Wednesday, August 1, 2007

chalk and cheese


(Reb Don Segal standing at top)

Yisrael Segal is a prominent Israeli journalist and broadcaster. To say that he dislikes Charedim is an undertstatement. He's part of the Ashkenazi elite that would rather there be no frum Jews in Israel. He's also the brother of Reb Don Segal, the former Mashgiach of Ponovezh, and now known as the Mashgiach sans Yeshivah. Yisrael was born to a Frum family - although his mother today would be considered MO - but left the fold. He's spoken many times how he was shunned by his family after Frei'ing out, and how his brother has never spoken to him since. He also speaks here of his father's Levayah, and how then and and at the Shivah he was ignored by them. I guess he yearns for his family's love and acceptance after all. Don't we all.

Recently Yisrael was in a major car accident where he came inches from death. In this article he speaks of the fact that frum volunteers of Zaka (the Israeli recovery team made famous from cleaning up and responding to all those Terrorist Bus bombings and attacks) and the Chevrah Kadisha were at the scene - presumably expecting him to die - and frum Hatzolah responders as well. That's all he sees, not people who tried to save his life, but frum people, people he hates. He's all better now and was recently interviewed in the Israeli and spoke of his troubles with his family etc. In a way we're all like that; I sure am. We see ourselves as members of a group, and all others as outsiders, although we may have alot in common and are members of a greater group. We like our group and maybe tolerate the others, with tolerate being the key word here. So I guess we're not so different after all, us and the Yisrael Segals of the world.



9 comments:

  1. Nu Nu, Tzemach is having a bad day. Here's a comment he deleted, when he took issue with the new Chabad house in Berlin featuring a simile of the Kosel, calling it "skin deep":

    On the issue of skin deep, although you may find this uncomfortable as well, the fact that the skin deep represents full depth is all over Judaism. Just as we cannot ignore that Chabad mont Pnimiyus, and Torah demands BeLev Shalem, you cannot ignore that beginning with the most fundamental concept of Mitzvos as performed in Galus the skin deep is a reminder and will bring us to depth. As the Novi says, Hatzivi Lach Tziunim, that the Mitzvos we perform are only signposts (as skindeep as a representation of a holy wall) to remind us of what the full depth of Mitvos will be when Moshiach comes.

    There are many more examples: The suffering of the animal (skin deep to the one bringing the sacrifice) is a reminder that this suffering should have been visited on the offerer personally. Kinyan Agav Sudar, where land is bought by transfering a kerchief. Mezuzah as a reminder of Hashem's pervasiveness. The cry of the Bais Hamikdosh, "Heir Mizrach ad Chevron", as a reminder of those that lie in Chevron.

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  2. So you are not frum and full of hate?

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  3. great answer. . . I guess that's what you are, after all.

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  4. Please get your facts straight.
    R'Don Segal was never the mashgiach in Ponovizh, he studied there and so did his younger brother Yisrael who left at about 18
    R'Don was the Mashgiach in the Mirrer yeshiva on Ocean Parkway for a number of years about 20 plus years ago.
    He is similar to R'Moshe Wolfsons style and is a big fan of the Shomrei Emunim

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  5. Dear Tzig, I hope you don't mind my continues use of your blog to post a response to Tzemach. If you feel it belongs as a post instead, do your thing.

    The comment below (and the one I made before) are being deleted by Tzemach, the bearer of the standard of truth will out, intelligent thought and free speech. This is in reaction to the fact that he thought I was a particular person, that in fact some commenters wrote this identity on his blog, and that person has denied being me. It's a free world, after all, and he can do as he wishes. But I will hold him to his standard:

    I had no idea who I was outed as, Tzemach had deleted those comments before I read. I never piggybacked on anyone else's reputation, I never refered to that person's pedigree or accomplishments in any way. If you actually go back and read my comments, instead of a knee jerk reaction, you will see that I never played along with any asides about who I am, nor did I encourage Tzemach when he made such asides. I thought it was very funny that everyone was so hung up on who I am, and voiced my opinion that I thought it did not matter in the least - just as in my opinion it does not matter who Tzemach is, although I know who he is, and I will never refer to him in person or based on information he has not written of on this blog.

    As far as Tzemach, to say that my comments are reactive jive are to say that your blog is reactive jive to Lubavitch.

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  6. Hirshel
    When you 'ask' if R'Don was the the mashgiach in Ponovizh are you being cynical?
    Whatever the case, he was NEVER mashgiach in Ponovizh.
    Bichlal he is not the Ponovitzer style.

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  7. Hirshel, I believe Tenka is right, R. Don wasn't masgiach in Ponevezh.

    R. Chaim Freidlander z"l was there.

    You are somewhat knowledgable, but you are not the biggest boki on Snag history.

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