Following Attacks, Rabbis Issue Letters

Following a violence filled week, various Chabad Rabbis have issued a new set of letters with instructions on how to handle the threats and violence. The letters contrast sharply: Rabbi Osdoba along with Rabbi Yeruslavsky came out strong and decisively, saying “It is a shocking and terrible thing,” and even drew parallels to the Chabda-Satmar violence of the 1980s. On the other hand, Rabbis Schwei and Braun all but accused the victims of provoking the attacks, and warned against Messirah.

Rabbi Avorhom Osdoba and Rabbi Yehuda Yeroslavsky drew parallels from the Rebbe’s Sicha in 1983 following the vicious attack on Rabbi Pinyeh Korf by a group of Satmars who took issue with the torah Reb Pinyeh learned and taught. The attack was so vicious that the Rebbe dedicated an entire Sicha about the dangers of these attacks which stem from a difference in beliefs.

In footnote number 60 of the Rebbe’s Sicha [included below], the Rebbe writes that you must go to the police and inform on your attackers, even after the fact, if only just to punish them so that it does not repeat itself.

Proof came a short while later when Rabbi Mendel Vechter was attacked, beaten and left for dead, and only by miracle did he survive.

In their letters they issued clear and concise instructions to immediately go to the police and report that attacks, and not only are they permitted, they must go and report it.

Rabbi Yaakov Schwei and Rabbi Yosef Braun’s letter had an entirely different tone. Braun went as far as to contradict earlier instructions he gave to individual victims last week. Together their letter was decisively indecisive, weak willed and wishy washy – sounding more like they were blaming the victims for ‘provoking’ their attackers, rather then completely condemn the assailants.

In their letter they warn that one must follow the majority in terms of opinion, and quite bluntly state that one mustn’t ‘provoke,’ then went on to elaborate on the dangers of Messirah.

The letters from Rabbis Schwei and Braun were prominently displayed, just in time for Yom Kippur, in the newly reinstalled ‘machloikes box’ – as it has become known over the years – located in downstairs 770.

The Rebbes Sicha from 1983:

51 Comments

  • bruen is sick

    These bruen guy makes me sick.
    Is this what passes for a rabbi these days. Rumors?

    What a sicko

  • kehilla member

    Thank you so much for publishing. It was of great importance to me to know what Mr. Braun’s psak is.

  • mendel

    here we go again. any violence or theft is strongly wrong!!!
    how can a rav validate this??!!!! im sick of this….

  • Jewish dude

    Violence and theft only in crime heights oops crowhnheights. Where the police fix tickets for their friends or any one willing to pay a bribe. And frumme yidden are beaten and robbed every day by the criminal element.

  • Delph

    Please don’t rely on this article to tell you what was in R. Braun’s letter. True, it was a waste of paper, simply because neither does it have a practical psak or directive, nor does it let teach anything that is not already know to everyone. But it is misrepresented in this article.

    It has three points. 1)Violence based on ideological difference is Halachically and ‘Lubavitchaly’ unacceptable. 2) The Yeshiva heads should something about it, and the shul should listen to the gaboim who should run things by majority consent. 3) The trend in the neighborhood to mesireh about VIOLATIONS and MONETARY matters is terrible.

    Oh, and it ends off that we should all hold hands (paraphrasing)….

    I admire the great style and phrase-borrowing skill of whoever penned this letter (it’s a rabbinic thing), but it is out of place in a letter that addresses a situation of serious as this. Still, the content of this letter is not as stated in this anonymous article and I don’t see any blaming of victims.

  • jrt

    shame on rabbonim for not taking a responsible stand. kudos to the rabbonim who say what it is…

  • BRUAN

    “I told once before and I won’t tell you no more”

    CROWN HEIGHTS DON’T NEED THESE GUEST FROM ISRAEL.

    GO BACK WHERE YOU COME FROM.

    DON’T FORGET TO TAKE MENDYLE HENDEL WITH YOU.

  • Huh R- Yuroslavski?

    Why is R’ Yuroslavski mixing into CH politcs?! He has no juristiction and should mix out.

  • misrepresenting the facts!

    It seems that this article is biased in a big way against Rabbis Braun and Schwei. Rabbi Braun makes it clear in his letter that he opposes reporting money matters involving moisdois or individuals to the police or to regulatory secular bodies. He DOES NOT say that a person who is a victim of assault is not to go to the police. Rabbis Ozdoba and Yeruslavsky say that a victim of assault should report it to the police. In this article you make it sound as if there is a difference in the psak of the Rabbonim. There is no difference in the psak other than they are discussing different things.

  • Kosher and Unkosher Mesira

    Poltrock sent subpoenas to dozens of Anash including the head of a Chabad Gmach, but that was kosher in the eyes of this same Rav. But an “Anti” can’t go to authorities ??!

  • Facts vs. Rumors

    The new Meshichist “Beth Din” under the puppet master Mendel Hendel has come up with a new innovated way to practice law.

    Gone are the days of investigations in to the facts, gone are the days of collecting evidence and doing research, introducing a new way, the way of gossip and rumors.

    This new way will be known as the Marlow way.

  • hypocrites

    Rabbi Schwie is a hypocrite and so is is new partner Braun.

    Read: Letter to Rabbi Schwei By Hershkop Family

    http://machanemenachem.word

    These Mossrim play with peoples lives as if they a are toys; subhuman. They pick and choose who they “care” about. They decide when one is “worthy” of their “saving”.

    They have no respect for human life. These are not Rabbis, these are puppets of Mendel Hendel who operates with terror.

    What a joke, a court of law operating off gossip and rumors from “unnamed” sources.

  • keep your mouth shut

    even if you don’t agree with whatever the Rabbanim say you have no right to say anything against them

  • Dovid

    can someone please explain to me what attacks took place? Who was attacked etc?

  • Milhouse

    The Shvei/Braun letter warns about mesiroh “against mosdos and businesses in our neighborhood, for breaking the law, financial matters, etc.”, not for assault! You should be happy about that aspect of the letter; after all you’re the ones constantly (and correctly) harping on the mosser who keeps calling 311 against a fellow yid, and the letter seems to be directed specifically at that. The letter specifies that there are unusual exceptions to the prohibition on mesirah; as you surely know, one of those exceptions is that the victim of an assault is allowed to masser his assailant. Thus R Braun’s psak to the victim that he should go to the police remains valid, and is not contradicted by the letter.

    At the same time it’s obvious that deliberately provoking a known thug is foolish, and doesn’t contribute to communal harmony. If you know someone is dangerous, don’t bait him to his face! Try to stay out of his way, just as you would with a crazy person on the subway. How hard is that? Is it really unreasonable for the rabbonim to say so?

  • Milhouse

    #10, R Yaruslavski is a talmid chochom and rov moreh horo’oh beyisroel. I assume that the person who asked him the shayla regards him as his posek. This is halocho, not “politics”, and what has “juristiction” (sic) got to do with it? When you hear of someone eating chazer do you also “mix out”?

  • Milhouse

    #11, who says it was kosher? This letter seems aimed directly against it. You can say that it comes too late, but that’s better than never.

    #13, what facts? The letter addresses matters of principle, not specific cases, so there’s no need for investigation.

  • Milhouse

    CHI, you should be happy with the Shvei/Braun letter about mesirah. You’re constantly (and correctly) complaining about the mosser in Israel who calls 311 against yidden in Crown Heights; this letter seems aimed directly against that activity, and NOT against victims of assault, who according to Shulchon Oruch are allowed to masser their assailants. The letter specifically says the mesirah they’re concerned with is “against moisdos and businesses in the neighborhood, for breaking the law, financial matters, etc.”. Does that sound like the victims of Tzfati beatings?! No, it sounds like those who are causing you and your friends tzoros, so you should be glad these rabbis whom they pretend to respect have finally condemned them.

  • To # 10

    Rabbi Yuroslavsky gives Smicha. To REAL Rabbonim, not people who get it from their dads or doddery old Zaidie.

    He has a right. HE is a Rav.

  • Simple

    The Rebbe was very adamant about in his position when there was use of violence, and more so when Bochurim are involved.

    There is a Shulchon Oruch for a reason, when there is use of violence, the victim should bring the perpetrators -even if just in just those cases when it’s known who they are- before Rabonim, who should administer the consequence as spelled out in Halachah. That would greatly reduce, if not completely eradicate the use (and climate) of violence.

    Doing so has been effective in past. People behave & act differently when there is accountability

  • ANTMESIRA

    When the SHOMRIM SIX TRIAL* was happening as a matter of FACT, Schwie was silence, the Meshichist web-site owned and operated by Mendel Hendel justified the mesira.

    But here, based on RUMORS and GOSSIP from an UNNAMED source, Schwie comes out with a two page letter to rant against Mesira?

    * Six good standing members of the crown Heights community. Fathers, husbands, sons, neighbors and friends, facing 15 plus years in jail if convicted.

    After the FACTS, I ask the Mossrim…

    WHATS WRONG WITH MESIRA (ALL OF A SUDDEN)?

  • Don-y throw stones

    THE MESHICIHSTIM MOSSRIM ALL OF A SUDDEN CARING ABOUT MESIRA REMINDS ME OF THE FOLLOWING STORY:

    Our Rabbis taught: A man should not remove stones from his ground on to public ground. A certain man was removing stones from his ground on to public ground when a pious man found him doing so and said to him, ‘Fool, why do you remove stones from ground which is not yours to ground which is yours?’ The man laughed at him. Some days later he had to sell his field, and when he was walking on that public ground he stumbled over those stones. He then said, ‘How well did that pious man say to me, “Why do you remove stones from ground which is not yours to ground which is yours?”‘ (Baba Kamma 50b)

    TRANSLATE STONES TO MESIRA AND THE MOSHOL IS SELF UNDERSTOOD.

    It is the Meshichistim which brought/introduced Mesira to the streets of Crown Heights. Don’t cry when it comes back to hunt you!

    Besides, I think the same person who has been doing the 311 mesiras until now is doing the mesiras now. Theres actual proof of that.

  • Addressing the Mossrim

    Braun and Schwies letter must be addressed to Shmira member Yitzchok Shuchat, who made over 300 311 calls targeting just one crown heights resident.

    http://www.youtube.com/watc

    It must surly also be addressing the vicious blood libel of the Meshichitim on the Shomrim Six. Late, but better late then ever!!!
    http://mosrim.wordpress.com

  • Whats wrong with Mesira?

    Remember remember don’t forget!

    Remember the good old days in 2009-2010 (almost two years ago) when Mesira was justified and excused by the Meshichistim?

    Whats changed?

  • Rights

    1) Since when can’t people say anything against rabbis?
    2) If you break the law, don’t blame the victims for being “moser” you. You broke the law! Sorry, but Crown Heights seems to be pretty chaotic to say the least and cannot self-police itself. There are too many self-serving politicians there. Victims of crime have no choice and every right to report the crimes. Where else do they have to turn?

  • TO #10

    The parents of the boy approached Rabbi Yeroslavsky, as its their family Rav. His family lives in Nachla. His parents did not want to go to the police until the Rabbi gave his approval.

  • Some Serious Questions

    Where are the leaders of Aguch and Merkaz???
    Where is the mesirus nefesh for the Rebbes Kovod and 770??
    While these Rabbonim should have arichas yomim, what will
    be after their arichas yomim??
    Im Lo achashav Amasai???
    Does the Rebbe deserve this cv???

  • Eishel is a scam

    I got a phone call last week THANKING ME for my previous generosity. I told them they got the wrong Mr. Jones, I never have & never will give anything to Hendel’s scamming gesheft.

    They lie & tell good people with bad memories how generous they were to give when they never did. I’m a good person with a good memory so I was ready. Be warned!

  • Doing No Good

    on oct/09/2011 6pm I saw a bochur with black glasses blonde beard and a yechi yarlmuka unload 5 big full garbage bags on Albany avenue infront of the garage of 1548 President street.
    He quickly drove off in a black Honda Accord. License plate# JHF-1700

  • yanky

    Some of you people are really stupid for allowing ch.info to translate the letter, how about learn Hebrew and read it for yourself? Then make up your opinion, as you are entitled to, and then most importantly, don’t spread lies and disrespectful things about ANY of the rabbonim in our community. And I thought liberals were the ones without brains who just listen to the media, that is, until I saw the comments on this site.

  • BOYCOT

    THERE HAS TO BE A MASSIVE BOYCOT RIGHT AS OF NOW, THAT NO ONE SHOULD CONTRIBUTE ANY MONEY OR HOST MENDY HENDELS GUESTS WHO CAME TO FIGHT FOR HIM IN 770 DONT HAVE THEM OVER DONT GIVE THEM A PLACE TO STAY. SEND THEM ALL BACK TO TZFAS!

  • to CHI

    This how you discuss Rabbonim??
    “decisively indecisive, weak willed and wishy washy”

    and the comments here are soo disgusting

  • mida keneged mida

    I cant wait for the day the meshichistim dont like what u tell them, schwei and braun, and wait for u at night at a dark street, cover ur heads with dark sacks, and give u the h— they gave this poor bochur, vedal…
    ah! we will remember ur psuk. I promise no to moiser.

  • dib

    Anyone have an idea who reported the basements the Israelis were sleeping in to the FDNY?

    Is the goal to make the Israeli bochim as uncomfortable as possible?

  • where do i sign up?

    How do I get into this group shoe make sure everyone in the hood comply with the highest standers of code and law.

    We need to enforce the law. (do some people call this mesira?)

  • chaim meir

    How is it that some of us don’t grasp the gravity of Mesira – even if it’s against someone who you cant stand and gets on your nerves?

    Does Torah change if I don’t like you???

  • who would do this?

    Who would go and “moser” on the guest coming for Tishrey?

    Why would it bother some that these orchim are sleeping in basements that may not be 100% up to code?

    Is their hatred for Hendel blinding them to destroy an institution that our holy Rebbe stated many times that is the obligation of all members of the community to help house, feed and tend to the needs of the Rebbe’s orchim?

  • is this the Jewish way?

    Why has it become so prevalent and so easy for some of us to run to the police / authorities against a fellow yid? I think it’s time for us to make a serious ‘chashbon nefesh’ and see what brought us to this terrible low level. (I’m not blaming any particular person. It’s so sad to see how low we have fallen).

  • todros

    same group of ch anash, from their hatred of rabbis krinsky & shemtov, will do anything as long as they can hit at the lubavitch mosdos the Rebbe set up

  • kindly enlighten me

    At the time of this Psak, did the Rabbonim know the identity of the attackers?

    To be clear: any instance of a yid lifting his hand on another is outrageous, deplorable and disgusting! and must be denounced and repudiated in the strongest way!

    But, were these attackers ever warned by anyone? Do these Rabbonim know for a fact that bringing them (these specific attackers) before Rabbonim won’t help?

    Is the first response in every instance: go to the police?

    Was this the way ehrliche Jews always conducted themselves, that as a FIRST RESORT they go straight to the police?

    This is not the way I was educated nor is the way I educate my children… (the same goes for most of my friends)

  • Ahavas Yisroel

    I find it very difficult to grasp this comparison to the Satmar situation. In the later case, there was clear intention and a continued real threat of the infliction of very serious bodily injury and even worse chas vesholom. Their rabonim either encouraged or turned a blind eye. There was no other recourse.

    To compare this to some wild Israelis fighting in the street in CH? Do these assailants have a proven history of inflictin bodly harm to others? Have they been warned by Rabbonim before?

    Please clarify: is it the opinion of Rabbi Osdobo and Rabbi Yeruslavsky that the directive of the Rebbe and Shulchan Aruch is, that whenever one Jew lifts his hand – Rachamana Listzlan – on another yid, the FIRST and only recourse is to go press criminal charges with the police?

  • TTTO

    The Braun letter is so poetic, it begs a tune. Borrowing from the Talmud and Shabbos zmiros…. I’m sure it’ll show up on a Jewish CD someday….

  • Truth

    My comment — just prior to Comment 38. “Ditto for Schwei, who co-signs with Mr. Braun” — never got printed for some reason.

    I had written something to the effect that there is no need to refer to Mr. Braun as a “Rabbi,” since he as no Smicha, no Shimush, etc., and he should just go back to where he came from.

    Afterwards I wrote “Ditto for Schwei…” If he co-signs together with someone who is only a fraud, and not a Rabbi — as has been so extensively documented in the previous CHI posts and comments — then Schwei himself is obviously not much better himself.

  • logic and fact

    when you condone violence, you encourage violence. those who refuse to condemn violence and take proper steps to prevent it and punish perpetrators of violence are thereby accessories to the crime itself. to be a leader means to be a strong advocate for decency not for cover-up.

  • What-s going on?

    There is something really sad about this, and most of it for me has to do with the bias/prejudice of the initial report. I am not part of your community, but if I were thinking about becoming part of it, this issue would make me very wary. The person describing Rabbi Braun’s letter seems so immature and prejudiced, I think he needs to have another good look at himself, like a second Yom Kippur! I read these articles with the hopes that I will get a feeling for a loving and mutually supportive Jewsishness, leading me to find a place to be a Jew in a comfortable environment. Um….what’s going on in Crown Heights? What does it really represent? Why are some people being so pathetically negative? I do not think this is the Jewish way. Perhaps some of these people should rethink their beliefs and sense of morality.