It's depressing to watch - these are our leaders and these are their solutions....

Watch it here, (for non-Youtube users)

 The first depressing thing is that N Gottlieb is still on the warpath, not with blogs and such, but with clips and leitzim. It depresses you because who knows what he'll force these poor Rabbonim to do. Nobody wants to be left of this "historic" asifa; they think this is Mihalovic, 1866. Then there are the "brilliant" solutions that some of them offer ------ מה נאמר ומה נדבר, it's poshut embarrassing. But Gottlieb is persistent, he's terribly embarrassed that he even, nebach, has to speak about such lowly things at these meetings, but he's doing it for all of us, he's saving our generations. הצלת הדורות. Don't get me wrong, there's a problem and we need to deal with it, but it's not very reassuring to see what is being done. Maybe the Litvishe Rabbonim asifa will have better solutions. Let's hold our breath and see.

Overheard... Can Lubavitch increase its ranks after this "asifa?"

(Note: names and setting altered to protect the innocent)

 My schedule is hectic, so I tend to get my news on the bus. I sit towards the back, sometimes with a sefer, sometimes with closed eyes, and sometimes I schmooze with my co-commuters. And sometimes I’m too exhausted for anything, and I just sit there zombie-like and space out. It was such a day. In my spaced out state, I happened to overhear the conversation going on between the two gentlemen sitting in the bench directly in front of me. I just had to share it with Reb Hirshel:

 Chaim: “Nice to see you, Refoel. After Sunday’s late night, I wasn’t sure you’d be here. Nu, so what did you think about the asifa?”

 Refoel: “What can I tell you? Honestly, at the very least, I was hoping for some chidushim, but there really weren’t any. It could have been done in half the time. I guess I was disappointed, but the overall issue is important, so if a few more people take the matter seriously, at least for that.”

Chaim: “Yeah. I was expecting a more nuanced position than the “let’s draw a line in the sand” approach. Do you think yeshivos or kehillos are going to take a tougher stand b’nogea internet and technology as a result?”

 Refoel: “Hard to know. It’s funny, on my way home from Citifield, I couldn’t help but think about the whole Lubavitch question. You know, the whole invited / not invited thing. Are they part of mainstream yiddishkeit or something else entirely. All that. And I wonder, since I highly doubt that Chabad would adopt the anti-technology attitudes that were the theme of the asifa, would there be an element of chareidim that would look to Lubavitch and their mosdos as an alternative.” 

Chaim: (Laughing) “I don’t think that’s happening.”

 Refoel: “Me neither. But think about it for a second, if Chabad didn’t have the crazies, don’t you think they might represent a common-sense approach? If, let’s say, their mosdos were essentially the same as ours. Let’s say that the focus on Chabad identity was less palpable, and they were just concerned with chumash, mishnayos and gemara – the way it was when we we’re kids in the early 1960’s – don’t you think people might consider it as a legitimate option? You know, just plain authentic Yiddishkeit with additional common sense, tolerance and thoughtfulness?”

 Chaim: “Oh yeah! I forgot that you learned in Lubavitch when you were growing up. Listen, Lubavitch isolated themselves. It’s a moot point. They may have once had non-Lubavitcher children in their mosdos and kehilos, but those days are long gone. It’s irrelevant.”

 Refoel: “I know. But, if our mosdos and kehilos push people out, where can they go? Many families wouldn’t be comfortable with modern orthodoxy. I assume something new will have to develop to cater to the families that are less extreme. Chabad would have once been attractive to them – in fact, I know Lubavitchers who came from regular frum families like mine, that joined Chabad merely because they were in the mosdos and grew a liking for Lubavitch. But that was a different time. Yeah, I went to Lubavitcher yeshiva, but I never was a Lubavitcher. When we got to mesivta, people like me switched to places like Torah Vodaas and Chaim Berlin.”

 Chaim: “Who knows? Maybe Chabad will look at it as an opportunity to add to their ranks, and seek to accommodate and bring in more frum outsiders as a result?”

 Refoel: “I don’t think that’s too likely, though. They’re just too far apart from us these days.”

Reb Manis' take...

 A little positive spin never hurt anybody, but is he oversimplifying the issue a tad?

 

א נייע שטאטוסקווא.....

I think I've figured out why they're channeling Mihalkovich, Hungary, 5626 (1866) in their literature. They're trying to recreate that! They're going to try and wield the same power that the Rabbonei Hungary did back then. Just like the Rabbonim then decided that "you're either with us or against us," that if you do not join the Orthodox, then even if you're Orthodox you're not.... So too here. Back then if you remained Status Quo you weren't part of Orthodoxy and your shechita was treif and your Rav was as good as Reform, even if you had a beard and peyos to the floor and your wife wore a Burqa. This is apparently what the organizers and the Rabbonim here are trying to do. They want those who have Internet at home, or at least unfiltered Internet, and you all guys with the Blackberries and IPhones, they want you to be considered Status Quo Jews, and thus מחוץ למחנה. That means you're out of the schools, Yeshivos, shuls, your shechita is treif and you cannot be MESHADECH with any Orthodox Jew! (if nothing else does it the shidduch ban will.) Well, maybe not that much, but you're Modern Orthodox and considered as if you have a TV or home, or as if the lady of the house doesn't cover her hair. I'm not sure how they plan on accomplishing this in times like today.

 This is from the "הצלת הדורות" pamphlet which we brought in its entirety last week. As you can well imagine I cannot read all of the literature that I present to you, so I did not notice it then. This particular page was brought to my attention at the end of last week by a very respected individual who was very taken aback by the words that they highlight here and considered them enough of a reason NOT to attend. He considers this very much NOT in the spirit of Toras HaBaal Shem Tov, and thus any person who follows the דרך הבעש"ט הקדוש  - and for whom the בעש"ט is holy and dear - should not attend. I said I would see what he's referring to, and now I see what he means. I'm sort of at a loss here. I know that this חשוב'ע person is not of Hungarian extraction and has never been exposed to this style of speaking and writing. To him all Jews are Hashem's children. There was no "teilung" where he comes from, so he cannot relate. He wouldn't do a shidduch with just anybody either, but this talk of מחוץ למחנה, and similar language REALLY rubs him the wrong way. He also has standards when it comes to whom he'd allow in schools, but it's the harsh language, which many would say is totally unnecessary, that got him so upset that despite the fact that he filters his internet he will not attend and wants others to stay away as well. Is it really necessary to use such language? Am I - and him - the only ones that think that writer here sounds like a very ANGRY man?

Will they succeed?

For the history of the Jews in Hugary see Here

Next we have the famous Takonos that were made in Mihalovitz, Hungary in 1866:
תקנות מיהאלאוויטץ תרכו

exclusive: BREAKING NEWS: Rav Matisyahu Salomon in Israel to invite Reb Chaim Kanievski to Citifield

Here

Sources tell me that the Mashgiach, Rav Matisyahu Salomon, שליט"א, is in Israel, having just landed at Lod Airport. He will make his way to Rehov Rashbam in Bene Beraq to see the elderly Rav Chaim Kanievski, tzu lange yohren. Once at RCK's home he will personally invite him to the Kinus Klal Yisroel, scheduled to take at Citifield in Queens, New York on Sunday, 28 Iyar. It must be noted that the elderly RCK has not left the Holy Land since arriving there as a child, circa 1933. Why then would RMS invite him? Apparently Rav Matisyahu was in Israel a few months ago on another matter and went to see Reb Chaim to receive his blessing. He then proceeded to invite RCK to the gathering that would take place before Shavuous, to which Reb Chaim answered: "איך וועל קומען צוזאמען מיט'ן שווער." His shver is הרב אלישיב, who has been hospitalized for some weeks now, so he won't be traveling to Queens. But that's beside the point. Rav Elyashiv came to Israel as a 10 year boy and has never left either! So we can safely assume that Reb Chaim will not be attending. But Rav Matisyahu is not deterred! He will plead his case before Reb Chaim and get him to come.... Reb Chaim did say that it was incumbent to close the גמרא and attend, but I'm not sure if it supersedes the prohibition of leaving the Holy Land, which Reb Chaim and his shver both adhere to, seeing as they've never left.

Bulletins as they come in...

הריני מוסר מודעה... An apology to HaRav Malkiel Kotler שליט"א

I see now that several Chabad sites have picked up on the story that we broke here. Some of them totally got the story wrong, as is to be expected, and some of them just made this whole story into a Kotler bashfest. This was not the point of the story. I did not intend for every person with a grudge against RMK or his father or zeide to spew out hateful comments. What I meant to show and to "expose" was the fact that the intentions of the organizers was lacking and that a terrible עולה was done to an עדה קדושה בישראל. RMK unfortunately brought that point to light. I don't know him personally, but I have watched him speak, etc. and I also can see that he's simply an eideler Yid, his other qualities aside, and you're right; I don't think he even meant what he said, it's just the way that it came out of his mouth. I don't think they ever dreamed that the Satmar Rebbe would ever ask them about Lubavitch, so they were ill-prepared, and these are the results. So I'm not saying that he's a "hater." And so I apologize for what this story has become. I did not send it around to any of the sites and I intentionally did not put a picture or title that would bring attention to him or RMS. -  Many in Lubavitch don't care, because "זיי שטייען העכער," and that's very noble of them, but that could be because they live in their own little world. The fact is that the name of the Rebbe and all previous Rabbeyim gets dragged through the mud, and I don't like for that to continue.

The fact that an esteemed Lubavitcher representative approached many, if not all, of the organizers and asked for a shred of decency to happen here, and that they'd like to participate in this gathering shows us one thing: that all of the "taynes" that some of you have about Lubavitch not caring about the dangers of the internet  - is baloney. Who cares what a BRHS Principal said on Zev Brenner? Maybe they're just a bit more realistic and truthful than some of the other schools who think that by "banning" that their kids are safe.... But I digress. Don't tell me about bearing grudges against "Misnagdim" if you do the same, and to their faces yet. If you're here to save the Jews from the 5Towns from the dangers then why not Lubavitch? They too need it. They're not as smart as you and need to be educated. They've some very respectfully and asked to be part of it, they did not sit around and wait for RMS and RMK to come to them. A little common courtesy would be nice. And that's what we asked for. I say this with all earnestness -  I think I've earned that little bit of trust from you. I say this all to clear my very guilty conscience, seeing as to how this got out of hand. AGAIN. And if Rav Matisyahu was somehow also attacked by me then I ask his forgiveness as well.

Now let those who need to apologize to the Rebbe and Lubavitch.

על דאטפת אטפוך - Poetic Justice!

My dear friends;

I'm sorry for doing this, for airing our "dirty laundry" here in public, and in English yet! but this charade has to stop. This week's meeting with the Satmar Rebbe is only one example of the exclusionary tactics being used by the organizers of the Internet event on כ"ח אייר, הבעל"ט. You can choose not to believe what I write here, if it makes you feel good, but I know it to be 1000% true. Many efforts were made to get the organizers to include Lubavitch in this asifa. They were all rejected. For all kinds of supposed reasons. All people involved got the run-around, and the end result was that we got the message. Even the Skulener Rebbe said it has nothing to do with him;  "איך בין אן אלטער איד און מען שלעפט מיר ארום". Those were his words. Even supposed friends of Lubavitch that are involved could do nothing. Lubavitch was not wanted here. Apparently some of the organizers, or do we say "THE" organizer from Gateshead/Lakewood, thinks that it's his klal yisroel and he decides who's in and who's not. And this week they made it perfectly clear to the Satmar Rebbe of KJ that they don't want Lubavitch there. That they're not part of Klal Yisroel, to paraphrase R' Malkiel Kotler. This is a kinus for part of klal yisroel, not klal yisroel. Not even all of the Ultra-Orthodox.

In case I wasn't clear enough, here's what happened:

A delegation that included the Skulener Rebbe, one of his sons, R' Matisyahu Salomon, R' Malkiel Kotler and the Viener Rov/Rebbe of Williamsburg went to the see the Satmar Rebbe of KJ this week. I think it was Monday night. They went there to convince him to sign on to the big Internet gathering. They need him, because if he doesn't sign on then his people won't go, and that means thousands of empty seats at Citifield. (which is normal there, from what I understand...) He doesn't want to go or send his people because he deals with the issue in his own way, he doesn't need some darshan for ladies (no offense) tell him what he should do to keep his kids safe. And most of all, if he doesn't call the gathering, he's not going. He doesn't play second fiddle to nobody. So he comes up with a lame excuse about 1866 Hungary, which everybody knows he doesn't believe, but they can't tell him that, because, you know, it isn't respectful. But how does he make that point? He asks them why one segment of klal yisroel, several thousand Jews with black hats, Lubavitch, namely, why they're not invited, why they haven't been asked to sign on to the kol korehs and get their students and fathers to come? So supposedly RMK said something like "they're not part of Klal Yisroel; that even though you daven in Chabad in Palm Springs I would rather daven B'Yechidus if I was in that situation."  So the SR used that to tell them, that just like he does that because he has a mesorah from his zeide and from the late Ponovizher Rosh Yeshivah, so too does he have a mesorah from his zeides.  And his mesorah goes back to 1866 Hungary, not 1946 Brooklyn. (could we have expected him to stand up and condemn that statement?...) And this is what we call "poetic justice." You Litvaks thought you were the ultimate guardians of Jewry? the Satmar Rebbe turned the tables on you and told you what he really thinks of your clean-shaven, sheitel wearing, Agudah-voting sorry selves.

I know, I know, it's Chabad's fault. They isolated themselves. Whatever.


And they're wondering if they should attend...

And they speak about Achdus?!

........מחרימים עדה קדושה

אלע, אלע, אלע

מה ענין מיהאלאוויטץ תרכ"ו לימינו אלה?

.......א נייע פירצה, כינוס כלל ישראל! נאך א מזל אז עס איז דא אינטערנעט איז דא א וועג וויאזוי עס צו באקעמפן


די קונטרס רעדט זיך לכאורה נאר פארוואס "תלמידי וחסידי סאטמאר" וועלן זיך (אפשר) נישט באטייליגן אינעם "אסיפת
הצלת כלל ישראל", אבער טאמער לייענט מען עס גוט טרעפט מען גוטע סחורה דעראין, ליידער. כאטש אז די אזוי גערופענע עסקנים און גדולי ומאורי ישראל זאגען אייך אז ס'איז פאר כלל ישראל איז עס זייער ווייט דערפון. זיי גייען ווייטער אהן מיט די זעלבע אור-אלטע שייגעץ שטיק ווי תמיד, נאר היות זיי ווייסען אז אהן סאטמארע פלייש וועט עס זיין א פאשלא, ווילען זיי שטארק אז דער סאטמארע רבי פון קרית יואל יע"א זאל אנטייל נעמען און זאל שיקן זיינע מענטשן. כ'פארשטיי זיי זייער גוט, און כ'האב קיינע טענות צו זיי, היות אז ס'איז ווי א ביזנעס פאר זיי, מיט זייער ווייניג כוונה לשם שמים. און ווי באוואוסט איז דער סאטמארע רבי גאנץ א קלוגער איד, און ער האט געפונען די ריכטיגע שפראך און אויסוועג ווי זיך אויסצודרייען פונעם גאנצען עסק. גענוצט חב"ד קעגן די ליטוואקעס. קלוג איז נישט דער ווארט! נאר וואס? לדעתי איז דאס נוצען די אסיפת מיהאלאוויטץ תרכ"ו אלץ א תירוץ א באלאני מעשה, און אלע ווייסען דאס, ס'איז נישט מער ווי א תירוץ. די פראבלעם איז נאר אז ס'דא מענטשן וואס גלייבן עס נאך, זיי מיינען טאקע אז דאס איז דער טעם פארוואס מ'זאל נישט גיין און מער נישט. אויף זיי איז א רחמנות.

My thoughts in English concerning a very important point will be coming later today, IY"H.

די זאפטיגע חלק פונעם קונטרס....


כינוס כלל ישראל

לדעתי איז דאס א שאד אויף אידישע געלט

I took this picture with my phone and e-mailed it to myself. I paid $2 for the "נייעס באריכט" newspaper on Friday -  not for  this ad, but mostly for the coverage of the Vizhnitzer Rebbe's passing. Not bad for a "Satmar" newspaper. If you closed your eyes you might think that a Vizhnitzer wrote it...

איין ג-ט ווייסט how much time and money and effort they're gonna spend on this. And it's gonna flop. Bad. There's no way in heck that they fill up that stadium. I appreciate the fact that RMS and the Skulener Rebbe want to save future generations for Yiddishkeit, but I think the short sightedness of many of these same people is what lost them this battle. They never believed it would come to this. They had built a very high wall, and no blackberry or Iphone would breach that wall. Now they're humming a very different tune. The driving force behind this gathering is one Rabbi Nechemia Gottlieb of Lakewood, who was once Menahel of of a Lakewood "Zilberman-style" cheder in Lakewood. Now he saves children from the evils and dangers of technology. I understand he's very persistent and gets his way or else. I wish I knew what he was thinking, first when he rented out Citi Field, and second what a few hours of lectures will accomplish. Will there be some kind of massive bonfire that all BBs will be chucked into? or will all mosdos force all parents to swear that they have no Iphone or internet at home? Or will crack squads be banging on your doors at 2am looking for Smartphones? For that we need CitiField? And how in the world will they fill up that place anyway? The last siyum haShas with all the excitement couldn't gather that many people together, and they had people  bussed in from all over the US! And they think they'll fill CF?!

ב"ה לא אלמן ישראל - עס קומט שוין די ישועה'לע

די "איחוד הקהילות לטוהר המחנה" קאמיטעט איז געזעצן און מטכס עצה געווען. ס'האלט שוין אט אט און אלעס ווייט קנאקען ווי עס דארף צו זיין. מיר וועלן ווייטער האבען א 100% סוקסעס
אין אונזערע היימישע מוסדות RATE .

מ'גייט מטהר זיין די מחנה פון די אלע אומגעוואונטשענע עלעמענטן

אינעם בילד זעהט מען ווי דער גבאי/שמש פונעם סקולענער ביהמ"ד שרייט אהן דער געהיימער בילדער-כאפער וועלכע האט זיך אריינגעכאפט אינעם ווייבער שוהל און האט געכאפט בילדער פון די העכסט-געהיימע אסיפה

אין די צווייטע בילד זעהט מען איינער פון די פלאקאטען וועלכע דער איחוד האט געהאנגען אין אלע בתי מדרשים. לויט ווי מיין קליינעם שכל פארשטייט עס איז אינגאנצען דא איין אויפפאדערונג אין אונזער דור, און דאס איז דער טריפה'נעם טעכנאלאגיע. די אלע סקאנדאלען וועלכע זענען לעצטנס נעבאך מעשים בכל יום זענען - זעהט אויס - בלויז פאלשע קלאנגען, און אויף דעם פאדערט זיך קיינע אסיפות.... אויב אזוי איז זייער פאסיג די קעפל פונעם היינטיגען "פאסט," ווייל דאס
 איינציגער פראבלעם פונעם "יהדות החרדית" ווערט אט אט געלעזט

לא אלמן ישראל ווייל מיר האבען רבנים גאונים און צדיקים וועלכע האבען די פינגער אויפ'ן "בלוט-דרוק" פונעם ציבור און ווייסן גענוי וואס און ווען צו טוהן

ברוך שחלק מחכמתו ליראיו

.

א רוף צו אקשן - דעת בעלי בתים

asifah-shabbos-blettel-8

שוין לאנג נישט געזעהן ווי דאס הארץ ווייטאג פון אחב"י, די א.ג. "עמך אידן", ווערט אזוי גוט אויסגעדרוקט ווי אין די פאר בלעטער. זעהט אויס אז מ'האלט שוין נאנט, זייער נאנט, צו "קריסת המערכת" ווי דאס איז ביז היינט. ווער ווייסט אבער ווי ווייט און ווי טיף דאס וועט גיין ווען די מערכת וועט אונטער גיין, ר"ל. ווייל א מערכת מיט אזעלכע שוואכע יסודות, און מיט לופט אונטער די שוואכע יסודות, קען זינקען גאר, גאר טיף, אזוי ווי מיר זעהן שוין היינט