Two Rebbes and a Mashgiach

Bostoner Rebbe of Har Nof

As if on cue, the bitter enmity returns. I don’t really know too much about the Bostoner Rebbe. But I do know that I do not like what he said recently in commenting about the murder of the 3 teenagers last week.

It’s not so much that I disagree with the Rebbe on what he sees as some of the problems. I might even agree with him on some of them. But that isn’t my issue here. It is his decision to use this opportunity to bash the Israeli government. He actually blames them for the murders.

How  so? Among other things he says that God had those boys murdered because he wanted to send Israel a message about the Pride Parade. Those boys were abducted on the same day it was held.  Can anyone imagine how a parent of one of those boys might feel upon hearing something like that?  

That  was followed by a litany of other ‘Avieros’ the government is guilty of – all causes of their murder as a message from God. From YWN: 

Their sanctified bodies were tragically found on the day of the news that the so called Israeli High Court decided that rabbis exceeded their religious and secular mandate when they decreed that a Jewish child has the right to be circumcised. 

Also that same week our interior minister approved the law passed in Knesset, as did all of the coalition members of the prevailing government of Israel, including misguided religious Jews, that doctors have a right, no that is wrong, have an obligation to prescribe ‘death’ medication so that a person may take his own life, this at a time that this same so called high court approved nay in fact obligated the forcible feeding of murderous prisoners who are on a hunger strike. This in order to prevent them from committing suicide by killing themselves. 

And as if that weren’t enough – even more outrageous is his accusation that only fellow religious Jews cared about those teenagers… that secular society didn’t care all that much. I cannot fathom how a Chasidic leader known for kindness and compassion would ever say something like that. And yet – he did: 

Is it not strange that in the Land of Israel while religious Jews prayed for the safety of these three captives (and woe to us if we had not done so) the secular society was busy as well, but not praying or even taking a moment daily to reflect on the perilous situation, they were watching sports. The Israeli media I was given to understand gave greater attention to sports then to care and send a message that there was a mass prayer rally of 85,000 people for sadly as it turns out, the souls of these Kedoshim. 

Really? Did he not hear about what happened at Kikar Rabin inTel Aviv? There were many secular Jews. And here’s the kicker The Prime Minister talked about the animals who did this. Here is what the Rebbe had to say about that: 

What right do you Mr. Prime Minister to call others human animals when your government believes that is what a human being is. Decide, Man is either a superior creature created by Hashem Yisborach or we are exactly that, human animals where the strongest or more determined rule. 

Nice. To say I am disappointed by these comments would be a gross understatement. What happened to the vaunted Chesed the Rebbe is so famous for? He has done so much for the Jewish people both in Israel and in America. He is part of a legendary Chasidic dynasty that has a legacy of kindness and compassion. Where is that compassion now? Even if he is pained by what he sees as a deteriorating moral and religious situation in Israel, is this really the best way to make his point?

But all that is gold compared to what the Satmar Rebbe of Kiryas Joel said. From VIN:

The Satmar Rebbe of Kiryas Joel, R' Aharon Teitelbaum

During the funerals, the parents eulogized their sons, but I think it would have been preferable if they had done teshuva, if they had said viduy with tears, in the nusach that is used on Yom Kippur, to repent for their decision to live and learn Torah in a place of barbaric murderers.

Who gave them a heter to live in a place like that, where they were living among known murderers?  Is there no place in Israel to live and to learn other than in a place of tremendous danger? 

Who gave them permission for themselves and for their children to live and to learn Torah in the midst of the lion’s den?  To put their lives at risk, and the lives of their families at risk?  It is all because of the yetzer hara and the desire for Jews to inhabit the entire State of Israel.  It is Zionism for the mehadrin min hamehadrin.” 

Placing the blame for the deaths of the three teens squarely on the shoulders of their parents the Rebbe continued, “it is incumbent upon us to say that these parents are guilty.  They caused the deaths of their sons and they must do teshuva for their actions.”

I don’t think this requires any comment from me. These comments speak for themselves.

Contrast all that with what the Torah VoDaath Mashgiach, Rav Moshe Wolfson said. From HaModia: 

Rav Moshe Wolfson, Mashgiach of  Torah Vodaath

Yidden were zocheh here to an unprecedented achdus. The entire Klal Yisrael, no matter who they are, participated in tefillah, had a deep interest. This achdus should persist. We shouldn’t let go of it.”

Eyal Yifrach (19), Yaakov Naftali Frankel (16), and Gilad Michael Shaar (16),Hashem yinkom damam, were elevated to the highest levels of Gan Eden since they were killed al kiddush Hashem, said Harav Wolfson, quoting the Zohar. 

The Zohar adds that the Ribbono shel Olam has a cloak and all the persecutions visited upon Klal Yisrael are written on it with the blood of those killed al kiddush Hashem. 

“Those bachurim are on the highest madreigos in Gan Eden now. Their aveirosdon’t count, everything is forgiven…,” Harav Wolfson said. “They are Kedoshim.” 

“On these bachurim there is no [need to have] rachmanus — the rachmanus is on the families, [and] on Klal Yisrael that we are persecuted so much,” he said. 

The outtake from the tragic saga must be that despite the differences of opinion different communities have, we all hold steadfast to that which unites us. 

“There is a lot of machlokes lately by Yidden. This is a message that Hashem wants us to be united,” Harav Wolfson said. “But now that we did manifest such achdus, that achdus should continue in a happy way. We should participate in simchos by Yidden, not be jealous, not have petty arguments, not join parties one against another. Yidden should be b’achdus.” 

“The Ribbono shel Olam wanted [our] achdus. The Ribbono shel Olam should help that we should show achdus in a happy way; we shouldn’t have to [have tragedies to bring out unity].” 

Now that’s the kind of leadership we need a lot more of. The Bostoner Rebbe? The Satmar Rebbe? Not so much.