Rabbinic Announcement to the Torah Public, 5766
The following Rabbis wrote and signed their names to the following announcement to the public. The original Hebrew letter can be found below.
Rabbi Dov Lior
Rabbi and Chair of the Rabbinical Court of Qiriyath Arba-Hevron
Rabbi, Giv’at Moshe, Jerusalem, Rosh Kollel and Rabbinical Court Chair
Rabbi Avraham Yitzhak Kalev
Judge, Jerusalem Area Rabbinical Court
Rabbi Eliyakim Levanon
Rabbi of Elon Moreh
In addition, the following rabbis have publicly stated their agreement with said public announcement:
Rabbi Nissim Karlitz
Rabbi and Rabbinical Court Chair, B’nei Braq
Rabbi Dov Levine
Rabbinical Court Chair, Jerusalem
Rabbi Shlomo Fisher
Rabbinical Court Judge, Jerusalem
To our brethren in the Torah observant community
More than a year has passed since the Bet Din (Rabbinical Court), comprised of three of our greatest rabbis, was appointed to investigate the many complaints lodged against the instruction of Rabbi Shlomo Aviner. With the presentation of explicit evidence, it was made clear that with regard to the issues of menstruation and marital relations (the areas which were checked), he has been permitting things which are completely prohibited under halacha(Jewish Law) And this is not one the issues which carry differing opinions amongst adjudicators and experts, but rather is among the very serious and clear Torah prohibitions which have never been matters of disagreement; and not just one incident, but rather a systematic removal of family purity from amongst those who inquire of him and listen to his instruction. Accordingly, it has become clear that the Bet Din stands by its ruling, yet the aforementioned individual continues to mislead those who make inquiries of him regarding these matters.
To our regret others have arisen, who without having clarify the facts very and without having approached any members of theBet Din, have come to strengthen his position against the Bet Din’sruling and to clarify “his approach,” and who have been misled by him through various distortions about which there is insufficient room to elaborate them. And, Indeed, it is very difficult for anyone who knows the aforementioned as one who strikes at the Torah and at the very Fear of Heaven, to accept that there is a such personality here, who on one hand brings Jews back to Torah with contradictory language, and on the other hand maliciously teaches the transgression of prohibitions, punishable by excommunication. You cannot judge a book by its cover.
And, here in the conclusion of the Bet Din, the explicit halacha is that regarding one who causes the public to stumble through his teaching on issues punishable by excommunication, one is not to listen to his teachings or guidance on any other matter.
Therefore we are warning every Torah-observant community, those who are interested in the sustenance of Israel in its land through the Word of the Almighty, not to ask nor to accept any instruction or guidance from the aforementioned individual, and thus, not to rely on any of his books or articles. We also turn to all institutions and organizations, and to all who allow the teachings and guidance of the aforementioned written or verbal, and all those who give him validity and public power, not to share in any activity with at all, and not placing any stumbling block before the public, Heaven forbid.
With this, we call on those, who up until now have innocently followed his teaching and guidance, not to be discouraged, inasmuch as they have been innocently following, should adhere to other rabbis from now on. to be truly strengthened in the the path of the Almighty and in the Fear of Him.
We have come to this by the virtue of our obligation to remove a stumbling block from the path of our people and “…for the ways of the LORD are right, and the just do walk in them; but transgressors do stumble therein.” (Hoshea 14:10) He who hears will hear, and he who does not will not. May it be the Will of the Holy One, Blessed Be He that He implant a pure spirit from on high upon the entire community of His people Israel, and speedily bring forth for us a complete redemption.