When we think of Rabbonim and Tzaddikim the term איידלקייט usually comes to mind - or at least should. We take it for granted that the fact that this Yid sat and learned Torah for decades and "worked" on his middos made him something special, somebody we can all learn from and strive to grow up to emulate. Yet, for some in theJewish world what makes a Tzaddik is if he has the "breitkeit" to attack and belittle other groups of yidden. The above announcement was featured in the Israeli Yated this week and condemned another Israeli paper, which to the Yated readership is considered not as frum because it doesn't answer to the Gedolim like the Yated does. It condemned the paper not because it went and wrote about a non-kosher issue, or condemned Rabbonim for lack of action on issues, no. It condemned the BaKehilla Newspaper for going to the above Godol and asking him questions about the upcoming Elul Zman, stuff like how to instill Hasmodoh in bachurim, terrible stuff really....
However, it seems like the fact that it was published in a newspaper somehow - according to the warped logic that's seems so prevalent in Bnei Beraq these days - makes his words impure and unholy and deserving of such ridicule. Words like "a pig who shows his split hooves." Very nice. I know very little about this Rabbi Weintraub, he's not one of the big ones, and it seems like not many others heard about him either. Here was one of the responses on the popular HydePark forum BeChadrei Charedim as to why we need to care about what this man says, despite the fact that many think that the fact that he's been practically blind for many years would probably preclude him from making statements about newspapers, unless he's got "people" feeding him all kinds of lies:
אולי לכמה טיפשים שאינם שייכים לציבור החרדי הרב וינטרוב אינו מוכר אבל מי שחי בתוך הציבור החרדי ב20 שנים אחרונות יודע בדיוק מי זה האיש
הוא האיש שלחם בגבורה נגד חב"ד
וזהו האיש שלחם נגד כת נדל {בני שכינו}
וזהו האיש שבכל בעיה השקפתית בציבור שלנו תמיד הוא היה הכתובת
וזהו האיש שכשיש מחלות וסיבוכים הוא הכתובת האחרונה
וזהו גם האיש שבקי בכל חדרי התורה נגלה נסתר בעומק עצום שבסתמא לא היה לזה אח ורע במאה השנה האחרונה
וזהו גם האיש שלא נהנה מעולם הזה כלום כלום
מלאך ה' צ'
ולכן אינני מאחל חיים קלים לאלו שבזים לו כאן אנא לטובתכם סורו מהר לביתו לבקש את מחילתו שלא יאונה לכם רע
His first claim to fame is that he fought Chabad. In Bnei Beraq that seems to be enough to qualify you as a Godol. I wonder if they write that on Matzeivos too. Like "Shliach of the Rebbe."
Ain't my gedolim. There's an old story about someone asking R' Feinstein whether one can take a Jewish Press into the bathroom. This was before they "reformed" or whatever. He responded that the real question is are you allowed to take it out. I don't know if I would insult my bathroom by taking this trash (the yated) into it lhatchila.
ReplyDeleteHe is an American
ReplyDeleteI understand that R. Weintraub was close to the Lubavitzer rebbe in the 1940's and may have even studied Sifr Kabbola with him , and then got disenchanted.
ReplyDeleteHe is very well known. The fact that he did not hold of the rebbe puts him in some rather august company, and does not bear any negative connotation to the many Charedim who are not followers of Chabad. The rebbe used some very, very strong language about people he did not like either. For example, he looked at those who looked askance at him for his famous teshuva on sleeping in a sukkas as messnagers of the satan. That is quite strong, too. Obviously, that is not a negative thing in your mind. So, why would others be compelled to look at this differently, but for political reasons?
ReplyDeleteDo you know what this announcement was about?
Schneur
ReplyDeleteHis claim to fame in the Misnagdig Benai Berak is, that he was in Chabad and left, But somehow nobody in Chabad knows him maybe he passed CH on the number 3 train
RYEW is an old-time Chaim-Berliner who went to EY and became a big-time machshava-mekubal guy.
ReplyDeleteHe has shown poor judgment in the past on a number of issues, IMHO.
Nonetheless, I don't see what the problem is with his actions here. Two guys fraudulently got an interview for a paper that he doesn't hold of, by concealing the fact that they were reporters. As a result, he feels it necessary to inform his public that he does not endorse their paper. Very reasonable.
Tzig-
ReplyDeletedon't recoil from conformity in Charedi rank-and-file while demanding it among Gedolim.
Not every godol is in the wouldn't hurt a fly , gentle as a light summer breeze mode. Think Kotsker, think Satmar Rebbe, think Rav Yaakov Emden.
Remeber the khazal about noikem v'noiter k'nokhosh?
I know him. Much of what the chadrei commenter writes is true, though saying he was peerless in the last 100 years is a bit hyperbolic.
Perhaps even cheshever is his sister in Boro Park who's been holding both her TK kol yomov-nik husband, many kids AND brother (Rav Weintraub) zeh arboim shunuh plus.