Da’as Torah and Anti-Vaxxers
In a recent article in the Forward, Rabbi Avi Shafran, the spokesman for Agudath Israel of America, the umbrella organization of American Charedi Jews, complained that the media was singling out the ultra-Orthodox as the prime culprits responsible for the measles outbreak in the United States. He implied that what underlay these media reports was not only anti-Charedi sentiment but actually unvarnished anti-Semitism. He pointed out that on the one hand there are many “anti-vaxxers” who are not Jewish, much less Charedim. On the other hand, what he called the “vast majority” of Orthodox Jews do have their children vaccinated.
On its face, Shafran is not incorrect. The problem is that he simply is not telling the whole truth. Indeed, it is the very leaders of his own organization who are telling their followers not to vaccinate their children if, for whatever reason, they don’t want to. Even more troubling, these same leaders are forbidding schools under their religious aegis to deny attendance to unvaccinated children.
Although ground zero for the outbreaks in America have been the Chasidic strongholds of Brooklyn’s Williamsburg and Borough Park neighborhoods, it is the non-Chasidic leaders of Agudath Israel who not only have justified opposition to vaccinations, but explicitly condemn schools that require vaccines as a prerequisite for attendance. They draw upon on mostly discredited studies and argue that the risk of complications from measles is minimal. They overlook the fact that the saving of life (pikuach nefesh) applies even in cases where the risk of death is minimal. Yet the risk is very real. I should know. Many years ago, my younger brother nearly died from complications of measles. It was only thanks to the proximity of a talented and energetic doctor that he survived the trip to the hospital.
The risk is very real. I should know. Many years ago, my younger brother nearly died from complications of measles.
And yet these rabbis assert their opinion is nothing less than what has come to be called da’as Torah, or Torah authority, elevating their erroneous and dangerous views to the level of near prophesy. No wonder ordinary Charedim are loathe to challenge the views of their respected leaders. To do so would be to risk expulsion from their tightly-knit communities.
Who are the men issuing these pronouncements? Two of them lead the Beis Medrash Govoha of Lakewood, N.J.: Rabbi Malkiel Kotler, its chancellor or Rosh HaYeshiva, and Rabbi Matisyahu Solomon, its moral tutor (to borrow a term employed at Oxbridge colleges) or mashgiach. They lead a yeshiva that is the most prestigious and the wealthiest school of its kind in the United Stares — in effect, the Harvard of yeshivas. No wonder their word is taken as law.
But these men are not alone among the rabbinical anti-vaxxers. Rabbis Shmuel Kamenetsky and Aaron Schechter are, like Rabbi Kotler, members of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah — the Committee of Torah Sages — that dictates Agudah’s religious and secular policies. Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky, a leading Israel-based decisor for thousands of Charedim worldwide, has also, in the words of Rabbis Kotler, Solomon and Kaminetsky, “explicitly ruled that schools cannot refuse such [unvaccinated] children.” These rulings are not merely flouting science; their da’as Torah is endangering hundreds, perhaps thousands of younger children and older people who are especially vulnerable to complications from measles.
In the previous century, Agudah’s rabbis invoked da’as Torah to urge Europe’s Orthodox Jews not to emigrate to America or Israel in order to escape the Nazi onslaught. Until May 1948, they invoked the same principle to oppose the creation of the State of Israel. In the 1970s and ’80s, they invoked da’as Torah again to counsel against public demonstrations on behalf of Soviet Jewry. Now they invoke it to oppose vaccinations. And once again, as before, they find themselves on the wrong side of history.
https://jewishjournal.com/commentary/columnist/297876/daas-torah-and-anti-vaxxers/
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Attorney General William Barr will step down from his position in the coming days, leaving the Trump administration about a month before Joe Biden's inauguration.
Barr, who was confirmed as Trump’s 2nd attorney general in February 2019, has been one of the president’s staunchest allies in the Cabinet. But significant cracks developed in their relationship in recent weeks.
Trump over the weekend lashed out at Barr over reports that he kept information about a federal investigation into Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, from public view before the election. Trump even shared a tweet that called on Barr to be fired if the reports were true.
“A big disappointment!” Trump wrote in response to the tweet on Saturday.
Barr also broke with Trump in spectacular fashion by telling The AP 2 weeks ago the Justice Department had not found evidence of widespread election fraud that would alter the results of the election. The statement represented a public contradiction of Trump’s fraud claims by one of his closest Cabinet members & quickly spurred speculation he could be fired or resign.
Trump may push the acting attorney general to appoint a special counsel to investigate Hunter Biden, something he reportedly urged Barr to do.
Israel's Supreme Court today ruled that ex-school principal Malka Leifer can be extradited to Australia, to face charges of sexual abuse of pupils, bringing her 6 year effort to prevent the move to an almost certain end.
“All who seek to evade justice shall know they won't find a city of refuge in Israel,” Justices Anat Baron, Isaac Amit & Ofer Grosskopf wrote in a unanimous decision.
Since Australia filed its extradition request in 2014, “there was no proceeding the appellant hasn't taken & there's no claim she missed, to attempt to prevent her extradition,” the judges noted, scolding the dragged-out nature of the process.
The court rejected the assertion by the defense in its appeal that Leifer was still a resident of Israel at the time of the crimes & therefore should be allowed to serve her sentence in the Jewish state. The judges said Leifer moved to Australia to work at Adass Israel ultra-Orthodox girls’ high school in Melbourne where she stayed for 7 years & had no intention of leaving before allegations came to light. The judges add if Leifer's sentenced by an Australian court, she's welcome to request to serve her sentence in Israel. In the meantime though, the Supreme Court has no jurisdiction to accept such a demand.
Speaking to The Times of Israel, Dassi Erlich, who led the campaign to see Leifer face justice, said, “It's incredible to reach this point after so many years, a decision we dreamed of happening & never gave up hope.”
Justice Minister Avi Nissenkorn, whose signature is required to authorize Leifer’s transfer to Australian authorities, swiftly tweeted he won't dawdle in signing the paperwork.
“After long & torturous years, time has come to do justice to Leifer’s victims,” he wrote. “I intend to sign the extradition order without delay.”
https://dusiznies.blogspot.com/2020/12/anti-vaxers-r-shmuel-kaminetzki-malkiel.html?showComment=1608007994001#c1370678601138142805
Dusiznies said...
To all those who who are saying R' Shmuel the letter is a fraud
I called the Kaminetzky home yesterday & spoke to a family member who told me the "Rosh Yeshiva is not recommending anyone take the virus (vaccine)"
When I asked if the Rosh Yeshiva "lent his name to a Daas Torah Kol Korah" ... she said "I cannot comment on that "
I suspect he is now pulling out after the massive negative feedback...
I also remember when the Rosh Yeshiva pulled his Haskama from the Slifkin Books after he had tremendous pressure ....
I stand by this post!
Kamenetzky is telling all his students that call him or others, NOT TO TAKE THE COVID VACCINE UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES! How do I know? They contacted me, 11 people so far!
Feh! Mistumme derrr Philly rrrejects vus rrreefen UOJ!
Rabbeinu Shmuel told me there is only one exception.
Baalei teshuva only are allowed to get the Covid vaccine because they've already fressed all kinds of shkotzim uremoshim - but only if they get it in the tuchess.
Therefore, at my illegal gathering later this month in Ghermezian's American Dream amusement park in Rutherford NJ, it is a prerequisite for all BTs to pull down their hoyzen for inspection to gain entry. Leib Tropper who is also a talmid of Philly, is our certified tushy inspector for the event.
Ha! You big mouths out there say I am the most difficult rosh yeshiva of this dor - but you aint seen nuttin' yet!
Whoa! When they say you come out of Pechter's yeshiva with scars, they weren't kidding!
"Baalei teshuva only are allowed to get the Covid vaccine"
This is a whole new layer of meaning for Lakewood Mesivta rosh yeshiva R' Yossel Bursztyn when he has one of his infamous outbursts of "mir zeinen nisht a kvutza fun baalei teshuvah"
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