Comments on: A Must Read: Timeless Words of Rav Shimon Schwab Towards TODAY’S Headlines

By: a jaffee

a jaffee — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 00:11:29 +0000

Source? does any one know please advise? has anyone seen the original article?

By: ValleyYid

ValleyYid — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 21:26:22 +0000

So someone explain this to me. Innocent until proven guilty or not, how is the matzav of Am Yisroel improved by this story being broadcast to the entire world? How are we not put into greater tzakanah during the nine days when Rabbanim (tzaddikim or not) are accused like this?
Even if everyone is fully acquitted how is this not a Chillul Hashem?

While I am perfectly willing to be dan l’kaf zchus it’s pretty hard to imagine that there is absolutely noting to this. I think that Rav Schwab’s point is simple and on point in this regard. If you are a community leader, a tzadddik or just a basic frum yid you accept a higher standard upon yourself and the way you act. You should therefore never be even close to a situation that could even remotely be viewed as acting in a way contrary to the torah or civil laws.

May this be a start of achdus and that this Tisha B’Av is our last.

By: simcha18

simcha18 — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 21:17:01 +0000

A noted maggid shiur from an excellent yeshiva told me that his father took him to Rav Shimon Schwab zt”l for a brocha when he was about to become a bar mitzva bachur. Reb Shimon asked the father of the bachur why are there no g’dolim in America. He said that in terms of hasmadah, the talmidim in Lakewood and elsewhere are equal to those in Mir in his time before, during, and after WWII. In terms of kishronos (talents), it’s hard to beat the talmidim in Lakewood. So, why don’t we have American g’dolim? It is, he said, because of treife gelt. Treife gelt, acquired through deception and illegal means found its way into the yeshiva system as tzedaka, etc.

By: dikduk

dikduk — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 19:13:57 +0000

Enough with all this lomdus why this is not a chillul Hashem. The world looks at all this as something wrong which disgraces the name of Hashem! This is nothing less than a Mechalel Sheim Hashem Barabim!
R’ Schwab’s words definitely apply here!

By: msl613

msl613 — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 05:16:56 +0000

To all the commenters who said that we can’t apply Rav Schwab’s ideas here I would ask did you ever give a d’var Torah on the Parsha? Did you ever try to apply something in the parsha to our times? (Hint: If you say “no” then you’re lying.)

If we can try to apply things that the Avos did and said to our times then we certainly can do so with something said by a great Talmud Chachom just 20 years ago. And it doesn’t have to be an exact parallel to make the point. Something, this editorial has done beautifully.

By: jewordare

jewordare — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 03:36:06 +0000

Rav Shwab was right,

Anyone who argues entrapment doesn’t know the law nor do they understand the rules of entrapment. the argument for entrapment only applies if the person wasn’t “predisposed” to commit the crime. That means that if the FBI informant approached these individuals and they did it for him as a “favor” that’s entrapment. However, if these individuals were doing this prior to the informant’s request, then its not entrapment. (Think of it like a drug dealer selling to a police officer – the same rules apply)

The fact that orthodox jews allow themselves to be pulled into such behavior and have members of the community argue over whether we are finding them guilty or innocent adds to the chillul hashem. if they are innocent then it will be proved, however the fact that they brought shame on the community is really what we should be upset about.

By: asher_k

asher_k — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 20:13:00 +0000

Perhaps the embarrassment being visited upon us is because of the way our “rabbinic leaders” have denigrated and undermined our own Torah system of Bais Din justice. Several years ago a Bais Din reissued a seuv against a so-called “rabbi” from a prominent “Orthodox” 90 year-old synagogue organization who afflicted and tormented a widow, declaring the “rabbi” to be a moser and that all the Halachos of Yoreh Deah section 334 applied to him. Instead of enforcing the seruv, the VP of the organization issued a letter UNDERMINING the Bais Din. When that strategy began to unravel, the organization created a forgery to make it appear the seruv was lifted, a felony under state law.

So why should we be upset when Hashem meets out justice through the FBI and IRS?

By: SK44

SK44 — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 20:12:58 +0000

I never met a more honest person in my life who was a straight as Rav Schwab. What a tzadik!

He was right what he said, and anyone who doesnt see the comparison here is in denial.

I happen to know what he was referring to, and he knew allyour dumb answeres without everyone saying them, and he still said his piece.

And to #28 who called someone an ignoramous, you must be referring to yourself. You have insulted the “pickchus” and name of Rav Schwab zt”l!!

You think he didnt know about the Mahra”m Ruttenberg, the Tosfes Yomtov, R’ Lipman Heller????!!

HOW DARE YOU!!
SHAME ON YOU!
I AM BEING MOCHE TO PROTECT MY REBBIS KAVOD!

By: Joe Schmo

Joe Schmo — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 20:05:07 +0000

great article!

By: Mezonos Maven

Mezonos Maven — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 19:58:58 +0000

perhaps the circumstances of the case rav schwab applied this statement to were different than this case? just a thought.