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| In “Das Neutige Operaziya” [The Necessary Operation], published in Dos Yiddishe Licht I (1923): 3-4, Rabbi Shraga Feivel Mendlowitz, the principal of Yeshiva Torah Vodaath, launched a bitter critique of Orthodox life in America, particularly by rabbis. |
“In “Das Neutige Operaziya” [The Necessary Operation], published in Dos Yiddishe Licht I (1923): 3-4, Rabbi Shraga Feivel Mendlowitz, the principal of Yeshiva Torah Vodaath, launched a bitter critique of Orthodox life in America, particularly by rabbinical misconduct and malfeasance! ( He was just 37 years of age at the time)
"I read last week a proclamation from certain rabbis; that was considered by them an important meeting. The outcome of this meeting was that they all agreed to was, that a group of butchers place kosher tags on non-kosher meat!
They warned the Orthodox Jewish community that they need to be cautious as to where they buy their meat.
They appealed to the various meat packing companies and slaughter houses that they should cease and desist from selling non-kosher meat as kosher!
They determined that 90% of the meat sold from these packing houses is not kosher!
The above is the summary of their of their statement.
Now, If I were to be part of this group of rabbis, I would have been joyful with this statement. But, I am NOT part of this group and while I have respect for the holy rabbinate, it pains me that I must condemn them in no uncertain terms!
Therefore, as I write the truth as it really is, at the very least, where I believe the truth really is to be found, as well as thousands of other sincere Jews. Let it be known - THE SIGNATURE OF GOD IS TRUTH (TORAH) - we must never fear the truth of coming to the fore, the way it really is, without any fear of repercussions.
I want to ask those "rabbis" - which Jews did they warn that they must be careful as to where they buy their meat, to be certain NOT to buy treifas, non-kosher meat?
For those Jews who do not have an ounce of Jewish tradition left in their lives, and intentionally eat non-kosher food, because they tossed their Jewish values out of the window, because for them, it's kosher enough to buy meat anywhere?
These wayward Jews do not need any proclamations from these rabbis, nor will they adhere to any warnings, and in this case perhaps the rabbis are not responsible parties to their misdeeds.
But if these rabbis want to issue warnings and proclamations, they should issue them to the observant Jews, that seek to only eat kosher, but are not that cautious as to where they purchase their food!
These good Jews would not step foot in an establishment that the proprietor is not a person of deep trust, and would have a resident mashgiach (kosher supervisor) on the premises.
But the question still remains --- what exactly did you warn the people against? Why not warn them against the "rabbis" that issue fraudulent kosher certificates?
Don't you know the ugly truth - that the vast majority of non-kosher food sold to Jews are because of these rabbis issuing fraudulent kosher certificates to these establishments? Why not stand up to them? Are you expecting these Cossack/Communist Jewish slaughterhouses to do the right thing?
Why not stand up to these "rabbis"that toss around kosher certificates everywhere? (for a few dollars).
Why not, once and for all, go after these very rabbis, to whom kosher means absolutely nothing, who certify kosher every forbidden food item?
You will probably respond by saying, that it is impossible for us to create such a firestorm!
But I say, that it is only because of "mesiras nefesh", undying loyalty to the Torah, that kept Judaism vibrant and alive until today!
NEVER - in any time, in any country was it easy to uphold Torah Judaism - but our spiritual leaders and or great and righteous people gave their lives with mesiras nefesh, to destroy the evil in their midst. In fact, all mitzvos that require great sacrifice are the mitzvos that need to be fulfilled.
Unfortunately,the "rabbis" are not willing to sacrifice the slightest, besides a handful of rabbis.
And these rabbis that are willing to sacrifice themselves are unfortunately in the minority, a minority of a minority.
Besides the true Torah giants of the Jews, all the others are willing to issue fraudulent kosher certificates as much as they can get paid for! And where did these rabbis find the right to create from the entire Torah a cash machine?
Why can't we expect from them what the holy RAMBAM required from the rabbinate, " From Rabbonus, except for certain situations, no money should exchange hands, for the benefit of Judaism."
But here in our country, unfortunately, besides rabbis getting paid for fraudulent kosher certificates, they demand that they receive "speakers fees" when they are asked to speak to children in Hebrew schools (Talmud Torahs) and yeshivas.
HAVE THEY NO SHAME?
Not only are these so-called rabbis not leaders that are suppose to attract the working people, they alienate the good hard working people (baalei batim), because if they are convinced to speak to young children, they speak with "half a mouth", because there's no money in it!
Does it not rock Judaism to it's core, that these hard working Jews that support the yeshivas in every way possible, see that these rabbis DEMAND "speakers fees" for addressing children in yeshivas!
GOD IN HEAVEN!!!
Is there no holiness in anything to these "rabbis"?
Who can possibly understand that these so-called spiritual leaders sold their souls to the "Egel Hazahav" the idolatry of money?
Are you not aware that the way you conduct yourself -- you shame the Torah --which is already at an unbelievable low point in this country?
Are your ears so clogged, your hearts so impurified, that you are incapable of hearing the voice of right and justice - that emanates from the Torah?
But you fool nobody! Among the nations they already speak in derogatory terms about rabbis!
And who is not responsible for this Chilul Hashem if not these rabbis alone, who sold their souls for money?
How much embarrassment must the Jewish people endure from these people -- who are not really rabbis --but just crooked business people!
We must also look at the rabbis who have gone into the wine business.
How much shame, how much degradation, how much desecration of the honor of the Torah lies therein! Rabbis who ought to be the ones to ensure that the laws of the land (Prohibition) are upheld are instead the direct or indirect cause of their violation.
If truth be told, even if wine for ritual purpose were a biblical commandment, the current desecration of God’s name would still not be justified, how much more so that it is only a rabbinic commandment, and it can be fulfilled by using raisin wine! . . .
Therefore, I beseech you, my brethren, no matter how great a Torah scholar a rabbi is, if he is a cause for the desecration of Heaven, he must be removed from the community.
The Jewish newspapers not to fall victim to these charlatans, they must only accept advertising from legitimate kosher companies.
It is true that a rabbi's job is to clarify Jewish law for our people -- but when it comes to the questions of the age of the universe, or if humans evolved from animals, or if intermarriage is ever permissible, the secular Jewish press does a "wonderful job" of determining these matters -- they do not ask rabbis -- because they deem these issues more important than whether one needs kosher wine for kiddush.
Even if wine for kiddush was a biblical decree, but since it is on a rabbinical decree, they decided that any wine is good enough, kosher or otherwise.
Everything that I have written here is really not news at all.
The authentic rabbis realize this, and just last Sunday I was informed that a God fearing rabbi came out with anger and force against the those fraudulent rabbis for the fraud they perpetrate on Judaism.
These rabbis' fraudulent kosher certificates on food must be removed from all establishments!
Unfortunately, a darkness has befallen the Jewish nation. We no longer know which certificates of kashruth are authentic and which are not. We have rabbis that bellow out with a pretense of being God fearing, but we can no longer even discern, who is a God fearing rabbi from those that are not, who is honest and who is not, who is trustworthy and who are the ones that have been compromised.
Fellow Jews: I beseech you, if you have any respect for the Torah whatsoever, and you want to restore honor to the Jewish nation and your own self-respect, which unfortunately has become polluted beyond belief, then bring this situation under control!
Weed out the rotten fruit again and again, DO NOT DELAY --- How great this would be for the Torah! Those rotten apples that continue to be m'chalel shem Shomayim --- YOU MUST EXCOMMUNICATE THEM FROM THE JEWISH NATION!
Only then, the glory of the Torah and the respect for the legitimate rabbinate will the beauty once again shine.
Those God fearing Jews, whose hearts have been moved to do right --- you must show them your respect --- and I ask you to assist them in every holy endeavor --- and together you will strengthen Judaism and our Torah. THE TIME IS NOW --- because our holy laws have been trampled on and degraded to such an extremely low level!"
Shraga Feivel Mendlowitz