I'll get to the point.
Last week's edition of the "b'Sheva," a leading newspaper of Israel's religious Zionist community carried a full-page ad on its page 7.
The ad reads as follows (translated from Hebrew):
To Our Honored One and Our Friend
General Ya'ir Naveh
(May the Lord preserve and keep him alive)
A blessing has been sent - Be Strong and Courageous!
We have not forgotten your sacrifices, your integrity, the strength of your spirit,
your correctness in offering up soul and body
for the sake of the Land of Israel, Torath Yisrael, and the Jewish People,
in every place at all times and in every hour.
We stand by your side during the uneasy times
you and your family are experiencing, we salute you
as those who know how deserving you are of appreciation
and at times our silence speaks.
Don't let it get you down.
In the name of loyal friends
Rabbi Aharon Binah
Rosh Yeshivat Netiv Aryeh
The Western Wall Plaza
Now, for those of you who do not know the above players, let me introduce them to you. Then you will know how it is that I am so incensed by the absolute absurdity of this full-page ad.
He holds the ultimate responsibility for other, similar actions.
His home in the city of Givat Shmu'el next to Tel-Aviv has served as the venue for on-going protests of his actions. He has also been called to task by the nascent Sanhedrin (Highest Rabbinical Court). His presence was requested to explain his actions, as their hallachic (Jewish legal) justification has eluded the Sanhedrin, based on the available information. On the contrary, his involvement in expelling Jews from their homes, appears to the Rabbinical Justices to be in violation of Hallachah.
Maj. Gen. Ya'ir Naveh refused to answer the summons to appear before the Rabbinical Court.
Oh, and did I mention that Maj. Gen. Ya'ir Naveh is a kippah-wearing, religious Jew and product of a yeshivah high school?
Enter "Rabbi" Aharon Bina...
The opinion of many rabbis that such orders violate Hallacha, and thus compel soldiers to refuse them, has not appeared to move Gen. Shtern. Although, I could be mistaken....
After Gen. Shtern's appearance at a Yeshivath Netiv Aryeh event, he made his way down to the the Kotel (Western Wall), where he was chatsised and called some rather choice descriptive nouns, by at least one hakham, of whom I am aware.
So, when Aharon Bina invites Gen. Shtern to his yeshivah, what are we supposed to think?
We are supposed to judge Aharon Bina with kaf z'khuth (the benefit of the doubt). But this Jewish blogger is finding that increasingly difficult to do.
What the hell Aharon Bina was thinking when he placed this ad, I have no idea.
But, I'm not surprised.
As it will said from here on out...
Thus is loyalty to the state...
Related Stories:
Sanhedrin-Related Web Site Claims..., 4 Shevat 5767/Jan 23, '07
Expelled Yesha Jews Invited to Kenesseth, 18 Marheshwan 5767/Nov 8, '06
Twenty Handed Administrative Orders Without Trial, 27 Tishrei 5767/Oct 19, '06
IDF Manpower Chief Harassed at the Kotel, 13 Tishrei 5766/Oct 16, '05
11 comments:
If you want to know what he is thinking, then you should ask him.
Perhaps he might have had a very good reason for doing what he did.
Unlike everyone else attacking him, I decided to find out for myself, so I went to the Old City and asked him straight out, not knowing what kind of response I would get.
I am satisfied with the answer I received, and no I will not publicize it.
Ya'aqov, I agree with you. There's something rotten, and joe, if it can't be easily pubicized, then it can't be too good.
B"H On the whole, Joe, I think you're making a fair comment. But, like I mention above, I am finding increasingly difficult to give him the benefit of the doubt. With regard to Naveh, when I have Rav Yisrael Ariel, Rav Re'uven Hass, Rav Yehudah Edri, Rav Ido Elba, and Rav Hillel Weiss on one side and Aharon Bina on the other, it's just not rocket science for me to know to whom I am going to listen.
Gee, Rabbi Bina who influences world policy has placed an ad showing support to a friend he has known for decades, for whatever reasons.
Yup, that's right there on the level of Rice. Idiotic responses like that don't do you justice.
As for the Sanhedrin, I think they are beginning to believe their own press releases.
Whatever the level of some of the people involved, their authority extends only as far as to those people who actually accept their authority, and that is far from even approaching a significant minority in the the religious community.
I'd like to see them first definitively and decisively tackle some real, controversial, religious, halachic issues, and then see public reaction and how many people actually comply with their decision.
B"H yishuv ha'aretz IS a serious hallachic issue. This is an example of how the Torah is not politically-correct, yet absolutely correct. Supporting a friend may be a nice thing to do. But, when that friend has commited such crimes (see above post) centering around the canceling out and otherwise disregarding of misswoth, such support is nothing less than condonding such crimes. At the very least, Naveh has refused to answer the summons to appear before a beth din of such high calliber (Sanhedrin members or not - makes no difference if one does not accept the Sanhedrin's authority). Such an offense often carries the penalty of nidu'i. Naveh is a mamlakhti one who confuses the authority of the Israeli government with the authority of Torah.
What kind of message are we supposed to understand from Aharon Bina?
I wonder which brother is bigger.
Ariel's brother, Ramat Gan Chief Rabbi Ya'acov Ariel, said he had nothing to do with his brother's actions.
"That decision is not based on halacha," Ya'acov Ariel said. "It was politically motivated."
What kind of message are we supposed to understand from Ariel's own brother?
B"H The issue is sources. Rav Yisrael Ariel et al. provide hallachic sources for their opinion. I would be interested in seeing Rav Ya'aqov Ariel's sources to counter his brother's opinion.
Rav Ya'aqov's decision does not surprise me at all. His highly mamlachti stance on the pinu'i of Yamit and his previous interest to become Chief Rabbi are only two reasons why I'm not surprised. But, that's irrelavent.
What are the sources which he uses to back up his opinion?
geez louise.
none of the rabbis in question - not r' bina and certainly none of the pseudo-sanhedrin members - have any kind of weight in halakhic decision-making. rav yaakov ariel is recognized as the greatest living posek of the dati leumi community.
i'm with joe (and you can see what i wrote on this as well). funny how sultan assumes that it's r' bina who is being 'told what to think'.
B"H Adderabbi, according to whom is R' Ya'akov Ariel the greatest living posek in the le'umi word? Plus, I'm still waiting for his sources. Perhaps you could help find them for me.
There are clearly two "le'umi" communities (with many in the grey area of course) the Torani: those who recognize the true authority in the Land (& Universe), and the Mamlachtim: those who bow down to the medina, and find ways of mipalpel away the stiroth between Torah and Israel Law, or just plain old ignore them.
Check out the new "I Hate Rav Bina" Blog at http://ihateravbina.blogspot.com. I studied at his Yeshiva, and I could not have had a worse educational/spiritual experience largely due to him and his influence. I've got plenty of material, so check the blog regularly.
The purpose of the blog is 1) to act as a forum for people who had terrible religious experiences in the year in Israel between high school and college; and 2) to caution kids going to Israel about the dangers of oversubscribing to religious authority.
If you went to Hakotel/Netiv Aryeh and you have similar feelings, feel free to email me at elisha.moshe@gmail.com and I'd be happy to consider adding you as a co-blogger/guest blogger.
Elisha, I have mixed feelings about posting your link, but am willing to see what happens with your blog.
I hope that you looked elsewhere, and didn't just get so turned off that you gave up.
I know so many who have.
I like www.machonshilo.org, because Rav Bar Hayim is clear, doesn't make you feel idiotic for asking questions, and backs up everything he says with halachic {not hashqafic} sources, and is not afraid to speak with people who disagree with him.
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