Thursday, November 2, 2017

Sometimes One MUST Speak - [Updated the video link - was a mistake] - Updated update - Link taken down - More To Come:-)


This is very interesting [from the 13 minute mark]. 

This is my question - If the allegations are true, then what message are we sending to our children by presenting him as a Tzadik, leader and spiritual guide? And to ourselves?! That it is OK to be sexually depraved. Essentially, he is saying "don't talk about it" - even if it's true. Of course we shouldn't talk about it. Of course, after a person is dead there is generally no benefit from speaking against him. But in this instance, it is very difficult to defend the position of "sweep it under the carpet and forget about it". He never claims that the allegations aren't true. Just that we shouldn't talk about them. But if they ARE  true then we have to denounce the behavior and make it clear that it is unacceptable. Otherwise the message we send is that if you are a deep spiritual person, then we can overlook acts of tremendous impurity - and even name a yeshiva after him.   

He is not the only one. There are other rabbis who are in jail or have been in jail for sexual misconduct or financial impropriety. Yet, their followers either deny it or blind themselves to it. This is a scandal. It perpetuates sin. THAT is why it is permitted [by the Chofetz Chaim] to speak against evildoers. I knew a rabbi who was emotionally and verbally abusive in cruel ways [he may or may not still be alive]. I was a witness and one of many. Yet, people fiercely defend him. The message - you can hurt people and get away with it. 

Sometimes, says the Chofetz Chaim, one is OBLIGATED to speak negatively. [Ask a rabbi first...] The Torah itself tells us about the sins of our heroes in order to learn from them and avoid them. Even Moshe Rabbeinu didn't get away [with much less] and was severely censured. 

If we don't know whether the accusations are true then they must be investigated in order to clear his name if possible. But as long as many people believe that it happened and he still attracts devoted followers, then it is a Chilul Hashem. 

When a businessman lies, steals and cheats and when he goes to shul he gets kavod and an aliyah, or when he honored at the shul or Yeshiva dinner, the message is -  "You can be as dishonest as you want as long as you are rich and donate a lot of money."

Again - I don't know whether the allegations are true. I wasn't present and didn't see it with my own eyes. But one should be VERY circumspect in promoting the person behind the music and Torah. 

Now he is in Shomayim. Hashem will judge him. By now I am sure that he received his tikkun [if he needed one]. Now he is definitely receiveing reward for the thousands he was mekarev, for all of the times his songs uplifted people to this very day [myself included], for all of the Torah he taught, for the boundless love he had for all ["all" includes the lowest "low lives", and everybody else created in the image of G-d], for the tremendous amount of tzedaka he gave and for all of his many mitzvos.

We must never overlook all of the good. But it is dangerous to imply in any way that his many great deeds erase behaviors that are strictly forbidden and immoral [again - if committed].      

I would LOVE to hear from anyone who has a limmud zchus for him. He was a great man but if there was also a darker side then I am very uncomfortable with ignoring that and placing him on a pedestal of spiritual exaltation.