Ashkelon, Israel – Rabbi Elyashiv to Litzman: Don’t Budge Barzilai Bones Since Its Not for Saving Lives

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    FileAshkelon, Israel – Plans to build a rocket- and missile-proof new emergency room at Ashkelon’s Barzilai Medical Center were dealt a blow on Thursday when Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv, the top rabbinic authority for the Lithuanian haredi community, told Deputy Health Minister Ya’acov Litzman not to be complicit in moving graves to make room for the structure.

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    Elyashiv told Litzman during a meeting at the former’s Mea She’arim home not to enable the NIS 90-million construction since it did not constitute saving lives.

    According to associates of Elyashiv, he had ruled that “not only would allowing the construction cause severe damage from the point of view of Jewish law, but it would also change the image of Israel into a grave-moving country.”

    Litzman, of United Torah Judaism, insists that bones found on the site long planned for the new emergency room – determined by archeological experts to be of Christians from the Byzantine period – are “Jewish bones” that “can’t be moved” according to Halacha.

    Instead, Litzman wants the emergency room to be built on a more distant parking lot, which will cost NIS 100 million more and take 18 months longer to plan and put up.

    An Israel Antiquities Authority study in 2008 of ancient remains found on the plot shows the bones are those of “Christians or pagans, (as was reported yesterday here on VIN News).


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    38 Comments
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    kim
    kim
    14 years ago

    Reb elyashiv is right, the hundred mil shekel difference is a lot of money but us not saving lives by cutting costs.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    I have a hard time seeing how halacha puts some Christian and pagan bones above the lives of Jewish emergency room patients.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    This is total madness. The experts say the bones are not yidden but christians yet Litzman and Elyashiv insist to the contrary and would waster NIS 100 million and nearly two years to accomodate a purely political agenda of the chareidim. If there is c/v another wave of terrorist missle attacks and the emergency facilities are inadequate, they will be held responsible for thier irresponsible decision.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    The article says the top arechologists in EY at the Antiquities Authority ruled that these are Christian bones and does not provide the basis for the contrary conclusion by r litzman or r elyashiv that these are jewish bones warranting protection. Also note that the above article reprinted by VIN does NOT use titles such as rav or rabbi for most of its references to either Litzman or Elyishavi so no disrepect was meant by using their last names only. The key point here is that the real experts have ruled these bones are not jewish remains and the rabboninm come along and dispute that conlusion with no evidence. We don’ have NIS 100 million to waste on their speculation, putting aside the risk to the public saftey.

    KIm
    KIm
    14 years ago

    Be carefule with the coals of talmidei cachomim so you shall not be burnt… -Gemara

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    to number 3. just a warning u better ask mechilla from those gedolim (rabbi lizman and rabbi elayashev shlita) before its too late just warning you those who start wioth gedolim have a bitter end.

    Kim
    Kim
    14 years ago

    Obviously this is waht the Torah wants, what’s more to disscuss??

    Expert in Halacha or In Archeology
    Expert in Halacha or In Archeology
    14 years ago

    If I want to know if my chicken pupik is kosher or treif, I know who I will ask.

    But if I want to find out if graves or Jewish or not, I’m going to the expert. And the Rabbonim, may they live to arichas yamim plus a few extra, are not the experts.

    Who remembers just a few years ago they found graves in Yerushalayim with crosses and other Xtian symbols and the Rabbis poskened they were Jewish.

    One of the archeologists went to the Rabbonim privately and asked them why they said they were Jewish when there were Xtian symbols all around.

    The Rabbis answered, It’s because of the Biryonim. They were afraid to say the graves were not Jewish.

    An emergency room saves Jewish lives. I don’t understand their psak.

    to 3
    to 3
    14 years ago

    you make me sick please don’t post here again .

    Don't understand
    Don't understand
    14 years ago

    Why doesn’t missile proofing an emergency room constitute protecting lives, or is that any different than saving lives?

    And don’t jump all over my query, Biryonim commentators, I’m only asking a question, all I’m looking for is a clarification.

    yossi
    yossi
    14 years ago

    archeologists “suddenly” had a change of heart. untill recently they said they were jewish.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    Rav Eliyashiv shlita, if he knew the REAL situation would posken the opposite. Unfortunately because of liars and cheats and people with agendas around the gedolim, they very often aren’t given the REAL information to make a REAL decision. Rav Eliyashev most likely hasn’t heard that the archeologists know for a fact they are goyim because the people around him have most likely distorted the truth! We aren’t getting psaks from the gedolim, we’re getting psaks from the secretaries and Gabbis! Partially because they have successfully locked the Gedolim up in ivory towers with sifrei kodesh and kept them out of our world, while holding the keys and manipulating US and the gedolim, unlike the previous generation of Gedolim.

    In computer programming they know, there is nothing wrong with the program, but “Garbage in, Garbage out,” anyone who’s gone to the gedolim in recent years knows this is true.

    Banned
    Banned
    14 years ago

    Do these same “top arechologists” also claim that the world is billions of years old? Sorry, but they kind of lack credability.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    Don’t these “experts” have no problem all the years to move bones even when there is certainty that the graves are jewish? so who can even trust them?

    Teaneck Jew
    Teaneck Jew
    14 years ago

    The many comments about “Daas Torah” are really offt he mark. Rav Elyashiv is an old man, very wise and sophisticated but much under the influence of Haredi publicists who use him for political and economic purposes. This issue of building the emergency room on the spot is a halachic issue and not a matter of of charismatic aythority orr Ruach Hakodesh. Different poskim can come to different conclusions. Eilu Velihu are concepts in Judaism and even Rav Elyshiv does not have the final word. The is a practical issue to be decided on facts and not from the rejectionist world of Haredi jJudaism who do not value the Jewish medinah.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    Why dont they do DNA on the bones and get real facts to give the Poskim?

    Pikuach Nefesh
    Pikuach Nefesh
    14 years ago

    With the return on Kassam rockets to the south, the residents of Ashkelon need the best and most efficient hospital built as quickly as possible. Figure out leaders, MK, rabbinical poskim – how to accomplish this goal? Living people and keeping them alive is our most important goal in toras hashem.

    aureviourshoshannah
    aureviourshoshannah
    14 years ago

    Great to see sinas chinum is alive and well, don’t expect the third beis hamikdosh any time soon, the way people have reponded to number 3 is disgusting – take the shame people. Good shabbes to all.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    How can there be so many kano’im commenting on VIN? Didn’t Rav Elyoshiv shlita asser the internet?

    baal tzdaka
    baal tzdaka
    14 years ago

    look how Kupat Hair uses his name for whatever they want.is it bizoyon hatora to say they are full of it?

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    I don’t even think Elyashiv and Litzman know what archeology is let alone have the ability to review the evidence and date ancient bones. They are good at interpreting chalaha because that is the only subject they learned in their lives. If the experts in their fields tell you that these bones are not Jewish, you better listen to them and save the economy 100 million that can be used for poor yidden with 12 kids and no jobs. Delaying construction of a rocket proof ER building for some ancient graves is tantamount to criminal negligence in the name of Charedi authoritative politics against the government. Will Litzman take responsibility if tomorrow Hamas starts rocketing the hospital and it is not fortified properly because of his delays? Of course not, he will say Hashem is in charge of everything not people.