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Brooklyn DA Goes After Orthodox Husbands

The office of the Brooklyn DA has established a quarter of a million dollar project aimed at jailing Orthodox Jewish husbands for Domestic Violence. Sitting in the DA's offices are people waiting for a telephone from a lady whose husband has not treated her properly. Project Eden, funded by a federal grand to prevent Domestic Violence, reaches into the Orthodox community at every level where people, such as Mikva ladies and those who deal with cosmetics, who deal with ladies, should keep a look out for any woman who may be a victim of Domestic Violence. The husbands are then put in jail.

We wish to add that going to jail today is quite a serious matter. There are many people with AIDS in jails, and they are known to commit rape. Sending someone to jail is very dangerous, perhaps dinei nefoshose. The fact that such a problem has been launched in our community, and there is no protest, shows just how far our community has failed. As a matter of fact, many rabbis were summoned by the DA regarding this project, and they came. What a disgrace.

There are organizations of feminists in the Orthodox community who seek out women who may be candidates to put their husband in jail. One of their female victims came to me to get help after her husband left jail and decided to turn the tables on her. He knew too much, it seemed. What a shame that in the Orthodox community we have gender wars. What a shame that idealistic people can work not to make shalom bayis, but to destroy families and put people in jail.

If the definition of Domestic Violence was physical violence, we would have to think about all of this quite seriously. Unfortunately, in New York City, Domestic Violence does not mean just violence. It means any attitude, words, or behavior that causes the woman distress. In a marriage, there are always such things. Not approving of a wife's friends, for instance, is a cause, according to Project Eden, to call the police on the husband and accuse him of Domestic Violence.

The law of New York State is quite clear. Harassment is a crime only in a public setting, not in the home. In the home, only physical violence is a crime. However, in New York City, in the Manhatten website of its Domestic Violence Program, as well as in the Brooklyn DA's Project Eden, Domestic Violence is construed as meaning non-physical behavior. This is illegal, and shows just how far the destroyers of families are going with their idealisms.

Silence in the face of such a provocation means only one thing. Those who should protest are silent because they are on the take. They are busy taking monies from the people who support Project Eden and don't want to rock the boat. Let us hope and pray that their boat sinks.

A small sect of rabbis in Israel have made a "Sanhedrin," proposing to unite all Jews in one Torah interpretation. Technically, this would disqualify any rabbi in the world from disagreeing with them, and would even make such a rabbi into a wicked person. Whereas very few rabbis recognize this group, which is limited to a certain element, and does not have the leading rabbis backing it, the so-called Sanhedrin has no legal status. The presumption of a few rabbis that they can dictate the Torah to rabbis greater than them, to Torah communities that outnumber them, is a grand distortion of reality and is a fraud. The major Torah authorities in Israel, the Rosh Yeshivas of the great Yeshivas, the dayanim of the major Jewish communities, have nothing to do with this "Sanhedrin." Furthermore, hundreds of years ago, when some truly qualified rabbis tried to make a semicha or ordination that could create a Sanhedrin, most rabbis refused to accept this, and the Semicha quietly disappeared. Thus, those who wish to re-create the Sanhedrin, even if they were as qualified as the first rabbis were who tried it, would be rebuffed by historical rejection of pre-Messianic Sanhedrins.

The people who made this Sanhedrin are the same who pumped up many simple and pure Jewish hearts with Messianic proclamations about Gaza. Today, many of those fooled by the Messianic pretensions of this element now active in the "Sanhedrin" are broken spiritually and emotionally. The Sanhedrin is thus another attempt of this element to hasten the hand of heaven by pronouncing lies and fraud, which is a disgrace.

Jew and Noahide: Miracle in Orlanda, Florida

Right to Left: Rabbi Richard B Landy and Mr. Joseph Mont - leaders of unique Noahide Community

        Joseph Mont and Rabbi Richard B. Landy, Dean of the Passaic Rabbinical School, pose here in Monsey, NY, visiting Rabbi David Eidensohn, publisher of the Torah Times, and one involved in the "miracle of Orlanda." Mr. Mont was once a lost Christian, sure of his Jewish roots, but unable to connect with them. He along with a community of gentiles in Orlanda felt strongly they descended from ANUSIM, Jews forced by the Catholic Church to convert in Spain, Portugal and elsewhere. First he tried Messianic Judaism, Christians who claim Jewish ideas, but soon realized Judaism had nothing to do with these ideas. He struck out on his own, but where could he turn? A lady on the web who does organized work for descendents of ANUSIM put Joseph in touch with Rabbi Eidensohn. Rabbi Eidensohn connected the group with Rabbi Feldman of Atlanta, Ga, and others. Today, Rabbi Landy gives classes and organizes programs for them. Some want to convert to Judaism, and some want to remain Noahides, gentiles who obey the Torah given for gentiles at Sinai, known as Noahide Law. The group has a thriving website, classes and community in Orlanda. Groups of similar gentiles with Jewish blood heard about the Orlanda effort and want to find out more. 

    At a time when many gentiles are interested in the Jewish approach to Sinai for gentiles, this group has a leadership role to play. Anyone interested in Noahide activities can contact Reb Yosef Mont at orlandokdi@yahoo.com, or go to the website at www.on.to/orlandokdi  or call 407-772-0160.

Kabbala

    Kabala, the mystical aspect of Torah, is part of the regular Torah. Other religions are comprised of inventions by various thinkers and leaders. Judaism, however, does not allow any mortal to invent Torah. All Torah is from G-d. This is true of the Five Books of Moses, the Torah, as revealed law, and for Kabala, the Hidden Law. Thus, when G-d taught Moshe the Five Books of the Torah, He taught the hidden meaning of the secrets of the Torah as well as the revealed portion of the Law. Some of these teachings are mentions in the biblical books of Daniel and Ezekiel, and the Talmud in trachtate Hagiga discusses them somewhat. However, the entire system of Kabala was never recorded, but passed down from generation to generation among only the highest and deepest scholars. In the past millenium, as terrible suffering engulfed the Jews as they entered the Pre-Messianic Period, the Kabala began to be disseminated and taught more publicly.         

    We know why we need the revealed law. Were we not told, we could not know about Shabbos, tephilin, holidays and other laws of the Torah. Why, however, do we need Kabala?

    Each person has a body and soul. The body has a brain, and the brain has various levels, dealing with cognitive facts, memory and emotions. The soul, too, has various levels. Just as we strengthen and develop our brain by thinking, so do we strengthen and develop our soul with piety and holiness. We live in a finite world and the mind only understands finite things. However, our finite universe is unnatural, an atypical construction of the finite cosmos in G-d's dimension where all is infinite. Thus, people in their finite limitations cannot really relate to G-d who is infinite beyond all infinity. That is, their brain does not see the infinite. The corporeal senses do not sense transcendence or spirituality. And yet, the major and prime phenomena of Truth is not corporeal or finite, but spiritual and infinite. There must be a link from the finite human to transcendent spirituality. Torah does this, however, there are different levels of Torah. Torah on a simple level expands the soul and connects the mind to it. Light from the soul showers the mind and unites the person, even in his corporeal reality, to transcendence. The soul senses G-d and the holy dimension and this sensation filters down into the brain and mortal senses in proportion to one's holiness and goodness. A good person's brain is connected to the soul and the heavens. A bad person's brain is connected to the forces of evil. One senses good and one senses bad.

    Kabala reminds us and teaches us that all of this world is "hevel" or "vanity" as Shlomo taught in Ecclesiastes. It is certainly important. Every material thing shines with Creation and thus reveals G-d, therefore the material world is good. However, Kabala reminds us to elevate ourselves and the entire material creation by seeking its source in transcendence. Ultimately, Kabala wants to pierce the barrier that blocks our eyes when we want to see. Kabala wants to create such powerful spiritual Torah lights that even our mind and bodies celebrate spirituality. Ultimately, we will perceive the material world as a proof of G-d rather than a question, and see it not as a hindrance to spirituality, but as "Derech Erets, the Way of the World, that comes before the Torah."

    Kabala strengthens us to realize how important every person is. When we say Grace after Meals, the Zohar teaches that we release such mighty lights that the entire heavens blaze with glory, and G-d comes and kisses the head of one who said this Bircas Hamozone with "blessings to the head of the pious." Kabala wants us to know that Torah connects us to G-d and the highest heavenly realms. Every minute is an opportunity for us to create Torah lights and do good deeds, so we must not waste time.

    Those, like my mentor Reb Shmuel Toledano zt"l, who entered the inner sanctum of Kabala and Torah, became elevated beings. When Reb Shmuel spoke of his love of HaShem and Torah, he cried. Those of us who saw this realized that here is someone who is higher than us, one whose mind and material essence radiate the hidden lights of holiness.

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Gaon of the Kabbalists, Rav Shmuel Toledano zt"l

    The past Sunday, Iyar 23, 5763, the great Kabbala genius Rav Shmuel Toledano zt"l of Jerusalem passed away. Reb Shmuel was in his nineties, and for the past few years had been very weak, but he still prayed and gave blessings with his little strength in the few minutes a day he was alert. Reb Shmuel was one of the great geniuses of the generation, and was one of the few people in history who could write a commentary on the teachings of the Vilna Gaon in Kabbala. He was accompanied to his final rest by his eighteen books, revealing the hardest teachings of Rabbi Elijah of Vilna and other esoteric works. These books carried the approbation of the Dean of the Kabbalists, Reb Moshe Kaduri shlit"o, who wrote, "Surely Ruach HaKodesh came upon him to write such books."

    Reb Shmuel was not only a scholar, but a prominent "builder of Torah," who founded a Yeshiva in Tangiers and the Yeshiva of Beer Yaacov in Israel, led by his relative, the Gaon Reb Baruch Toledano shlit"o. He was a baal habayis, an architecht, whose beautiful designs became major buildings in Europe, and he became wealthy. He gave generously to Torah projects. Rav Shmuel HaLevi Wosner shlit"o wrote to him, "Sir, when you came to me I thought that you were a designer of buildings, but when I read your manuscript, I see that you are a builder of heavenly edifices in Torah."

    Reb Shmuel had a great love of Torah and would cry when he spoke of the kindness HaShem did for him to allow him to learn it. Anyone who saw him was inspired by his warmth and piety.

    Years ago, I decided to study Kabbala, but I had no mentor. I did not want to learn anything from books without a mentor. I looked around, but although there were some people great in Hassiduce, I did not find a mentor for Kabbala. One day, I visited someone and they had a book from Rabbi Toledano. I read it, contacted him, and he wrote me back. He invited me to his home, and I visited several times. He insisted that I continue primarily with my studies in niglo, the revealed Torah, and I wrote several works on monetary and family law, but I always inserted some teachings that reflected his inspiration in my works.

    When Dr. Toledano zt"l first came to Israel, he had a large apartment, with his study at one end and the guest room where I stayed at the other end. One day, as I sat in my room  I decided that I had achieved a certain thing, and I was proud of myself. I looked up from my day dreaming to see the rebbe standing at the doorway! He said to me, "Yes, you did it," and walked away. I was so flabbergasted that I said to myself, "I can't think in this house."

    I once wanted something very badly and had tried to get it but failed. Reb Shmuel agreed that I should do that particular thing, and told me that I would succeed at it. I succeeded with miracles.

    I asked him for blessings for my children to find a proper mate. For some children he replied immediately, and they found their match quickly. Others, he took his time to answer, and so I had to take my time, despite my furious but futile efforts to make the match early. All of the matches were so interesting that people were almost amused. How did that happen? The senior Hassidic rabbinical dynasties in Jerusalem married into my family, and they were so special, just right for us. I told the Toledanos, "I don't come here to learn. I come here to get blessings."

    May he be a malits yosher for his family, for the disciples and for all of us.

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Lag BiOmer

   Lag BiOmer is the Thirty-Third Day of the Counting of the Omer. We count the Omer seven weeks and then is Shavuoth, the Holiday of the Giving of the Torah. The Torah tells us about the Omer in Vayikro 23,10. We are commanded to bring an amount of barley of the field called Omer. We then begin counting seven weeks until Shavuoth, the Holiday of the Giving of the Torah. On the 33rd day of the Counting of the Omer is the anniversary of the death of the great Talmudist and mystic Rabbi Shimon bar Yochoi. In Israel, thousands come to his grave and dance and sing. This year, on Tuesday, May 20, is Lag BiOmer. On this day, almost two thousand years ago, Rabbi Shimon, surrounded by his close disciples, gave his final lecture, perhaps his deepest, and departed the world. The Zohar says that after Rabbi Shimon died, his disciple Rabbi Chiya cried out, "How could the dust cover the light of Rabbi Shimon? Rabbi Chiya was then elevated to the heavenly Yeshiva, where he saw Rabbi Shimon and Moshiach. The lesson is that even in the darkest exile we can attach ourselves to hidden lights. Never will we be in darkness. This is a favorite theme of Rabbi Shimon and the Zohar, his work. Even though our minds cannot find answers and peace in this world, and suffering is so widespread, inside of us we can taste the sweetness of higher things, and never are we alone.

   Thirty-three in Hebrew is GAL, a word that means 1) a pile of stones or building material, produced by a falling wall or house and 2) revelation. Even when the "house is destroyed" and the Temple razed, we can sense revelation. The Talmud in Brochose 3a tells us that Rabbi Yose, a colleague of Rabbi Shimon, left the road to enter a broken building to pray undisturbed by the travelers. Elijah the Prophet came and waited until Rabbi Yose finished praying, and then admonished him for praying in an unsafe broken building. Rabbi Yose said that he heard a heavenly voice, a crying, for the suffering of the Jews. Elijah assured Rabbi Yose that whenever Jews pray in the synagogue G-d cries for their plight. In time, Israel will be redeemed.

   The Cabalists say that Galut, or Exile, is from the root GAL, or revelation. In the pain of darkness we can find light, and "greater is light from darkness than light from light."