaders like those on the Agudah Moetzes - they never contradict the Israeli Gedolim. Privately they may not fully agree but they never publicly challenge their edicts. Besides, they agree with the sentiments. Americans rabbinic leaders vilify the internet in similar terms even if they never actually ban it.

These rabbinic leaders are not naïve. They know all the counter arguments. They realize that there are good sites available – even sites with much Torah content. And yet they present a virtually united front on this issue. They are 100% four square opposed to it!

You hear that, De’iah VeDibur?

For those who don’t know - De’iah VeDibur is the Israeli Yated’s English language website.

The editor of that website, Mordecai Plaut, in a statement published on the internet recently excluded himself from the ban against Charedi websites. He gave a lengthy explanation of why. I don’t think Rav Lefkowitz buys his explanation. Not after this. Bedsides who is going to access that website? Not anyone who is a member in good standing of the Torah world – according to Rav Lefkowitz.

And yet I doubt very strongly that Mr. Plaut will discontinue it. He knows full well that good and decent Charedim are on the internet to stay. No amount of haranguing in the world is going to change that.

Sure- some people who use the internet may have the will power to quit. And there is a community of Charedim that do not use it and never will. But the vast majority of Charedim do. And they will continue to do so.

Is Daas Torah the wave of the future? I don’t think so. Is it in jeopardy? I think so. You can only cry ‘wolf’ so long before people start realizing there is no wolf.