Caution: Know Your Rabbi

[Disclaimer: What follows should in no way be construed to mean that all rabbis are bad, G-d forbid, or that "Rabbinical" Judaism is not the traditional Judaism of our fathers, G-d forbid.]

"...some of the most frightening words come from the Divrei Chaim, who says:

"Before the arrival of Moshiach, most of the rabbis will be from the Erev Rav, because Israel in themselves are holy, but the Erev Rav only work for their own benefit . . . wanting to rule over the public...."
(Divrei Chaim, Parashas Vayakhel, 'Omissions')

Ellen Horowitz is a mother, artist and writer who lives in the Golan. Her articles often appear on Israel National News' website. Her latest is entitled "Did you hear the one about the Jewish Knight, the Pope, the Rabbi, and Jesus?"

Here are some pertinent excerpts:

Riskin Drops a Bomb

"You can’t make this stuff up. The December 2008 Jerusalem Post Christian Edition has a feature article on Rabbi Shlomo Riskin’s new interfaith endeavor - Ohr Torah Stone's Center for Jewish-Christian Understanding & Cooperation. David Nekrutman is the Executive Director of the center which is located in Efrat.

You may want to sit down before reading the following choice quotes from that article (lest you plotz):

Rabbi Riskin said, “The Christians have told the whole world about the God of love and peace, and they did it by picking up the ball that we Jews dropped 2000 years ago."
“Nekrutman assured his guests that he wanted them to feel comfortable, and even urged them, despite being in a synagogue, to ‘pray in Jesus name. Don't leave Jesus at the door’."

I don’t know if we dropped the ball, Rabbi Riskin. I think it’s more like we Jews dropped back for a pass, and the other team (let’s call them “the Saints”) were guilty of illegally roughing the passer and stealing the ball - among a torrent of other fouls.

And from where I’m sitting, it does seem that certain progressive rabbis – not unlike “Progressive rabbis” - are playing dangerous games and may be at risk of fumbling the future for all of us.

These “Orthodox” rabbis, like their “messianic” Christian counterparts, are trying to “put a new face on Jesus” in order to market him in the name of interfaith dialogue and Jewish-Christian reconciliation (or Jewish conversion – depending on which side of the fence you are standing).


Then there's "Rabbi" Aviner of Gush Katif fame:
Testimony on Shlomo Aviner
(See further http://shlomo-aviner.blogspot.com/)


Someone comes and says, "Rav Aviner can be trusted because he comes out strongly against the xians" and another one comes and says, "Rabbi Riskin can be trusted because he came out against 'disengagement.' "


Then comes Rabbi Simcha Ysachar Ber Chalberstam, zt’l and says:

"...and even if we see in them (The Erev Rav) good things like Torah and tradition and good manners and in particular they make peace with everybody and peace is the foundation of everything, ...we must reject all these people even when they have good aspects in their behavior because then will be time of Clarification and selection and this will be the trial and choice in those days [the days prior to Mashiach]." (Divrei Simcha)


This is what the holy Rabbi Yehonathan Eyebeshutz, author of Yearot Devash writes (Derush 15):

“Due to our many sins, the jealousy and zealousness due to G-d have disappeared, they are turned upside down and in their place the honor and profit of the people dominate.

G-d forbid if someone comes and argues or diminishes the honor of any Rabbi or a leader of a congregation or if someone violates a decree of the community concerning the communal budget and allowances, they will run after him and persecute him until the end. But if on the other hand someone comes and damages or diminishes the honor of the Torah and he raises his hand against the Torah of Moshe, they will only shut their mouth.

Even the good and pious people will only go so far as to say about that person: “May his name be blotted out”. But in this case no one will suggest to persecute him and run after him to humiliate him or cause him shame. And this constitutes the length of our exile, because no one is jealous for the Jealousy and Honor of G-d. "