Rabbi Hershel Schachter (et al.): FRAUDULENT ‘International Beit Din’ Consists of Ignoramuses!

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An English approximation can be found below, from Jewish Link NJ, here:

To my Honorable Colleagues, Students, and Rabbis in every city,

A few months ago, the International Beit Din for Agunot was established. Approximately two months ago, I reviewed a 23-page responsum in Hebrew written by a member of this beit din, on the subject of agency to write a divorce against a husband’s will, that is mistaken from beginning to end. Another four-page English responsum was shown to me, permitting an agunah to remarry due to invalid witnesses, based on the Ritva’s famous view. This is not the right path and not even the right city. The prohibition against adultery is not like the laws of mourning, for which we would say that the law follows the lenient opinion, and it is always possible to be lenient based on a tiny doubt. The Sages taught us that wherever there is a Chillul Hashem, we set aside respect for a rabbi. I feel an obligation to object because otherwise the public will assume that rabbinic silence implies agreement, and the students would see and establish this new approach permanently.

It is tremendous chutzpah that these three rabbis joined this beit din. Questions of this most serious nature—permitting a woman to remarry without a divorce—were brought to Rav Yitzchak Elchanan, after him to Rav Chaim Ozer and in our time to Rav Moshe Feinstein, all of whom were recognized as the greatest of their generations. It is forbidden for average rabbis to involve themselves in these matters because whoever does not understand the nature of marriages and divorces cannot be involved with them. In our generation, we present these questions to the few Torah scholars who have specialized in these laws and apprenticed under greats, and who therefore have a tradition about where to be lenient and where strict.

I encourage my colleagues and students not to rely on any ruling from this beit din because they have no standing. I heard that one of the judges resigned and I asked the other two to also remove themselves in the future from this bad activity and to inform the public not to rely on the lenient rulings they already issued since their entire approach is not according to the law.

(Rav) Tzvi (Hershel) Schachter, Tammuz 5775

I also agree to this objection with full force:

(Rav) Gedaliah Dov Schwartz, 21 Tammuz 5775

It is superfluous to add that there is no ruling and no judge but the nonsense of fools who have appointed themselves authorities:

(Rav) Nota Tzvi Greenblatt, Memphis, 22 Tammuz 5775

The words of the above giants are clear in law and in practice, and I also join in their objection:

(Rav) Avrohom Michael Union, 26 Tammuz 5775

I also join in objecting to this brazen breach:

(Rav) Menachem Mendel Senderovitz, 3 Av 5775


The laughable response from the “International Beit Din” can be found here.

How Environmental Damages Should and SHOULD NOT Be Prosecuted

Free Download from Mises.org: “Law, Property Rights, and Air Pollution” by Murray N. Rothbard

Extract:

Modern variants of positive legal theory state that the law should be what the legislators say it is. But what principles are to guide the legislators? And if we say that the legislators should be the spokesmen for their constituents, then we simply push the problem one step back, and ask: What principles are supposed to guide the voters?

Again, find the full article here.

Israel: From Mere ‘Kesubah Lezachar’ to Discouraging Marriage?

I hear the IDF has now substituted the “hateful”, exclusionary, etc. etc. language of “Father’s name:__”, “Mother’s name:__” with “Parent 1#:__”, “Parent 2#:__”.

Do you think even one less Jew will go to the IDF because of this?

Me neither.

Do you think this new custom will remain only in the IDF?

Me neither.

יו”ל מחדש: ספר ‘קרית ארבע’ בשבח עיר חברון, ונספח מעודכן בענין המקומות הקדושים בחברון

מהדורה חדשה של ספר ‘קרית ארבע’ מהרב מרדכי חיים גליקזאהן זצ”ל בשבח קדושת עיר חברון ת”ו

יו”ל ע”י מכון דעת תורה שע”י אגודת קדושת ציון (ניתן ליצור קשר בדוא”ל m.daat.torah@gmail.com)

וזה לשון מוהר”ר רבי מרדכי חיים גליקזאהן זצוק”ל בשער המהדורא הראשונה:

“אשר לקטתי בעוניי, ממאמרי רז”ל בזוהר ומדרשים ופרקי דר”א ואגדת בראשית וילקוטים ועוד ספרי קודש ראשונים כמלאכים מפליאים ומפליגים בשבח קדושת המקום קרית ארבע היא חברון ת”ו ובשבח מעלת היושבים שמה במקום הקודש להאיר ולהלהיב לבב אנשי קודש אחב”י המצוינים במדת החמלה לשום עיניהם ולבם לחזק הישוב כמבואר בפנים”.

(לנוחות המעיינים: יש סימניות בקובץ.)
מדברי המסכימים על הספר:

Reprinted with permission.