ושבעה עשר בתמוז הפך לנו לשמחה ולששון*
The Brisker Rav said in the name of his father R. Chaim, “when Chazal established the four fasts, It was not that they established the fasts and then exempted the חולה (sick) from fasting.
Storm of Fierce Pashkevilin Against Rabbi Abahu
Sanhedrin 14a:
רבי אבהו כי הוה אתי ממתיבתא לבי קיסר נפקי מטרוניתא דבי קיסר ומשריין ליה רבה דעמיה מדברנא דאומתיה בוצינא דנהורא בריך מתייך לשלם.
Can you imagine what would happen today? I’ll try to summarize the expected storm of fierce pashkevilin against Rabbi Abahu:
Rabbi Steinman = Rabbi Kook = Rabbi Elyashiv = Rabbi Abahu = Rabbi Hertzog=…
Gevald! \ Ho ho, “Ish lefi mehallelo”!
על כן תפוג תורה ולא יצא לנצח משפט כי רשע מכתיר את הצדיק. Ay, as der heileger rebbe Mahari Tav once wrote with such perspicacity…
What’s he even thinking going there? They should visit him!
But of course the royal ladies, etc. He’s “their kind of Gadol”!
Women singing! (Chas veshalom, we didn’t actually hear for ourselves. The vahb [Rebbetzin] told us.)
Nu nu, we always knew. The smart ones always knew Rabbi Abahu was suspect. He knew yevanis… Oh, I could tell you stories (fake, but I can sure tell them)…
What do you think?! All the seforim supposedly mentioning Rabbi Abahu are all forged! Listen to the testimony of Manoach Man, an actual talmid of Rabbi Yochanan, who never even saw R.A. in the beis medrash (because he didn’t know where it was).
We need to mis’chazeik in the ways of our forefathers, and not let the waves of Galus sink us…