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Jan 23, 2008
Shas protests the real offense to Judaism
Shas has today protested a very serious offense. They posted on their website an article written by one of their Rabbonim (I was alerted to it by an article in this morning's newspaper) protesting the behavior of a new Israeli television show.
Israel's Channel 10 recently developed an Israeli version of the reality show "Survivor". In Hebrew it is called "Hisardut" which means, "Survivor". It seems to be a bit of a hit based on what I have read, but the show itself does not interest me and I have never seen it.
The issue under protest is that the contestants who are stuck on some island (I always doubt whether these things, even though they are called "reality tv" are actually real -are they really on an island somewhere? they are probably on some set in the south where it is sunny) have no regular food to eat. In order to survive, they eat anything they get their hands on - from bugs to snakes to crabs to worms to milk from the stomach of wild jungle animals.
Shas protests the public support given to activities that go against Judaism. The writer even compares it to Survivor in the US which, he says, had some Jewish contestants on the show. When they found out they would need to eat these types of creatures, they resigned from the show (is this true? I have no idea).
The best paragraph of the article, which I will translate here, is: "In other words, we are talking about people who for wealth and money are willing to sacrifice one of the most basic concepts that has made Judaism unique through all the generations and to corrupt the minds of thousands of simple Jews without them even knowing."
Right... remind me why Shas has not yet left the government despite Olmert and Livni publicly announcing that Jerusalem is under negotiation? So far they have held out for a ministry (money), and now they are waiting for increased budgets (more money), etc.. A basic tenet of Judaism - Jerusalem - is being given away under our noses, because some people are trying to amass money..
They find, once again, the important things to protest..
Israel's Channel 10 recently developed an Israeli version of the reality show "Survivor". In Hebrew it is called "Hisardut" which means, "Survivor". It seems to be a bit of a hit based on what I have read, but the show itself does not interest me and I have never seen it.
The issue under protest is that the contestants who are stuck on some island (I always doubt whether these things, even though they are called "reality tv" are actually real -are they really on an island somewhere? they are probably on some set in the south where it is sunny) have no regular food to eat. In order to survive, they eat anything they get their hands on - from bugs to snakes to crabs to worms to milk from the stomach of wild jungle animals.
Shas protests the public support given to activities that go against Judaism. The writer even compares it to Survivor in the US which, he says, had some Jewish contestants on the show. When they found out they would need to eat these types of creatures, they resigned from the show (is this true? I have no idea).
The best paragraph of the article, which I will translate here, is: "In other words, we are talking about people who for wealth and money are willing to sacrifice one of the most basic concepts that has made Judaism unique through all the generations and to corrupt the minds of thousands of simple Jews without them even knowing."
Right... remind me why Shas has not yet left the government despite Olmert and Livni publicly announcing that Jerusalem is under negotiation? So far they have held out for a ministry (money), and now they are waiting for increased budgets (more money), etc.. A basic tenet of Judaism - Jerusalem - is being given away under our noses, because some people are trying to amass money..
They find, once again, the important things to protest..
Labels:
culture,
Judaism,
kosher food,
Shas
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זה נבלה וזו טרפה
ReplyDeleteThis is carcass and that is non-Kosher...
תרתה משמע
In all aspects!!!
wich basic tenet of judaism is jerusalem?
ReplyDeleteI don't know about you, but I daven three times a day for the rebuilding of Jerusalem... not for the division and destruction of it...
ReplyDeletethat is for starters...
I'll say it till i'm dead - power, power, and more power, that's all they want.
ReplyDeleteRafi, Shas said publicly that if Jerusalem is mentioned in an agreement, they're out. Don't think for a moment that they don't care about Jerusalem. It makes good blog posts to villify Shas, but the truth is that they care a great deal about Yerushalayim. And, yes, they're holding out for the money for Talmud Torah, which is Keneged Kulam, until the right moment to leave if things get bad.
ReplyDeleteDo I agree with this approach? Looking in from the outside, I don't - since who knows how far this slippery slope of Olmert's talks can lead.
However, I trust the leadership of Shas that they're making the right decision, based on the benefits of staying in the govt.
yaak - this is what happened last time. they let Oslo happen for money.. and look where that led us..
ReplyDeleteit happened by the disengagement with UTJ and Mafdal... they stayed in government saying when it gets serious we will pull out... then the government already had their deal and it was too late by the time they pulled out. I do not trust shas to pull out at the right time, because Olmert has already said he is negotiating Jerusalem so it is already too late.
Remember the passuk says bribery corrupts the righteous...
yaak,
ReplyDeleteטוב לחסות בה" מבטח באדם
טוב לחסות בה" מבטח בנדיבים
A delegation of prominent rabbis including the Rabbi of Jerusalem's Old City, Rabbi Avigdor Nibenzal, the Rabbi of Rehovot, Simcha Hacohen Cook and the rabbi of the Temple Institute, Rabbi Israel Ariel, held a meeting with Rabbi Chaim Cohen, also known as the " Milkman". Rabbi Chaim Cohen is considered one of most respected rabbis in the haredi sector.
The rabbis arrived at Rav Cohen's house in Tel Aviv in order to get his opinion on Shas staying in the coalition.
The "milkman" announced that Shas must withdraw from the government immediately.
"We are dealing with an issue of 'saving a life' in Jewish law. If Shas was not in the government every part of the Annapolis peace conference process and the discussions surrounding it about concessions on Jerusalem would not have happened," he told the assembled rabbis.
Rafi,
ReplyDeleteYou say that they're doing it "for money", and you compare it to "bribery". Has Veshalom!
The money is being used to support the poor and Yeshivot. So, as long as no deals were made, I can understand the leadership's position on it. Do I agree with it? No, as I stated earlier. But, please try to understand it. You say it's already too late. I believe that it's not yet too late, but it soon might be. Let's hope that they do something about it soon.
Nava, I agree that Shas should leave from a position of Piku'ah Nefesh. However, the Council has decided that so far, it hasn't reached that point. The Halban's position and Rav Ovadia's position both have merit. It's a Mahloket Lesheim Shamayim. I stated what my position is, but who am I among the giants?
I am trusting in Hashem, Who gave wisdom to our Torah sages to make correct decisions.
How do they even know whats on tv?
ReplyDeleteYaak said "You say that they're doing it "for money", and you compare it to "bribery". Has Veshalom! The money is being used to support the poor and Yeshivot.",
ReplyDeletewhere do you get that if bribe money is used for financing your yeshivot then it is not a bribe???
Kings 2: Chapter 2;14-16:
ReplyDeleteיד וַיִּחַר-אַף יְהוָה, בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, וַיִּתְּנֵם בְּיַד-שֹׁסִ(ים), וַיָּשֹׁסּוּ אוֹתָם; וַיִּמְכְּרֵם בְּיַד אוֹיְבֵיהֶם, מִסָּבִיב, וְלֹא-יָכְלוּ עוֹד, לַעֲמֹד לִפְנֵי אוֹיְבֵיהֶם.
14. And the anger of HaShem was kindled against Israel, and He delivered them into the plunderers, who plundered them; and He gave them over into the hands of their enemies round about, so that they could not any longer stand before their enemies.
וַיָּקֶם יְהוָה, שֹׁפְטִים; וַיּוֹשִׁיעוּם, מִיַּד שֹׁסֵ-יהֶם.
16. And Hashem raised up judges, who saved them out of the hand of those who plundered them.
y,
ReplyDeleteYou know what a bribe is - and this is not it. This is staying in the government for the purpose of supporting Kollel families with children, yeshivot for learning, etc.
This is not Robin Hood or the Spinker Rebbe. Please don't dare compare them that way (I know you didn't, but I know someone wanted to).
I hope and pray that a wealthy philathroper will solve these problems so Shas can leave the government.
Quite simply, there are material excesses by some which are corrupting the true meaning of Tzedakah. The pasuk says, "the poor will not disappear from the land." Since the Torah was created prior to the world - the Mitzvah of Tzedakah also preceded the creation. This means that the poor (and the rich) only exist to fulfill this Mitzvah. This is the will of Hashem. The G'RA comments on the pasuk, "Zion will be redeemed through Tzedakah", that this means until the homes in Yerushalayim will be "equalized" between the poor and the wealthy; that they are not ostentatious and all have the most modern benefits (not expensive trim and furnishings, etc.) the redemption will not come. This indicates that we are constantly involved in the most serious of Aveirot. Our selfishness has become resistant to the most fundamental of Mitzvoth - Tzedakah and hastening the coming of the Mashiach.
ReplyDeleteCat's out of the Bag...
ReplyDeleteIn case you are wondering why Political Party SHAS (Slashing Heavenly Authority Services) insists staying inside the corrupt Kadima government and the truth behind Lieberman's reasons leaving the government , Arutz 7 has the answer:
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/125032
...Jericho casino with the help of former Shas Chairman
...casino as one of the most corruption-laden aspects of the Oslo Accords.
...Olmert, Rashid met at least six times – the last meeting included Shas Chairman Eli Yishai
Better yet, how about protesting the nutjobs in RBS (which maybe they might actually have some impact in controlling? Which is the bigger chillul hashem, fellow Haredim using mob violence to enforce a Jewish Taliban state, or hilonim eating shellfish on a reality show? What wonderful priorities these men have.
ReplyDeleteBesides, why should a great sage such as R. Yosef even KNOW about Survivor? Doesn't he have important texts to be expounding? Who told him about TV? Next he'll start yelling about these newfangled gadgets called horseless carriages.
friar - the article was not by Rav Yosef and it did not quote Rav Yosef. It was written by a different Rav one I never heard of before) in Shas. I think I read somewhere he is a teacher in a school or yeshiva, but I might be remembering incorrectly.
ReplyDeleteHow does he know what happened on Survivor? don't know, but he might have read about it, or seen a commercial in a public area for it. It just so happens that the same day I saw the article I was in the train station and they have these televisions they put up (no audio) and there was a commercial for Survivor running and they showed people eating bugs.. so maybe he saw it in a train station..
Shira,
ReplyDeleteAnd yet last I checked it was still his party...presumably they run these things by him before they release them.
Anyway, it seems a little incongruous for a group of people who shun television to be protesting something on television with such, shall we say, detail?
And of course by Shira I meant Shifra. Sorry!
ReplyDeleteFriar - on your first point, I don't think everybody who writes an article for a paper first passes it through rav Yosef for approval. I highly doubt it, actually...
ReplyDeleteSecond, possibly..