Issac Balbin mentioned the story of the Holy Belzer Rov's Droshoh in Budapest the night before he fled to then Palestine. It has been written about in the Israeli papers, negatively of course, and was later refuted, or responded to, by Charedim in Israel. I never wanted to mention it since I knew what could arise from starting such a discussion, and I wanted no part of it. I do not like to bad mouth Tzaddikim, believe it or not, and I will not do it here either. However, now that it's been mentioned let's explore it.
The common perception was that he basically said that the Hungarian Jews have nothing to fear, since there will be no holocaust in Hungary and Transylvania. Let's not forget that although Allies of the Germans, the Hungarian Government did not allow Hitler to deport his Jews, although forced labor was in full swing by 1940. So the Hungarian Jews lived in semi-bliss, thinking that here it will not happen, despite the rumblings that told them otherwise. When the Belzer Rov was about to leave for Palestine he spoke in a Budapest Shul. A few lines of that speech were omitted when printed later. Like the Nixon, LeHavdil, tapes that got people thinking, and they said that what was omitted were those words where he "promised" them that no harm would befall them. We all know what actually happened.
Now if you're a supposedly "objective" guy, not one who drinks the proverbial "Kool Aid," you would think that they backtracked and rewrote his speech upon seeing what actually happened, no? That he cut and run when he learned that he had to get out of Hungary immediately? Chas VeSholom to say that, and if you do you're an Apikores!
Would any G-d fearing Jew think that the Belzer Rov would make a promise that would be kept? Would they think that he knew better but did not care as long as he got out? Shomu Shomayim! not in his wildest dreams. Nor would he think that the Gerrer Rebbe, the Imrei Emes, didn't care about the untold thousands of Chassidim he left behind in Poland. Why not? because they know better than to say that about the giants of Yahadus Eyropa. Do they have proof for their assumption? Could it be they were wrong about them, and all they cared about was themselves? (Chas VeSholom) Well, my friends, people like that need to take a good, long, hard look at themselves and come clean. Because once we decide that certain people are guilty based on so-called evidence discovered decades later, then there's no stopping, and no differentiating between this one and that one.
No matter who they may be.
The whole issue of the Belzer rebbe's speech in Budapest (at the train station) is examined and documented in Mendel Piekarz, "Eduyot hassidiyot b'yemei haShoah" (TITLE FROM MEMORY) - published in the last 3-4 years. He shows the text of the original speech; how it was later rewritten; and the angry responses (little known) to the rewriting. Other questions of the accuracy of the portrayal of events in the Shoah in Haredi sources are also addressed.
ReplyDeletepaul, I don't think you get the point. We know of the claimed rewritings, and the claims of "Haredi" (a word which didn't exist then) unreliability. Did you bother to get the point of Tzig's post?
ReplyDeleteWhy can't we respectfully say that even the Belzer Rov had his Ruach HaKodesh taken from him just like all other Tzaddikim who didn't foresee this happening?
ReplyDeleteMy understanding has always been that the Belzer was giving them a Brocha - not a guarantee - and that it was basically understood that it was not possible for Hungarian Jewry to escape, no?
ReplyDeleteHirshel, we all know the truth: The Belzer understood that the real derech of Yiddishkeit (Poland) was close to lost, do you think he didn't undertsand the disaster of a Hungarian mojority of survivors? Just think what it would look like if MORE Hungarians had escaped
ReplyDeleteI saw things the same way as Zez.
ReplyDeletegalicianer
ReplyDeleteit took me a minute to fully grasp the meaning of your statement, and I'm quite surprised that you think this way, even in Chodesh Adar. Unless you're a Bobover.
Hirshel
ReplyDeleteIt's the Bilgarier Rov in the name of his brother.
The fact is that the majority of jews in Budapest survived.
The fact is that there were hardly any visas available for those who would escape. Immigration to Mandate Palestine was controlled, and we all know who got preference (and even they did not get very many visas). Refugees were not welcome in the US, which is why FDR should be called YMS. Canada - ditto. South America had strict quotas, and the list goes on.
ReplyDeleteTherefore, I also believe that the Belzer was stating his hope and giving a brocho.
I make the following comments. I mentioned that issue and I carefuly used the word "alleged". I read it in a very well researched book published by Jason Aronson. I don't have the book any longer so I don't recall who it was by nor the title. Hopefully a learned reader will remind me (I had lent it to Rabbi Chaim Gutnick z"l about 12 years ago).
ReplyDeleteLook, if it's false then there are certainly some questions about the texts that need to be reconciled. If it's true, then I'm not sure you judge anyone at that time. In context though the point I was making was that the truth IS important and it should be reported ... I simply used an example outside of Chabad.
I'm not sure about the author of this blog's comment about apikorsus. The Siman in Shulchan Aruch would be helpful in my understanding that comment.
These people don't know any history. No one knew what would happen to Hungarian jews, not even Horthym, the regent of Hungary, yemach shmo v'zichro. So the freir and maskilim who don't believe in G-d, now blame the Belzer Rov for knowing the future and using his knowledge to escape. What nonsense!
ReplyDeleteWhen I was in Eretz Yisroel years ago, this speech was known even then. Old time Belzers claimed that the Belzer Rebbe said had two other tzadikim stayed in Hungary, they would have been saved. But anyway, ironically as a Snag I have less of an issue with this story. Because I don’t think the Rebbe was promising, it was a brocha/tfillah/hope as all Rebbe promises are. (Including the ones from the new found “litvishe Rebbes’ that have been rolled out on Klal Yisroel lately).
ReplyDelete