The politics surrounding the asifa were a bit juicier (asisi in Hebrew). Women were disinvited by request of some hassidic groups, some hassidim wanted other hassidim disinvited, some were invited as guests but not invited to speak and present, the Modern Orthodox communities felt slighted by not being invited despite the event being called an event of unity, the organizer of the asifa is an accused abuser etc. etc. etc.
The two most interesting aspects of the asifa that I have seen are these:
1. Rav Matisyahu Solomon went to Israel to garner the support and direction of the Israeli gedolim.. He actually invited Rav Chaim Kanievsky to fly to American to attend the asifa, considering how important it is and as a way of showing the public how important the gedolim consider it. He did so despite knowing that Rav Chaim Kanievsky, like his father-in-law Rav Elyashiv, does not leave Eretz Yisrael.
Rav Chaim Kanievsky reportedly responded that he would be there and he would bring his father-in-law (Rav Elyashiv). Rav Solomon asked how he would bring Rav Elyashiv (considering how Rav Elyashiv has been laid up in a hospital for the past months), and Rav Kanievsky responded that the same way he would be there, in spirit, he would bring his father in law as well, but they would not be able to attend physically as they don't leave Eretz Yisrael.
Sounds to me like Rav Kanievsky has a bit of a sense of humor..
2. Rav Solomon also invited Rav Shteinman to participate, and offered to fly him in by private plane. As well, he invited the Gaavad of the Eida, Rav Tuviah Weiss and offered him a private plane as well. It seems that some have protested the invitation to Rav Shteinman, as they consider him problematic due to his support for the Nahal Haredi unit in the IDF. Rav Weiss could not fly together with Rav Shteinman because of that, so they each needed to be offered separate airplanes. Being as that neither has yet committed to flying in, sitting at the same dais together (even at opposite ends) is unlikely to present a problem.
While ironic that a public display of unity has to overcome such crazy fighting and discord among different groups, like a family feud of mountain people, unity is looking for the common threads we share with each other and learning to respect (or maybe ignore) the differences...
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"Rav Solomon also invited Rav Shteinman to participate, and offered to fly him in by private plane. As well, he invited the Gaavad of the Eida, Rav Tuviah Weiss and offered him a private plane as well. It seems that some have protested the invitation to Rav Shteinman, as they consider him problematic due to his support for the Nahal Haredi unit in the IDF. Rav Weiss could not fly together with Rav Shteinman because of that, so they each needed to be offered separate airplanes."
ReplyDeleteIs this really true? If so, my comment is: And they wonder why some people don't respect the rabaim? Let them respect each other, and maybe people people outside of their world will respect them.
Rav Weiss could not fly together with Rav Shteinman because of that, so they each needed to be offered separate airplanes.
ReplyDeleteWe need a second asifa to process the shameless sinat chinam surrounding the first asifa. That one I'd actually fly in for!
Check your facts. I think the MO were invited, but were not interested.
ReplyDeletethe MO were invited to be guests, but not to present (speak). anybody is welcome to buy tickets and be a guest, including the MO. The MO as a group said no thank you to that offer. The info was published a few days ago by the source on the YGB (Rabbi Bechoffer) blog the other day
DeleteI just checked the RYGB blog again. The source said they were invited to participate. i dont know if they were offered to speak or to have a seat on the dais. I know others claimed that they were only invited as guests, but not as active participants. i dont know which is more accurate, but that was not my point. Just that there was a lot of discord during the stages of who would be coming and involved in what way.
DeleteThis is exactly the discussion I wasnt interested in getting involved in.
> Rav Weiss could not fly together with Rav Shteinman because of that, so they each needed to be offered separate airplanes
ReplyDeleteOnce upon a time when the British were trying to negotiate between the Arabs and the Jews in the 1930's and 40's they had to hold separate sessions because the Arabs would not sit at the same table as the Jews. Now we don't need enemies to need separate sessions.
An important objection has been regarding the obscene amount of money being spent on this. At a time when families and communities can't afford to educate their children, renting Citi Field and all the other expenses is a real misallocation of resources. If they could raise over a million and a half dollars just for site rental, etc., they should have raised it for education, or maybe feeding the poor, or creating jobs.
ReplyDeleteFrom what I hear, even amongst the Charedim, few are going voluntarily.
ReplyDeleteMany of the "Gedolim," Roshei Yeshiva, and Rabbonim who will be there were pressured to do so. They, in turn, will pressure their "followers."
It seems that the goal is to make sure that the seats are filled, not that the right people will be reached.
I would guess that if YU Roshei Yeshiva were invited -- and given a role both in the planning and the speech-making -- they would be there. The fact hat this has not happened -- and will not happen -- tells you a great deal about the lack of achdus here, other than the most superficial kind: Bragging Rights, only for show.
A presence there by Rav Shachter -- a REAL presence, as one of the speech-makers -- would have sent a strong and needed message both to the Modern Orthodox world and to the Yeshivishe oylam that poo-poos the dangers of Internet.
However, that was not to be, for it was more important to include busloads of Yiddish-speaking Chasidim and Lakewood right-wingers, neither of whom has internet and both of whom would have boycotted the event had Rav Schachter been honored.
It's a good thing that Rav Chaim is not going. Although he could have flown with either Rav Shteinman or Rav Weis w/o a problem, how would he choose one over the other without embarrassing the one who lost out?
ReplyDeleteOnly solution would have been a third plane -- and another $100,000 to cover it.
Willing to pay for two private planes!Next time anyone collects for any cause, I'll send them to those awesomely generous and irrespoinsibly might I add, donors.
ReplyDeleteAn openly published standard should define what technical characteristics a halachically acceptable filtration solution (software, outside service, etc.) must provide. The standard should have input from both qualified poskim and IT professionals.
ReplyDeleteOne or more independent, professional testing organizations not beholden to vendors or other interested parties, and with known protocols and personnel, should test proposed solutions against the standard and then openly report the results.
Since the internet and available communication devices change so often, the standard and the testing have to be updated as regularly as necessary. A vendor can't rest on his laurels from an old round of testing.
Any rabbinic recommendation of a filtration device or method should refer to the test results and also have a time limit for renewal, just as a hechsher for food does.
All vendors, including those outside the Orthodox or general Jewish communities, should be able to offer their filtration devices and services for consideration.
Im glad Rav Chaim didn't go. Its a big waste of time and this won't change anything. Why not gather for something positive. It would be a chillul hashem to leave Eretz Yisrael for this.
ReplyDelete