Hesped: When the Rosh Yeshiva of MYRCB Expounded on the Great Sin of Littering

We are now in the month of Ellul, approaching a new year, 5784, הבא עלינו לטובה אי"ה. It is a time when there is a special and additional focus on repentance, תשובה, and מוסר, rebuke. We are also just days after the passing of a leading Rosh Yeshiva. 

So it is quite appropriate to hear some strong words, powerful and cleansing, inspiring and energizing, from the late Rosh Yeshiva of ישיבת רבנו חיים ברלין זצללה"ה.

 Listen: Rabbi Chaim Nosson Segal Remembers Rav Aharon Moshe Schechter zt”l – Inspired for a 55-Year Stretch | Matzav.com

45:20 app. -

Rav Chaim Nosson Segal shlit"a relates:

"You know the Rosh Yeshiva said over once, I was driving with him somewhere, and the car in front of us littered, and the Rosh Yeshiva said to me, the breakdown of society begins with littering. When you consider the road and the world to be your garbage can, so then you have no respect for anything.

That was the Rosh Yeshiva. There was no act that could not lead us to higher levels of קדושה (holiness). There was no such thing."

אשרי אוזן שומע זאת, ויתן אל לבו, אשרי מי שעמלו בתורה ועושה נחת רוח ליוצרו

Littering, especially in its more egregious forms, such as people who eat in a motor vehicle and toss the leftover packaging from it, is a serious violation of both common mentschlichkeit (basic humanity), as well as Torah. 

Yahrzeit Seudah? No. Shloshim Seudah? No. The Importance of Our Traditional Boundaries.

Not so long ago I saw notice of an event, upon the yahrzeit of a Litvishe Rosh Yeshiva in the USA, who was נפטר not long ago. It advertised a 'Yahrzeit seudah' for him. I also saw mention of a 'Shloshim seudah' in another instance.

Whoa! In our Torah way, yahrzeits are marked by things like having an אזכרה, הספד, fasting, learning, davening at the amud, saying kaddish, giving a shiur. Not festive meals.

This shows us the problems from when Litvish mix too much with Chasidim, daven in their prayer houses, get too friendly with them, and fail to maintain proper separation and boundaries. They sometimes, רחמנא ליצלן (may Hashem save us from such), start adopting Hasidic practices at odds with their מסורה, their tradition. And once such a trend starts, it might ח"ו, G-d forbid, proceed even further.

While a related matter was written about here more than a decade ago, the importance of this issue, and these problematic variant practices, warrant another post.

Just because a Chasidic prayer house might be a bit closer to you, offer more to eat, have more PR, and more mass-produced services at their "minyan factory", does not mean that it is an appropriate place for us. החכם עיניו בראשו. We should favor principle over convenience.

In the zechus of choosing with care where we daven and learn, may we be זוכה to a גוט געבענטשט יאהר, כתיבה וחתימה טובה.

Budapest Chareidim Resist Chabad Invasion - Widespread Outrage at Lubavitch Imperialism

 Outrage against Chabad-Lubavitch is spreading around the world, in wake of one of their most recent despicable power plays, closing a Chareidi Shul in Budapest, Hungary, the seat of a venerable Hungarian Chareidi congregation. Evidently Chabad-Lubavitch has been trying to take control of Hungarian Jewry through political maneuvering and intrigues, as they did in Russia years ago, by cozying up to the regime there. But a group of brave Hungarian Orthodox Jews are fighting back. Like the Hungarians revolted against the Soviet Union in 1956.

Beyond the reports in various media outlets about this sad situation, what is also quite interesting are the comments at some of the sites (some of which seemingly have been subsequently deleted due to Chabad-Lubavitch pressure. The sect now even tries to block and remove comments they don't like. But there are ways to retrieve things that have been removed). People from far and wide chimed in, telling of Chabad Lubavitch takeovers, and attempted takeovers elsewhere. It is clear, as is well known by informed people, that Lubavitch tries to take over communities and positions, far and wide.

The valiant resistance to Chabad in Hungary has posted videos illustrating the situation at YouTube.

They also have been posting updates on social media at Hungary Orthodox בודפשט הונגריה (@HungaryOrth) / X (twitter.com), and ShomreiHadasHungary (@ShomreiHadasHun) / X (twitter.com). 

This matter is not only of interest to Hungarian Jews, but to our people worldwide. It is a cautionary tale of great import. The former President there admits that he worked with Chabad, and then they betrayed his trust. This should be a warning and a lesson to people worldwide, who contemplate inviting Chabad to their communities. Lubavitch has an agenda of its own. Don't be fooled. Behind some smiles, sweet talk, and offers of assistance, it is a dangerous group. Don't invite in a stranger who will later attempt to evict you, or make you a second-class citizen in your own house.

May הקב"ה help us against such subversives.

What is the Opposite of, the Antidote for Sinas Chinam? The Brisker Rav Elucidates the Matter

 What is the antidote for שנאת חינם (loose translation - hate for no reason), the way we can counteract it?

Often we hear (and it was perhaps repeated even more recently during the בין המצרים - three weeks period) a well-known and worn idea that goes like this:

The second Beis Hamikdash was destroyed due to sinas chinam (see Rav Avigdor Miller's explanation of that here, not exactly what you likely grew up with,). In order to have it restored, we need to remove and rectify that problem. Therefore we must practice its opposite, אהבת חינם (loose translation - free love, love for no reason) to merit redemption. This thought is often stated in the name of Rav Avraham Yitzchak Hakohen Kook, Chief Ashkenazic Rabbi of Israel, however it seems to have preceded him and come from a Chasidic leader, R. Yechezkel of Kuzmir.

While that seems quite appealing, and fits easily into the modern zeitgeist in Western countries, in reality, such free love, like the more corporeal "free love" of hippies, anarchists, and other radicals, is dangerous, deceptive, and not in accordance with our tradition. Our holy Torah requires, mandates hatred at times. So the Brisker Rav zt"l pointed out that the opposite of sinas chinam, gratuitous hate, is actually proper enmity, hatred when it is just and warranted, for good cause, like hatred of evil and רשעים.

So to merit geulah, בקרוב אי"ה, let us practice love when it is warranted, and hatred of evil when it is in place. And hopefully soon merit the day when the evil vanishes like smoke, as we daven for during the approaching ימים נוראים.

א גוטען חודש אלול

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