At the annual dinner of Yeshiva Orchos Chaim of Lakewood, NJ, held last night at the Ateres Genendel/Fountain Ballroom Hall in Lakewood, the yeshiva’s founder, Rabbi Yaakov Mandelbaum, devoted a portion of his address to make what he called a public macha’ah on behalf of kavod haTorah.
Speaking before a massive gathering of rabbonim, rabbeim, parents, grandparents, and supporters, Rabbi Mandelbaum addressed events that took place several weeks ago during a visit to Lakewood by Hagaon Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch, the Slabodka rosh yeshiva and one of the gedolei hador.
Rabbi Mandelbaum pointed out that the visit was marred by a blatant bizayon haTorah.
The bizayon he referred to included the public and widespread distribution of pashkevilin attacking Rav Hirsch and related actions that crossed clear red lines.
Rabbi Mandelbaum expressed particular pain over what followed. The response to the incident, he told the audience, was silence. There was no public outcry and no clear stand taken to denounce what had occurred. That silence, he said, was itself deeply troubling.
Using the platform of his own yeshiva’s annual dinner, Rabbi Mandelbaum explained that he felt a responsibility to speak openly and publicly, taking a principled stand – a “macha’ah” he called it – to stand up for kavod haTorah.
Those in attendance described the moment as powerful and moving. The public protest, delivered calmly but firmly, left a strong roshem on the audience, highlighting the point that bizayon of Torah leadership cannot be met with indifference and that silence in such moments carries its own weight.
{Matzav.com}
Thank you Rabbi Mandelbaum !
This is very encouraging….
but as alluded to by rav Mandelbaum, it is still bewildering why no one stood up!
Mainly not to give any credence or publicity to the rabble-rousers.
More power to Rabbi Mandelbaum!
Wow.
I have to tell you, Rabbi Mandelbaum, that you have restored my faith. When I saw and heard about the bizayon and no one said or did anything, I thought we had completely lost it. No leadership. No moral compass.
But now I see that we still have good people who are willing to stand up for the truth, for kavod hatorah, at their own school dinner no less.
Kol hakavod! We still have good people who stand up for the right thing.
Give him more money for doing this.
He deserves it
Thank You Reb Mandelbaum.
However, I certainly protested it, as I’m sure many others did, just not with a big ra’ash.
We would rather not send a message to mishegoyim that their shtick had any effect
When the Stoliner Rebbe was attacked in Yerushalyim, likewise there was no maacha’a.
Yes indeed Rabbi Mandelbaum, this generation reads and hears news bulletins and just moves on! NEXT! It’s disconcerting but it is the fact!
Kudos to rabbi mandelbaum, but with all due respect, in the end of the day, there was still no organized Macho from rabbonim or roshei yeshiva,
that would would be seen as if the mainstream have no problem with the bizayon hatorah.
Another point , could be the consensus was that a fringe group that makes a demonstration is not worthy of response,showing that we don’t take them seriously at all and they are not serious people. That alone makes the bizayon less by totally ignoring them and their statement.
Rabbi mandelbaum meant well last night. Lastly if he spoke to daas Torah and was told to speak up publicly, then I am not correct in my analysis of the quietness of the rabbonim.
You bring up some good points.