The Person Behind The Posts

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Guest Post: The Courage to Tell the Truth

Rabbi Nachman Kahana has long been one of my rabbinic heroes. In his parsha commentary this week, he responded to a certain rav's comments last week about the seriousness of the Iranian threat.

What I always appreciate about Rabbi Kahana is how unhesitatingly clear he is about his perspective. In this dvar Torah, he critiques the comments made last week in Boro Park.

GUEST POST by Rabbi Nachman Kahana

BS”D Parashat Terumah Rosh Chodesh Adar 5772

We find in our holy sources a much quoted principle:
יש קונה עולמו בשעה אחת
One may acquire his place in the next world through one dramatic act (of kiddush HaShem, sanctification of the Holy Name).
And its reverse:
ויש מאבד את עולמו בשעה אחת
One can lose his place in the next world through one dramatic act (of chillul HaShem,desecration of the Holy Name).

The following is an incident in the life of one man who had in his hands the opportunity to acquire a huge portion in the world to come with one single act, but faltered at the last leap of faith.

I was informed by e-mail of a prominent rav in the galut of America who called his congregation to a “non-scheduled” mid-week meeting to discuss the silence of American orthodox Jews in the face of a potential war with Iran.

I was told that the rabbi is a good man, frum and dedicated to his calling. But after reading his message, I believe that he and many other religious leaders there have, unfortunately, “missed the boat”.

The indentations the rabbi’s words, the wider lines are my comments.

The good rabbi said:

"Why are we quiet? Where is the awakening? Why is everyone so apathetic?... Everyone is busy with narishkeiten, we don't hear the alarm? We don't know that we have to pierce the heavens for rachamim from the Ribbono Shel Olam?"

"Everyone knows that there is currently a growing danger from Iran - and it is a great error for whoever does not know this. "Why should a Yid not know what is happening to [other] Yidden? Everyone must know what is happening in regard to other Yidden. Everyone must know what is happening in Eretz Yisrael."

Indeed, we must pray to HaShem. But can any thinking, learned Jew take seriously the idea that the tefilos coming out of 13th Avenue in Boro Park, or President Street in Crown Heights or even Forest Ave. in Lakewood N.J. have an iota of influence in the Shamayim on the fate of the holy Jews in Yerushalayim and Eretz Yisrael?

The person who sent me the speech added that the rabbi, “began talking this past Shabbos about the dangers from the Iran crisis, when he stopped and said that it was not a subject to discuss on Shabbos. He said he would continue the topic during the week.”

That postponement certainly contributed to emphasizing before the congregation the “clear and present danger” to Am Yisrael.

The letter writer continued, “The last time he (the rabbi) called for a special asifah (gathering) during the week to discuss current events was in 1991, prior to the Gulf War. Rav... started his address, which was carried live by Kol Halashon, with the famous Rambam, who writes that it is a mitzvah to daven during troubled times. "If you don't daven," the Rambam says, "then it is a cruelty, since it will get worse."

I am happy to learn that from 1991 until the present there was peace and serenity in the Holy Land, with no major issues, in the rabbi’s view, to bring before the community consciousness.

"The leader in Iran says clearly - he repeated it this week - that he wants to kill, Rachmana litzlan, every Yid in the world, just like Haman... If he will be successful, chas v'shalom, in getting the nuclear bomb - and experts say he will have it by the summer - it will be a great danger for Klal Yisrael."

"A good part of the world's Jews live in Israel, and the government there says that they will attack Iran first, before they could get the nuclear bomb. If that happens, everyone knows that that will cause a world war." The rabbi quoted Harav Yosef Rosenblum, Rosh Yeshivah of Yeshivah Shaarei Yosher who said, “... that during this eis tzarah, Hashem is judging us on every klal and on every prat (every principle and every detail)”.

The rabbi continues:

"We don't have to be in a panic... Hashem will perform miracles for us. But efsher takeh. Maybe the time for the Geulah (redemption) has arrived. We must prepare for the Geulah. Hashem has performed great miracles for the Yidden. Eretz Yisrael, which today hosts most of the world's Yidden and most of the Torah world, merited supernatural siyatta diShmaya during its wars. When the Palestinians shoot missiles from Gaza, they land mostly in empty areas and cause little damage. When then-Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein shot 39 Scud missiles during the Gulf War, only one Yid was killed - that man had previously received a klalah (curse) from the Chazon Ish.”

I can’t verify that the man who was killed was cursed by the Chazon Ish; I believe that he was born after the Chazon Ish passed away. But the rabbi is correct that it was a time of great miracles for the holy Jews in Eretz Yisrael. I know.  I, my wife, children and grandchildren lived through it, as we have done with all the wars here in the past 50 years.

The rabbi continues:

"This a hashgachah niflaah that is reserved only for Yidden who learn Torah, who keep the mitzvos and who will ultimately do teshuvah,"

Correct. HaShem blessed the Yidden who “learn Torah, who keep the mitzvos," etc., so much so, that the nearest missile to the yeshivos in the USA was 10,000 kilometers away.   

The rabbi said,

 "Hashem wants to do nissim for us. Israel is surrounded by 300 million Arabs and WE are still there; that means Hashem wants to do yeshuos. We must prepare for yeshuos."
“Israel is surrounded by 300 million Arabs and WE are still there”.

Interesting that the rabbi is capable of being in two places at one time.

But just like Eliyahu had to daven on Har Hacarmel even though Hashem had already promised to bring rain, Hashem still wants the tefillos of Klal Yisrael today, even though He had promised to bring yeshuos. In order to qualify for these miracles, the Rav... said,

“We must strengthen in Torah, tefillah and chessed. He specifically suggested saying Tehillim 46 every day, adding that he is asking his own kehillah to have the kapitel printed out and stuck to the back of every siddur. During the Suez campaign in 1956, the Belzer Rebbe asked that people say that particular kapitel, since it is a segulah to prevent warfare. “

I wonder. In the year leading up to the military miracle of the Megila, when the Jews had to defend themselves on the 13th and 14th of Adar, did they just say Tehillim 46 or did they also train for warfare?

"Everyone has to be mispallel (pray) that Klal Yisrael should be saved from chevlei Moshiach, that he and his family should be saved".

Here lies the great divide. I also pray for my family. But my family includes not only our son who is a senior officer in Tzahal and our grandchildren who are soldiers. It also includes Shimon, the son of a good friend who is in a tank battalion, and Yankele, the grandson of another friend who pilots an F-15I, and all the other holy soldiers defending our Jewish homeland in the air, on the land, on the sea and below.

The rabbi continued,

“Yidden should keep in mind that we live in momentous times, and we should prepare for the upcoming era with emunah and bitachon. In the next couple of weeks there will be news," Rav... said, "and with the help of Hashem, it will be good news for Yidden”.

In these tumultuous times of danger to world Jewry, can any erudite and sincere Torah person believe that HaShem will bring about huge miracles in order to permit the Jewish communities in the galos to continue in their ignorant bliss? The miracles will be directed to bringing the confused people of the galos back to Eretz Yisrael.

As the prophet Yecheskel states (36:22-24):
לכן אמר לבית ישראל כה אמר ה' ה' לא למענכם אני עשה בית ישראל כי אם לשם קדשי אשר חללתם בגוים אשר באתם שם:
וקדשתי את שמי הגדול המחלל בגוים אשר חללתם בתוכם וידעו הגוים כי אני ה' נאם ה' ה' בהקדשי בכם לעיניהם:
ולקחתי אתכם מן הגוים וקבצתי אתכם מכל הארצות והבאתי אתכם אל אדמתכם:
“Therefore say to the House of Israel, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: It is not for your sake, people of Israel, that I am going to do these things, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you have gone.
I will sanctify my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, the name you have profaned among them. Then the nations will know that I am the LORD, declares the Sovereign LORD, when I sanctify through you before their eyes.
For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land.

Now, had the rabbi concluded his address by stating, “Our brothers and sisters in Eretz Yisrael are facing enormous dangers on the scale of a modern day Purim. Therefore, dear students and congregants, I and my family are leaving this week to join the Yidden in Eretz Yisrael. As Moshe Rabbeinu when he said to the tribes of Reuven and Gad (Bamidbar 32:6)
... האחיכם יבאו למלחמה ואתם תשבו פה:
Will your brothers come out to war while you remain here?”

Had the good rabbi taken that leap of faith, he and his family would have been among the heroes of our people whom our rabbis qualified as:
יש קונה עולמו בשעה אחת
One may acquire his place in the next world through one dramatic act (of kiddush HaShem, sanctification of the Holy Name).

משנכנס אדר מרבים בזשמחה
With the advent of the month of Adar we increase the joy in our lives
May we merit to see the destruction of our enemies, who are also the enemies of people of good will the world over.

And just as the miracles at the time of Mordechai and Esther paved the way for the Second Bet Hamikdash, so too may the present events in our lives result in the building of the Bet Hamikdash on the Temple Mount, the restoration of the Davidic Monarchy, the reconvention of the Sanhedrin, the return of all Jews to Eretz Yisrael and the possession of all Eretz Yisrael according to the Biblical boundaries.

Shabbat Shalom ve’Chodesh Tov ve’Samaiach
Nachman Kahana


18 comments:

Mad Max said...

He actually resides in Israel for most of the year! Please take back your harsh words!!

Anonymous said...

You seem to thrive on negativity. You complain about and say negative things about Israel and constantly about the Jews in galut. You who are so high always pointing out those of us who have no merit.Our prayers are for not...

Anonymous said...

With all due respect, what about us Jews in the Galut, are we all rich spoiled living in a fantasy? Why so much dissent between us? No one should speak on behalf of HaShem theses days, rabbi or not. We are all Yisrael, all of us not just our Jewish brothers in the Galut, instead of uniting us all, you bring division just becsaue not all Jews can make Aliya many of us want to but are too poor...what's next? Telling everyone that there are no poor Jews, widows,elderly, sick Jews in the Galut? I hope you post this...

Moriah said...

".... can any thinking, learned Jew take seriously the idea that the tefilos coming out of 13th Avenue in Boro Park, or President Street in Crown Heights or even Forest Ave. in Lakewood N.J. have an iota of influence in the Shamayim on the fate of the holy Jews in Yerushalayim and Eretz Yisrael?"

Now you are speaking for G-d as to whether He hears our prayers or not? Unbelievable! Thanks for letting me know my tefilos are worthless.

Baruch Eliezer said...

I too read the comments of this "certain Rav" and came away with much of the same conclusions, that how can anyone take seriously any ideas that that Am Yisrael are immune to attacks by other nations.

This notion reeks with the arrogance that the galut is by far safer and more cherished than Eretz Yisrael.

The way of life that has been fostered and even advocated by the Rabbanim of the galut will soon come to an abrupt halt. So hard and fast that many will claim that they were never warned.

Yidden of the galut are so mesmerized by their own "marvelous world" that they've created they've completely missed the fact that an Iranian missile doesn't have to hit in the middle of their Yeshiva to have a direct impact on their lives.

In November of 2008 we saw, and are even still experiencing, the affect that one economy can have on the ENTIRE world. When the US economy crumbled, nations all over the world were equally crushed. It's no secret. The signs are all there.

I am amazed how Yidden of the galut pray feverishly for the Mashiach to come, but don't give a second thought of how the "process" of the mashiach being revealed will change everything they have built and marveled at. Will it hurt? Will it require yidden to let go? Will those things that Yidden call theirs be left behind?

Before I started writing my response, I made myself a cup of coffee and sat down and was pondering the words "with an outstretched arm I will redeem you". What does an "outstretched arm" look like? Then, my 1 year old son came crawling to me, sat in front of me crying, reaching towards me. I bent over reached for him and picked him up.

Why is this analogy fitting for yidden in the galut. What HaKadosh Baruch Hu wants from all of us is to stop this "playing house" and to rely on him. HE wants our complete emunah and bitachon. Just like my son who knows that he will be fed, he will be clothed, he will be comforted, and he will be loved.

It's this "childlike" emunah and bitachon that is cherished among all other midot--when we rely completely on HaKadosh Baruch Hu for everything. The way of life that was built in the galut is not real. It's not for yidden. It's not going to survive.

But, isn't it HaKadosh Baruch Hu's "arms" that are outstretched? Yes! HaKadosh Baruch Hu is reaching for yidden trying to save them, because they're NOT reaching for HIM. That's right. Everything that has been built in the galut has been built without, YES WITHOUT bitachon and emunah in HaKadosh Baruch Hu. Hashem is reaching for those in the galut, because days are coming that without HIM Yidden, hosfesh shalom, will not survive.

I read an ad on "Tzfat Line" within the past week where someone was looking to buy an apartment in the "Old City of Tzfat" for a vacation home. I wanted to scream "NO!" when I read the ad. It is so full of the "materialism" of the galut that it makes me want to cry. I don't know where the person lives if it's in the galut or Eretz Yisrael, but it also makes me think of how many of the "Birthright" KIDS come through Tzfat without the slightest inclination that this is their home--not a place to vacation. The days of this type of lifestyle are over.

You're not safe in your Yeshiva. You're not safe in your office. You're not safe in your hospital. You're not safe in your businesses. You're not safe in your homes.

Hashem is using Iran, just as he used Haman. Hashem wants you to make pray and make tshuvah and come home. HE wants you to have emunah and bitachon that now is the time to open your minds and open your doors and come home.

Come home now, we're beggin you, before you get hurt, hosfes shalom.

Anonymous said...

Rabbi Kahna, Mr Silas, and the blogmaster should all ask mechila from Rav Wolfson, a true ohev yisroel and ohev eretz Yisroel. This pompous attitude that you speak for G-d is simply sinas chinam and delays the geula. Have some compassion for other Jews. You don't know their situation. To say that the tefilos of chutz laartetz have not one iota of influence is k'firah. One reason people don't make aliyah is people like you who are so judgmental of others. Maybe if you would focus on fixing all the sinas chinam in E"Y, more of us would join you. It is not so easy to find a plan. Hashem is not an evil G-d out to destroy the Jewish people in chutz laaretz when Moshiach comes like all you internet Rabbis are hoping for

Anonymous said...

I've lost all respect for the sechel of this blogger. A Rav in Galus finally tries to wake up the Yidden, and his prayers, as well of Yidden in Galus are not heard by Hashem? Are you nuts? What arrogance! How can you sit in EY so smugly thinking you've got it made. Memo to you: Sadly, there will be great loss of life in EY as well as globally during the coming times, Gd forbid. EY has an erev rav government. How do you know how many Yidden daven daily to make aliyah? Those with their eyes wide-open are most likely to make it. Yes, seemingly bad things are coming quickly. Yiddishkeit will Always be viable in Galus until Moshiach. Jews in EY have just as many problems as we do here. Don't smugly point the finger at us until you clean your own (and Hashem's) house.

Daniela said...

You know it all, so why do you waste time with us? Surely spiritual geniuses, like you, don't need to spend time on the internet, like us rich spoiled and money-avid jews have to. Oh could you please also let us know if our dollars, euros, pounds, and other foreign currencies, disgust you as well? You know, it takes effort to make a honest living and have something extra to give away, I'd be very happy to take it easier.

I've heard that at this time some bad souls really look forward to a war and extermination G-d forbid.... I sure hope none of you are among them. Won't be pretty.

Jesterhead45 said...

So pray tell, how can I make the equivalent of just over $950 stretch beyond a one-way flight ticket to Israel? Because that is all I've got in my account.

The Jewish Agency and NBN do not believe that an Aliya plan is viable for someone in my situation (being disabled and unemployed), which is dependent on getting myself assessed here in the Galut (costing $1500 plus that I do not have) and again in Israel, I've tried getting sponsored though that too has proved fruitless so I am open to suggestions from Rabbi Nachman and others as to how I can make Aliya short of a miracle.

There are many Jews outside of Israel in similar or even worse straits then myself who desire to make Aliya but cannot except via any potential emergency Aliya in the near future, even then how will people (depending on whether they have relatives in Israel or not) be able to survive without burdening Hazon Yeshaya and living in modern Ma'abarot?

While I myself am prepared to go through that if necessary despite not living the rich and spoiled lifestyle a Jew living outside of Israel is presumed to have, it is worth noting that Amalek also attacked the weakest amongst Am Israel and unfortunately many Jews fellow today fail to see the full implications of condemning Jews outside of Israel as spoilt rich brats in love with money and worldly materialism.

Mad Max said...

Furthermore, do you mean to imply that Klal Yisroel is not one, that our tefillos here have no effect in EY? If that were c"vs true, than why do we in chutz l'aretz pray 'mashiv haruach umorid hageshem' in the shemone esrei three times daily? Please take back your harsh words, or at least delete the post!!

Baruch Eliezer said...

To help clarify a matter to those who do not like the commentary by Rav Nachman Kahana, these are not the direct words of the blogmaster, but only Rav Kahana. The blogmaster does not need to agree or disagree with the words in order to post them. It is my understanding that the intent of the blogmaster is to create dialoge and offer different opinions and not succumb to the pressure of those who are reluctant to change.

Change is a very difficult thing. I know first hand. In early 2007 I married and moved my wife to the US. We became pregnant and were noticing the housing market begin to collapse. We were in the process of applying for my wife's US citizenship when I lost my job and all insurance. We hardly had any savings and what savings we did have was gone shortly after losing my job. That was in Jan. In Feb, her mother-in-law came to live with us and by the end of the month our first child was born and I was moving our things out of our apartment into temporary storage. A friend offered for us to live in their basement until leaving for Eretz Yisrael.

When our son was born he spent a week in the hospital requiring supplemental oxygen since he was premature. So, I lost my job, my mother-in-law came to live with us, we moved out of our apartment with only a friends basement to live in, out belongings were moved into storage and our child was on supplemental oxygen because of the premature birth. Oh ya I forgot neither of us were working and we had no savings. All of this in the matter of a month and a half.

I was granted unemployment and we lived on that. We finally left to make aliyah in May of 2008. We've been living on less than a shoestring budget with our 4th child on the way and we're happy. Bli Ayin HaRah. We came to Eretz Yisrael with ONLY $1500 in our pocket. THAT'S IT.

Change is difficult, but even more difficult when there are no other choices. To choose to change is a higher mitzvah than to make change out of necessity. This is why Judaism doesn't believe in deathbed conversions. We need to keep the mitzvot out of choice and not out of lack of choice.

Rav Kahana's words are hard. I admit that, but I also agree that, while they are hard, they are true.

Remember the analogy of the frogs and the boiling water. If you put a frog in a boiling pot of water to cook it, he'll jump out because of the drastic heat. However, if you put the frog in the pot to cook it while the water is still to his liking, he'll stay in. If the temperature is gradually increased he'll stay until it's so hot that he has no strength to jump out and subsequently succumbs to the heat.

No! We're not frogs but it shows how our relative location (L'chutz L'Aretz to B'Aretz) has a direct affect on how we view the world. I for one have witnessed this first hand and will tell you that if you take the steps, or leap of faith that HaKadosh Baruch Hu will be with you every step of the way, then you have nothing to fear. Will you have to change? Without a doubt, yes. That is what the entire "desert experience" for Am Yisrael, 40 years worth, is all about.

If you know before hand that you'll need to make changes you're half way there.

Don't be angry, don't be depressed. There is a way for ALL Am Yisrael to return. Each person has their own tikkun and their own derech, some harder than others.

So, don't be angry with the blogmaster or Rav Kahanah, but understand that there are choices to make--a change to change while it's still a choice. Did I know how hard it would be when it happened to me? No. It was hard, but we made it. Am I working now? No, but that is what HaKadosh Baruch Hu has for me now.

Remember, everyone's situation is their own tikkun and this is what HaKadosh Baruch Hu has given us to complete our tikkun. We are not victims of the world. We are victims of our own choices.

I wish everyone Chodesh Tov and Shabbat Shalom.

Daniela said...

So please why do you insist. When there'll be Moshiach, we will all see him. In the meantime there is no reason to insult Rabbis and Gedolim who are, if I may say, on a whole different level. When my Rabbi tells me to pick up and leave, I will do. I am also very aware that people, under difficult circumstances, in the best case go off the derech, but more likely, end up in a psychiatric ward, or even worse tragedies. Ever looked at rates of suicides and homicides since the economy in israel plummetted? Not to mention the rise in indirectly linked causes of death, such as car or work accidents.

But, Baruch Eliezer, I suspect I have a clue as to what you are thinking. Someone has planted into your mind that (G-d forbid) gedolim are unreliable, that, after all, the leading rabbis of the generation did not advise jews to leave europe before the previous war. Probably that person added some more words about our gedolim which are too hard for me to even think about. And then, that person suggested you, we can be (G-d forbid) smarter than gedolim. That person claims that war will consume others, that his followers will watch under a protective shield and will be among the select few who will greet Moshiach. Am I incorrect?

This is not our derech, this is the derech of the Kool-aid.

Anonymous said...

from Rav Shalom Arush, shlita...."stay put"

http://www.breslev.co.il/articles/society/jewish_world/stay_put.aspx?id=21435&language=english

Anonymous said...

Reb Silas,

While I'm sure we're all happy for you to be EY, our family was told personally by Rav Lazer Brody, shlita to NOT make aliyah at this time. In the name of Rav Shalom Arush he last week said there are many people who should "stay put" right now. I'm assuming you are not over 60:) It is arrogant to lecture us on the "ease" of aliyah just because you could do it. "Pride cometh before a fall" Proverbs. May Gd have rachmanes!

Baruch Eliezer said...

Shavuah Tov!

I went back and reread my comments regarding this post to ensure that I haven't said something wrong.

First, I wish everyone a easy and simple aliyah process when you are able and choose to make aliyah.

I am always truthful in trying to represent the hardships that my wife and I undergo do aliyah. I haven't lectured people on how easy it is--just the opposite. I didn't have this information when I made aliyah and I wish I had. People need to know that when their time comes to make aliyah that they shouldn't expect a "golden highway". It's not like that. There are many complexities that were left out of the short explanation I offered of my process, which are important, but some how, I don't think it will make a difference in anyone's perspective right now.

I read the post of Rav Arush and agree 1000% with him, but again his words shouldn't be taken out of context. For anonymous to have said that they were told personally not to make aliyah, but to complete the story and keep their own words in context, the reasons behind his answer should have been offered, so as to keep his words in context. For the record I'm 52 years old and again never said aliyah is easy, but in fact said we had it hard and it can be very hard. I'm not bragging, but only trying to help people think that while they will be fulfilling their dream, the experience is not always easy or pleasant.

This is what I meant by everyone has their own tikkun and their own derek. Some will make aliayah today, tomorrow, next week, next month, next year, because it's a process and people who don't know that yet need to know it. Don't get caught up in thinking that Moshiach is here and that everyone needs to pack up at this second and leave. I never said that nor implied it. Aliyah is a process. Something that has to be thought about long and hard because choices, hard choices, will need to be addressed. And sometimes sacrifices will need to be made. For those who have thought about the process, I'm glad you have, but for those who haven't.

While anonymous brought up Rav Arush, the Rav has also said, and I'm sorry that I can't quote his words verbatim, that Am Yisrael will go through a general geulah before the final geulah. That Am Yisrael will realize that they are slaves and yes, were born into it. If I am not mistaken, the Rav is saying that we are slaves to the way we think. There is a physical slavery to materialism that binds a person to their circumstances and only that person can free himself. If I have misquoted the Rav, I appologize in advance.

I started reading Rav Arush around 2004 or 2005, but my wife and I have since moved on. Rav Arush and Lazer Brody have done and continue to do great work in helping people wake up and grow. May HaKadosh Baruch Hu grant them special merit and bring even more souls to tshuvah through them.

There's more that I would love to share about the aliyah process, but I am always waring with myself inside so as not commit lashon harah about the Land. It's hard and if I have, please don't hesitate to point it out. I only wish to to say that while we are very happy here and while our income went from $80,000 a year to about 1/10th of that, Hashem is always with you and there to grant your requests. This is the simplest way to put what we have experienced.

For those who want to make aliyah, but don't out of a fear that you have. Don't fear. There is no reason to fear anything. Through emunah and bitachon in HaKadosh Baruch Hu, we are assured security.

To all, an easy aliyah, a meaningful Purim, and happiness always.

Anonymous said...

My husband and I would love to make aliyah but we have two teenagers who DON'T want to until after yeshiva/seminary is completed here. You do not move teenagers against their will unless you want to see what real gehinnom on earth is! I also have children in their 30s so I know what I'm talking about. In addition a 90 yr. old father, who is (B"H) quite active and well. He is a Holocaust survivor. I'm NOT leaving him. Hashem has His reasons for everything.

Anonymous said...

... can any thinking, learned Jew take seriously the idea that the tefilos coming out of 13th Avenue in Boro Park, or President Street in Crown Heights or even Forest Ave. in Lakewood N.J. have an iota of influence in the Shamayim on the fate of the holy Jews in Yerushalayim and Eretz Yisrael?

I am shocked at the arrogance and the blatant falsehood this represents. I simply cannot imagine anyone, let alone a Rabbi, making such an anti Jewish statement. There is simply no basis to state that Gd is only influenced by prayers that emanate from those in Israel. At very best, this is a ludicrous statement. I would urge him to rethink his position and make a public retraction and apology for this horribly offensive statement. I am also, frankly, surprised that the blogger, who I normally have great respect for, would share this with us, implying agreement.

Craig said...

There is a lot to say but after reading all of the above comments I will be brief:

1- Dont bank on Rav Arush/Brody as competent predictors - if you follow Brody's blog his track record is not great. He claimed that Obama would be proven as really bad and its the opposite Obama is terrific for Israel.
2 - There is credible evidence based on Torah scholars that indeed, prayers in Chul and in fact Mitzvah observance ion chul are well, how do I say this nicely...kinda worthless.