Rabonim Behind Boycott of ‘Oz Vehadar’ Revealed
Last week an anonymous group of Chabad Rabonim published a letter urging fellow Chasidim not to purchase Seforim from Oz Vehadar due to their systemic exclusion of Chabad sources in their Gemaras and other publications.
After much criticism that their letter amounted to nothing more than a “Pashkvil,” three of the six signatories have since revealed that they are part of an investigative committee behind the letter.
They are: Rabbi Avrohom Gerlitzky, Maggid Shiur at Oholei Torah in Crown Heights, Rabbi Avrohom Boruch Pevzner, Rov of the Chabad community in Paris, and Rabbi Yosef Yitzchok Havlin, Rov of the Chabad community in Ramat Shlomo, Jerusalem.
The other three signatories still insist on maintaining anonymity.
Citizen Berel
Boruch Hashem
I read the letter and was convinced not to support this organization who very knowingly excludes Chabad Torah from the publications.
But I received the letter from one of those involved in its publication and knew therefore I could trust the material, but had I known the letters provenance, I would have dismissed it out of hand, because I have neither the time nor inclination nor ability to verify the letter’s claim.
So now 3 of the most trustworthy Chabad Rabonnim I know of have revealed their identities–the title of this article isn’t correct because the identities were ‘revealed’–I could not be more happy.
If only the Torah of the Rabbaim (nigleh particularly) will enjoy exposure in proportion to its merit we will see hundreds if not thousand of honest bnei Torah brought closer to Chasidus and tzum Rebbem.
bs"d
huh? im pretty sure someone showed me a quote from the tzemach tzedek from there!
I respect...
Rabbi Avraham Gerlitzki Shlit”a is a Godol and a true Chosid.
If he says so, I will follow. I am now fully behind this boycott. Period!
A talmid of RAG.
Double Standard
How ironic. Chabad treats anyone who was not a Chabad Rebbe in much the same way that these Chabad Rabbis are accusing Oz Vehadar publishing company.
As per Chabad, all major Jewish Rabbis over the last three hundred years fit into one of three categories –
A friend of Chabad so Kosher – i.e. Reb Levi Yitzchk of Berdichav
An enemy of Chabad so… – i.e. the Stiepler
Or irrelevant because no Chabad student ever heard of him – i.e.
The Malbim
Samson Raphael Hirsch
Yaakov Emden
Chazon Ish
Yisrael Salanter
The Netziv
Nosson Tzvi Finkel
Rabbi Hutner
Rabbi Soloveitchik
How many Chabad sforim quote the above Rabbis?
How many Chabad Yeshivos learn sforim written by the above Rabbis?
How many Chabad Yeshivos will teach and quote the above Rabbis regularly?
Also, while many Chabad Rosh Yeshivot and teachers have certainly heard of, learn and study these rabbis the average Chabad student (be it Ohalai Torah or “out-of-town”) has probably not.
Milhouse
Kehos’s mission is to print Chabad seforim, to spread the Chabad wellsprings; these are not general Torah seforim, and they have no reason to cite people who have never commented on Chabad teaching and whose words don’t contribute anything to understanding them. You wouldn’t cite an astronomer in a book on medicine, or a doctor in one on astronomy. But a shas is a sefer of general Torah, whose purpose is to explain the gemoroh. When Kehos printed mishnayos and gemoros, they did not turn them into Chabad vehicles, they remained the same as they were. (The same was true when Lubavitch printed Nusach Ashkenaz siddurim.) When you print a shas, and “boycott” certain ge’onim who have had a lot of relevant and useful insights on the subject then you are either treating that person as an am-ha’aretz or a rasha. Either one is an insult to our rabeyim, who were neither. And it is entirely right and proper that we not lie down and accept this; we have a halachic obligation to stand up for our rabeyim’s kovod.
Citizen Berel
Mr. Double Standard, all your opinions are wrong and I award you 0 points.
None of the nigleh books you mentioned hold a candle to the Rebbe’s niglah for depth of for breadth of knowledge.
You are completely confused. This is simply a matter of a large part of the Jewish community refusing to accord the Rebbe his rightful status among the geoinei Yisroel who were head and shoulders above their peers.
As the books are printed, and anyone can open them up an study and compare for themselves, your ignorant comparisons will not stand.
#4
You are wrong on SO many fronts. You have no clue:
1) Lubavitch not just learns from and with those Sforim, but if you look into the Gutnik Chumsha for example, they are quoted there.
We don’t boycott other (true) Gdolei Yisroel.
2) R. Hutner and Soloveitchik had a connection with the Rebbe.
3) The Oz V’hodor people printed a Chabad only version, so placate the Chabad people who are buying. That is incredible discrimination. They are announcing how their “real” Gemoros are “clean” from Chabad.
This is nefarious.
The real question is, why is Artscroll not boycotted?
yes we dont learn malbim.
you probably dont know much if its a chiddush we dont learn malbim.
Leib
Every Lubavitch Yeshiva that I am aware of learns nigleh from Sifrei G’dolim, no matter their heritage.
Additionally, the issue here is not that they publish pirushim from one specific sect or heritage that isn’t Chabad. The problem is that they publish all types of g’dolim and specifically EXCLUDE Chabad. Even if they would only publish Litvishe/Yeshivishe g’dolim, and they would exclude people such as the Svas Emes or other Chasididhe Baalei Nigleh, I doubt anyone would really care.
Lastly, your entire argument has its cause and affect backwards. Lubavitch has ALWAYS been alienated by the Torah world, our natural response has been to savor exclusivity, and perhaps as a reflex or defense mechanism, belittle those that publicly trash our ideology.
The derech the Rebbe taught us
Rabbi (uncle) Yossi Goldstein OBM (a prominent chabad mechanech for the last 50 yrs plus, has included the names of many non-chabad gadolim! Reb yisroel salanter, primishlaner, chozeh of Lublin, choferz Chaim, the Bardichiver and many others
It is utterly false that chabad children have no exposure to the non antagonistic greats of the past
Whom ever we can lern from and who was an ohev yisroel is Kosher!!
Including the Stipler & the Vilna Gaon who the Rebbe quotes in sichos
Consittemsy
To number 4:
You have made a few silly mistakes, you really shouldn’t publicize you’re ignorance..
RABBI Yakov Emdens seforim are quoted numerous times. Same goes for the Netziv, the Malbim, Rabbi chaim solovetzhik.
Rabbi J.B. Soloveitchik (besides his well known close relationship with the Rebbe) has very few seforim on gemoroh which were publiched much later.
Rabbi Samson raphaelhirsch didn’t write seforim on gemoroh (there is onesafer that collects some of his thoughts, titled “imrei binah”).
The chazzan ish caused problems to Lubavitch.
We are left with one Rabbi yitzchok hutner
Rafi
@#4
I disagree with your comment.
I learned in 4 different chabad yeshivos, including Oholei Torah and I have learned from The Malbim
Samson Raphael Hirsch
Yaakov Emden
Chazon Ish
Yisrael Salanter
The Netziv
Nosson Tzvi Finkel
Theres Rabbonim I learned from only after I left Yeshiva, very understandably.
Rabbi Hutner
Rabbi Soloveitchik
You are right that Chabad is not perfect, but please don’t undersell us either.
Lev aura
You’re basically saying I believe that you have learned from these Safarihim on your own not that it was tought to you by chabad yeshiva
to #4
It looks to me that you never stepped foot in a Lubavitche Yeshiva…
You asked, How many Chabad Seforim quote the above Rabbis?
What do you define Chabad Seforim? Seforim discussing Chassidus Chabad??? and they Should quote the Netziv in that?
or Chabad Seforim menas Seforim written by Chabad Chassidim? if this is what you meant, open any Kovetz Heoros, or Sefer that a Chaba dChossid wrote, and start counting….
How many Chabad Yeshivos learn Seforim written by the above Rabbis?
In every Yeshiva you’ll find a set Encyclopedia HaTalmudit (that Rabbi Hutner was the head of it)… Every Yeshiva has a Shiurei R’ Nuchum, Chidushei HaGraz, Chidushei R’ Reuven, and many more.
And yes:
How many Chabad Yeshivos will teach and quote the above Rabbis regularly?
Every Magid Shiur quotes them in his Shiur……..
Also, while many Chabad Rosh Yeshivot and teachers have certainly heard of, learn and study these rabbis the average Chabad student (be it Ohalai Torah or “out-of-town”) has probably not.
this is SHEKER GOMUR.
Sruly Clapman
This is a caparilistic society, why should us Lubavitcher Chasidim support publishing houses that have to go out of their way NOT TO MENTION OUR REBBE!!!!!
Mammosh anti Semites.
And Artscroll goes ahead and published a book about every guy that had a mustache, and our Rebbe the TRUE and ONLY GADOL HADOR, is ignored like he never existed.
Lets stop avoiding these haters and confront them for who they are.
Publish your own!
Garlitzky has the capabilities of printing a “Lubavitcher Gemara” which should include Sichos and Maamarim about the Gemara.
Asher
Several years ago a pashkvil about oz vehadar was going around with the same story. It was in the days that people still sent faxes. It took about 3 seconds to notice that the sender of the fax was none other than Moznaim – arch enemy of Oz vehadar who took away his monopoly of the Gemara market and very close friend of Rabbi Gerlitzky.
Mr Moznaim learned in chabad AND LEFT CHABAD!
His gemara doesn’t quote Lubavitch either and neither does the Vilna Misnagdishe horrible layout gemara.
We have to keep in mind that the reason why people don’t quote from the Rebbe is because Rabbi A. B Pevzner’s chidushim ubiurim b’shas hasn’t been available for the longest of time!
We should ask Rabbi Havlin if all yeshivos should stop learning the chidushim of his former rosh yeshiva (who cried when he left Mir and went to Lubavitcch) Reb Nochum. As every learning bochur knows, Chidushei and shiurei R’ Nochum and the Ohel Torah series which is based on his shiurim are the most popular seforim in the (Lubavitch) yeshiva world!
Maybe all our yeshivas should stop learning R’ Shmuel (Ponevezh Rosh Yeshiva) R’ Povarsky (From same Yeshiva) etc.
Great Man!!
Citizen Berel is a man we should all try to emulate, he states his clear minded educated opinions whenever the need arises. We nee more people like Citizen Berel around!
BH
We are well on the way to removing the last, most important problem, in Lubavitch today.
declasse' intelelctual
Well, might as well throw out the Stone Chumash published by Art Scroll. The only reference to Chabad is comments on how the haftorahs are said. the basic inside commentary contain none of the Lubavitch Rebbe’s works or explanations about difficult passages.
If these leading Rabbis are so upset at this version of the Shas, let them undertake the publication of what they would consider a acceptable one. What about the Yershalmi–are they going to call for a boycott of that one as well?
Everyone has free will and he can buy and obtain any version of the Germora he wants
Just remember in these tense times when unity is definitively needed amongst Yidden, censorship is still censorship!!!
Michoel
What about Artscroll’s Gemaras? They use the text from Oz VeHadar as well.
4
If what you say is true, we don’t need a letter to boycott -because it’s already boycotted for not being exclusively chabad.
ahavas yisrael
I am sorry to sound like an amalek, but i would like to sound like an aharon hakohen.
please excuse the fact that i’m writing in english and i type it faster.
the fact that not one rov or mashpia is willing to sign his name on this is very indicative!
the kanous that comes from this, sounds like a fellow in meah shearim who is payed to stoke fights wrote it.
after discussing it with several chaverim, i must say that i feel this is NOT what the Rebbe wants.
first of all it is not right to get bochurim involved in another chitzoniusdike show of chassidishkeit, as if we don’t suffer from enough such stuff nowadays.
secondly i don’t believe there is a single horaah from the rebbe that would lent support to such an article or plan. i believe this can only come from the types of people who believe they know what the rebbe “really” wants, and when one walks on such a path, they are totally on their own, and going down a dangerous slope unguided.
the rebbe demands of us ahavas yisrael. the rebbe demand of us hafatos hamayonos. evidently we have not done enough hafatza to such people. we are mekarev, people who don’t yet know about mitzvos, we have hechal menachems, being mekareve some chasidim, but the litfishe, aside from some bochurim doing it, have not been enlightened to chasiuds. the problem may be that they won’t allow it in, and surely part of it is because we don’t respect their gedolim!
we know that our rebbe is the greatest, and smartest and has ruach hakodesh… and that their rabbis are barely boki bshas or whatever. but they don’t understand that. so there are 2 choices. either take the high way and say we don’t need you, because we are better, and then just as we don’t quote any of their gedolim in any of our seforim, they won’t quote ours, regardless of the truth.
or we can over many years try to learn with them, show the rebbe’s gadlus, and hope that eventually they may realize how the rebbe’s gadlus far surpasses anything they know of, and maybe then they will start including the rebbe as a godol.
but bottom line i dont think the rebbe would want this, i dont think he needs us to stand up for his kovod like this. אנן פעלי דיממא אנן!
Milhouse
What do you mean by “not one rov or mashpia is willing to sign his name on this”? You were just given three names!
Very Funny
#13 should try and display a bit more knowledge and find out which Hutner is who.
Genug shoin
http://bshch.blogspot.com/2013/07/blog-post_7185.html?m=1 look there this whole thing is nonesense
To: "The derech the Rebbe taught us"
i fully agree with u!
Rabbi (uncle) Yossi Goldstein OB”M (a prominent chabad mechanech for the last 50 plus yrs, has included the names of many non-chabad gadolim in his Chinuch Matteral used by tens of thousands of chabad children over several generations!
Reb yisroel salanter,
Reb Meir primishlaner,
The chozeh of Lublin,
Choferz Chaim,
The Bardichiver and many others
It is utterly false to say that “chabad children have no exposure to the (non chabad) greats of the past
the only ones our children are protected from are the ones with a reputation of hate speech against fellow yidden,
Whom ever we can learn from and who was an Ohev Yisroel is Kosher!!
Including the Hailiker Stipler & the Vilna Gaon who the Rebbe quotes in sichos.
The Vilna Gaon’s cherim was later exposed to be based on fallacious claims about chasidim dancing with girls and eating on tisha baav, the Gaon himself was otherwise 1000% kosher and respected as a true genius (GAON) in Torah knowledge
Chabadsker
Lets be honest I don’t think the Rebbe will want us to have a harder time learning gemara due to the fact that Oz Vehadar has the best print gemaros therefore there is no reason to Aser them (and watch even Harav Gerlitzky’s talmidim in OT will be using them) never the less Oz Vehadar should be strongly criticized that in seforim that quote todays Gedolim (Mesivta Gemara in the back, Pirkei Avos in the back, Chumash rashi hamevuar, Mesivta Haggadah……. besides he is only making a full out of himself by mentioning in there new zemiros that some people have the minhag that all the girls light shabbos candles and not quote chabad but some old sefer) do not mention anything from the Rabbeim and what surprises me most is that the head of Oz Vehadar Yehoshua Laufer is a sqvere chasid not a litvak or Satmar Chasid with crazy kanuus and so far I’m not aware of any negative occurrences that he has with chabad I wish he would be more specific as to why he holds so. but anyway we shouldn’t curse him or any other Jew just stick up for our rights in a nice way and hopefully he’ll regret this nonsense and may klal yisroel be united before the coming of moshiach in our times AMEN!
The Shaimos Truck
My house is clean of any sefer published by OZ V’hedor.
Good Bye
Shmuel
Shabsi Frenkel Rambam? And that is a publication the Rebbe supported bgu’r also never quotes the Rebbe.
Oz Vehodor printed the A’R shulchan Aruch against the Rebbe’s clear instructions about copyright, why do chabad shuls have it?
in any case, wouldn’t the pisgam of “anan peolo diyemomo anan” preclude boycots?
Perhaps now is a good time for a Cheshbon Hanefesh as to why there is not Likkutei sichos in any shul – aside from chabad – wherever you may live?
Why not? perhaps it is the same answer for both.