העורך Editor

Rabbi Kahaneman’s Justification for Flying the Israeli Flag over Ponevezh on Independence Day

When Rabbi Yosef Shlomo Kahneman zatzal was questioned about his behavior, the rabbi would say that he erected the Polish flag over the original Ponevezh yeshiva in Chutz Laa’retz on Poland’s independence day, as well, so לא גרע.

Well, I would argue Rabbi Kahaneman shouldn’t have done it there either. Founding a State violates and abrogates the 7th Noahide mitzva (Dinim) by both omission and commission, and one shouldn’t flatter or support this (unless maybe coerced).

Rabbi Tau, Opponent of Ascending Har Habayis, Also Opposes True Version of Birkas Haminim…

The crushed “logic” is the same for both cases (and one can add further examples, of course):

  1. FACT: Jews are supposed to do XYZ.
  2. EVENT: Jews were simply prevented from doing XYZ.
  3. CONCLUSION: Jews are no longer supposed to do XYZ (because there is now a fake “Minhag” not to)… QED.

Rabbi Tau is a major enemy of Jews praying on Har Habyais, see here. The rabbi also opposes reverting to the original nusach of Birkas Haminim, hear Rabbi David Bar-Chaim’s account of Rabbi Tzvi Thau’s opinion here (minute 15:08- 16:13, but the full background is also worthwhile [see, I already posted this gem here twice.]).

Of course, there is little need to focus on Rabbi Tau; the same two coinciding “rulings” can be heard from many other rabbinic figures.

But while the prohibition against Jews ascending the Temple Mount in purity and limits has a shallowly plausible basis, there is no imaginable reason today for saying the censored nusach of “Velamalshinim” against the gemara and all Rishonim. So, we can mind-read here, and realize the true cause for both (and therefore other halachic perversions as well): impious conservatism.