Maranan the gedolei Yisroel protested sharply
and firmly, expressing the deep shock felt by the Torah
world after it learned about the appointment of a rav in
Bnei Brak who belongs to a sect with unacceptable
viewpoints. This movement is opposed by maranan
verabonon of our times. Maran HaRav Eliezer Menachem
Shach, shlita, fought it with all his might and made
every possible attempt to thwart the forced appointment of
such rabbonim on the Torah city of Bnei Brak.
Recently, shock was expressed in all strata of loyal Torah
Jewry and the Torah world, after it became clear that an
additional attempt to make a rabbinical appointment from
that circle in the Torah city, Bnei Brak, had been made. We
are referring to the appointment of a rav from that circle
to the position of the rav of the Center of Bnei Brak.
The rav in question is the son-in-law of the current rav of
the city of Bnei Brak, whose own appointment to his position
was forced upon the community at his father's funeral. The
Center of Bnei Brak is a large and important region in the
city, where thousands of talmidei chachomim,
avreichim and bnei Torah live. That area includes
two botei medrash as well as chanichei hayeshivos
kehillos which are guided by maranan verabonon,
the gedolei Yisroel. None of them was consulted about
the appointment.
This appointment was received with much shock, as an
unfortunate renewal of machlokes in the city of
Torah. What has aroused particular anger is that -- in
addition to the way the appointment itself was carried out
against the well-known position of many who would are in the
areas the new rav is supposed to serve -- the appointment
was accompanied by publicity presenting the appointment as
very meaningful in light of the city's "past, present and
future" since the rav is a "perpetuator of the dynasty" of
his father-in-law.
For the installation, a pamphlet which contained the
blessings of various municipal members was issued. In the
explanations to justify the forced appointment it was said:
"The rav who was appointed is the son-in-law of the moro
de'asra, who is replacing his fathers in the rabbinate
of the city of Torah and Chassidus; we must stress his
constant shimush of his illustrious father-in-law,
the ga'avad of Bnei Brak, in the rabbinate and in the
instruction of practical halocho, as well as in the areas of
shechita and kashrus, and as one who was deeply
linked to and in attendance on the rabbinical dynasty of the
rabbonim of Bnei Brak, his father-in-law yibodel lechayim
tovim ve'arukim, and his father-in-law's father." In the
end, it says: "How suitable and joyful it is that he is now
being appointed to the position of rav of the Center of the
city, as a natural link in the chain of the rabbinate of the
city of Torah and Chassidus, Bnei Brak--an additional level
of the greatness of the family of the illustrious
rabbinate."
In the wake of this serious development, maranan the
gedolei Yisroel said that we must openly protest this
appointment, and not rest until it is made absolutely clear
that the entire Torah world sternly opposes this dangerous
attempt to reawaken the strife, and the efforts to gain
control of the city by means of such an appointment. This is
especially so since in recent years all have seen the extent
of the far-reaching perceptiveness of our chachomim,
and the clarity of Maran shlita's vision when he
foresaw, from a distance, the end and degeneration of that
misleading Messianic sect. The Torah world regards the
recent trend as a very dangerous one which thrusts a sword
into the fabric of total loyalty to daas Torah as
bequeathed to us by Maran the Rosh Hayeshiva
shlita.
In light of this, the ga'avad of Shearis Yisroel, HaRav
Chaim Shaul Karelitz, wrote a sharp and unequivocal letter
of protest from his sickbed. He did so with great mesiras
nefesh and with every fiber of his strength, despite his
great weakness. This penetrating letter was signed by the
gedolei Yisroel and has aroused had a great impact
throughout the Torah word.
HaRav Chaim Shaul Karelitz wrote: "All know of the battle of
gedolei Yisroel, past and present, against the well
known movement, which in our generation deviated from the
Torah way, and has undermined the principles of religion and
faith, and even produced a false Messiah. In recent years,
all have seen all that Rabbenu Hagodol, rosh kol bnei
hagolah, Maran the gaon HaRav Eliezer Menachem Shach
shlita, who was moser nefesh in this sacred
battle, warned against this movement. Maran, as all know,
opposed and sternly protested the forced appointment to the
rabbinate of the Torah city of Bnei Brak, and the first
mission Maran asked me to accomplish was to arouse and
organize the community of Shearis Yisroel in order to save
the bnei Torah from being bound and subordinated to
those in that movement. He saw it as an obligation to
organize the bnei Torah as a community built on
taharas hakodesh, with superior hechsherim and
outstanding rabbonim and morei horo'oh who follow the
path transmitted to us from generation to generation, as
suits talmidei chachomim.
"I protest the rabbonim and activists who have been
continuing, since then, to expand the breach in the city of
the Torah and to support the rabbinical appointment of one
who is affiliated and linked with that movement which has
eliminated the fear of daas haTorah hakedosha
instilled in us by Maran shlita, and have openly
taken action, as I saw in the newspapers and in the pamphlet
which they prepared for the event. In the past, I protested
their conduct. Over the first we weep, and woe to us that we
have seen that.
"From my sickbed, I hereby call to all bnei Torah and
bnei yeshiva who are subservient to daas
haTorah and the pure hashkofoh as it has been
handed down through the generations, to protest this
appointment, which is not in consonance with daas
Torah and which also constitutes a strengthening of the
original forced appointment, which is like tzelem
beheichal. Instead of fostering this appointment, they
should strengthen the bnei Torah and chanichei
hayeshivos communities as well as the rabbonim and the
kashrus built from the foundations of the
transmission of Torah in purity, as we were instructed by
Maran the gaon HaRav Eliezer Menachem Shach shlita,
may Hashem strengthen him and grant him refuah
shleima besoch she'ar cholei Yisroel."
The following gedolei Yisroel also signed this
letter: HaRav Michel Yehuda Lefkowitz, HaRav Zalman Rotberg,
HaRav Chaim Kanievsky, HaRav Shmuel Auerbach and HaRav Meir
Tzvi Bergman, the son-in-law of Maran, the Rosh
Hayeshiva.
This letter had a great impact in the Torah world. Rabbonim
and roshei yeshiva responded to the firm protest of
the gedolei Yisroel and called all to join together
in this important struggle, for which Maran the Rosh
Hayeshiva was moser nefesh.
The bnei Torah communities in Bnei Brak, and
especially those in the city's center, will meet in order to
plan the continuation of the struggle and to devise the
methods to be taken in light of the guidelines issued by
maranan verabonon.
