The Gilad Shalit Deal - Part 2

[Tag-MehirTzedek]

http://machonshilo.org/en/eng/component/content/article/34-featured/570-the-gilad-shalit-deal-an-authentically-jewish-perspective-02

 (In case you missed part 1)

http://machonshilo.org/en/eng/component/content/article/34-featured/569-the-gilad-shalit-deal-an-authentically-jewish-perspective-01

[Kahane-Was-Right BT]

Rav Bar Hayim takes Rabbi Ovadia Yosef to the cleaners once again.

I appreciate the fact that Rav Bar Hayim is willing to do this publicly by publishing his disagreement to Rav Ovadia's pronouncements.    There are many rabbis who would never have the guts, some even to disagree in their head, let alone to write an article expressing disagreement with a gadol like that.   

It is instances like this which make me question the collective judgement of the Jewish people.   How did the current crop of gedolim become leaders when they are sometimes so woefully out of step with reality and operate in the galut-mode mindset all the time?  Only when the populace itself is equally out of step with reality and appoints/elevates leaders of this nature above itself.    IOW, we get the leaders we deserve.   But if we recognize our wrongheaded ways, maybe we can change the situation.

[Tag-MehirTzedek]

Rav Bar Hayim takes Rabbi Ovadia Yosef to the cleaners once again.

I appreciate the fact that Rav Bar Hayim is willing to do this publicly by publishing his disagreement to Rav Ovadia's pronouncements.    There are many rabbis who would never have the guts, some even to disagree in their head, let alone to write an article expressing disagreement with a gadol like that.   

It is instances like this which make me question the collective judgement of the Jewish people.   How did the current crop of gedolim become leaders when they are sometimes so woefully out of step with reality and operate in the galut-mode mindset all the time?  Only when the populace itself is equally out of step with reality and appoints/elevates leaders of this nature above itself.    IOW, we get the leaders we deserve.   But if we recognize our wrongheaded ways, maybe we can change the situation.

 Their are always a few "zealots" (and in this case negative ones) who promote and elevate certain people while put down those they disagree with. (Ex. Rabbi Steinberg I believe that's how you spell his name who was a "gadol" was put down even had his car firebombed after he starting saying positive things about joining the Religious units of the Army) Is he the same person before and after he said this? YES. Yett before he was a Gadol to some while after he was/ "is" a nobody. Another example is R' Eliyashev. Check his history as well and you'll see (in the opposite direction). Or Rabbi Kook who was the main Askenasi Rabbi of the last generation yett such disrespect and purposefully forgetting/ not teaching who he was and what he did.

[Tag-MehirTzedek]

Rav Bar Hayim takes Rabbi Ovadia Yosef to the cleaners once again.

 Be careful with your writing/ talking as well. Words like these will only cause an emotional response (maybe not here, but depending with whom you are speaking). Instead of dealing with the issues these types of conversations lead to my Rabbi vs. your Rabbi debate. Which no one wins because each has his own ego and his own "team" they are cheering for.

[Kahane-Was-Right BT]

Be careful with your writing/ talking as well. Words like these will only cause an emotional response (maybe not here, but depending with whom you are speaking). Instead of dealing with the issues these types of conversations lead to my Rabbi vs. your Rabbi debate. Which no one wins because each has his own ego and his own "team" they are cheering for.

I mean that phrase based on the quality of the arguments, not the personalities involved.  It could not be more clear that Rav Yosef's justification of the israeli govt contradicts the mishna and the unassailable way to understand the overall issue.   Anyone can "take him to the cleaners" by pointing this out in a clear and concise way, and Rabbi Bar Hayim did that here.   When you say " this is a certainty and that's only a possibility" you leave yourself prone to being mopped up.

Its funny too because this was the exact same justification given by a certain menuval socalled rabbi to his followers immediately after the deal.  (Told to me by a friend).   I wonder if some centralized directive went out like "here is how to diffuse the complaints and outrage and how to use Torah to justify the deal..."    sorry but I have become very cynical.

As for cheering and the like, I don't cheer for any teams I only cheer for the truth which should always win out.  Arguments from authority are pretty worthless in my eyes.  And speaking of truth, rav shternbuch was also against this deal and I think his teshuvah published in the yated also KO's Rav Yosef.

[muman613]

Every Rabbi I have spoken to was against the deal. I don't know how, according to Halacha, anyone could support such a 'deal'. Even the Chabad Rabbis all mention that although it is a mitzvah to redeem a captive that there are certain 'prices' which are not paid because it would encourage future hostage taking...

I can understand why a Rabbi would be excited about freeing a Jewish hostage alive.... But the second clause of the halacha concerning exorbitant ransoms must be overlooked in order to rejoice about the deal. As one who has compassion on the families of the victims of the terrorism which was perpetrated by these murderers who are now free, I can understand that it is wrong to release 1027 murderers for one Jewish soldier.