Abraham the first set a high standard for generosity and hospitality, while his descendant stands as an exemplar of that excellence, par excellence. Both are patriarchs of celebrated dynasties. The first fathered the Jewish people. The second is father to one of its most beautiful families.
Essays require introductions, while Abraham and Avraham Aaron Rubashkin do not.
Op-Ed: Star-dust
This weekend, communities around the world will be discussing the story of two prominent Jews named Abraham. The first fled ancient Mesopotamia, the land of his father. He escaped with the core of monotheism and in the pursuit of G-d’s will. The second broke free from the Soviet motherland, following the path of providence and the dream of raising a family that would freely worship the G-d discovered by his biblical namesake.
Abraham the first set a high standard for generosity and hospitality, while his descendant stands as an exemplar of that excellence, par excellence. Both are patriarchs of celebrated dynasties. The first fathered the Jewish people. The second is father to one of its most beautiful families.
Essays require introductions, while Abraham and Avraham Aaron Rubashkin do not.
In a stirring moment, G-d promised our forefather that his offspring would be as numerous as the stars and sand. The Rubashkins are stars of the Jewish world. They are celebrities for just reasons, and shining examples of just people. Yet the promise alludes to the finest among us rising to stellar heights and others who stoop to filthy lows. It bespeaks people who would agonize for a stranger’s concerns and others who would antagonize them in spite of their loyalty.
To deny who the Rubashkins are and what they represent is madness. To decry this family based on uneducated assumptions is equally irresponsible. I bow my head in shame in light of many of my brethren’s preposterous posturing, and their assaults on this great family. However, as a Jew proud of my upright responsibility, I raise my head and voice to denounce those who would choose the lesser part of a divine promise. I announce my staunch support for people who support so many, and who are being abandoned and abused by their own.
Many of the published and private statements expressing unfavorable opinions of the Rubashkin family are nasty and foul. The originators would like us to agree with their obnoxious attitudes, but it is they themselves who are guilty of failing miserably at our nation’s moral calling.
Given their notable methods, I would say that the Rubashkins do not practice charity, but have perfected it. We are all children of Abraham, but the Rubashkins are some of the stars promised to him. Considering the disparity of minds and values in this contentious arena, they are galaxies away from many of their own. Others choose to soil their souls by lingering in dust. In their bitterness, the latter would like to see these stars fall, notwithstanding that they would be foolishly inviting a meteorite shower that would devastate part of their own world.
As an observant Jew, I am heedful of Almighty G-d’s three degrees of commandments. Judgments are requirements that our own judgment would necessitate. Testimonials are novel yet logical edicts. Human intelligence might not produce these laws, but would certainly understand them. Statutes are supra-rational laws that may transcend human logic, but are obeyed as the will of a transcendental G-d.
In my experience, people too can be divided into three groups. First, there are irrational people who are impenetrable and incorrigible. They could be the devout, but too often are those committed to condemning others. Second, there are reasonable people who can rationalize, as opposed to instantly demonize. Last, there are logical people who know right from wrong. They appreciate the goodness of others, and declare solidarity with them. I join and promote this group, and encourage the reasonable middle class. While I pray for the souls of the bitter first class, who act nothing like it.
This Op-Ed reflects the views of its author. It does not necessarily reflect the views of CrownHeights.info nor of its Editors.
A reader that wishes to make his or her voice heard on any topic of their desire is welcome to submit his or her Op-Ed to News@CrownHeights.info.
bassie
What you say is interesting, but next time dump the thesaurus and just write from the heart. Each word does not have to be from some vocabulary list to make your point!
SHIMON COHEN
THE RUBASHKINS HAVE ALWAYS HELPED THEIR FELLOW JEWS WITH A FULL HEART SINCE THEY WERE IN BOROUGH PARK. EVERYBODY KNOWS THE GOOD THEY DO. I HOPE THEIR “CRITICS” ARE INVOLVED IN AT LEAST AS MUCH CHESSED AS THEY ARE, BUT OF COURSE THERE ISN’T ANY CHQNCE OF THAT! IT’S SO EASY TO MAKE YOURSELF INTO A “BIG MAN” WITHOUT PUTTING A FINGER IN COLD WATER, BY SPEAKING BAD ABOUT GOOD PEOPLE THE SECOND THEY ARE IN TROUBLE. THEY MADE MISTAKES?! ALSO THE REST OF US!!!!
AND WHICH UNHOLY ALLIANCE WANTS RUASHKIN DESTROYED? UNION THUGS AND THOSE WHO ALWAYS ARE LOOKING FOR WAYS TO HURT CHABAD!!!
Please sign pitition for Kosher
I just signed a pitition on the net to fight back against this Kosher discrimination and pasted it on to my email list. Its the least we can do. Thanks.
Weby, can you please post this?
http://www.thepetitionsite….
moshe
the rubaskin’s are good people, but please don’t burden us withe your verbose “literary” trash!
To Getzy and Moshe
First of all, very well said. hardly anyone makes a point like you. “Moshe” said your stuff is “verbose” which means you use more words than are necessary. Quite the contrary, you manage to bring major points in fewer words. Your work Is powerful and that brings me to my second point:
The people you write about, the Rubashkin family, they are powerful, not politically, but Souly if there is such a word. There is nothing like them, nothing.
as for their critics, you said it best
tzu moshe
hey moshe, dont burden your trashy head by reading it!
I am a fan of this writer because of his amazing imagination and talent. What a connection! Avraham avinu! really amazing
god bless the rubashkins and god bless you for doing what you do, and you bless god for letting you do it
re: bassie
bassie. this is getzys heart. this is how he speaks. at least when hes doing so publicly
2 late
shot from the heart, but its too late
the critics have prevbailed
Helprubashkins.com
BS”D
I’m posting this here because it is the most current article about the Rubashkins:
In response to a request made on this site, I have made it possible for anonymous users to comment on all forums and articles on http://www.helprubashkins.com
Gut shabbos and hatzlocho!
Getzzy just kidding
bassy and moshe (are you a husband and wife)? I guess you just have extra time to read crownheights.info and criticize other people? why don’t you open your own little blog and dump all of your horribale thoughts for yourself?
btw, if you do so don’t give anyone the address to the blog so nobody needs to read your “verbose long posts”
Thank you,
Getzi (just kidding. I don’t even know him but your posts got me angry)
unreal
unreal
Tzadikim
Dear Reb Getzy,
The Rubashkins are taddikim gemurim and maybe even Lamed Vov Tzaddikim!
I personally know of many Russian Jewish families who got kosher meat from them for free just to keep them kosher and to stop them from buying treif meat.
Who can claim they did the same on a weekly basis?
Keep it plain
A Thesaurus is like chocolate – to be used in moderation.
KOSHER ALL DAY LONG
What does the oibershter want!!!!
you said it right “ Others choose to soil their souls by lingering in dust. In their bitterness, the latter would like to see these stars fall, notwithstanding that they would be foolishly inviting a meteorite shower that would devastate part of their own world.”
THIS WILL JUST DESTROY OUR OWN LIVES. BUTCHER SHOP SHELVES..BELLYS
HASHEM YISHMOR
stop the sinas chinum
I have worked for & with many members of the agri family – all wonderful people, in and out of the workplace. To those yidden against agri, i’d like to say its not the Rubashkins, its hundreds of mishpachas and yiddisher kinderlach who are being affected – stop the sinas chinum – we have enough enemies without your help.
rabbi
i wish them the best with all my heart
But look at the damaged they cause by doing a “little aveira” and not following the law
1. Company shut down 2000 workers out of a job
2.the city of Postville will probably cease to exist because “beshvile rubashkin nivrah”
3. The millions of kosher consumers all over the US that will have to suffer. And just for your info the kosher consumer spends about 12.5 billion dollars a year on products, where talking a loss in stores, restaurants, shabbos tables, cholent can we make it with fish?
Here is a lesson that even a small sin can destroy a world
thank you getzy.
Its sad that some commentors are not embarassed to declare their uneducatedness by bashing Getzy’s beautiful writing skill. I appreciate the content as well as the writing style, and if anyone doesn’t, you don’t need to declare your illiteracy to everyone else.
The True Rubashkin Problem
The Rubashkin’s are Tzaddikim in the world fo Tzedakah. Everyone agrees!!!! The question here is not about their Tzedakah…..
The problems that the Rubashin face are choices they made in the biz world. Regardless how we feel about them … they are facing charges of hiring people agaonst the law or hiding toxic material.
True Peta is going after anything Kosher… the conservitive movement is trying to get their name into kashrus…. but if the choices of who we hire, and how we handle toxic waste were done according to the law… we wouldnot be facing these issues.
Forever I love the Rubashkins, and forever we must pray for their release from these issues…. but… (you can re-read the above).
KAYLA FROM MONTREAL
WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND–HAKODESH BORUCH HU IS NEVER LEFT OWING ANYBODY, AND DER AIBESHTER ALWAYS PAYS BACK
THE RUBASHKINS FOR ALL THE CHESED THAT THEY DID & STILL CONTINUE DOING, WILL BE PAID BACK TENFOLD!
GETSY YOU WRITE BEAUTIFULLY AND ALTHOUGH SO MANY OF US DO NOT HAVE THE GIFT OF THE PEN, WE STILL FEEL THAT A MOST GRAVE UNJUSTICE WAS DONE TO THIS FAMILY.SO CONTINUE WRITING & PUTTING INTO WORDS WHAT SO MANY OF US FEEL.
Atticus Finch
Personally, as someone who spends their days poring over English texts, I’m very astounded by the poor use of words and metaphors in this article.
However, I don’t really want to rehash old complaints about this author. Now do I think it will be effective in educating him or the readers who think him to be an amazing author.
There is something which is missing from all of these supportive essays about Rubashkin though; that crime was committed. No matter who is responsible for the prosecution and who is looking for revenge, the primary evidence for the crime came from the company themselves. None of the evidence was fabricated. No one is framing the Rubashkin family for crimes that they didn’t do. Although the law is clearly being arbitrarily enforced against them, they nonetheless did the crimes, and they thought they would get away with it.
Are we ok with this as a community? Do we really feel right about fraud and abuse, which go against Dina D’Malchusa? Are we happy that one of the most conspicuous frum companies in the country has knowingly violated multiple counts of federal and state laws?
While there is certainly a witch hunt against the family, we as a community have to take as step back and ask ourselves if we’re ok with our own breaking the law. It’s not necessary to join the prosecution against a family who have done more than their share of good in our community. But, at the same time, maybe we should tell them amongst ourselves, and through our own channels, that crime is wrong.
I feel bad for the family and I’m deeply troubled about our community, but all of this would be avoided if we would just live up to the law.
The Rubashkins are not the only Lubavitchers and frum yidden that have committed crimes. There are innumerable fraudulent business schemes running in every corner of our communities. V’ain Kan Hamokom L’harich Bazeh. Beyond just the saying “don’t do the crime if you can’t do the time;” we shouldn’t be doing the crimes because crime is wrong against society and against Hashem.
These arrests should serve as a wake-up call to our community. We should condemn even our most generous donors for breaking American law. As much as we respect the good that they do, we must despise them for the bad that they bring on themselves, and ultimately on our community.
re: Atticus Finch
dont take your hate on an author you cant stomach. You made it clear you hate the rubashkins so you take it out on him.
you know jack squat bout getzy markowitz. your a jelous bafoon.
to atticus finch
Atticus Finch,
Thank you for posting. I wasnt sure what getzy was talking about until i read your post.he is talking about scum like you
Mobey Shmech
Atticus Fitch, brilliant comment. For whatever reason, whenever this Getzy guy writes anything, the comments are all about his writing style and NOT the issue on-hand. This comment itself is of the same genre.
I do not understand why there is a mob-like mentality every time someone points out a flaw in G.M.’s writing style. It reflects poorly on his friends and supporters. My guess is that my comment will also be attacked by a die-hard Getzy reader.
Guy(s?), this is so transparent. People don’t take Getzy seriously in his Rubashkin essays because he is jaded thanks to his familial relationship with the Rubashkin family. Same deal with the angry commentators protesting the “malice” and “anti-Getzyism” posting here.
Grow up.
re: Mobey
You also seem to be jelous of the writer I like so much however, family or not, Getzy isn’t discussing anyones innocence, I don’t think. I think it is clear that he is talking about a hateful element within our communiti(ies). He is addressing the Sina. He is talking abt people who won’t look at facts.
I happen to think he is an amazing writer. Better than most in Chabad. You disagree, which I think that you don’t. But don’t change his message. He is protesting Yidin who abandon their own. Learn from him.
I don’t think G.M. Will be stopping. “Bitter” comments have been directed to him. I don’t think he is affected if he continues posting.
All I am saying is don’t argue a point that is obviously coming from hate and envy. This guy writes and kicks at it. I have no secular education but share his stuff with people who do every week, jewish and non. They love it. I love it. I think you do to.
Don’t be a hater
to the shmechy mobey shmech
Jaded? Familial?
Are we not all family?
Getzy, your refreshing. Like air freshener against the shemcky comments. Lol
But it is shocking how the people your denouncing just don’t get it
www.helprubashkins.com
BS”D
There is a HUGE difference between the Rubashkins and lehavdil frum Jews who were arrested in financial scams.
The Rubashkins produced a fine product and ran a company that was acceptable to all but the unions, PETA,and the leftist congressmen. Yes, they made mistakes, as do all of us – but if they had done what Tyson, which committed the same violations, did and supported the DONKEY party, then the JACKASSES would not have kicked down what they built. It was not that Postville was bishvil haRubashkins nivra – it was that they singlehandedly saved an abandoned town! And that was not enough for the left who also wanted them to pay unskilled meat cutters the same wage as a surgeon gets (and believe me, with the present insurance system, a doctor does not do that much better than a skilled union worker these days). No American wants a non-union or even a union meatcutting job – what the unions would have done was to have UNIONIZED THE SAME ILLEGALS!!!(I can explain and bring at least partial proof for this too but I have no time to write it here and now – I’ll have it up on my site later this week IYH).
The scammers (the Federal koilel yungerleit) burned down buildings for insurance because their businesses were never solid to begin with, ran fake lotteries, had identity theft rings, sold Ponzi scheme investments, cheated old people out of their homes and their last cent with mortgage scams, sold dangerous counterfeit medications to pharmacies, etc etc. They produced nothing, hired no one, paid not one cent of tax and truly hurt hard working people.
The Rubashkins helped the economy just as much as they helped those in need. They were not and are not scammers; they just ran afoul of regulations and made errors in judgment in an overly politicized and overly regulated business arena. And because they are outsiders who succeded (ie not lefties and not part of the new America that gave us the ObamAberration) the press jumped on them and tore them to pieces.
oy vey, what has become
I THINK, that there is some fault on the companys part, but not comletely. We all make mistakes and do things that are a little wrong. But the condemnation coming from Yidin is a bigger crime.
I wont get involved in the authors abilities because he is amazing and the people knocking him ae the same people knocking rubashkin and good people.
Milhouse
“Atticus Finch”, do you really believe that the entire corpus of federal, state, and local laws and regulations are incorporated by reference into halacha? Please show me the se’if in Shulchan Aruch that creates a positive obligation to obey every law or regulation that a legislator or bureaucrat chooses to issue. Is it really an avera, even a tiny one, to jaywalk, or to throw a AAA battery into the garbage, or to give a bochur a lechayim at a farbrengen? In those states where first cousins are not allowed to marry, do you really think those who make such shiduchim are wrong?
And of course we Anash come from career criminals, who forged papers and crossed a border illegally, just as Rubashkin’s Guatemalan workers did! R Mendel Futerfas is a Lubavitcher hero, because he sat for the crime of conspiracy to forge documents, steal identities, and evade the immigration laws of two countries – the USSR and Poland. My father still commits perjury every time he applies for a new passport, and puts down his birthplace as Poland instead of Russia – do you think there’s something wrong with that?
What is Sholom Rubashkin charged with? Lending $4500 to his workers so they could buy new papers, and not get arrested and deported. If these people had come to you for such a loan, and you were in a position to help them, could you really have turned them away? Should you have? It seems to me that he did a mitzvah of gemilus chesed, and any grief he suffers for it adds to his sechar.
So don’t come over all self-righteous with your claims about “the law”, and “dina demalchusa”. Learn some gemara and rishonim, and find out just what “dina demalchusa dina” means, and what its scope is.
www.helprubashkins.com wrote:
BS”D
My father still commits perjury every time he applies for a new passport, and puts down his birthplace as Poland instead of Russia – do you think there’s something wrong with that?
—————–
And, check the Rebbe’s US naturalization documents for the year of birth……….
As for the workers, yes, it was wrong – but with entitlement programs and a perverse underclass culture that make it more worthwhile for an unskilled American to be a welfarian, a crack/meth manufacturer-dealer,or even a career petty thief of the Derrick Nelson variety than a meatpacking worker, the real mistake that Agri made was to open their plant in the US instead of Mexico (assuming that they could have indeed dealt with the US market from Mexico under NAFTA).
Atticus Finch
http://www.helprubashkins.com; oy vey, what has become:
You are both right that there are differences between the Rubashkin’s on the one hand, and some of the other fraudsters on the other. It is also true that some of the Rubashkin’s crimes might have been committed by irresponsibility rather than any evil intent.
One thing that they both have in common is, that in the eyes of the law, both are crimes.
Furthermore, even assuming that the law is being exploited to hurt a Jewish company for capital, political and vengeful gains, there are a lot of details here that don’t make the Rubashkins look like such do-gooders. Forging immigration papers en masse, for example, is not something done simply by “running afoul of regulations and [making] errors in judgment in an overly politicized and overly regulated business area.”
Even assuming this was just judgment error, Agri has been on notice that they were being scrutinized since, at least, 2004. In the 3-4 year interim they could have reformed their labor and hiring practices in advance of any investigations. They apparently thought that they would never get caught.
Coming back to the communal issue, I would advise that we don’t all delude ourselves into thinking that the only criminals amongst us are Ponzi schemers and arsonists. There are numerous “legitimate” businesses in our communities that cut corners by paying off the books, committing tax and insurance fraud, hiring illegal immigrants, and other innocuous crimes.
My only point in writing is to urge our community to use the Rubashkin fiasco as an introspective lens. While it is our duty to take a stand for the persecuted, we have the dual responsibility to be be law abiding members of society.
Atticus Finch
Milhouse:
You’re right. I’m throwing in the towel on this argument. We have ZERO duty to obey the law, because it doesn’t suit our selfish needs.
I stand corrected on my self-righteousness.
Bron Again Getzy
Getzy Markowitz never ceases to amaze me. Seriously. I love his stuff. It make me a frum Jew.
Sometimes, when i am feeling down, I will reread a Getzy article and it will make my day light up.
Wanda Ring
Journalistic ethics requires that the editor disclose (if the author has not) any relationship between the author and the subject of an article. What is Getzy Markowitz’s relationship to the Rubashkins?
Leonid
You’ve got to love the obnoxious people that comment here that think that when humans disagree with each other, it can only stem from two base emotions: hate and jealousy.
Wake up people … what happened to that good old sophistication that Lubavitchers used to be known for? It irks me how irrational you people can be sometimes … and I neither hate you, nor am I particularly jealous.
Frustrated
Congratulations Mr Markowitz you have done it again!Trying to get a point across in a style that can in kindness be described as flowery.I assume there will be many more articles from you and we will have to suffer further travel sickness from your starting and stopping of sentences.I am sure your point is a good and valid one but let us all get a chance to try enjoy the ride.
To the Kappos
I have a hunch that the people who comment against getzy are NOT stupid or un-read, as some have alleged. I think “they” are just he or she. Meaning the same person.
To Frustrated: don get on the ride if you dont like the driver.
TO Wanda Ring: He is a relative but he is not tdiscussing them here, He is discussidng you.
TO Born Again: God bless you :)
This was an amazing editorial. Not only about amazing people also about amazingly mean people who enjoy other peoples downfall.
Tonight is Kristelnacht and nowadays you dont need Nazis to do the job. Now we have JEws
re: wanda
wanda ur wrong. read it again
Getzys subject isng the rubahkins, His subject is that we are all family anad not acting it
www.helprubashkins.com
Forging immigration papers en masse, for example, is not something done….
BS“D
Mr Finch Esq:
You use the name of a well known fictional lawyer (from a book about killing mockingbirds, not schechting chickens), but any US lawyer knows of the famous rule ”innocent until proven guilty”. Unless I misread the latest charges against Sholom Rubashkin, the Rubashkins themselves have not been charged with forging papers in any case, regardless of the status of employees of theirs.
I know from personal experience years ago in another industry that hires immigrant workers that an employee with connections in the immigrant community is hired to act as a sort of labor broker and is given a lot of leeway in sorting out and finding employees. That employee acts as an enforcer, check casher and much else and has a lot of power in the organization, far more than his skill level warrants. It is a lousy way of doing things and should not be in use but it is the standard for industries using unskilled immigrant labor. I don’t know what happened here for certain as I am not connected with Agri but the pattern is very familiar to me.
Yes, we need to follow the law. But the law is a (pain in the) ass and lends itself to cutting corners. Tyson who donated to the (jack)ass party and was very close to the (jack)ass in chief got away with it. Records show that the Rubashkins did not compromise their political beliefs and donate to a party that they did not feel represents his values even though it may have paid for them to do so. The lesson here is to play the game while making sure you don’t cut corners in a way where people are really hurt – because if you try to do the right thing and get caught up into the mess that the law creates or run afoul of special interest groups, you will be slaughtered if you don’t play politics.
That is the double standard and the persecution. If the chief executive of Tyson were in prison now, I doubt I’d get involved regardless of the chessed the Rubashkins did. As it is, the Rubashkins are criminals just as Reb Mendel or Mumme Sore were criminals (but of course not to the same degree) – they broke laws that were selectively enforced owing to political considerations (another example – you cannot imagine what a Communist Party bigwig got away with in terms of plundering the country and some of the fortunes in Russia today began with such plundering before the fall of Communism, whereas R’ Avner Leviev narrowly escaped criminal punishment for running a private business only because he got his exit visa in time).
And Agri produced and I hope somehow manages to continue to produce, a very fine range of products which were presented and distributed in an exemplary manner. They did not set up a scam operation; at worst they got in over their heads and didn’t or couldn’t find proper business guidance or management until it was too late.