Feb 24, 2009

the Case of the Body Snatchers

Wanna know what a chillul hashem is?

When stories like this happen, and, as they always will, get out to the general press, that is a chillul hashem.


Heck - they were worried that someone would steal the Rosh Yeshiva's body before the funeral, because they are fighting over who should be the next Rosh Yeshiva? Is there anything right about that?
I know the fighting has been going on for a while, with different camps pushing their rosh yeshiva as the real one. You can look at it as an issue of kavod, or you can look at it as an issue of kavod hatorah.

But to let it get to the point that you have to be concerned that someone is going to steal a body waiting for burial? How can that level of fighting be considered fighting for kavod hatorah?

Letting it get to that point is a classic example of chillul hashem.

13 comments:

  1. The Seredei Aish's body was stolen during his levaya and buried somewhere else than he wanted

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  2. why? was it because of a fight over who would take over his position or because there was an argument where he should be buried (which might be considered kavod ha'meis)

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  3. This is why I left affiliating with ANY religious circle.

    Marx was right - "Religion is the opium for the masses" , however he should have added "...in an OVER moderate amount where you completely pull yourself out of the world and dont care about your brothers around you"

    BTW, I was forced to shut down my blog to numerous threats.

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  4. what kind of threats? people knew who you are that they could threaten you?

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  5. It was over where he should be buried.

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  6. scroll down http://michtavim.blogspot.com/
    to see the שרידי אש story

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  7. Please tell me this is a joke.

    Well, maybe please tell me this really for real.

    This would be the final nail in the coffin for my giving any respect for anything establishment-orthodox, ever.

    I have many many reason to suspect they are all of #$^@* but they still do a good job pretending and always have some BS terutz.

    There is nothing to say here.

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  8. In an unrelated matter....

    There was a svora amongst some right wingers before the last elections that they should vote BiBi to ensure a right wing government. And not the Livni.

    It should have been obvious before but certainly is now (i.e. the Nolad has been born!) that likud would do everything possible to abandon it's right wing principles for the sake of being viewed as 'normal'. Livni as FM Barak as DM, loads of policy influence, etc.

    Say, 10 likud seats went to Ichud Leumi. (not that this was possible, but just an illustration)

    There would not be enough mandates even with Likud/ YB/Achora combined. (59)

    There would be no choice but to make a RW government.

    Livni would still not be PM since she would have no chance of forming a coalition. Even though she 'won' by 11 mandates.

    We forget that this is coalition government not a 2-party system.

    Just a lesson that I hope is learned by next years elections.

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  9. Let's calm down. Stealing a body, especially to use it as leverage to become a Rosh Yeshiva (or to support someone's candidacy for such a position), not to mention of one of the foremost Yeshivot in the world, is despicable. However, you're overlooking a few things:

    (a) From the byline, this was reported in "24 dakot", which is more of a trashy tabloid than a source of news.

    (b) It doesn't say who suggested locking the body in the room. It could have been the police, or even one officer or a low-ranking gumshoe, who imagined that such an eventuality would take place (say from his experience with underworld figures or other shady characters). So he insists on locking up the body in a room due to his (perhaps unfounded) suspicion.

    (c) The article does not say that either side threatened to steal the body.

    Put (b) and (c) together, and what do you have? Presto - an article which is at technically accurate, and put chareidim in a bad light. The newspaper can't be sued for slander, since they didn't suggest that either side of planning anything. Yellow journalism at its best.

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  10. Yoni's right - I hope!

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  11. they forgot to take the keys to the safe deposit boxes out of his pockets...

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  12. one of the foremost Yeshivot in the world

    Why "foremost"? I haven't heard of any great accomplishments from the Ponovich Yeshiva recently. Maybe they used to be among the foremost, but now they seem to just stuff the yeshiva full of mediocre students to the detriment of the few excellent ones that potentially could be among the next generation of gedolim.

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  13. Anonymous,

    Wow. You just blew away my whole thesis!

    Realize that something being "foremost" is largely in the eye of the beholder. The fact that you have a low opinion of the place does not change the fact that many people still consider it highly.

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