From today's news רח"ל:
"The longtime leader of a Southern California synagogue .... pleaded guilty Tuesday to participating in a multimillion-dollar fraud that disguised charitable contributions for personal gain. Rabbi ----- ----- faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison for fraud but prosecutors will recommend probation as part of a plea agreement.
He collected $6.2 million in fake donations to the synagogue and affiliates and returned 90% to contributors with phony receipts, allowing them to deduct the full amount from their taxes, prosecutors said. He kept the remaining 10%, or $620,000, for himself."
We are often told to be more careful about talking in shul, about Lashon Hara, Sinas Chinam, Tzniyus etc. etc. ALL TRUE!!! We have to improve in these and many other areas. But how rarely do we hear Mussar about all of the tremendous desecrations of the name of Hashem when frum Jews cheat and steal. Chazal already tell us that רובן בגזל - Most of us are guilty of stealing.
Listen to the Prophet Yeshayahu speaking the Word of the Lord:
י שִׁמְעוּ דְבַר-יְהוָה, קְצִינֵי סְדֹם; הַאֲזִינוּ תּוֹרַת אֱלֹהֵינוּ, עַם עֲמֹרָה. יא לָמָּה-לִּי רֹב-זִבְחֵיכֶם יֹאמַר יְהוָה, שָׂבַעְתִּי עֹלוֹת אֵילִים וְחֵלֶב מְרִיאִים; וְדַם פָּרִים וּכְבָשִׂים וְעַתּוּדִים, לֹא חָפָצְתִּי. יב כִּי תָבֹאוּ, לֵרָאוֹת פָּנָי--מִי-בִקֵּשׁ זֹאת מִיֶּדְכֶם, רְמֹס חֲצֵרָי. יג לֹא תוֹסִיפוּ, הָבִיא מִנְחַת-שָׁוְא--קְטֹרֶת תּוֹעֵבָה הִיא, לִי; חֹדֶשׁ וְשַׁבָּת קְרֹא מִקְרָא, לֹא-אוּכַל אָוֶן וַעֲצָרָה. יד חָדְשֵׁיכֶם וּמוֹעֲדֵיכֶם שָׂנְאָה נַפְשִׁי, הָיוּ עָלַי לָטֹרַח; נִלְאֵיתִי, נְשֹׂא. טו וּבְפָרִשְׂכֶם כַּפֵּיכֶם, אַעְלִים עֵינַי מִכֶּם--גַּם כִּי-תַרְבּוּ תְפִלָּה, אֵינֶנִּי שֹׁמֵעַ: יְדֵיכֶם, דָּמִים מָלֵאוּ. טז רַחֲצוּ, הִזַּכּוּ--הָסִירוּ רֹעַ מַעַלְלֵיכֶם, מִנֶּגֶד עֵינָי: חִדְלוּ, הָרֵעַ. יז לִמְדוּ הֵיטֵב דִּרְשׁוּ מִשְׁפָּט, אַשְּׁרוּ חָמוֹץ; שִׁפְטוּ יָתוֹם, רִיבוּ אַלְמָנָה. {ס} יח לְכוּ-נָא וְנִוָּכְחָה, יֹאמַר יְהוָה; אִם-יִהְיוּ חֲטָאֵיכֶם כַּשָּׁנִים כַּשֶּׁלֶג יַלְבִּינוּ, אִם-יַאְדִּימוּ כַתּוֹלָע כַּצֶּמֶר יִהְיוּ. יט אִם-תֹּאבוּ, וּשְׁמַעְתֶּם--טוּב הָאָרֶץ, תֹּאכֵלוּ. כ וְאִם-תְּמָאֲנוּ, וּמְרִיתֶם--חֶרֶב תְּאֻכְּלוּ, כִּי פִּי יְהוָה דִּבֵּר. {פ}
כא אֵיכָה הָיְתָה לְזוֹנָה, קִרְיָה נֶאֱמָנָה; מְלֵאֲתִי מִשְׁפָּט, צֶדֶק יָלִין בָּהּ--וְעַתָּה מְרַצְּחִים. כב כַּסְפֵּךְ, הָיָה לְסִיגִים; סָבְאֵךְ, מָהוּל בַּמָּיִם. כג שָׂרַיִךְ סוֹרְרִים, וְחַבְרֵי גַּנָּבִים--כֻּלּוֹ אֹהֵב שֹׁחַד, וְרֹדֵף שַׁלְמֹנִים; יָתוֹם לֹא יִשְׁפֹּטוּ, וְרִיב אַלְמָנָה לֹא-יָבוֹא אֲלֵיהֶם. {ס} כד לָכֵן, נְאֻם הָאָדוֹן יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת--אֲבִיר, יִשְׂרָאֵל: הוֹי אֶנָּחֵם מִצָּרַי, וְאִנָּקְמָה מֵאוֹיְבָי. כה וְאָשִׁיבָה יָדִי עָלַיִךְ, וְאֶצְרֹף כַּבֹּר סִיגָיִךְ; וְאָסִירָה, כָּל-בְּדִילָיִךְ. כו וְאָשִׁיבָה שֹׁפְטַיִךְ כְּבָרִאשֹׁנָה, וְיֹעֲצַיִךְ כְּבַתְּחִלָּה; אַחֲרֵי-כֵן, יִקָּרֵא לָךְ עִיר הַצֶּדֶק--קִרְיָה, נֶאֱמָנָה. כז צִיּוֹן, בְּמִשְׁפָּט תִּפָּדֶה; וְשָׁבֶיהָ, בִּצְדָקָה.
Hear the word of the LORD, You chieftains of Sodom; Give ear to our God’s instruction, You folk of Gomorrah!
“What need have I of all your sacrifices?” Says the LORD. “I am sated with burnt offerings of rams, And suet of fatlings, And blood of bulls; And I have no delight In lambs and he-goats.
That you come to appear before Me— Who asked that of you? Trample My courts
no more; Bringing oblations is futile, Incense is offensive to Me. New moon and sabbath, Proclaiming of solemnities, Assemblies with iniquity, I cannot abide.
Your new moons and fixed seasons Fill Me with loathing; They are become a burden to Me, I cannot endure them.
And when you lift up your hands, I will turn My eyes away from you; Though you pray at length, I will not listen. Your hands are stained with crime—
Wash yourselves clean; Put your evil doings Away from My sight. Cease to do evil;
Learn to do good. Devote yourselves to justice; Aid the wronged. Uphold the rights of the orphan; Defend the cause of the widow.
“Come, let us reach an understanding, —says the LORD. Be your sins like crimson, They can turn snow-white; Be they red as dyed wool, They can become like fleece.”
If, then, you agree and give heed, You will eat the good things of the earth;
But if you refuse and disobey, You will be devoured [by] the sword.— For it was the LORD who spoke.
Alas, she has become a harlot, The faithful city That was filled with justice, Where righteousness dwelt— But now murderers.
Your silver has turned to dross; Your wine is cut with water.
Your rulers are rogues And cronies of thieves, Every one avid for presents And greedy for gifts; They do not judge the case of the orphan, And the widow’s cause never reaches them.
Assuredly, this is the declaration Of the Sovereign, the LORD of Hosts, The Mighty One of Israel: “Ah, I will get satisfaction from My foes; I will wreak vengeance on My enemies!
I will turn My hand against you, And smelt out your dross as with lye, And remove all your slag:
I will restore your magistrates as of old, And your counselors as of yore. After that you shall be called City of Righteousness, Faithful City.”
Zion shall be saved in [carrying out] judgment; Her repentant ones, in the [giving of] Tzedaka.
THE GEULAH WILL COME WHEN WE CLEAN UP OUR ACT!!!
