Mezuzah Scandal: Rabbi Veiner Clarifies

Rabbi Veiner of Eretz Yisroel, whose Halachik response was used to justify claims of Posul Mezuzos being sold on Kingston Ave, clarifies his letter. In his clarification, he distances himself from any conclusions made on the mezuzos.

by crownheights.info

Moshe Wolf of Chicago, who broke the alleged mezuzah scandal, had released a Halachik response from Rabbi Veiner of Eretz Yisroel in which he states some things that might make a mezuzah posul. The question-answer formatted response, discussed such things as cracked and malformed letters. The response was used by Moshe Wolf to justify his claim that the mezuzos sold were not kosher.

Rabbi Veiner, a leading figure in STaM and author of a book on the subject, released a statement VIA email in response. In it, he distances himself from any conclusions made on the mezuzos. He clarifies that his original letter discusses the halachos, and were not made in connection with the mezuzos in question.

The following response was sent to a Sofer in Crown Heights who asked Rabbi Veiner to clarify his stance on the alleged scandal.

שלום רב,

האיש משיקגו שאל אותי שאלות בהלכה – ואני עניתי לו מה הדין.
אני לא צד וחלק בענין של הויכוח על החנויות והמזוזות וכו’, ולא ידעתי בכלל מה כוונתו בשאלות ששאל. ולא פסקתי שום פסק על איזה מזוזה וכו’.
אינני רואה צורך להתערב (כי אינני במקום) או להתנצל. דרכי לענות לשואלים אותי בדבר הלכה.
זה שהוא מנפנף בזה (אם עושה כן) – יכול כבודו לפרסם שאין בדברי כלום ביחס לויכוח על המזוזות והחנויות.

בכ”ר
משה ויינר

Greetings,

The person from Chicago asked me questions in halacha – and I responded what is the Din.

I am not on any side and take no part in the dispute regarding the stores and the mezuzahs etc.. I did not at all know what his intentions were when he asked me those questions. I did not pasken on any Mezuzah etc.

I see no reason to get involved (because i am not there) or to apologize. My custom is to answer those that ask me in halacha.

This that he is showing my words (if he is doing so) – your honor can make public that my words are in no way relevant to the dispute regarding the mezuzahs and the stores.

Moshe Veiner

10 Comments

  • Chaim

    Horrible letter only gives more credit to Wolf…
    Makes it look like I gave him an honest answer that they are possul but if I knew he would use it to hurt my friends i would have lied.

    shkoyach

  • wolf and cnn

    He could work for CNN or join Mueller.
    Why was Wolf not concerned about damaging people’s emunah?
    Isn’t that something v. serious too?

  • Yanki

    “Nothing to see here.” Not sure what you gain or lose with this statement. So far R’ Wolfs claims seem corroborrated.

  • HALACHA IS HALACHA

    ALTHOUGH HE DISCLAIMS ANY DIRECT RELEVANCE TO THE RECENT CONTROVERSY, THAT DOES NOT NEGATE HIS HALACHIC STATEMENTS REGARDING THE QUESTIONS ASKED OF HIM.

  • Milhouse

    So he answered Wolf’s shaylos, and stands by his answer, but didn’t pasken on the specific mezuzos. OK, Wolf never claimed he did. But the vendors’ defense was that a mezuza with such errors is still kosher, and he paskened that it is not. Wolf has every right to make the public aware of this, and to point out that the mezuzos contain the very errors that he paskened are possul.

  • Unfortunate

    He answered when cracked letters or attached letters would make something posul
    He did not see these mezuzahs and did not
    Paskin in these specific ones.
    This wolf character painted a picture of large cracks or letters attached where you can’t differentiate between the 2 letters. In which case everyone agrees it would be posul
    When asking a question without having the actual item in question there you can always paint the pic the way you want to get the answer

  • # 5

    Do you honestly think that the venue that was used to bring attention to a halachic issue was the best way to go about it. Did Rabbi Wolf consider approaching each vendor privately to bring up any Issues!! Many Halachic issues were broken Bain Adam L’chavairo !! Totally unacceptable. Did he get a p’sak din from a Rav to do what he did!!??

    • C

      If they deny it publicly do you REALLY thing they would have admitted it in private? Really?
      And what about all the proper who said they ALREADY confronted the stores and were shrugged off.
      Please respond.

    • Milhouse

      Yes, I think it was the appropriate and only way to go about it. Could he have privately approached each consumer who had bought a cheap mezuzah to let them know there’s a good chance it’s possul?!

  • N.S.

    By vendors taking Wolf to a din Torah they are just allowing this issue to amplify. I suggest that the vendors make major improvements by selling 100% Kosher mezuzos and tefilin and Wolf make another check in a few weeks on these vendors and publish results. Hopefully results for all vendors will be 100% Kosher on all their STAM. and Sholom Al Yisroel.