New York – NY Governor Andrew Cuomo ripped an Orthodox Monsey Rabbi, Rabbi Noson Leiter for making “offensive and disgraceful” comments that described Hurricane Sandy as divine payback for New York legalizing gay marriage.
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In a press release the Gov. said, “The comments made by Rabbi Noson Leiter that sought to link the devastation caused by Hurricane Sandy to our state’s embrace of marriage equality are as offensive as they are ignorant.
This catastrophic storm claimed the lives of more than forty New Yorkers. This kind of hateful rhetoric has no place in our public discourse, and is particularly distasteful in times of tragedy.
Our state is proud to offer equal rights to all our citizens, and we will never tolerate the use of a tragedy like Hurricane Sandy to promote a divisive and bigoted agenda.
I call on Rabbi Leiter to apologize immediately for his hurtful comments.”
The orthodox community should be very concerned when rabbis make this sort of statement for it leads to embitterment and strife. G-d is not a god of anxiety. Just tribulation. Get the program to your children and teach them better.
what a chilul hashem from R leters part….our leaders or our rabbonim cant denounce this chilul hashem but no less our gov…i agree with the Governor, these statments should have no place coming from any dignified leader let alone a rabbi.
this has nothing to do regarding gay marriage which the torah call an abomination.
it has to do with calling a disaster were innocent people died. who the heck is he to decide why sandy came, what would he say chas veshoom if his wife or children were involved c”v…shameful!!!!
If this Rabbi made this comment in a private speech for his people, I don’t see what he did wrong, he might not be right, but for someone to make this public, is a bigger chilul hashem
Before everyone writes in that they KNOW the storm was retribution for “Toeiva”,, they should keep in mind R’ Yannai in Perkei Avos (4-19) that it is not in our hands to explain the tranquility of reshaim and the tzoros of tzadikim
Perhaps it’s not such a bad thing if at least ONE Rabbi speaks his mind without concern for what the non-jews think.
Why is he blaming gay marriage? What about the primary reason for the Great Flood, which was theft!
The Torah says: “For the earth has become full of theft” (Bereishis 1:3), and the Talmud explains: “Their verdict was sealed only because of theft” (Sanhedrin 108a quoted by Rashi on the passuk).
Secondly, if we are blaming corruption of the natural order, why pick on gay marriage? What about child molestation?
Rabbi Lieter should never has said what he said even if it was right. At the same time this is freedom of speech and Governor Cuomo should mix out. Rabbi Leiter never said people that died deserved it. All Rabbi Leiter was suggesting was a cause for the storm. Nobody really knows and everyone has to look at themselves where they can improve in daily life.
The women in our community caught a lucky break with the legalization of gay marriage. It use to be their skirts and Indian shaitels that got innocent people killed every now and then.
Even though Rabbi Leiter should not have made those comments publically, we have to bear in mind that saying that something is punishment for gay marriage can’t possibly be as bad as gay marriage itself.
In response to Kim Li (6): actually, the Midrash says that one of the causes of the Mabul was that there were Kesubas written along with Mishkav Zachor, a euphanism for same gender marriage. The first thing you have to take into account is: nothing is happenstance. After you realize that ‘events’ are heaven made, and especially this event wasn’t man made, then, and only then, can you begin to try to reflect as to why G-d would cause an event such as this.
I personally find gay issues morally repulsive but I expect that even if I verbalized those feelings it would be protected as free speech. I also feel that it was insensitive and stupid for the Rabbi to make a big announcement, if he did.
I really think the Gov and Bloombum should focus on the disaster and aftermath of the storm and not infringe on free speech.
In this past week’s parsha, Chazal tell us that Lot begged the malachim to save Sedom. As soon as the Sodomites ordered Lot to send out the malachim so they could sodomize them, that was when the malachim said it’s all over, Sedom is done and “od mi licha po” – get out now.
We don’t know Hashem’s ways, but I suspect this Rabbi is correct.
Im not surprised the the Governor is upset, since he “okayed” same gender marriage. What about the outcry of the rabbis when the gov signed those papers???
Child molestation is considered mushkav zachor too (over 9 according to all shitos). maybe he is right, but where is he when molestors are defended?
We frum people believe in what Chazal teach us. Passing a law legalizing such behavior brings catastrophes. Even though frum neighborhoods were hit as well, that does not dispute the chazal. Once there is destruction it does not differentiate one neighborhood from another. Scared to think what else is coming!
I personally know this Leiter guy interesting character to say the least. He is no Rabbi maybe self appointed. I still remember when he was at war agaisnt Ryan Karben.
That’s the problem today. Every leidak that claims to be learning in kolel today call himself a “Rabbi”.
Monsey was hit 3 times in the past 15 month 2 hurricans and 1 NoEasterner. No other community was hit so much. So what this means
Rabbi?? There is more Miskav Zochor in Monsey that the rest of the frumme communities?
?
these types of speeches to inspire the oilam to teshuva is fine, if it’s something that is being suggested as a possibility for the storm.
Many rabbonim and mashgichim have offered reasons as per their daas torah – in private forums to their talmidim. Some said it was due to incorrect speech, living beyond our gevulim, zenus and gambling (it all started in AC), or to show Mr. Baal Gaava Bloomers that he’s in not in control of health (metzitzah b’peh) – v’horaya, his hospitals (NYU & Bellevue) couldn’t take care of the patients! So, who’s really in control of health?!
But it was all done to ma’aminim, to mevakshei ho’emes. Certainly, as ma’aminim we believe that everything done was Yad Hashem. and, there was a reason each person received what he did – maybe retribution for a previous gilgul, who knows? But how can “ah finsterer goy” or a “chazzer-fresser” like Mr. Bloomers, or any baal-gaavah accept that it was from Above?
So, we need to keep these things as suggestions for hisorerus – and in private.
Actually, tragedies occur due to the Jewish people. HaShem doesn’t intervene with the non-Jews except for theft (which destroys the social order).
Tell me Leiter, why was Jersey punished? They don’t allow it. Once there are two different reasons, neither are valid.
It was SEALED bc of theft, but chazal tell us that immorality and idol worship were the primary reasons for the Flood.
It’s an open pasuk, “כי השחית כל בשר את דרכו על הארץ״. Look in rashi.
We may not know precisely what hashems cheshbonos are, but the Torah certainly gives us a broad understanding, and legalizing sodomy is as bad as it gets.
Our perspectives are so warped that our “leader”, gov cuomo, calls a rabbi “ignorant and offensive”, and we cheer from the sidelines.
What did the Rabbi do? He echoed gods words that male–/male fornication is “hateful and offensive”.
But we see him as the bad guy.
Stop kowtowing to the secular worlds perverted perspective-it affects us more than we can admit.
Maybe this Rabbi knows when Moshiach is coming?
Tell me Rabbi Lieter; my wife will have a boy or a girl? why do i struggle with parnusa? I really have lots of question for u to ask Hashem, what’s ur email address?
ask people that learned by Rav Hutner about his attitude towards people that made comments as to why hashem did or did not do something……let us just say he was not very fond of it
Such deflection by the governor. So someone made a comment? Big deal. Hundreds of thousands of people made comments.
There is no question that the approval of gay marriages is terrible from a moral standpoint. The question is if this was the cause of the hurricane. He can’t know that positively, even though rash I tells us by the mabul that one of the reasons was because people stated writing homosexual marriage contracts.
This is clearly just the governor trying to deflect significant other criticism that he has no answer for either.
Who is this guy?
Today to receive semiecha , all you need to know is very little, and have a big black hat.
The title is cheaper than heering.
how dare he suggests he knows the works of the creator.
How would he like to be one of the homeless, cold , people
1) The fact is that Rabbi Leiter shlita made his remarks on a small Christian radio network far from New York, out in the midwest. What happened then was that certain liberals, wanting to score points by beating up on religious people, publicized it far and wide. So the liberals actually are the ones to blame if you think it should not have been widely publicized.
2) Andrew Cuomo has no standing to lecture us on morality. He lives openly with a woman he is not married to and twisted arms to get the deviant ‘marriage’ law passed. He is trying to score political points by beating up on this rabbi (and by implication traditionally religious people in general). Shame on him. Has he never heard of freedom of religion and freedom of speech?
Cuomo should be removed from office, along with with Bloomberg, and others who worked with them to deviance to New York, which brought about heavenly wrath.
The Rabbi is 100% correct. Benei Noach are Mitzivah on Z’nus, the Mobel was caused by Ki Hishchis Kol Busur Es Darko. Rashi asserts that “wherever you find lewdness, punishment of an indiscriminate character comes upon the world killing good and bad alike.” In other words, when the ethics of sexual boundaries are broken, the floodgates of divine wrath are unleashed upon the world. Hashem gave boundaries to the waters till where they should come, if humans break their boundaries by committing Z’nus, the waters break their boundaries too.
Rashi states that the mabul came even though not all of Earth’s inhabitants were equal sinners. Furthermore, punishment comes when a simple majority deserves it!! The fact that some of the victims were innocent doesn’t at all disprove R’ Leiter’s statement.
Fact is the Rabbi is on target. I wish others had guts like him.
I have read all the first 45 comments and I still haven’t found any answers to my questions:
(a) Why do our modern-day “nevi’im,” who claim to know why Hashem brought the hurricane, pick on gay marriage and not on theft? Chazal identify both as causes of the mabul.
(b) If the reason is promiscuous/homosexual behavior, why isn’t any blame being put on child molesters?After all, they engage in that very same type of behavior! Furthermore, they practice it on defenseless children. Furthermore, they do it in our communities. And it’s not only the molesters themselves; anyone who could have stopped them but failed to do so — and certainly those who cover up for them — are just as guilty.
For the record, I believe that everything happens for a reason. But no one in our generation knows for sure what the reason is. Each individual that was affected by the storm must make his own cheshbon hanefesh on where he can improve. The same goes for each community at the communal level.
How do you know that the hurricane wasn’t punishment for the activities of the pedophile rabbis in Brooklyn?
One thing for sure. If Sandy wasn’t retribution for legalizing to’evah marriage then there definitely will be some in the future.
You can’t say you believe in Hashem and then say that this gross violation of humanity will go unpunished.
Let’s not kid ourselves and believe otherwise.
Regardless, we all have to do our own introspection and change ourselves.
Just like in the times of Tanach, when the neviim gave musar they were attacked by leitzim (scoffers) and reshaim, so too are people attacking Rabbi Leiter shlito today. He should not be silenced by them and should continue to speak the truth. Truth to power, even if it makes some people uncomfortable.
Chazak Rabbi Leiter!
The Ben Ish Chai (in Ben Yehoyada Brachos 59) explains that hurricanes are created by loshon hora. The following is a short synopsis.
The connection between hurricanes and the sanctity of speech can be seen in the pasuk in Amos (4:13) which says “Hashem creates mountains and storms to teach a person what he has spoken.”
The posuk starts with Hashem creating mountains and ends with mentioning the speech of man.
Why?
Hashem created giant mountains whose sole purpose is to diminish the winds of His great storms. Without those mountains, chas v’shalom, when hurricanes strike they would totally destroy all buildings and houses. Instead Hashem first sends the winds to strike the mountains, which diminish their great strength, before “allowing” them to strike places where people live.
But why, asks the Ben Ish Chai, is there a need for such great hurricane winds in the first place?
He answers “Hurricanes are created by the aveira of improper speech, loshon hora.”
The Ben Ish Chai teaches us that after witnessing a great hurricane, every person should learn great musar from it, to guard themselves from the sin of improper speach.
While all the moral geniuses are busy explaining the “obvious” reasons why Hashem causes tragedies, you ought to consider the following words, from sages “even” greater than yourselves:
אל תדין את חבריך עד שתגיע למקומו.
How many among you have struggled with a lifetime of SSA? What’s that? Zero? Surprise, surprise. I’m going to go out on a limb here & make the shocking presumption that HKB”H in His infinite wisdom, is very forgiving, broadminded, knowledgeable and understanding of human nature—EVEN more than you!
So does He kill random innocent people & wreck innocent lives, just to “send a message” about building fancy houses; following one’s own, private, inner urges; wearing too much make-up; not moving to Israel, talking during kaddish; eating unwashed lettuce, etc….?
Who knows–maybe He does! It just doesn’t seem terribly likely, if you think about it. But then, that’s the key word: THINK. And who, really, has the time to think, when they’re all so busy revealing Hashem’s intentions to the rest of us….