There is something extremely worrying about the "Psak" from Rav Chaim at the beginning of the video.
Before Rav Ovadia made a ruling on whether the Ethiopian Jews were part of Klal Yisrael, he sent people to their communities in Ethiopia to observe their practices, to speak to the members of the community, and to research their history. This was a process that took many years before he ruled that they were fully Jewish.
Based on the video, Rav Chaim looked at a few pictures of Batei Knesset in Nigeria, was told that they are keeping Shabbos and Mila, and then made a ruling that we should do "Giyur L'Chumra". How can a Psak be made without extensive knowledge of the facts? How can anyone take seriously a Psak made by someone with almost no knowledge of what is being asked?
I don't know anything at all about this community, and if they are descended from Am Yisrael, I am delighted that they are rejoining the Jewish people, however the way that the Psak from Rav Chaim is presented does not reflect positively on Rav Chaim, the people asking the question, or the community in Nigeria.
Just love it when I post a comment and the ptb's determine how I should think and what I should write, otherwise, they do not allow my comment to be posted, as the one I just wrote but is not being published. Freedom rings.
dont know who the powers that be are as I dont moderate comments, and I dont see any comments on this held up as possible spam. so you think google blocked your comment from going through?
Please pay attention. The question that was presented was predicated on Rav Ovadiah's psak that they need giyur lechumra. The only question was whether they should be encouraged of discouraged from undergoing that giyur and thereby joining Klal Yisrael according to Rav Ovadiah's psak. Reb Chaim answered that they should be assisted and encouraged. Where's the beef? It's rarely a good idea to depracate Reb Chaim's opinions. Everyone that reads his books knows that he embodies the Torah at the highest level, in breadth and depth and sensitivity. He loves his fellow Jew, and has a sense of humor, too, though some find it hard to believe. I seem to recall something from Feynman along the lines of "The distance between a person that understands the math behind quantum mechanics and a person that does not is greater than the distance between a man and a monkey."
Eliezer Eisenberg, I don't understand your comment.
In what way is this community similar to the Ethiopian Jewish Community? They live in a different part of the world, claim to be from a different tribe, and were separated from klal Yisrael at a different time in history.
Also, Rav Ovadia's ruling wasn't that the Ethiopians require Geyor L'Chumra, he claimed that they were fully Jewish and didn't require any type of conversion process, a ruling that was rejected by the Eida Charedit (until this day the Eida does not allow Ethiopians to handle wine that is not Mevushal)
It is possible that Rav Haim researched this community, knows their history, and based on the precedent of the Ethiopian community, ruled that we should encourage Giyul L'Chumra, but from the video it gives the impression that he had very little background knowledge and made a ruling based on a few pictures of shuls and some people who assured him that they keep Shabbos and Mila.
Given that Rav Chaim is a tremendous talmid Chacham, this video did not do him justice and gave the impression that he is making a ruling based on almost no verifiable information.
It reminds me of the video of him with a fraudster told him that he was a king of an African State (which happened to be a republic and doesn't even have a king),and based on this mis-information, Rav Chaim made a Bracha Levatola on seeinig a king.
Rav Chaim should be above making such videos which make him appear foolish - as a Talmid Chacham it is beneath his dignity.
Please note his ruling was base after years of investigations. The rabbi’s simple brought him proof of their investigation. I know so have the beef that those who can trace their Israelite heritage to a tribe might be jealous of such findings. Actually, the ruling is a welcome development, but we know who we are. So, whether some doubters believe or not is their problem. By the way, you pray for the return of the exiled back to the land of our forefathers, yet when they show up. You cry uncle? Hypocrite!!!
There is something extremely worrying about the "Psak" from Rav Chaim at the beginning of the video.
ReplyDeleteBefore Rav Ovadia made a ruling on whether the Ethiopian Jews were part of Klal Yisrael, he sent people to their communities in Ethiopia to observe their practices, to speak to the members of the community, and to research their history. This was a process that took many years before he ruled that they were fully Jewish.
Based on the video, Rav Chaim looked at a few pictures of Batei Knesset in Nigeria, was told that they are keeping Shabbos and Mila, and then made a ruling that we should do "Giyur L'Chumra".
How can a Psak be made without extensive knowledge of the facts? How can anyone take seriously a Psak made by someone with almost no knowledge of what is being asked?
I don't know anything at all about this community, and if they are descended from Am Yisrael, I am delighted that they are rejoining the Jewish people, however the way that the Psak from Rav Chaim is presented does not reflect positively on Rav Chaim, the people asking the question, or the community in Nigeria.
Just love it when I post a comment and the ptb's determine how I should think and what I should write, otherwise, they do not allow my comment to be posted, as the one I just wrote but is not being published.
DeleteFreedom rings.
dont know who the powers that be are as I dont moderate comments, and I dont see any comments on this held up as possible spam. so you think google blocked your comment from going through?
DeletePlease pay attention. The question that was presented was predicated on Rav Ovadiah's psak that they need giyur lechumra. The only question was whether they should be encouraged of discouraged from undergoing that giyur and thereby joining Klal Yisrael according to Rav Ovadiah's psak. Reb Chaim answered that they should be assisted and encouraged. Where's the beef? It's rarely a good idea to depracate Reb Chaim's opinions. Everyone that reads his books knows that he embodies the Torah at the highest level, in breadth and depth and sensitivity. He loves his fellow Jew, and has a sense of humor, too, though some find it hard to believe. I seem to recall something from Feynman along the lines of "The distance between a person that understands the math behind quantum mechanics and a person that does not is greater than the distance between a man and a monkey."
DeleteEliezer Eisenberg, I don't understand your comment.
DeleteIn what way is this community similar to the Ethiopian Jewish Community? They live in a different part of the world, claim to be from a different tribe, and were separated from klal Yisrael at a different time in history.
Also, Rav Ovadia's ruling wasn't that the Ethiopians require Geyor L'Chumra, he claimed that they were fully Jewish and didn't require any type of conversion process, a ruling that was rejected by the Eida Charedit (until this day the Eida does not allow Ethiopians to handle wine that is not Mevushal)
It is possible that Rav Haim researched this community, knows their history, and based on the precedent of the Ethiopian community, ruled that we should encourage Giyul L'Chumra, but from the video it gives the impression that he had very little background knowledge and made a ruling based on a few pictures of shuls and some people who assured him that they keep Shabbos and Mila.
Given that Rav Chaim is a tremendous talmid Chacham, this video did not do him justice and gave the impression that he is making a ruling based on almost no verifiable information.
It reminds me of the video of him with a fraudster told him that he was a king of an African State (which happened to be a republic and doesn't even have a king),and based on this mis-information, Rav Chaim made a Bracha Levatola on seeinig a king.
Rav Chaim should be above making such videos which make him appear foolish - as a Talmid Chacham it is beneath his dignity.
Please note his ruling was base after years of investigations. The rabbi’s simple brought him proof of their investigation. I know so have the beef that those who can trace their Israelite heritage to a tribe might be jealous of such findings. Actually, the ruling is a welcome development, but we know who we are. So, whether some doubters believe or not is their problem. By the way, you pray for the return of the exiled back to the land of our forefathers, yet when they show up. You cry uncle? Hypocrite!!!
Delete