Sephardic Shul Marks Shloshim of R’ Ovadia Yosef
Members of the Merkaz Sepharad-Chabad Shul in Crown Heights gathered this past Tuesday night to mark the Shloshim of Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, OBM.
Divrei Chizuk and interesting stories were told by the Rov of the Shul, Rabbi Eliezer Avtzon, who spoke about the great Ahavas Yisroel of Rav Yosef and his work in helping freeing Agunahs, especially after the various wars in Israel.
Among the stories told was one about when Rav Yosef was sick and was taken to the hospital, where he was told he must undergo an immediate operation. Upon hearing the seriousness of the operation, Rav Yosef asked to be excused for a few hours, saying he would return shortly. In fact, he returned some three or four hours later, and underwent the operation successfully. Upon his recovery, family members and doctors asked him what was so important that he had to leave for those few hours. Rav Yosef answered that he was in the midst of writing a Psak to permit an Agunah to remarry, and when he heard how serious the operation was, he decided to return home to finish writing the Psak in the event he would not recover – G-d forbid – and thus leave the Agunah in distress.
Rabbi Yaacov Biton, Shliach of the Rebbe to Sarcelles, France, spoke about Rav Yosef’s greatness in Halacha and his being a true Rav, never frightened from voicing his opinion. He spoke of the famous controversy between the Psak of Harav Chaim Naéh and the Chazon Ish regarding the size of a Kazayis, and how Rav Yosef ruled according to the Psak of Harav Chaim Naéh, stating that Ashkenazim could not know the actual size and weight of a Drham (Moroccan coin). Rav Yosef Paskened in accord with Rav Chaim Naeh based on his statement that, as Rav of the Shchunat Habucharim, he consulted with Sefardic Rabbonim in calculating the sizes.
Rabbi Mordechai Avtzon of Hong Kong and Head Shliach of the Rebbe to Asia also spoke Divrei Torah and Chizuk in memory of Rav Yosef.
Following Maariv, a Chassidishe farbrenegen was held in honor of Rabbi Avtzon’s 50th birthday, which continued until 2:00am.
Merkaz Sepharad is located on the corner of Crown St. and Albany Avenue, and has a daily Minyan for Shachris @ 7:00am, plus all Tefilos of Shabbos and Yom Tov, as well as many Shiurim throughout the week.
YMSP
One thing needs to be pointed out, the Agunos that R’ Ovadia Yosef worked on behlaf of were real agunos, wives of soldiers whose husbands had disappeared in war. These are the agunos that ChaZaL speak of. This has nothing to do with mordos or the modern, halachically incorrect version.
Now a question, maybe someone can answer. While we usually say acharei mos kedoshim emor, the public and ongoing tributes to R’ Yosef seem to make it necessary to shine light on the truth. In his prime, as “Rishon LeTzion” (which is viewed as a Rav MiTam HaMemshala position by the Yeshiva world), he was lochem against one of the Rebbe’s mivtzoim. The Baba Sali ZT”L said of R’ Yosef’s criticism of the Rebbe – “eich yitush im kenafaim keruyim yachol laamod neged or hashemesh.” In my yeshiva years (not so so long ago) bochurim general said of R’ Yosef that he has the bekius of a computer, but also the havana of a computer (i.e. none). So I’m not sure why everyone’s making a gantser tzimis of R’ Ovadia Yosef.
Disgusted
Why only Chabad who seem to claim a monopoly on ahavas ysroel has something negative to say about this person???
With all due respect, Harav Ovadia is also entitled to his own opinion. Why anyone who disagrees with the Rebbe has to be considered posul???
Milhouse
Because this is Lubavitch, and we are the Rebbe’s chassidim, so we must regard as posul anyone who started up with the Rebbe. When he passed away and people brought this up I said it was not the appropriate time. But when an ostensibly Chabad shul, in Palterin Shel Melech, makes a celebration for someone who did not hold of the Rebbe, something must be said. With eidelkeit, but it can’t be let go completely, as if it were a perfectly normal thing.
The Rebbe was the godol hador, not R Yosef, and we must not forget it.
kol hatora kula
Who should we make a tzimes of? A Jew who knew the entire Torah. The gadol hador and the undisputed leader and sephardim. All all you can come up is why were making a tzimes. If not him then who?!?!
Milhouse
He was not the godol hador, and he was far from undisputed among Sefardim. For instance consider his bitter war against Rav Eliyahu, for “daring” to be elected to his position (even though he had had no problem with ousting Rav Nissim from the same position). Or consider what Baba Sali said about him, in connection with his machlokes on the Rebbe; that’s hardly “undisputed”!
Response to YMSP
You need to grow up and look in then mirror. What you will realize is that you are an empty shell that loves to criticize and hide behind your handle YMSP. I am no big fan of R Ovadia Yosef a”h but that gives me no right to criticize him. I’m sure he made mistakes in his life. But yet he has done tremendous work for the Sefardik world. (I am ashkenaz ). Do some soul searching and research. Take the good with the bad. Go crtisize about yourself. From seeing some of your other posts I can say you have a god complex and think you know it all. Go learn some Tanya and humble yourself. I’m sure R Ovadia was able to learn way better then you and might I add. All you wrote is based on hearsay. Did you ever meet him? Did you ever discuss learning with him? Did you ask him why he had such and such opinion regarding a specific mivtza the Rebbe established. I believe the answer to the above is no you never did any of the above. So stop attempting to be a know it all.
It’s becoming pathetic
friend of Sefaradic Shul
to #1 BECARFUL DO NOT TALK ABOUT A TZADDIK SEFARADIC LIKE THAT, WHAT A CHUZPA!!!
MEASURE YOUR WORDS AND ADVICE DO TESHUVA NOW!!
Milhouse
They’re Baba Sali’s words. Your shul makes a hilula for him every year. So how can you be upset at his words against R Yosef?!
To Disgusted
I should point out that the Chabad shul Merkaz Sepharad gathered to honor Rav Ovadia’s shloshim. It’s an anonymous individual who made the snarky remark. Though I agree that he’s probably not the only Chabadnik with that attitude.
CH
He defended Halacha.
The Rebbe was a Navi. A navi can see things that others can’t.
He defended the ancient minhagim of the Jewish people. Namely 2 Shabbos candles in each house and wearing a tichul. The Rebbe didn’t look back he looked into the future, the Rebbe saw woman needed sheitels to keep their har covered, and He saw the spiritual power (especially at the time of YK war) or extra Shabbos candles in Jewish homes.
I will say I am still surprised how R Yosef called people who wear sheitels A rasha. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=foklwshxDoA&sns=em , how can a leader of the Jewish people speak about a huge number of shomrei torah umitzvos in such a way.
However he did have the largest funeral in jewish history since the Churban habais, so he did get a huge respect from so many yiddin who he inspired to follow in the ways of torah.
So there 2 sides to every coin.
Milhouse
Who cares how many people came to his funeral? That’s how you measure someone’s greatness?! Shach also had many people at his funeral, and so did Michael Jackson and Princess Diana.
The truth is that he became such a “godol” through politics, just like many other “gedolim” of recent times. When he was Rishon Letzion he wasn’t so great, and when his ten years were up he failed in his attempt to get it extended to twenty, and Rav Eliyahu replaced him, for which he never forgave him. Then he founded Shas, and suddenly he became this huge “godol”.
I don’t mean to demean him, he knew a lot of Torah and deserves respect for that, but when he’s made out to be the greatest of the generation, at the expense of far greater people whom he pursued and belittled, someone has to take it down a notch.
Everyone is now an expert
As the saying goes, “yeder cocker hut a locker”.
While the Rav clearly disagreed with the Rebbe on a number of issues, there was great respect between the Rebbe and the Rav, numerous letters exchanged between them, his son a”h was a full fledged Chosid of the Rebbe, some of his grandchildren learned their entire lives in Chabad Mosdot, etc.
Additionally, many if not all of Rabbonei Chabad in Erestz Yisroel visited with him many times over the years, supported his son to become the new Rishon Letzion, etc.
Somehow YMSP, Milhouse and a few other chachomim know better than all the Rabbonim in Chabad, perhaps better than the Rebbe himself!
Rather than learn or accomplish anything positive in their lives, they sit addicted to the computer and write negative comments all day long. Must be an influence of all the other sites they visit wasting their lives on the internet… vedal
Milhouse
My comments are positive. What do you do all day?
YMSP
Calm down a bit, vechulu….
I would have supported his son for Rov HaRoshi too (a position that no one in the yeshiva world gives credence to halachically, but that helps or ch”v the opposite frum people – which the Rebbe recognized).
He was a good man who brought many people to Torah. He was also for giving back land, paskened for Shas in ways that I won’t go into, and really spoke harshly against the Rebbe’s mivtzah.
Not every political hero is infallible. There are guys in shul who speak of Ronald Reagan as if he were a novi and the whole worship of very fallible individuals is crazy and a michshol larabim.
If the people of today were around when the Chazon Ish passed away, they’d have been shocked by the Rebbe’s comments. There is something called emes. At least I think it still exists.
Daniel Kaye, Sydney
Rabbi Ovadya Yosef Z”L had a wonderful son Rabbi Yakov Yosef ZATZ”L who passed away before him who was a Yedid Emet to Chabad and fought for Shliaimut Ho-oretz, Shlaimut Ho-om and Shlaimut HaTorah as per the Rebbe’s instructions without fear! That is a great credit to the father as Bro Mezakeh Av! And indeed they say that towards the end of his life he recinded his psak din about giving land to the Arabs!
Milhouse
R Yaakov z”l was indeed a chossid of the Rebbe — and this caused conflict between him and his father and brothers. R Ovadia did not rescind his psak or his shitah; he noted that right now it seems we can’t trust the Arabs to keep their treaties, but he never acknowledged that the Shulchon Oruch paskens that we can never trust them, that it’s forbidden to allow foreign troops into a place from which they can threaten the land even if they claim they have no hostile designs.
Rav ovadia was not a gadol...
He was a talmid chacham and a posek, but no gadol hador and no tzadik. He was very involved in politics. He deserves his respect but don’t over do it
From a seferadi chosid of the only gadol hador THE REBBE
Ps he spoke negative against the rebbe
YMSP
“He deserves his respect but don’t over do it”
Exactly
Gadol Hador
Interestingly there is no one here who mentioned the words Gadol Hador besides Milhouse and YMSP. What’s the point of the negativity or do you both just enjoy trying to fir people up for no reason? There’s
No argument here wether or not he was a gadol Hador or not. I don’t believe we care. It’s a question of kavod hatorah. Ever hear the saying, Shivim ponim la Torah. He was allowed to have an opinion and if you don’t like it too bad. Go choose another religion.
Why do you feel the need to knock him. No one compared him to the rebbe or even attempted to put him on the same level. Time to read English instead of the usual know it all hate mongering. Amazing
YMSP
I actually didn’t say gadol hador. Don’t think Milhouse did either. One Lubavitcher Chosid who is Sefardi said Gadol HaDor on the Rebbe… (of course I agree with that).
To say that what every political leader says is part of the Shivim Ponim laTorah is very dangerous. To say that any rabbi today who says stuff without clear mekoros (or even with, when they’re his chidushim)’s words are shivim ponim laTorah is a new religion, and again quite dangerous.
He was a good Jew who spread a lot of Torah. No one’s begrudging him that. His shitos were in a lot of ways 180 dgrs away from Lubavitch and people seem to forget that.
Wouldn’t have commented at all on this if people didn’t.
May he have a lichtige Gan Eden. Let’s not make a greater thing out of him, to the point of ridiculousness, than he deserves.
This isn’t hate mongering. It’s reminding people of our standards.
for all those who wonder...
why Moshiach hasn’t come yet?
Look no further….
What you have here is a Sepphardic Shul in our community who follow the Piskei Dinim of Harav Yosef z”l, and who made a Seudat Shloshim for their members in his memory.
No one was forced to come, no one who doesn’t follow Rav Yosef was asked to contribute, etc
But some people have nothing better to do than to write negative comments, create Machlokes, put down other people. etc
Ever heard of the expression “Live and let live”?
“Ein Tzadik baáretz asher lo yechta” – no one is perfect, but that doesn’t mean people who respect and follow his Piskei Dinim shouldn’t do something positive.
The Kotzker Rebbe once said. Aizeh Machlokkes shehi lishem Shamayim…. – this refers to the Machlokes of all those who invoke Hashem’s name or in this case, the Rebbe’s kavod” to fan their flames of hatred.
Don’t pretend to protect the Rebbe and his Kavod, get a life, and let everyone else do the same….
YMSP
The point is that they don’t follow the piskei din of R’ Ovadia Yosef, They’re a Lubavitch Shul.
Honestly, if they just made this for him, I wouldn’t think of saying anything. But when you read about this on all Chabad sites without any caveats, coupled with so many people who I know who think that Chabad is anything goes (in fact there’s no clearer/more set shita than real Lubavitch – which is the best thing and necessary) and that’s where the comment came in.
My comment didn’t trash the shul ch”v. It was asking why all the internet publicity in a way that people can think that Lubavitch holds from him (any more than we hold from any Jew).
To YMSP
Apparently you didn’t read what was written. The Shul is a Sefardic Shul – not a Chabad Shul. We daven Nusach Sefardi – not Ari, not Sefarad, and certainly not Ashkenaz.
While we learn Chassidus, Sichos of the Rebbe, we follow Piskei Dinim of Harav Yosef. In fact, when we learn Halacha, we learn both from Shulchan Aruch Harav (Alter Rebbe) and Yalkut Yosef.
With regards to your other comments, who appointed you as the Judge that Lubavitch is the most clear and the best? And who appointed you to the position of G-d’s policeman just because youre not happy and think that so many good people you know do whatever they want.
Halevay every Shul in CH would daven word for word out loud like the people in our Shul! An average Shachris without Krias Hatorah takes 45 – 50 minutes from Hodu until after Tehillim!
With regards to publicity, had I known you and a few others would write such negative and unfounded stupidity, I would not have submitted it.
Like I wrote earlier, Lubavitch may have its disagreements with him, but still all Rabbonei Chabad in Israel made it a point to visit him numerous times, so its not your place to ensure that any publicity given to him turns sour.
YMSP
I didn’t know that the Shul follows R’ Yosef. That’s a different story. I have my own opinions re his ideas on shlaimus haaretz, piskei din relating to Shas, etc., but my only purpose in posting was because anyone seeing this on the many Lubavitch sites that it’s on will have a different idea on Chabad’s position regarding him. I had no issue with your shul hosting something for him, especially if your shul is a Sefardi, not Chabad, shul. If you look at Milhouse’s comments, you see that his main point was also about his positions and that Chabad’s shita should remain clear.
It sounds like you have a great shul and are causing a great nachas to Hashem with your davening. Agreed that “halevei” every shul would daven that way.
There’s a problem among many in the larger Chabad world that Milhouse, myself and a number of other posters seem to recognize. If it wasn’t for this larger problem, I wouldn’t have posted anything about this.
There are people who want Chabad to mean anything and everything, are especially close with “modern orthodoxy” (who are lochem against minhagei yisroel like metzitzah bpeh, destroy families with crazed fervor for posul gittin in a way that reminds one of abortion activists who put no thought into what they’re doing and substitute zionism for Judaism without knowing the difference between Jewish security and nonsense that threatens the whole religion if misinterpreted as being Torah – They also generally hold poilishe and other chasidim in disdain and separate themselves from the Torah world). The Rebbe called them neieh (new) Conservative for a reason and there’s a letter printed in Igros Kodesh in which the Rebbe refers to both
“Rabbi Soloveichik” and “Neturei Karta” as being on the fringe extreme right (not fully derogatorily but not complimentary either). (In that letter he wants them included in discussions so that it can be shown that even the fringe positions are supportive of certain initiatives that were being arranged.)
This site is 500 times better than another main site and is run by ehrliche, honest, people who care about halacha, so I try to point out when something foreign to shitas Chabad is presented in a way that can be misinterpreted.
Many people today would be shocked by the Rebbe’s words on the Chazon Ish’s passing, but no one questioned Chabad standards then. It seemed like this article was a further example of Chabad meaning whatever anyone wants. If it was billed as a sefardi event and not reflective of Chabad, it’s most likely that no one would have commented as we did.
Anonymous
Its nice to see that you had the decency to apologize, but unfortunately its not enough.
To begin with, your IQ level can’t be that high. You try wiggling your way out of the hole you dug for yourself by again writing that if it wasn’t headlined as a Chabad event then you would not have commented at all.
Did you read the headlines? It reads, “Sephardic Shul in Crown Heights…” Additionally many of the comments to Millhouse and yourself, again answer your original rantings.
The Rebbe’s shita has always been that the most deciding factor in any issue is whether it will be mekarev yidden or Chas veshalom the opposite.
The purpose of posting this article was to bring kavod and be mekarev yidden. Some of the biggest supporters to Chabad happen to also be Sephardic people and it is a kavod and tribute to them to see that we value and appreciate Rav Ovadias’s greatness.
When the article was first posted, I received dozens of calls in appreciation of what we did. But after reading comments, I’m embarassed to answer calls from the very same people.
If you want to be a Chosid of the Rebbe, first emulate him. Lead by example. Show true Ahavas Yisroel. Sign your real name and don’t hide behind a mask. The Rebbe was vehementaly against Pashkvillim even for the most altruistic causes. Ask yourself what are u doing spending so much time on the internet in the first place.
Also you fail to answer the most critical questions: Mi Samcha? Who the heck appointed you to be G-ds or the Rebbe’s policeman within Chabad?
There’s a lot to be said about problems in our society and in todays generation, but one must find or create the apprpriate forum to discuss them. Unfortunately, due to the lack of leadership, every idiot now thinks he or she is entitled to rant and rabble. Keshot Atzmecha … Live your own life as a true Chosid, perhaps you will inspire others and start a chain reaction. Until then, be respectful of others and learn to keep your negativity to yourself.
response to YMSP
It’s amazing since you seem to speak for Milhouse and yourself and obviously have an issue with shutting your mouth might I stand again corrected and say the following. You have a problem and have found a website were you can ramble your foul mouth and attempt to spew hatred in the name of defending chabad.
You stated earlier in your response 20 “wouldnt have commented at all on this if people didn’t”.
Why don’t you scroll up to the top and notice that comment number one is yours, its your style and your creed. Grow up and shut up.
If you feel the need to comment on anything and everything and to police everyone into knowing the correct shitas chabad on everything and everything start your own blog. I’m sure you will have a large following of people who have nothing what to do with their time but critisize.
Every single one of your comments only twisted things and dug a deeper hole. You have instead of realizing that your behavior is actually contrary to what the Rebbe really wanted which is ahavas yisroel to sinas yisroel.
What you need to learn and maybe you haven’t reached that level is that when you are a Rebbe you will be able to stand like one and take positions like one and not on a blog hidden from your real name.
We are not on the level of the Rebbe or even close to it. Just learn not to comment on everything its not cool to take jabs at everything even if you may no a position that was taken some 40 years ago. Most people in Lubavitch know what you are talking about but there aren’t thousands of comments like yours. Its called diarrhea of the Keyboard. everything you think you have to type. Pathetic.
Just stop making up excuses and don’t do it again. Live and let live in the end everything will be OK