On July 15, Rabbi Yaron Reuven posted a video on YouTube. He ranted against Lord Rabbi Sacks, Rabbi Efrem Goldberg, myself, and others, insisting that we are resha'im and heretics. And, as we know from his previous videos, he believes that heretics deserve to be executed, and he says that if it wasn't illegal, he would kill them himself.
At the beginning of the video, there is an animation of the logo of the Rabbinical Alliance of America (RAA), otherwise known as the Igud HaRabbonim. I don't know whether this means that the video is officially co-produced by the RAA, but it certainly is intended to look that way. It's followed by a picture of Rabbi Reuven's rabbinic ordination from the RAA. And in the description of the video, it highlights that Rabbi Reuven is a proud member of the RAA, and gives a promotional announcement for this organization.On July 16, the RAA issued the following statement:
For Immediate ReleaseOh, the irony!
The Rabbinical Alliance of America Issues an Urgent Call for the Restoration of Civility and Respect in These Challenging Times
The Rabbinical Alliance of America — Igud HaRabbonim, representing over 950 American rabbis — issues an urgent call for the restoration of civility and respect in New York City in these challenging times. Disagreement, even vehement disagreement, must take place within the boundaries of constructive debate. In order to improve society, we must make a future in which we can live together. Violence moves us farther away from that goal.
(Igud HaRabbonim can be contacted at Rabbi@Igud.US)
So much for that whole "am chacham venavon" thing . . .
ReplyDeleteThanks to CoronaVirus, you can listen to or watch many community rabbis online where in the past you would have had to sit through their synagogues for their words of wisdom.
DeleteIn an earlier post you mentioned that Torah Anytime had removed Yaron Reuven. It appears that they have also removed Rabbi Efrem Goldberg.
ReplyDeleteI think we should search far and wide for anything that any rabbi says that we find offensive and launch a *crusade* to have them cancelled. It's all the rage to behave like that now.
DeleteThe irony here is perfect. It is truly mind-boggling that they allow him on their list of rabbi despite the obviously offensive hate speech. IMHO he is a disgrace to the whole Jewish community.
ReplyDeleteI used to be a fan of Mizrachi and Reuven. Now I do not even know how some people can call him "rabbi."
Would anybody like to scan through the last sixty days of Daf Yomi for some, ah, 'obviously offensive hate speech'?
DeleteI know how you feel. This happens to me every time I see the name of a Chovivei "rabbi".
DeleteI am not getting involved with name calling and fights, but you make it as if the statement that "Heretics deserve to be executed" is beyond the pale.
ReplyDeleteLearn Shulchan Aruch & RMBM. While we don't do it today, he is NOT coming from left field. In the times of the Second temple, they did do it. Learn to not attack people for things that are sourced.
מֵאַחַר שֶׁנִּתְפַּרְסֵם שֶׁהוּא כּוֹפֵר בַּתּוֹרָה שֶׁבְּעַל פֶּה [מוֹרִידִין אוֹתוֹ] וְלֹא מַעֲלִין וַהֲרֵי הוּא כִּשְׁאָר כָּל הָאֶפִּיקוֹרוֹסִין וְהָאוֹמְרִין אֵין תּוֹרָה מִן הַשָּׁמַיִם וְהַמּוֹסְרִין וְהַמּוּמָרִין. שֶׁכָּל אֵלּוּ אֵינָם בִּכְלַל יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאֵין צָרִיךְ לֹא לְעֵדִים וְלֹא הַתְרָאָה וְלֹא דַּיָּנִים [אֶלָּא כָּל הַהוֹרֵג אֶחָד מֵהֶן עָשָׂה מִצְוָה גְּדוֹלָה וְהֵסִיר הַמִּכְשׁוֹל]
Oh, I'm well aware of that Rambam. I will be discussing it in a future post.
Delete"This is Nathan Slifkin. Please get me the Apologetics Office on line 1."
DeleteAnd if he reaches out to the apologetics department so what? Judge RNS's approach when he delivers it.
DeleteWhy doesn't the RAA strip him of his ordination? If they can give, they can take away. It is done to other people who say or do crazy things. But will they? More than likely not. Part of it is the mistaken notion that all Jews are at their core, holy. Like I mentioned before, the rabbis on reuven's and mizrachi's hit list should sue them for a good chunk of money. Hit them in their pocket books and it will stop them. They will not love you...but they did not love you in the first place, so there is no loss. Only gain.
ReplyDelete"Oh, the Irony!"
ReplyDeleteYou know what's even more ironic? That a guy who cant stop wailing about his book being banned, is perfectly happy to muzzle someone *he* disagrees with. Oh, the irony!
Yeah, it's nutso. I mean R Slifkin wrote stuff relying on Rishonim that we don't pasken like. That's practically the same as saying that other Rabbis should be killed. Probably worse.
DeleteMoreedim v'lo maalin
ReplyDeleteTime for NS to twist the words of the ancients again into his so-called 'rationalist' religion.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree that violence moves us farther away from that goal.
ReplyDeleteCan we list the names of rabbis who have objectively done bad things and had their "rabbi" title stripped by the granting organization? Anyone? Even one, maybe?
ReplyDeleteUS Reform Judaism has such a list. The CCAR ethics process has been criticized, but at least they do have some results: https://www.ccarnet.org/ccar-expelled-rabbis/
DeleteIt's very clear that R Slifkin is distorting the Torah to bend it to the modernishe pseudo-orthodox views of those who apologize for the unbelievers, like the notorious left-wing "Rabbi" Avrohom Yeshaya Karelitz.
ReplyDelete