Monday, December 24, 2018

Lakewood: What Have We Got? על כבודי לא מחיתם


בס"ד

!!!!על כבודי לא מחיתם

Lakewood:  What Have We Got?

               A town of 100,000, many families, tens of thousands of children and the variety of institutions that cater to them. Most families (mine included), to various degrees, give their children assorted vaccines. The schools always insisted that all their students be vaccinated. However, no school got full compliance as some families do not subscribe to vaccination. They've been dubbed Vaxers and Anti Vaxers. In the last few weeks Lakewood had over 100 children barred from their respective schools due to an outbreak of Measles.

In some instances, this step was taken at the behest of teachers banding together threatening to walk of the job if unvaccinated children are permitted to attend school. In other instances, the school administration acted on their own.      As of this writing, they are still unwilling to vaccinate. As a result, they remain out of school.

We see in the gemara (sanhedrin 110.): When Korach and his assembly rebelled against Moshe Rabeinu, the sun and the moon said before Hashem, “רבש"ע if you render justice for Moshe then we will go out and illuminate the earth. But if You won't we will not illuminate the earth.” Until Hashem hurled arrows at them saying to them, “בכבודי לא מחיתם בכבוד בשר ודם מחיתם” when all the kings of the east and west don their crowns and they bow to the sun, you didn't protest. When the Jews bowed to the egel you didn't protest. For My honor you didn't protest, but for the honor of a בשר ודם you do protest?

The same objection “בכבודי לא מחיתם בכבוד בשר ודם מחיתם” with much more serious consequences is also in the gemara (sanhedrin 103:). At the end of sefer Shoftim we learn of a civil war between shevet Binyamin and the rest of klal Yisroel who were upset that shevet Binyamin refused to help pursue the perpetrators of the crime known as פלגש בגבעה. Klal Yisroel asked if they should go to war with shevet Binyamin. Hashem answered in the affirmative.

However, the first two days of war cost Klal Yisroel 40,000 people. The gemara says this tragic result was on account of פסל מיכה. Hashem said, “בכבודי לא מחיתם בכבוד בשר ודם מחיתם”. At the affront of My honor when פסל מיכה was set up you did not protest. Yet at the affront to the honor of flesh and blood you did protest.

I'm afraid that the רבש"ע's cry, “בכבודי לא מחיתם בכבוד בשר ודם מחיתם” is staring us in the face. We in Lakewood have certain positive traits that make us truly shine. At the same time, we have a number of issues plaguing our town. Technology related breaches, Sheitel and other dress code standards infractions, talking in shul, loshon hara, and bitul Torah, are some subjects that are spoken often about. There is a certain level of compliance on all these issues from the community as a whole as well as on the individual level. But there is a way to go. Yet not once did we band together – for Hashem's sake, to force compliance.

Never did we crackdown to get 100% compliance of whatever level of technology control we would like to see in our schools.

Never did a school demand of the parents or personnel  sheitel and dress code conformity with expulsion consequences.       

Never did a shul, shut its doors tightly to anyone not living up to 'no talking in shul'.

Never did we ban a child from school until his father is – at least - kovea itim to learn Torah every day.

Any less than 100% compliance to any of these issues, undeniably, has an adverse effect on our children, and in much greater proportions than the spread of Measles through non- vaccinated children.

בכבודי לא מחיתם בכבוד בשר ודם מחיתם

The one time we saw a real serious crackdown was now with the Measles fiasco. The few school children whose parents won't vaccinate are banned with all severeness from their chadorim.  The vaccination compliance rate is by far higher than any of the other issues discussed here, yet here we came down so harsh to force compliance – something we never did for Hashem's sake.

 Aren't we going to have to pay for that?  

And to make matters worse: Who is expelled? The goy who cleans the cheder? We don't even ask them for their immunization record. We keep them employed in our homes as well never even question their personal issues such as vaccination. The only ones banned are the children coming to learn Hashem's Torah.

We even are machmir more than the Health Department's recommendation. While they recommend taking precautionary measures only in a school where a Measles case was confirmed, we consider all schools in Lakewood as one big school. If a case was confirmed in one school – or anywhere in Lakewood for that matter – then all non-vaccinated children from any school stay home for weeks. We didn't do any of this when the issues were strictly for the sake of Hashem.

And where are these children banned from? The grocery stores? The play-ground in their complex? The Park? The restaurant? The shul where they Daven together with their non-vaccinated classmates? Never! They are only banned from the place they come to learn Torah.!!!

Our community at large interacts with everyone – including non-vaccinated children – all day long, where ever they go, non-vaccinated workers in restaurants, food service, school kitchens, etc., but the only concern of contamination is at the place they learn Torah. What message are we giving our children?

בכבודי לא מחיתם בכבוד בשר ודם מחיתם

You may ask, “What exactly is this letter supposed to accomplish?”

*Number one, to acquit myself of the charge of בכבודי לא מחיתם . I did.

*Number two, that you also clear yourself of this בכבודי לא מחיתם.

*Number three, so you and I daven harder for התגלות כבוד שמים.

*Number four, now that we've proven ourselves as warriors who go all out to accomplish what we want, maybe some of that strength will be displayed when it's only for the sake of Hashem.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

17 comments:

  1. Sakanta chamira m'isurah

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  2. You make a valid point

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  3. Reb Kalman Krohn, Z"L would have been moiche.
    Mi Yitain Timuru'soi?

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  4. http://matzav.com/hundreds-of-people-exposed-to-the-measles-at-a-shul-in-bnei-brak-this-past-shabbos/

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  5. What's your point? infecting someone with a dangerous disease is SFHICHAS DAMIM,especially young children,so what's your point
    not only should they be banned from Yeshiva,but the parents should be jailed for endangering the lives of their own children and the public at large
    CHAIM

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    Replies
    1. He referenced pelegeshe b'givah which was true shfichas damim. So your point???

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  6. Rav Shach ZATZA”L and Lakewood don’t go together. By Reb Yudel’s own admission.
    (Renember letter to the Rosh HaYeshivah posted right more then once?? )

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  7. Ess Shmekt vee FilthydelphiaTue Dec 25, 02:47:00 PM 2018

    I suspect this screed was written by an anti-vaxxer to give a guilt trip to the normala oylam.

    After that little pshettl from Sanhedrin he engages in some tired anti-vaxx talking points that the Kaminetzkys have been propagandizing for years, like the silly argument about unvaccinated goyim.

    They can tayna fun heint biz morgen about the goyim.

    Many goyim are vaccinated including illegal Mexicans who can walk into a hospital & get most healthcare they want completely free (or at least for them as the cost is passed along in higher taxes & insurance premiums for everyone else)

    Don't tell me the anti-vaxxers are going to act surprised that goyim including Mexicans don't their kids or themselves to catch dangerous diseases.

    And even if not, many heimishe homes make sure the goyta is vaccinated. We took the goyta to the pharmacy (long before any outbreak) & stood there as we paid to make sure she got vaccinated.

    Sof kol sof there will never be 100% vaccination but the diseases are still eradicated with herd immunity, so if a handful of goyim were missed it's no big deal.

    Keep digging a hole for yourselves, Philadelphia.

    First the mamzerus & now the source of sakonas nefoshos to Yiddishe kinder, which of course the entire oylam Hatorah is against der bayde. And you have the nerve to invoke Korach vaAdaso?

    You shtink.

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  8. BS"D

    Re: Lakewood: What have We Got?

    WARNING: NOT FOR MUSSAR HATERS!

    You guys may be correct, but you're still missing the point:
    A spiritual danger is no less disastrous than a physical one!

    If schoolswhich claim dedication to Torah principle are able to take such a firm
    stance about vaccinations, why do they allow core fundamental issues to slip through their fingers?

    Simply for lack of any physicalyardstick to prove that sheitels and videos are polluting the minds of our youth? Does this mitigate the danger even one iota?

    The analogy here is self-evident!

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  9. Can't agree more,especially on the shaitel issue ,it's like the oilem is completely blind and oblivious to the most agrigous display of giruy ,imho todays seitelach have become more seductive r"l then anything today's goishe fashion world has come up with,veein potzeh peh like the emperor is not only dressed but the dosent exist the issue is completely taboo, or maybe I'am just the only person in Lakewood left that still left with a yetzer hora and everyone else halten shoin bai oilem hatikun like Odom before the cheit...halvei

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  10. .....First the mamzerus & now the source of sakonas nefoshos to Yiddishe kinder........

    You have to give credit to these yeshivah leit who figured out away how to get rid of the Mamzarim by sending un-vaccinated kids to the same school as the mamzarim and get some results.
    You of course know that mamzarim are sometimes "Yiddishe Kinder" and are entitled to a "yiddishe" education - (mamzar Talmid Chacham Koidem Le'Koihain Goodehl Am Hoo'Ooretz).

    So the quick underhanded solution is to put them together with the un-vaccinated.

    BTW: Today one can be a "mamzer" even if the marriage itself was OK - as in one who has terrible middos.

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  11. https://www.vosizneias.com/313025/2018/12/26/brooklyn-ny-concerned-about-spread-of-measles-doh-cancels-chasidic-wedding/

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  12. Chronicles of an OU mashgiachTue Jan 01, 08:49:00 PM 2019

    The "point" of Wed Dec 26, 01:02:00 PM 2018, otherwise known as the OU mashgiach vus voint in Queens, is ershtens to be contrarian against anything said by R' Yudel or anyone not taking pot shots at R' Yudel because they may be a R' Yudel supporter.

    And tzveitens, while he might ken zein be munning kuved for mamzer, he really wants to munn kuved for the mechuton, as in molester talmid chuchem (she'aino hugen), vehamayvin yuvin!

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  13. R' Boruch Ber's nephew R' Chaim Zimmerman had a sharfeh zog against a yeshiva President who didn't act like a ben Torah. He cited that mamzer takka gets some respect so memeila they are sometimes made a President of a yeshiva. What happened in the next few seconds might be considered attempted murder, as the shvantz threw a wine bottle at Rav Zimmerman's head, BH just barely missing him.

    https://www.nydailynews.com/archives/news/yeshiva-principal-charged-sex-rap-article-1.784113

    That shvantz was eventually arrested as a molester. While the criminal charges were dropped in the end for lack of evidence, there was also a civil trial where he didn't emerge looking so clean.

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  14. Broit mit Putter ManWed Jan 02, 02:47:00 PM 2019

    'That Shvantz' opened a modern orthodox kollel in the 5 Towns not so long ago. Of course the Chabadnik from 770 who moved to Lawrence tzu veren a moderner, hu hu "Larry" Gordon, was all over it, writing up the rosh kollel as if he's einer fun der gedolim & vos ruach habriyos is noyche heimenu.

    "Larry" is always at the forefront of every write up that scores some ad dollars like when he facilitated the gangsters beating up on the rabbonim who refused to back the "Assifas Rubashkin" Schnorrfest.

    "Larry" knows who butters his bread. And he's very flexible in his post-Chabad days with any treifenna cholov Akum putter being welcome.

    His timing is not always prefect however, like when he shilled for Mendel Epstein & his mamzerus producing shakedowns (& beat downs) on the front page. Only a few hours after that edition was dropped off at the Central Ave fress gesheften, Mendel was handcuffed and in a paddywagon on the way to his FBI interrogation.

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  15. Asher Yotzor,

    The person that article is about was not the President of HTC during Rav Chaim Zimmerman's time, he was a young boy then.

    Also, those charges were dismissed after the authorities determined they were unfounded.

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  16. R' Chaim Zimmerman left for Eretz Yisroel in the early 70s.

    The guy being discussed was in HTC for a long time & had other titles before he was promoted to top spot. Much of the public seems to think he was the bottle varfer. I wasn't there so I can't say for sure. But I was once with people who came across one of his relatives who they pointed out as related to the bottle varfer. I have also heard over the years from several others that it was him. That would be sad if it's false. He definitely is old enough to have been at least some kind of official during RCZ's era.

    There is more to go on at least as far as the charges & related inyanim. There are different criteria required to rule against someone between criminal & civil court. In the civil case he initially won but the decision was overturned by a higher court, not in his favor. See Index No. 22575/00, 2001-08277, SUPREME COURT OF NEW YORK, APPELLATE DIVISION, SECOND DEPARTMENT

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