Jerusalem – Leading Charedi Rabbi: Forbidding Rental Of Homes To Arabs A Disgrace

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    Jerusalem – Although the authors of the rabbinical edict forbidding the sale or rental of homes to non-Jews managed to collect the signatures of 39 leading rabbis around the country, they failed to enlist a leading Haredi rabbi, chair of the Degel Hatorah Council of Sages, Aaron Leib Steinman.

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    Steinman refused an audience with Safed Chief Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu this week, when the latter arrived to pray at the former’s courtyard in an attempt to convince the Bnei Brak spiritual leader to sign the letter instructing Jews not to rent or sell property to Arabs or any other non-Jews.

    A source that was present at the scene said, “As soon as Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu introduced himself, Rabbi Steinman, who knew why he was being approached, said ‘I won’t sign,’ and immediately left the room.” Steinman, who is 96 years old, then discussed the right-wing initiative with members of his inner circle.

    One of Steinman’s confidants related the rabbi’s words to Haaretz: “They are making a fierce nationalistic statement. We will not irritate others, that is not the Haredi way. There are things that should not be done; what if there would be a similar call in Berlin against renting properties to Jews? Where is the public conscience? What will this do to Jews around the world? We must act responsibly.”

    Some Zionist rabbis also refused to sign the edict. Ramat Gan Chief Rabbi and revered Zionist Torah adjudicator Yaakov Ariel said, “The former Chief Rabbi of Israel, Yitzhak HaLevi Herzog, already adjudicated that, despite the Biblical prohibition ‘Thou shalt not give them respite,’ in a democratic state you cannot discriminate between citizens. What’s more, it will cause discrimination against Jews in other countries.”

    Maale Gilboa Yeshiva head Rabbi Yehuda Gilad said in response to the rabbis’ letter on Tuesday, “This ruling is a serious distortion of the Torah, and contradicts basic human morality.”

    Gilad continued, “We can only imagine what would be [Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu’s] reaction if he would hear of a case outside of Israel where the authorities forbade the rental of homes to Jews.”


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    33 Comments
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    DRE53
    DRE53
    13 years ago

    this is the same rabbi who encouraged chareidim to serve in the military against the rulling of all other gedolim.
    this isn’t the first time he’s on the other side

    Buchwalter
    Buchwalter
    13 years ago

    As a survivor of concen tration camp and a child whose father davened in the Belzer Klaus and as a child who knew Reb Avruminu in Vienna I say yashar koach and with all my derach eretz to wise words

    charliehall
    charliehall
    13 years ago

    What would the rabbis who ban renting to non-Jews propose to do about the Druze who have become homeless as the result of the recent fire?

    Kudos to Rav Steinman, Rav Ariel, and Rav Gilad!

    Berel13
    Berel13
    13 years ago

    #1 I see – he is only a gadol when he rules the way you want.

    13 years ago

    Is it any differece then renting to artists (artistn) in Williansburg?

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    13 years ago

    Steinman is a respected rav in some circles so hopefully his views will be given some consideration. Apparently, he is not highly regarded among the chareidim since he wasn’t willing to endorse their most recent outrageous behavior.

    chashuv
    chashuv
    13 years ago

    I dont believe he encouraged anyone to serve. He said that D’dropouts” can serve, if they are doing nothing else.

    Butterfly
    Butterfly
    13 years ago

    To #6 If you own an apartment building and you rent it out to people who cannot pay their rent, how you pay your building expenses? Oil, taxes, water, gas, repair, employees, –You have to expect your tenants to pay their rent. Their is no such thing as FREE LUNCH!!

    hollo
    hollo
    13 years ago

    rav steinman is a tzadik. all boared people that have no one better to pick on then the “gadol hador” rav steinman shlit”a, pls become amployed and find yourselfes a job ASAP

    Sherree
    Sherree
    13 years ago

    He is a true gadol, you have to know this man! If you choose not to rent to an Arab then don’t. If your Rav tells you not to then follow your RAV. But to make a public proclamation is idiotic.

    13 years ago

    How long will the golus last????!!!!

    Askupeh
    Askupeh
    13 years ago

    Wise words from a wise man.

    This is one of the problems today, which I can’t get through even to my children. Their perception of the world is limited (for better or for worse). I guess we did a too good job of sheltering them from a lowlife world. It is us the children of holocaust survivors (and survivors themselves of course like Kzler of #2 ) who it seems are the only ones who see the world Be’aspeklarye Hame’ira. I usually stick up for Rabbonim and have the greatest respect for them and that’s why I held myself back from commenting until now. But now that finally a Godol came out with the truth, it’s time to speak up. It is totally irresponsible to come out with an edict of this nature. What we are doing is digging our own graves. We are our worst enemy. Our Torah is Derocheyo Darkei No’am, Vechol Nesivoseyo Sholom.

    Emes-
    Emes-
    13 years ago

    To #1
    You are making a big mistake! Rav Steinman Shlita only endorsed Nachal Charadie for boys who didn’t fit in the main stream Yeshiva system. There’s a big difference between lechatchila going to the army and creating a system for boys who don’t fit in!

    Erlich
    Erlich
    13 years ago

    It is strictly forbidden to sell a home in Eretz Yisrael to goyim based on the Issur of Lo Seichoneim. In Oct. there was a gathering of Yidden in the Agudah of Madison in Flatbush where the Rabbonim said the same, and various other Issurim about relations with goyim. The local Jewish journal reported on this.

    Jimmy37
    Jimmy37
    13 years ago

    “… what if there would be a similar call in Berlin against renting properties to Jews? … What will this do to Jews around the world?”

    While I certainly understand his concern, Arabs don’t care what the world thinks because the left-wing media will not question them.

    enlightened-yid
    enlightened-yid
    13 years ago

    It is somewhat reassuring that there is some voice of reason with in the Charedi/ “Torah Jews” world, but it is not enough. We can not ignore the fact that 39 “respected” “chief” “gadolim” “leading” rabbis have signed such a disturbing letter to forbid renting lands to non-Jews. It is shameful and most of all frightening that Sharia mentality is well and alive in the minds of influential rabbis who have control over hundreds of thousands of followers. The Talmud can easily be exploited and turned into Mein Kampf or the Koran where racism and ethnic cleansing can all be justified against groups of people. If this is the future of the Torah world’s version of Judaism, then Israel and Jews around the world will have severe ramifications. We can not cry about Arabs hating us, Neo-Nazis attacking us and Anti-Semites not liking us when we stoop to their level using our own HOLY texts to justify blanket hate and discrimination of others under the veil of holy green light to do so. Today these rabbis only prohibit renting property to “goyim” but tomorrow they will interpret some quote from a Gemora to justify murder of non Jews. They are playing with matches in the forest.

    enlightened-yid
    enlightened-yid
    13 years ago

    You’re telling me municipal chief rabbis are not important, don’t have influence and are not respect by their followers? This is the list of some rabbis according to JewishJournal who signed the letter to ban renting to goyim. “Chief rabbis of Ramat Hasharon, Ashdod, Kiryat Gat, Rishon Letzion, Carmiel, Gadera, Afula, Nahariya, Herzliya, Nahariya and Pardes Hannah. Top national-religious Rabbi Shlomo Aviner signed the letter, as did Rabbi Yaakov Yosef, son of the Shas Party spiritual leader Rabbi Ovadia Yosef. Top haredi leader Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv also signed.” Ovadia’s Yosef son and Rav Shalom Elyashiv alone have massive influence and are not some low level rabbis. Charedi leaders from Bnei Brak passed a similar ban on renting to goyim just several months ago. I wouldn’t minimize this ugly trend unfolding everywhere.

    DACON9
    DACON9
    13 years ago

    STRANGE….arabs would get killed if they sell or rent to JEWS,,,, SO?
    WHY is any rabbi in an uproar forbidding renting to arabs?
    WHY RENT TO ARABS WHEN JEWS NEED TO SLEEP ALSO?

    berelw
    berelw
    13 years ago

    i was so embarrassed by this racist dumb ban…yasher koach to rabbi steinman for doing the right thing….this ban is a disgrace to torah and yiddishkeit. its a ban by some primitive rabbonim.

    Berl
    Berl
    13 years ago

    The Litvishe need to get their act straight Rav Steinman says you can rent to Arabs yet Rav Chaim Kanievsky forbids us to employ Arabs, very confusing

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    13 years ago

    Is it any differece then renting to artists (artistn) in Williansburg?

    TzViBenRoshel
    TzViBenRoshel
    13 years ago

    Wasn’t this the same Rabbi who said the same thing a few years ago? (But it was for renting to Arabs being in Bnai Brak). You don’t want Arabs, neither does the rest of the country (nor G-D for that matter).