Los Angeles, CA – Rabbi Steven Weil told his congregation in a fiery speech from the pulpit last Shabbat, regarding someone who acts very religious but may be involved in stealing, lying or cheating.
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The rabbi of Beth Jacob, an Orthodox congregation in Beverly Hills, was reacting to the Spinka case, in which eight ultra-Orthodox men were indicted for tax fraud and money laundering.
A member of Beth Jacob is alleged to have been involved in the scheme, and served as a subject of the three-part speech. Robert Kasirer, the state’s confidential witness, has donated funds to the synagogue, including a kollel named for his father, Jacob Kasirer, and machzors (high holiday prayer books) embossed with the family name.
Shul President Steve Tabak then announced that “at the request of Robert Kasirer and with the agreement of Beth Jacob,” Kasirer will remove his family’s name from Kollel (the adult learning center and its program), the Torahs and from the prayer books.
Weil concluded by saying no one should point fingers at other religious Jews. He did not talk about the issue of moser (being a Jewish informant on other Jews). [jewishjournal]
The last comment was totally unfair and ignorant. The Kollel is in the name of Jacob Kasirer, A”H, [not Robert]who was a real Tzaddik and Chasiva Yid.
steve weil is a ultra left wing moderate who loves to stand and gloat about anything anti yeshivish ,chasidish,or charedi,he stands at his pulpit with his 500 buck rodeo drive haircut and just loves spew anti charedi venom ,so this spinka miesa just got him going,by the way i do agree with taking off that yellow moisers name from the kollel
I KNOW RABBI WEIL FROM HIS DETROIT DAYS HE IS A VERY GOOD UPSTANDING PERSON. I WOULD BE WILLING TO BET THE PERSON QUESTIONING THE RABBI’S TAX RETURNS THAT THEY ARE SQUEAKY CLEAN!
According to some quotes attributed to Rabbi Steven Weil, RK, (the informant) is a knight in shining armor, who did what he did out of idealism and for the sake of law and order. But this formula does not add up.
this should be a role model for all the other yeshivas and shuls that have the names of ganavim plastered all over them
the mishne halachos paskens that if a guy was convicted for some scam or fraud he is still considered righteous and no shul should think twice before hiring him as their rabbi
To Zev,
Go learn your Rambam again, because the Rambam does not say that Dan Lekaf zechus is only for tzadikim. According to Rambam, for a tzadik you have to do further than standard dan likaf zechus and search for any distant remote rationalization for the tzadik, but for a beinoni, you should still be dan likaf zechus.
If only ALL the Rabbis in America stand up and have guts like this.
If you think that Steve Weil did this out of idealism or out of respect for Torah, then you don’t know Steve Weil.
Anonymus:
Yes. According to the Rambam, Dan lekaf zechus is only for a tzadik. Dan lekaf chov for a rasha and lecaf bainoni for a bainoni.
Hava don cal adom lacaf zachus!!!
Is that only for frum people???
or maybe it was goyishe to be in a money laundering scheme? or is that jewish? this is all so confusing.
A name is only what you make of it.
This rabbi disgraced his name by using the episod of the spinka to make his point rather than the everyday practices of his congragation. they ony use the frum people as bad examples to make themselves feel better. now thats goyish!!!!!
Finally a Rabbi standing for the truth. Who cares what his name is.
Yishmael is also a goyishe name, as in Rabbi Yishmael from the Gemora. What a dopey comment #1 .
I would love to study Rabbi Steven Weil’s tax returns and mortgage papers.
Hey making the stupid first comment…. Anonymous is also a goyish name! Glad to see a Rov with some guts.
great job Rabbi kol hakovid
To 10:37, It looks like 10am was referring to his first name, Steven.
I see another illiterate moron added a blog comment. Weil happens to be a Yiddish name. And your comment doesn’t excuse the actions of anybody in this whole chillul hashem fiasco. Not the perps, not the informer.
How nice, a Robbi with a goiyishe name. Yeh, Azoiy vee es goiyished zich azoiy yiddished zich es.