R. Osdoba: “Important Questions Not Being Answered Correctly”

In a new letter, Rabbi Avrohom Osdoba has some choice words for the Beis Din, and levels some accusations regarding the way certain Shaalos are being answered. In his letter he says “I come to remove an obstacle from those who may not notice,” regarding answers that appear as if he is giving them.

The letter, written on Rabbi Osdobas personal stationary, blasts that Beis Din saying that “letters and answers to questions are going out on a letterhead with names of three ‘members of the Beis Din’ and giving the appearance that it is with my agreement, as if there is a Beis Din, and they are sitting together etc.”

“I have received multiple complaints for Baalei Batim that left questions for me (especially in the matters of hilchos noshim), and they have received answers from someone else, and not me.”

The letter goes on to express the Rovs anguish and his need to clarify that for quite a number of years that has been two separate Beis Dins, as it is known and well publicized and against the will of the Rebbe, and the ‘third that would break the deadlock’ doesn’t exist, because he is missing the minimum required credentials for Rabonus, and he cannot be considered a part of the Beis Din, and it is a real wonder by me how can they be giving rulings on questions of such serious nature.

Obvious is who Rabbi Osdoba is referring to when he goes on in his letter to say that he takes no responsibility on the matters that are being ruled on by others, and anyone who enters as a member of the Badatz with all sorts of deceit etc. and I am coming here only to remove an obstacle from the way of honest people that may not notice.

According to people in the Osdoba camp that matter of Rabbi Yosef Brauns legitimacy has yet to be adjudicated in front of the Beis Din of Rabbi Chaim Kruass, who issued an Ikkul against Braun along with a summonses, followed by a second summons, which CrownHeights.info learned that they did not appear for.

Rabbi Osdoba concluded in his letter that from today forward any letter that comes out on the Beis Dins letterhead without my signature on it is fake from its onset, and any letter left from me at the Beis Din should have my name clearly on the envelope.

63 Comments

  • antimesira

    Shut the whole thing down.

    We don’t need the Beth Din.

    This Beth Din has always belonged to the corrupt CHJCC, those making this Beth Din corrupt.

    Every action this Beth Din took since its creation was agenda driven. The Rabbis of this Beth Din did only as they were told by their bosses at the Crown Heights Jewish Community Council inc. a.k.a Vaad Hakol.

    This Beth Din (including Marlow) was used to assassinate good people.

    We don’t need the CHJCC and we don’t need their Beth Din.

  • great

    such class of our community, a great example for the kids! no wonder ch is going down the tubes!

  • Menachem

    Rabbi Osdoba, it’s its time you give up. each one of your letters is making you weaker. just do your thing in peach so we can honor you as you should be honored.

  • shlomo

    have received answers from someone else, and not me.”“”” always war? it look like as pravda” on stalin time :)its only 3 rabeys in beis din, so why you involve all kegila? it not enough a war,that you people provide for 17 years?

  • Not my Rov

    Interesting, there seems to be a whole campaign to make Braun respectable and to promote him as the main Rov in the Shcunah, they keep inviting him to speak at big events in 770 (on Shevous and on Shabbos), they never used to invite R’ Osdaba or R’ Shwei to give all these speeches. They write up his speeches as if he was the Rebbe (again, they never do that for the shurim given by R’ Osdaba or R’ Shwei).
    The majority of CH laugh at Braun. We will never accept him as Rov.

  • Col lies

    Naturally col lies will not publish this letter, they have become a fully paid off subsidiary of Sperlin % co.

  • Who is the idiot?

    @ 7 S Z
    So when the Rebbe said Rabbi O. would be on the B”D until Moshiach comes he was mistaken? He was endorsing an “idiot”?!
    Rabbi Osdaba is the only one left on the B”D that the Rebbe actually approved of, funny how everyone is forgetting the Rebbe’s view of all this.

  • zekele

    rav osdoba signs his letter that he received “gushpanka d’malka” – so did the shluchim moshe rabeinu sent to eretz yisrael (the meraglim).

  • Eych Noflu Giborim

    Rosenberg was right.
    Braun is good enough for CHts. So was Tzinner when he wrote “…competent for gittin,etc..” even though he has zero experience in this.

    Crown Heights is the Bais Olam of a derech in avodas Hashem as started by the Alter Rebbe. It is no longer a chassidus, it is a successful Intrnational Corporation (until the 2nd generation have inhereted the leadership positions.) Crown Heights residents are not part of that corporation (unless employed by it) and are at the cutting edge of the spinning decline.

    Waiting fotr the Rebbe to come fix it is the problem not the solution.

    But to say this is heresy. To question HakBH is not. It is inherent.

  • BD Tzedek!

    The Rebbe did not approve any candidate or Rov he clearly stated that the kohol should do that by elections he was actually against appointing a Rov. The Rebbe himself did not take part in the elections. Rabbi Marlow ob“m and (to long years) Rabbi Heller were also part of that statement Rabbi Marlow passed away and Rabbi Heler decided to leave the BD. Yochonon kohen godol served for 80 days and then became a tzduki. ”Don’t believe in yourself till the day of you die”.

  • bekele

    To zekele

    You are 100% right. Also in this weeks parsha on Korach veadoso says nesiei eido kriey moed anshey sheim.

  • unimpressed

    He writes about HIMSELF “Kibel Gushpanke Dmalko”?? (Even if it’s true!)

  • eli chaim

    Braun owes alot of people money in ch already i will list all of the yeshivas and private people and mosdos and the summer camps he has no money to pay for,,,,

    He is sinking!!! and stinking

  • maybe i-m naive?

    whenever i have called the badatz of CH i accept the answer i get from the rav who answers. i accept that it’s hashgocho protis and i accept that the rav i am speaking to is qualified to pick up the phone and give a psak. all this in-fighting between the rabbonim is completely beyond my understanding. too many issues, politics, and complexities. (it also has nothing to do with me, either). so i just ask my shaalehs and accept the answers as da’as torah and go about my merry way.

  • Unfortunate Truth

    Rabbi Osdoba shooting himself in the foot again. Instead of letting go blending in and coexisting with the peace and harmony now sorrounding the Badatz and the Community,he chooses the path of being machzik b’machloikes. He just doesn’t get the message: We are beyond the bickering and alley cat fighting stage. Some hold of Rabbi Braun, some don’t. Some hold of Rabbi Schwei, some don’t. Some hold of Rabbi Osdoba, most don’t.Bury the hatchet, move on, rebuild the trust and respect you had with the community and you’ll come out smelling like a rose. Keep on playing games and the miniscule amount of remaining support you still have will erode.

  • Wrong is wrong

    @ Unfortunate Truth
    You sound like Obama telling Israel to try to coexists, look at the peace and harmony now surrounding the Palestinian authority, and make “peace” with the Pali’s.
    The road to Gehnom is paved with good intentions and people compromising their standers to “get along”, this attitude has led to the slide of standards in CH because no one will stick up for what’s right and denounce what’s wrong.
    Braun is wrong, period!

  • eli revuen

    I think if there elections now Bogo would clearly win Brauny has smelled things up here

  • We All Lost!

    @21

    Your hallucination to think that Rabbi Bogo would even think about running again.

    Crown Heights lost its one viable chance for some kind of peace when they elected brownie. No one really wants peace, its bad for business.

  • CHLEAKS.COM

    Forget all the nonsense, I agree 100% with comment number one ‘antimesira’.

    Reading R’Osdoba letter I only see one thing….

    STEALING MAIL IS A FEDERAL CRIME PUNISHABLE BY IMPRISONMENT.

  • THANK YOU CROWN HEIGHTS INFO!!!

    This website rocks! It is the ONLY source of the unbiased truth. The “other” website distorts the truth by whitewashing and presenting half the picture (“a half truth is a complete lie”). Thank you CH INFO for being the voice of truth, the WHOLE truth and nothing but the truth.

    We ALL want peace – sholom, but sholom must come with emes, it’s partner, or else the peace is merely an illusion.

    CH INFO shines the light of truth on the shadows of our community. THAT light of emes will eventually bring sholom!!

  • moshe

    thank you rabbi osdoba shlita for writing this letter, it could not be clearer & better written!
    may hashem give you the kochos to continue answering the hundreds of shaalos sent to you every day, and continue to be the true tov of CH, and many anash & shluchim world over

  • Writer, editor, & commentator

    I have to agree with #25. I have protested many times about the obvious bias in their replies, both privately to the other site AND as comments. They don’t reply to private messages & they don’t print anything that opposes their point of view. CrownHeights.info isn’t afraid to post opposing points of view.

    So, folks, there’s the difference. CrownHeights.info obviously believes in freedom of speech. the other site believes in communism/Talibanism/terrorism & suppression of free speech. I also suspect they make up the posts: the style is the same. Quite honestly, I don’t think their following is big enough to get hundreds of posts on one subject.

    Whom do you trust? Whom do you believe?

  • Get rid of this Beis Din

    I am not a fan of Rabbi Osdoba (far from it) but again, he is right on this subject. I know if I had a shaaloh answered by someone else I’d be livid. Of course, I go out of CH with my shaalohs, so I’m not affected. I feel sorry for people who received a “psak” from some fraudster. Unbelievable.

  • Outsider 20 and 21

    I read that there were elections in C.H. I never saw anywhere that
    Braun put himself in. Was he elected or not?
    The beginning of this article states that questions are not being
    answered correctly. In the article, it says they are being answered
    but not by O. This is very mixed up. Of course no one listens. How
    can one listen to such a balagan. You people have not been trained
    to read and then to understand what you read. You can’t read and understand English, you can’t read and understand Yiddish, & you
    can’t read & understand Loshen HaKodesh, what do want, the whole
    world to wait up for YOU? We are ALL waiting for Moshiach and you
    guys keep sending HIM away. One Chabad house teaches this, the other one teaches that, one shliach says its like this, the other one says like that. I can’t imagine being a child in such a mixed up environment. Of course they are running away. The Moshiach wants
    to be revealed. In Chabad-Lubavitch the ‘tail wags the dog’, you are a bunch of tails, shvantzim.

  • disappointed

    To all those that would Ch“v 7 continue to bash Rav osdoba. he ha served our community for over 30 years he was elected by the majority of the Kehilla & given The Koach by The Rebbe. You all forget a clear Halacha A Rov does not have to be moichel on his Kavod!! we can say what we want about Rav schwei’s qualifications however He no doubt has Smicha Does have experience & has been a Ch member most of his life.He may be better suited as a teacher or Magid Shiur as he was for many years but what is done is done. As for Mr. Braun He submitted his candidacy under false pretenses & provided what so far is believed to be fraudulent documents. Rav Rosenberg I believe greatly destroyed his reputation for nothing more than money. There is a serious question that needs to be answered by the Rabbonei Anash. Seeing That Rav Osdoba has not tood ate been provided with the proof he needs & Mr. Braun continues to avoid him ho w can these Rabbonim stand by & say nothing? have they no respect for Rav Osdoba who has been a Rov for over 40 yrs at least & is probably older than them? How can they stand by their supposed Psak? I ask all of you does honesty, integrity matter at all to any one? Say what you want about Rav Bogomilsky.But he is a practicing experienced Rav! That is more than Braun has. The question is what does he have to hide & what is he afraid of. There are many good & knowledgeable speakers.He may be one But, that does not make him a Qualified Rov!! that is the real issue! Would you trust a cathoilc priest to ch”v tell you what is kosher or not? of course not he is not qualified by any means Being A rov is serious business whether you have a shaaloh on your chicken or anything else. You are relying on his qualifications experience learning etc. in sometime very serious matters. Whatever the issue is one always wants a mumcheh not a beginner or someone unqualified so why in regards to who is A Rov qualified to sit on a Bais din any different??

  • To #25 I AGREE!!

    I agree – thank you to this website AND to Rabbi Osdoba for clarifying the TRUE matzav with the Bais Din (which the question is: what Bais Din?).

    People who keep hearing the “Big Lie”,after a while accept it, examples: “occupied territories”, “palestinian nation”, “new member of the bais din”…these lies become “facts”. It takes courage to be mocha (protest) against these lies – and the sooner the better.

    As a community we have allowed people to step all over us, then we kvetched about it, but we still allow it. It is our “minhag” to be sheep led to the…

    A Rov’s job is LEADERSHIP – and that is what the Rov of CH is doing in this letter. CH INFO is also a leader by partering with the Rov and helping put out his message.

    YASHER KOACH!!

  • To the fools of Crown Heights

    There are two kinds of fools: One is the fool who believes what isn’t true. The second is the fool who refuses to believe what is true. I ask of #3, #4 and #5 – what kind of fools are you?

  • Milhouse

    #18, what if the janitor answered the phone? Would you accept his “psak” too? Would you regard it as “daas torah”? What you have to understand is that Yossi Braun is no more competent to pasken your shaylos than is the janitor. If you want to rely on Hashgocho Protis then don’t bother asking a rov at all; just flip a coin, and call heads tohor and tails tomei, and be done with it.

  • To #33

    Are you kidding??? He gets a fat salary, free housing & education, morons here kissing his assets…and the good people of Sydney couldn’t wait to dump him on us!

  • To #13

    Wow. You really put it well. You’re so right. You’ve given me what think about — not a common occurrence when reading these boards!
    To elaborate on your last point: so, so true. At Farbrengens, saying what you want about Hashem makes you ‘concerned’ and ‘chassidish’ — but don’t you denounce Daddy resurrecting and making it all right again!

  • ??????

    How could people speak with such Chutzpa to the Rabonim (no don’t answer back the question in another comment there is no valid answer.)

  • @19

    Check out the sichos how the Rebbe writes about people who give Rabbonim(talking about Rabbi heller, Marlow and Osdoba) their “wise” advice. ( not braun and shwei. we still have doubts to their “Rabbonus” + the rebbe never said anything about them)

    By the way, Rabbi Osdoba never hurt anyone. A few people like Mendy Hendel, Chanina Sperlin and Yanky Hertzog and elie Poltorak have certain agendas to push and slowly exclude Rabbi Osdoba from the Bais Din.

    Proof – look at the Chutzpahdikeh comments above – those words would never be UTTERED before Rabbi Shwei came in and started machlokes. This makes Rabbi Osdoba look bad and thats the objective – to deface Rabbi osdobas reputation.

    Proof #2 the entire fuss over Rabbi Braun. Were almost making him like the main Rov here as if Rabbi Osdoba never existed. Rabbi Braun was practically pushed on us, an unsuspecting community. Whats the rush? Why are we so scared to do another ellection? If Crown Heights wants it then why are these people so against it????

  • I have a question

    This is very serious. Rav Osdoba is saying that someone paskened shailas for women on shailas left for Rav Osdoba. Does that mean that their tevilos could have been invalid?

  • The Rov of Crown Heights

    This letter was written as a service to us by the Rov of Crown Heights. It was written by the Moreh D’Asra of Crown Heights to warn this community of Halachically adhering Chassidim to be warey of answers they receive written on Beis Din stationary. If one wishes his/her Shaalo to be answered by Rav Osdoba (especially nida shaalos), the envelop must have Rabbi Osdoba’s name on it, otherwise it may be anwered by Rabbis Schwei or Braun. Let’s face the facts people, Halacha is not a personality contest. Of the three names appearing on the Bdatz stationary, the most qualified to answer Shaalos of any sort is Rav Osdoba! Enough said.

  • Bored b4 Summer

    It appears to me that some ppl r bored and even scared that there will be nothing to do in the approaching summer months. So we need to start up the topical comments again so the websites can get some ‘clicks’ and comments. The title of article is taken out of context & misleading but serves the purpose of inciting.

    Sure, if u want ur answer from a specific Rov ask that it be addressed to him and answered exclusively by him. What if he is not avail atm ? Hmm u can ‘message’ him and get an instant answer. Who u gonna call?

  • Shaylos

    I don’t get it the shaylos were not in particular addressed to a specific Rov so what’s the problem. Whoever wants a specific Rov to look and answer should addres the shaylo to that specific Rov.

  • Ben Blech

    I suggest that full translation of the above letter be submitted in English. It will be obvious that the parties are no where near in agreement.

  • Shame on Us

    Who would have believed that an entire community would have such a yerida after gimel tamuz? A short walk in Williamburg and Boro Park would be enough to humble any baal nefesh in CH.

  • Hershel Moss

    crownheights.info,

    I hereby protest to your allowing such vicious words against people in this community being published anonymously.

    This is as if you, yourself, are the source.

    Demand some accountability!

    (I will be surprised if you publish–this!)

  • One to know

    Well, you can’t blame Rav Osdobo. His opponents are still waging war (in court no less!) against his stance in the recent Elections..

  • a frum vieiber who asks shaalahs

    To #40

    That was my first reaction,I’m worried for my daughters not myself. I suppose we have to have siyatta d’shmaya that everything was good in reality. Otherwise you can make yourself crazy. Please don’t worry because anything these con men did is on THEIR heads and neshamas not yours.

  • Gedaliah Goodman

    Wrong assumptions. You are worried about the here & now. We don’t
    how this will turn out. Go back 15-20 years, the shailot were answered correctly, the tevilos were proper. The comlpaints being
    expressed now are,’why are all these terrible situations going on
    now’? Assuming all ‘Kosher’ neshomos are involed in this ongoing
    mess, then what is your response to that? It’s all ‘Kosher’ but it’s rotten? Is that what everyone thinks? The Alter Rebbe wrote
    the Holy Tanya based on all the questions he was asked. The answers are there, if you want to accept them. I have over 50 years
    experience with animals, specifically, horses. The Rebbe Rayatz says
    that ‘man’ is given G-dly intellect, & he learns his midos. Animals
    are given G-dly midos, and they learn their intellect. Simple answers, you just have to be willing to accept them & to TRAIN yourselves to live with the HOLY teachings that we have been Blessed to receive. The gemmorah says that ‘horses’ have all the midos that are possesed by man. I can tell you this, that even with
    all their G-dly midos, the horse still needs to be TRAINED.

  • Inda Know

    Let’s get this straight. Anyone wishing to ask a shailah to Rabbi Osdoba, should have his/her shailah answered by Rabbi Osdoba. Same goes for Rabbi Schwei and Rabbi Braun. No Rov, Rabbi, or other “authority” in our times (there being no Sanhedren) has the right or power to poskin for anyone without their consent. Period. The Beis Din of Crown Heights was established by the community to decide (by consent or majority vote) those issues affecting the community, for which the community as a whole has “consented” to their authority. This does not extend to personal questions which one may to any Rov of his/her choosing, inside or outside of this community. No problem, no machlokes. Stop trying to create false disagreements where there are none.

  • R- Shlomo In Eretz Yisroel

    Rabbi Osdoba put in thirty years that should account for something. The Rebbe appointed him that should also account for something. If you want Rabbi Bogomilsky and Rabbi Shea Hecht would be excellent choices.

  • to #9

    speak for yourself
    you are not spokeman for the ch community
    thank you so much

    as for me
    he is a Gd send of balance in this community
    Hashem should bless him with koach to deal with our community which needs him desperately.
    thank you rabbi braun for all that you do
    we appreciate it beyond that words can express

  • psokim

    by writting “ubichlal harei zeh pele godol eich SHEHEIM poIskim….” is Rabbi Osdoba saying that Rabbi Schwei can’t either pasken?

  • TO 51

    DON’T SAY THINGS IN THE NAME OF THE REBBE THAT ARE FALSE. THE REBBE DID NOT APPOINT ANYONE, NO ROV WAS APPOINTED. RABBONIM WERE ELECTED BY THE KOHOL. THE REBBE WAS AGAINST APPOINTING RABBONIM.HE DAVKE WANTED IT THIS WAY.

  • Answers of Hilchos Noshim shaylos...

    …were actually answered on stationary? Were these written tshuvas given out with mareh mekomos? Wow!

  • To #49 Gedaliah

    The answers do not seem so simple to me. I remember that you were
    learning in colel in Eretz Yisroel for about 10 years. Also speaking and always trying to help people. I can’t even train myself, much less my children. It seems like your point about being
    kosher and rotten is the way it is. That is the way it looks to me.
    I also don’t understand about the horses. What does that have to do with Jewish people?

  • @54

    The Rebbe called Rabbi Osdoba(and marlow and heller) a chassidishe Rov in a sichah. For me, thats enough to say that he was appointed by the Rebbe(although he was ellected by the community)! maybe not enough for you.

  • To #55

    Why are you so surprised? All answers to shaylos are given in writting on stationary of the Badatz! And also: the Toothferry exists.

  • Are we mushrooms???

    This is a PUBLIC document. Is there ANY reason at all why the “other” website refused to publish it? Why does the other website treat us like mushrooms (keep us in the dark)???

  • Mistaken

    #13
    Thinking about what you say brings to an awsome conclusion.

    You can question Hashem on the Mashiach issue.
    You cannot question the Rebbe on the Mashiach issue.
    WOW.
    You must be an apikoress.

  • to 62

    #13 is not apikoires, it is simply Crown Heights (perverted) reality. Sorry if you dont like it.