Jerusalem – Breslov’s Rav Shalom Arush: Rabbis Should Not Meet With Women Who Seek Their Advice, It Leads To Sinning

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    Rav Shalom ArushJerusalem – In light of recent sex scandals in the Orthodox Jewish community involving Rabbi Ezra Sheinberg of Tzfat and Rabbi Eliezer Berland, Breslov leader Rav Shalom Arush, head of the Chut Shel Chessed Yeshiva in Israel, has announced Sunday that he will no longer meet in person with women seeking advice or blessings, even if their husbands are present. Rather, Ynet reports (http://bit.ly/1RKcSYh), Rabbi Arush told his fellow rabbis, they should respond to women in writing, with just a brief message.

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    In a five minute video, Rabbi Arush said, “How could a rabbi meet with women? He doesn’t get aroused? He doesn’t have desires? Is he so holy that sees a woman the same way he sees a man? The evil inclination of rabbis is even greater than that of regular people. You can’t make the Torah crooked or pervert it. A person cannot rely on himself that he won’t sin, and that’s why he has to put a guard around himself to prevent him from sinning, and put practices into place. And to the women who are turning to rabbis for support, they should know that a rabbi is a tzaddik, but he also has desires.”

    Rav Arush continued, “What? Does he [the rabbi] see these women like he sees geese? Is that what he sees that he doesn’t feel anything? That he doesn’t have desires? That he’s so holy, seeing a woman doesn’t affect him? Why does he have to look at her? Is he in shidduchim that he has to see her? What’s the purpose? There is no good reason for this type of behavior.”

    He explained that the intention of these rabbis is not evil, but eventually morphs into the potential for sin. “Nobody starts off doing evil. It all starts with mitzvot, but the yetzer hara drives you to evil, telling you, ‘it’s a woman who needs you to be mikarev her, to help her,’ but really, eventually, it’s not l’shem shamayim, it’s in the worst way. Just as it is forbidden for a Rebbetzin to meet with men, so is it forbidden for a rav to meet with women. Even men like Rav Chaim Kanievsky and the Baba Sali who were glued to God in a very high level that we cannot understand, did not engage in this practice.”


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    59 Comments
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    8 years ago

    And until now what was he thinking?

    8 years ago

    We must remove all women from our heilige Torah and Yiddishkeit. There should never be any mention of women. Their name should be erased from the Torah and they should never appear outside their homes (unless it is to go shopping and/or to work to support their learning husbands). Only the “modern” and secular Jews, who have divorced themselves from the true Mesorah can believe that women have a place in Torah. Our holy Rebbes, Roshei Yeshiva and Rabbonim all have taught us that women don’t belong.

    8 years ago

    Rather than hiding from his yetzer horah and telling women to stay at home and never darken his doorstep, Arush should act as a model for others in the tzibur who have similar problems and get professional help. Hiding from your demons by simply zeroing out 50 percent of yidden as if they don’t exist is not the model of a leader and certainly not how the gadolim of the alte heim dealt with women. His mindless suggestion that women can communicate with him only through their husbands/boyfriends makes him look worse than the ISIS leaders and Wahabi Shiite mullahs in Saudi Arabia

    Anominous
    Anominous
    8 years ago

    Sounds right. If a Rav gets involved in a prolonged case, where he sees the woman over and over again and gives her emotional support…and feels for her….and falls in love for her…and love can be instant and once confirmed by both…they will just say “let’s terminate this before it gets worse.” So better not to start at all.

    8 years ago

    Some holy rabbies let some women come with the husband and they were directed to stay behind the curtain in a way that he was unable to see her, but sh was able to hear the blessing that the rabbi said to the Husband.

    itzik18
    itzik18
    8 years ago

    This is why Avi Weiss is correct to give smicha to women so women have trained rebbetzins to go to

    sissel613
    sissel613
    8 years ago

    #2 –so right–let’s remove Chava, Sarah, Rivka, Rachel, Leah, Miriam, Yocheved, Devorah Hanevia……I am so surprised at this particular Rav–he seemed different–guess not.

    Instead of setting an example, he has abandoned us. I guess the only thing we’re good for is cooking, cleaning, having kids and supporting those husbands who are sitting and learning. ;(

    8 years ago

    This has nothing to do with zeroing out women. Rather nature takes it course. As such men should see Rabbis and women should see very chasuv Rebitzens. Unless of course you feel they are second class to their counterparts.

    8 years ago

    This guy had absolutely nothing to do with yiddishkeit. He is a baal tshuva. They should cut the baloney about mystics and mekubalim.

    Fathousewife
    Fathousewife
    8 years ago

    This is so incredibly sad.

    grandpajoe
    grandpajoe
    8 years ago

    My mother OBM, and My mother-in-law OBM always came with me to the Skver Rebbe – for shailos or bracha – can a MAN go to a renown Rebitzen for a brucha –
    I was given a bracha for finding a job from both the Skver Rebbe, and the Rebtizen of my shule (She was a widow who was running the shule with the help of her son and ballabatim) – It is a sad commentary that we have reached such an absurd viewpoint.

    Mendel32
    Mendel32
    8 years ago

    Describing a tzaddik as “A Rabbi is a tzaddik but he also has desires” is erroneous.
    He has obviously not studied Tanya. There in the first chapter it clearly explains the level of a tzaddik as being one who has “killed the evil inclination”. One who has normal desires but is truely observant of all the mitzvot, not even wasting a moment of his spare to learn Torah, is called a “Benoni” – a middle level. But NOT a tzaddik.
    In addition to that, we have a rule in kashrut that when an item is expelling (influencing others) it cannot absorb (be influenced). That is the reason the Chabad emissaries have had the blessings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, who met himself with women on many occasions.

    yellowzebra
    yellowzebra
    8 years ago

    a rabbi finally comes and says we have to stop a problem in the klal and everyone is bashing him.

    Micka
    Micka
    8 years ago

    Regarding the actual statement of Rav Arush; He makes a strong point, but each community will and should continue to act as they have received from the previous generations, unless they (the community OR Rav) feel that they need to change the status quo.

    abuezri
    abuezri
    8 years ago

    Any woman who goes to the doctor these days knows that the always a nurse, PA, or technician is in the room too. How hard is it for the rabbis to simply be machmir that they always have someone else in the room whenever they meet with a woman? In fact, it would be good for meeting with men too to avoid any accusations of bribery or other illicit dealings.

    ActualJew
    ActualJew
    8 years ago

    I am guessing 2 has some serious mommy issues or is a prankater. Either way, do us a favor and lock yourself in a cave. You are too holy for us.
    That is sarcasm. Ask your rabbi about it.

    8 years ago

    He is absolutely right.
    He has acknowledged the problem, that of human failings, and that he is not immune himself. He obviously works on himself very hard and is not afraid to reveal to others his weaknesses.
    His books are similar- amazing and full of ways to improve your personal holiness. Rav Lazer Brody publishes an excellent translation of his works into English.

    Meekeamcha
    Meekeamcha
    8 years ago

    We all have bills to pay and when we can’t afford to pay them we feel uncomfortable that’s natural even for some holy people. You need to be on a high madrega to have menuchas hanefesh under financial stress. Why should other natural tendencies be different.

    jakyw
    jakyw
    8 years ago

    Where are couples supposed to go for marital counseling? No woman will sit behind a purdah screen for counseling. Oy where are our strong leaders?

    8 years ago

    Is this all a joke? I’m reading posting after posting that is saying that a man-a Rabbi- can’t control his desires enough to talk to a woman? And these same men say that women shouldn’t be given Semichah? If anything, these postings show that Rabbi Weiss is absolutely, completely correct in what he is doing for women, and really for men also. Maybe the Rabbis of the 1800’s were able to talk to women without feeling the need to touch them and for that reason women Rabbi’s didn’t have to exist. But truly, if Rabbi’s are having such a problem now then women Rabbis are the answer.
    This is ridiculous.

    mutti
    mutti
    8 years ago

    rabbis and woman alone are a big mess. aside from whatever feelings the rabbi might be having for the woman, he starts to interfere in her personal matters and makes things worse. there is no reason a rabbi should be alone with a woman talking about her private matters.

    Yaakov2
    Yaakov2
    8 years ago

    In the Gemara there is a Klal that “one can speak for himself”.

    Beloshon Hagemoro: “Neeman Hu Lifsol Es Atzmo”.

    If Arush testifies that he is incapable to control HIS Yetzer Hara, we can believe him, but he can’t speak for everyone else.

    If he has such a problem he obviously needs help.

    Everyone understands that Berland was not a “Rasha” but a “mental case” in need of a “Refuahs Hanefesh” as we say in a Misheberach.

    If a Arush, identifies with the same types of feelings like Berland, he needs the same help.

    hashomer
    hashomer
    8 years ago

    According to this article the Taliban have already won.

    Normal
    Normal
    8 years ago

    #2 is being sarcastic.

    bezh2626
    bezh2626
    8 years ago

    To all: I’m not going to read all comments, without talking on anyone, since it’s the 9 day, and we should promote more love,
    I’ll just say this, rav arush, is 100+ percent right, and he himself is a holy jew, and btw if u can read good he made this rule for himself and said that others shouldn’t see women, because חז”ל say already אין אפטרופס לעריות…וחז”ל אומרים אין צדיק בארץ אשר לא יחטא…. וכל הגדול מחבירו יצרו גדול ממנו…so it’s very real simple….. end of story….

    Micka
    Micka
    8 years ago

    To #35
    Sadly a woman speaking to a group of men is a gross stretch of Halacha by the Modern Orthodox community.
    It is counter to the idea of Tzenius, and “Bas Melech Penima”. That a women should even WANT to speak before men is a sign of a modernized a secular view of a women. That women and her enablers have lost all semblance of what a Jewish women is all about.
    We hope that we are stronger then that and the our walls of holiness that have stood strong for millennia will endure.

    lazerx
    lazerx
    8 years ago

    It is forbidden for a man to seclude himself in a room with a woman other than his wife or his daughter. So many men have been burned by over looking this halacha and so many women have be taken advantage of by overlooking this halacha.

    No matter how righteous the man, if he does not have another person present when speaking to a women, he transgresses what is known as Yichud, being alone with a unrelated women.

    All people, and that includes non religious should be careful in this manner since there is much protection by having either an open door or a third party in the room.

    Fathousewife
    Fathousewife
    8 years ago

    back in the day, people who had improper thoughts[ such as lusting after a woman to whom he is not married] were uncomfortable about it] I find it scary that this man comes right out and says this. This speaks volumes. Further, this leaves a woman with very little recourse to get help on various issues she may be dealing with such as perhaps the man in her life! Can a school have a male vaad hachinuch? I may be in lala land but im hoping that a normal emotionally healthy red blooded male is equipped with self control, allowing him to …..

    zelig
    zelig
    8 years ago

    Glad that he ‘fessed up. Waiting t hear from all the other charlatans.
    Will the real Torah true rabbis (are there any) please stand up?
    To 14: Pity that the word Tzadik has been taken out of the context of the Tanya and missused umpteen times a day. There is also Harav hagaon hatzadik etc. Ad nauseum