Israel – Exclusive Video Interview: Rabbi Vs. Yolish Krauss The Operation Chief Of The Jerusalem Hafganot

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    Yolish Krauss in an exclusive Interview with VIN News conducted by Rabbi Yair HoffmanIsrael – This week, New York Rabbi Yair Hoffman from VIN News sat down with Yoilish Krauss in an exclusive interview in his self-described “operations bunker” in the heart of Meah Shearim.

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    Krauss is described as the “Operations Chief” for the Eida Chareidis. In an interview with the Jerusalem Post recently, Mr. Krauss identified himself as one of the coordinators of the violence in the Hafganot activities. It should be noted that the Eida Chareidis has consistently come out against violence and other activities that are harmful to the Chareidi population. In an interview with Rav Yair Hoffman last week, Eida Chareidis Vice President and Av Bais Din of the Eida Chareids Bais Din, Rav Moshe Sternbuch stated categorically that Yoilish Krauss has no connection whatsoever with the Eida Chareidis.


    The interview was conducted in Hebrew, you can watch the Interview below by clicking on the player



    English transcript below is edited for length and content.

    RABBI YAIR HOFFMAN: What are these items? [pointing to items on a shelf].

    YOILISH KRAUSS: They are bullets, tear gas and flash grenades that the police have thrown at us and have denied it. Some have not exploded.

    RABBI HOFFMAN: They are live then?

    YOILISH: Yes.

    RABBI HOFFMAN: You don’t speak English, correct?

    YOILISH: Not one word.

    RABBI HOFFMAN: First are you a Rabbi? Or Mister?

    YOILISH: A simple Jew. I fight with no one (play on words).

    RABBI HOFFMAN: Where did you learn?

    YOILISH: I learned in Toldot Aharon until 16 – I didn’t have such a desire to learn, I subsequently learned with a partner after that, and then I got involved with the cemetery plots with Atra Kadisha.

    RABBI HOFFMAN: Do you work for the Eida Chareidis officially?

    YOILISH: No nothing is official. There is no such thing.

    RABBI HOFFMAN: It says in the paper today [New York Times] that you work for them officially.

    YOILISH: No, the paper wrote that themselves. The Eida Chareidis gave them my number but it is not official. I receive no salary.

    RABBI HOFFMAN: Is there someone there that instructs you?

    YOILISH: Yes, of course.

    RABBI HOFFMAN: Is there someone in the EC that calls you and says Reb Yoel we want you to do such and such?

    YOILISH: It depends.. To do things? Yes, they call me to organize things. Each thing has different people.

    RABBI HOFFMAN: How about burning the garbage bins?

    YOILISH: That each person does himself.

    RABBI HOFFMAN: You don’t tell him to do it?

    YOILISH: No. I don’t think that that is what is effective. People don’t know what to do, so they burn garbage bins. All over the world they do this.

    RABBI HOFFMAN: But from a halachic perspective is it permitted to do it? To burn a garbage bin. This is damaging!

    YOILISH: Damaging who?

    RABBI HOFFMAN: There is a halacha that a damager who has not yet paid for the damages – it is forbidden for him to be a witness at a Jewish wedding. This is a halacha in the Choshain Mishpat section of Shulchan Aruch – the code of Jewish Law. This is obvious and clear.

    YOILISH: The question is to whom he damaged..

    RABBI HOFFMAN: It is not an ownerless item!

    YOILISH: Yes it is. I claim it should not be done because of the damage to the neighbors suffer from it

    RABBI HOFFMAN: That is true too..

    YOILISH: but not on account of your reason. They are a bunch of thieves and your reason is not a problem. It is only a problem of disturbing the neighbors.

    RABBI HOFFMAN: It belongs to someone does it not?

    YOILISH: It is certainly ownerless! I don’t do this. I will remove a garbage bin to block the flow of traffic, but I will not burn it.

    RABBI HOFFMAN: Breaking glass or damaging a car. We see this happening in these hafganot. This is certainly damage. It belongs to a private person and they are damaging.

    YOILISH: I have not heard that anyone is doing that.

    RABBI HOFFMAN: You have not heard or seen this?

    YOILISH: Once I heard that it happened two weeks ago by accident and he went to pay him 900 shekels. It was by accident.

    RABBI HOFFMAN: By accident?

    YOILISH KRAUSS: He threw it at the police and it landed on a private car. In general, I say that you don’t have to throw rocks. This is not the power. Our power is. It happened four weeks ago regarding the mother in Kikar Shabbat. It was that eventful Thursday. There were a few thousand people. The message that was then – that we are more powerful than the police. How? We can absorb blows and strikes. And they just hit. A few thousand came. We stood on the street at 11:00 PM at night. Who does it bother? A few cars.

    The police came with water. No one moved. They damaged us in our hats. 800 hats! Each one is 180 to 200 dollars. This is not damage? They came with bicycles. No one moved. Then they escalated. The rocks that they threw happened only after the police beat us. About this no one talks about! They all talk about the broken traffic lights and the burned garbage bins. No one is concerned that a few thousand people went out to protest properly.

    RABBI HOFFMAN: True. That is because the media is only concerned with the burned garbage bins and other such things..

    YOILISH: It is all the papers. They hate us because we are Chareidim. Many Chareidim also hate us.

    RABBI HOFFMAN: Why? Because they see the violence. The whole world sees it – Religious people are just like other protestors. There is no distinction any more!

    YOILISH: It is not exactly that way.. Why does a Jew care about the media? It does not concern me at all. I don’t look at their perspective at all.

    RABBI HOFFMAN: Let me explain. What if someone works in outreach and wants to bring others to discover their heritage. They want them to experience the beauties of the Sabbath. The unaffiliated Jew now sees these religious Jews screaming at police, calling them Nazis. He thinks,”This is religion? I don’t need this.”

    YOILISH: It is the opposite. If he comes to a house for Shabbos and he sees it is not the case. It is the opposite. He doesn’t believe it and he comes to be religious. He realizes more quickly that it’s all false.

    RABBI HOFFMAN: Most don’t come and see it. They only see the name-calling, the rock throwing. They see them behave crazy, like animals. So good, you said they paid for the damage. But it is all in the media. Is this not an enormous Chilul Hashem? No?

    YOILISH: There is an error here. Chilul Hashem is an invention that they made up in recent years.

    RABBI HOFFMAN: “Lo sechalalu es shaim kodshi” – a verse in the Torah itself!

    YOILISH: No! This is a halacha. But what is the intent? That a Chiloni will think it is a chilul Hashem? We do not account for him at all!

    RABBI HOFFMAN: I think you are in error. I will cite a few passages from the Talmud that demonstrate this. Shimon Ben Shetach. Who was he? He created an enormous sanctification. He returned a donkey he had purchased that had a jewel in it.. Rava too had a debt to pay. He said, If I do not pay on time it is a chilul Hashem..

    YOILISH: You are only citing proofs regarding gentiles and regarding religious Jews, but not Chilonim..

    RABBI HOFFMAN: There is a Chazon Ish that equates all Jews as one no matter if they are irreligious.. Do you agree with this Chazon Ish?

    YOILISH: Not on Shabbos.

    RABBI HOFFMAN: If there is a doubt then we are stringent like the Chazon Ish!

    YOILISH: No one accepted the Chazon Ish!

    RABBI HOFFMAN: They all did.

    YOILISH: There is no chiloni that can say that he has not heard of Shabbos..

    YOILISH:..The essential argument is in regard to Chilul Hashem.. I say there is no chilul Hashem.. If I walk in payos in a place that they do not have them you would label this a chilul Hashem.

    RABBI HOFFMAN: Not true, there you are doing nothing wrong.

    YOILISH: What was that which they used to say in Chutz LaAretz? I will be a Jew in the home and a gentile in the street.

    YOILISH: I care not at all about what the Chiloni says. I don’t count him from a meter. It is not me. It is written in the Torah.

    RABBI HOFFMAN: Oh yeah? Where does it say this in the Torah? That there is a distinction between a Chiloni and a goy?

    YOILISH: It is in the laws of Shabbos..

    RABBI HOFFMAN: No you are in error. Regarding Aivah it is only for derabbanan laws. You are creating incorrect distinctions.

    RABBI HOFFMAN: I do not believe for a second that you would run away from saving another Jew and not be concerned that perhaps the Chazon Ish is correct..

    RABBI HOFFMAN: I see how you are responding to me that you are not so certain in your opinions..

    YOILISH: Why are you saving him because that is the halacha or because you have compassion?

    RABBI HOFFMAN: No. Let me explain. In the laws of Agunah, Rav Yitzchok Elchonon Spector rules that when you rule in these laws it is forbidden to rule in them without compassion. I do not think that there is a distinction between a chiloni and a gentile regarding chilul Hashem. Is this written anywhere?

    YOILISH: Clearly.

    RABBI HOFFMAN: Where? Which book? We have just shown you that Chilul Hashem exists for goyim and Jews. You have come up with a new revelation that Chilul Hashem does not exist for Chilonim. Where does it say this?

    RABBI HOFFMAN: You must bring a proof..

    YOILISH: The Chsam Sofer permits wine of a Chiloni Jew. He is therefore different than a gentile.

    RABBI HOFFMAN: Yes, but that responsa is a proof against your point. The Chsam Sofer rules that he is like a Jew!

    YOILISH: But this is the only thing he is lenient on. Otherwise the Chiloni is worse off.

    RABBI HOFFMAN: This is incorrect. You are misreading the Chsam Sofer. Is there any source for your distinction? I have searched numerous books. I have never found such a thing.

    YOILISH: I don’t remember where it is.. You say there is no such thing?

    RABBI HOFFMAN: Yes. No such thing. But let’s be in touch. If I show you that there is no such thing, will you change the manner in which you perform things?

    YOILISH: I have nothing to change. Perhaps it is possible that you are right. But let me ask you, who are the evil doers that King David referred to in the verse “And those who hate you I shall hate..”

    RABBI HOFFMAN: Chilul Hashem is when you do something wrong in the eyes of G-d and the world.. When we steal or damage or name call. This is who To call a Jew a Nazi, is a horrific thing. Calling a friend a bad name one ends up in Gehenam..

    YOILISH: He is not a friend..

    RABBI HOFFMAN: Believe me, anytime there is violence it is seen in the media. You are a family man. You have children?

    YOILISH: Yes.

    RABBI HOFFMAN: Do you want your children to see you calling others a Nazi? There are people that spit into people’s faces. A female journalist was spat upon. Do you want your children to see such spitting? The ways of the Torah are gentle ways..

    YOILISH: But why is “Darchei Noam” only one way? Why does it not bother you that female officers come hold and strike an avreich.? She goes to another one and beats him! Now, we asked the police not to bring female police officers. This is much worse. Now, how come you don’t see this side? This is horrible. Even according to their laws this is illegal! But here no one talks. Spitting on a person – everyone talks.

    RABBI HOFFMAN: Just because they do something wrong does not give us an excuse to do something wrong!

    YOILISH: I am obligated to do this.

    RABBI HOFFMAN: You are obligated??

    YOILISH: If she touches Avrechim, if she touches men, of course we have to.

    RABBI HOFFMAN: Wait, this was a journalist. And they spat in her face! It was a torrential rain!

    YOILISH: Where was this on Bar Ilan?

    RABBI HOFFMAN: Yes.

    YOILISH: They have already asked me this question, this story. How was she dressed?

    RABBI HOFFMAN: Even so!

    YOILISH: No, let me explain. What do you mean, “Even so?” She –

    RABBI HOFFMAN: Wait, was she not created in the image of G-d? When there is a dead body why is it forbidden to let the body remain unburied? True? Why is it forbidden?

    YOILISH: That is true.

    RABBI HOFFMAN: Why is it so? Because it is the image of G-d. It makes no difference whether they are religious or irreligious. Why? Because he or she has the image of G-d. Now we are going and we are spitting on her face?? She is the living image of G-d. This is the image of G-d? We are obligated to do this??

    YOILISH: If she is the daughter of a king, she must conduct herself in the manner of daughters of kings. To sit at home. To walk with modesty. But if she goes out immodestly like a tramp, what are we to do? We have no choice.

    RABBI HOFFMAN: We tell her, “My daughter, this is not how we are to dress.. Come to me for the Sabbath.. Dress like this on the Sabbath. I would love to show you the Sabbath.. “ And in this manner we influence her. But we do not spit on her face!

    YOILISH: If she went onto the [Arab controlled] Har HaBayit – she would not have dressed in this manner. I promise you.

    RABBI HOFFMAN: Okay. You are correct and this is a problem.

    YOILISH: If she arrived there like this – woe is to her! There is no one there claiming that this is a chilul Hashem.

    RABBI HOFFMAN: You are correct. But nonetheless, we do not spit on her face.

    YOILISH: Certainly we must!

    RABBI HOFFMAN: Heaven forbid!

    YOILISH: No – this I do not agree with you!

    RABBI HOFFMAN: Image of G-d!!

    YOILISH: There is no such thing. There is no longer an image of G-d! If she walks like an animal there is no image of G-d!

    RABBI HOFFMAN: And if she were a deceased body, she would again revert to the image of G-d? So if she walks in pants she loses her image of G-d, but once she dies she gains it back?

    YOILISH: Certainly! If he does not respect himself, we do not have to respect him!

    RABBI HOFFMAN: Do you want your children to see that you are spitting on the face of someone that does not dress properly?

    YOILISH: No. No. This not.

    RABBI HOFFMAN: So if you don’t wish that your children should see this-

    YOILISH: What should I do? What should I do in such circumstances?

    RABBI HOFFMAN: Yes..

    YOILISH: I run home and I grab –

    RABBI HOFFMAN: But you must tell them.. You organize all these things. You must tell them that it is forbidden to spit on the face of a human being..

    YOILISH: These are small problems.. Why do they dare to come here? It is because of the Chareidi newspapers that constantly belittle us that they dare to come here.. This is the problem..

    RABBI HOFFMAN: There is a way to convince people..

    YOILISH: There is no way.

    RABBI HOFFMAN: Do you know of an individual that is called Meir Schuster? He once asked the greatest sage of the generation a question. What was his question? When his father died, he asked how many days must he sit Shiva. 7 days or 3 days. What kind of question is this? Can you explain it to me?

    YOILISH: No..

    RABBI HOFFMAN: Why? He is a Rabbi a Torah scholar.. How could he have asked such a question?

    YOILISH: Was his father irreligious?

    RABBI HOFFMAN: No. He was religious. Why did he ask it? It is a good question. He asked Rav ELyashiv, “Must I sit Shiva for three days Shiva or seven days?” Why did he ask this?

    RABBI HOFFMAN: I will answer you. He asked this because each day that he is at the Wailing Wall, he brings people to the Torah way of life. People come to the Kotel, they see him, he speaks to them. He invites them for Shabbos. And each year there are thousands of people he brings to Sabbath observance. The question is obvious..

    YOILISH: If they are all returning and doing Teshuva – where are they?

    RABBI HOFFMAN: Where are they? Where are they?? They are everywhere. They are in the United States. They are in Newark, New Jersey. They are in Queens, New York. There are thousands. You do not see them, but they are thousands and thousands and thousands. Each year there are tens of thousands that come to religion.

    What was his question? He is at the Kotel every day. People come to see the Kotel. He has a place for them on the Sabbath. The question is, if he sits Shiva – everyone that comes to the Kotel will not see him and they will not come to Torah. So what did Rav Elyashiv answer? To sit three days – the biblical requirement. Do not sit the seven – it is pikuach nefesh. This was his answer. Good, I have given you something to think about.

    YOILISH: You gave me two things.

    RABBI HOFFMAN: It was most pleasant. All the best.


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    124 Comments
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    yossie
    yossie
    14 years ago

    this yoily guy and his cohorts need a real job

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    he is a jewish chareidi terrorist,probably the first of its kind,how sad….

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    Yoilish comes across as being a very mixed up individual. He is so engrossed in his fanaticism that he cannot see the harm in his actions.It is so sad that Yiddishkeit has come down to this level We see the harm that fundalisim is having all over the world are people within our mist following suit, He does not deserve that publicity given to him.

    Chaim
    Chaim
    14 years ago

    Maybe we can do a prisoner swap with hezballah, and send this guy to them and they will send back Gilad Shalit!! That way, it will be a win-win situation for everyone in Eretz Yisroel.

    Barry
    Barry
    14 years ago

    I like the way he justifies his acts by comparing himself to radical Muslims on Har Habayis.
    Pathetic!

    Everyone
    Everyone
    14 years ago

    YOILISH, CHAZAK V’ EMUTZ!!!

    Tzadik in pelz
    Tzadik in pelz
    14 years ago

    An electrfying interview….whatever his salary is…it’s not enough….we all must do Teshuva…thank you, thank you, thank you

    a reader
    a reader
    14 years ago

    it was only a matter of time before people like this started popping up. we have only ourselves (chareidim) to blame. we think we are so holy, but in truth we are no better (or perhaps R”L worse) that the most secular jew. do you really think this man’s shmiras shabbos or tefillos, etc., mean anything to hashem??
    i know yomin noraim are approaching, but it might as well be tisha b’av. our rish’us is so deeply rooted, we think it is tzidkus!!! i am going to tear kriya on this….

    Loshon Hora
    Loshon Hora
    14 years ago

    The fact that yoilish dresses ultra & speaks & lives that way, doesn’t lable him tzadik & Gadol after all he admits being a yeshiva drop out, & hasn’t learned too much. His view is his own & obviously not daas Torah, only those who learn Torah have Daas Torah.

    anonymous
    anonymous
    14 years ago

    Yoilish needs a psychiatrist before he creates more damage and hillul hashem

    R' Yoilish
    R' Yoilish
    14 years ago

    Have you seen the way “Rabbi” Hoffman is turning the discution, to make him look like a fool, Yoilish comes across as being a very mixed up individual but in fact he is 100% right, This is not a chilil hashem.

    Its the biggest kidish hashem

    Communists are Democrats Too
    Communists are Democrats Too
    14 years ago

    This yoyli guy is seriously missing some screws!!

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    This so called Yoilish and those that think like him need to be put in Cherem. He is a thug plain and simple. His reasoning is corrupted and defintly not al pi derech hatorah.

    ny7
    ny7
    14 years ago

    I’m very Impressed how Rabbi Hoffman puts this man in his place so to speak

    OJoe
    OJoe
    14 years ago

    Sick, sick , sick. this mans religion has nothing to do with Torah. He couldnt care less what the Torah says. If the Torah or Hashem disagree with him, then his opinion is that the Torah is not frum enough.

    If the gedolim and rabbonim in his community do not publicly come out against people like this, then who will stop them? And who will blame others for believing that they are okay with these behaviors and attitudes.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    Can anyone give us his and his mother’s full name so we can say some Tehillim for him. He is a vary distrought sick man, nebach.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    Is this man in his own violent cult? Rabbi Hoffman ran rings round this Yoilish, both in dignity & in learning. Yet somehow he “inspires” people to violence. Very sad.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    ignorance combined with fundamentalism. if he was muslim, he would be easily convinced to be a suicide bomber.

    SD
    SD
    14 years ago

    The problem is not with him, but with those who send him.
    Every community has its disturbed individuals, but not every community empowers them to act on their behalf.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    this interview reminds me of a mid 1990’s interview in newsweek with one of the Hamas chiefs. same line of irrational thinking.

    Eli W
    Eli W
    14 years ago

    Why isn’t he arrested for inciting violence?

    EMES YID
    EMES YID
    14 years ago

    This guy sounds like a typical yerushalmi. uneducated!!!!!

    joe
    joe
    14 years ago

    its a wonder that in the community where I live if u drop out of yeshiva by age 16 your guaranteed not to become a community leader, but I guess meah sharim has a different set of rules, I mean how can this type of person become so big regardless if he works for the edah or not he’s obviously got pull, I think they need to start putting up a new class of leaders maybe people who work for Zaka or other org like that they will know when its good to be tuff with the state and when there needs to be a bit of cool

    Moshe
    Moshe
    14 years ago

    This guy is an extreme, and problem a hatful person.

    He says: Chulul Hsem is just for the non-Jew and for the frum Jew, not for the Chlinim; Who told him that? He is just like to reform Jew’s who adjust the Torah to what they wane do. He is a reform Jew in my eyes.

    All Gdolah Yisreal were against violence. Including the Satmer Rabbi and even R’ Amrom Blow

    formally
    formally
    14 years ago

    fool or not why do the Eida Chareidi elders give the times his number and why aren’t they out there condemning him.

    Must be on some lever they agree. sadly if not stop one day him or others will do a real terrorist attack

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    Yoilish makes it clear he’s an am ha’aretz with little yeshiva learning. It is reflected in his approach- of course it’s all muttar. He’s a moreh hetter like any other am ha’aretz. He’s just much more damaging.

    yenta
    yenta
    14 years ago

    this guy is an embarassment to the EC. he is incapable of using any logic, except what he has decided upfront. you can “hakk and brokk” and he just keeps repeating his side without even responding. pathetic

    Hashem Yerachem Alav
    Hashem Yerachem Alav
    14 years ago

    Kudos to Rabbi Hoffman for an excellent professional interview (with a difficult subject).
    There are words in the dialogue that are nebach so revealing:
    1. operations bunker” in the heart of Meah Shearim.
    2.K rauss is described as the “Operations Chief – of what?
    3. They are bullets, tear gas and flash grenades that the police have thrown at us and have denied it. Some have not exploded.(end of quotes)
    If this would be a case of little boys playing army, it would be cute and typical.
    This is a man with a family who’s living in a bunker, waiting for the enemies to show up. Unexploded grenades???? A ticking time bomb.
    As it always seems to end up, there is one big question. Clearly, he needs psychological help. He claims to be the rep. of an organization, which repudiates the violence.
    If this man allowed to continue and not forcibly stopped by Edah people, leaders are responsible for the acts of a very sick man.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    but why when the misnachlim called sharon nazi in midtown manhattan where was the chariedim lubavitch agudah used to scream how come we go protest on the streets. but all of a sudden when thay returned gush katif thay went in manhattan in front of the sheraton with big signs traitor nazi

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    The Rabonim should start self examining their communities and whether their leadership and education cultivates these types of deviants who are becoming more so dangerous in justifying their actions, believing that they are doing it in the sake of Hashem and Torah. We say that the radical Muslims are like that because they have a flawed religion and don’t have the true message of our Torah, but watching this dangerous guy who can justify any violence for the sake of Torah, one must start questioning the Rabbonim that cultivated and taught him Torah. I hope this type of radicalism in the Haredi world does not escalate to more groups and Palestinian level of violence.

    By the way, the bullets in the video are not “live” they are just spent casings that he collected. And the guy is obviously not a smart individual if he is keeping flash bang/tear gas grenades in his room. If the fuse failed to activate them, sooner or later they will go off and he won’t have fun in a small room like that.

    Obliko_Morale
    Obliko_Morale
    14 years ago

    Great! “Rabbi” Hoffman (creme de la creme of TV-watching MO-Mizrachi crowd) was very successfull in arguing with a semiliterate dropout! How about taking a challenge of arguing with a genuine Talmid Chochom either in US or EY? I’ll be able to arrange the meeting and to webcast it live. Mr. Kraus’s inability to see through BS doesn’t mean no one can do it.

    poshiter yid
    poshiter yid
    14 years ago

    its all clear in the beggining of the interview this person was a yeshiva drop out, a low life so to justify his being a low life he tries to call what he is doing the frum thing but it is very obvious that he is a plain bum.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    The interviewer should have asked this guy how many “chilonim” began observing shabbos or dress modestly as a result of being spat on or blocked from driving. I think that most people who demonstrate think like yoilish.

    Obamanation
    Obamanation
    14 years ago

    Rabbi Hoffman did a great job opening the light to a guy that sounds to me like a rochmunis. i wouldnt even call him bad just a big rochmunis. he must of goten hooked on this way of thinking when he was yung and no one ever asked him to explain till now. even though he had some good points but didnt know how to bring them out, he definatly sees theres a differant and better way of doing things & his way remains in a big question. i dont blam him this is what he was tought and never gave it any thoght, till now.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    I hate to be so cynical but if you think Rabbi Hoffman put him in his place, you’re wrong.

    Rabbi Hoffman seems to be very sincere albeit quite naive. Quoting Rav Elyashiv as the posek hador to a Toldos Aharon chosid is almost laughable. They (the exetremists) have absolutely no respect for Rav Elyashiv or any godol for that matter that recognizes the Medinah.

    I guarantee you he walked out of that interview completely unfazed by what he was told by someone he sees to be part of the problem not the solution.

    R' Yoilish
    R' Yoilish
    14 years ago

    This is not an interview it is an interrogation !!!!!!!!!!!!

    I Hate the way “Rabbi Hoffman” interrogates this Yoilish !!!

    R’ Yoilish has a very legitimate reason to make as many hofgonis as needed, people who think that chilul hashem is caused by promoting shmeras hashabos, are not thinking with real daas torah !!!!

    Again, This is not an interview it is an interrogation !!!!!!!!!!!!

    This is not an interview it is an interrogation !!!!!!!!!!!!

    Moshe
    Moshe
    14 years ago

    Reply to #34

    Don’t blame the Robanim.

    All over the world, in every culture, you will find extremist and people who love violence. Its just one of the flaw’s of human nature.

    Actually the Robonim are doing a good job. Our extremists and bad apples – are not killing or wounding people.

    monseyman
    monseyman
    14 years ago

    I hope this first inside view of a tangled mind of nebech a disgruntled organizer, will discourage some going forward of taking part in violent protesters.
    Thanks Rabbi Hoffman and VIN

    Disgusted Jew
    Disgusted Jew
    14 years ago

    He is no different than a Muslim extremist,,,,It is embarrassing that people will look at him, and think “Jew”. He is everything that Jews are against. He is using his translation of religion, to rationalize for his terrorist actions.

    Sdudent
    Sdudent
    14 years ago

    How sick can one become? He didn’t answer a single question with a rational answer. He should be arrested or forced into psychiatric center. What a nut job.

    Midwestern Guy
    Midwestern Guy
    14 years ago

    There seems to be a certain way of thinking that I’ve only seen among our Israeli brethren. It’s expressed perfectly in Yoilish’s words when he talks about the police acting a certain way. He says that if *they* behave like animals then the Charedim have a right to act similarly. Talking sense to a person like this, who also says that a garbage can has a din of hefker, is senseless!

    Unfortunately, people like this don’t know (or choose to ignore) several basic halachos involving hezek (which, according to some opionions, if ossur *even if* the mazik intends on repaying the nizak immediately). It’s impossible to speak sensibly about anything with someone like this.

    Kudos for R’ Hoffman for making it very clear that these people are:
    1) ignorant in halacha
    2) ignorant in basic mentchlichkeit
    3) ignorant in what creates a chillul Hashem and
    4) not fully mentally stable

    Lawyer
    Lawyer
    14 years ago

    Not only an am ha’aretz, but a dope. From where does he think garbage cans come from? They fall from the sky like monn in the desert? The garbage cans being burnt are mostly owned by yirei shomayim, and thus the person who burns them is a mazik. R. Hoffman has it exactly right.

    lisham
    lisham
    14 years ago

    this guy is a mindless moron

    Manny
    Manny
    14 years ago

    i will quote… “and i lay in front of you good and evil, and you’ll CHOOSE life” it is a matter of choice, not a fanatic forcing of your opinions like spitting in the face of someone who is a human.
    Also who the hell dose Yolllish think he is to say that pikuach nefesh is something selective???
    if anyone have 2 eyes, mouth, nose, and is walking on 2 legs… (Human) then you are allowed to do whatever you can to save his / her life, even if you have to give a mouth to mouth to a woman…
    Bottom line Mr, Yollish… Get back to school ASAP and learn some more about Derech erets kada laTorah,
    veahavta lereacha kamocha,
    Kol israel haverim,
    shoftim veshotrim taseim lecha bechol sheareicha…
    there is much more, but there is no room Mr, Yollish.
    Stop stating facts when you, yourself didn’t even get them straight!!!

    Thank you.
    Manny

    Simon
    Simon
    14 years ago

    To # 41

    The Taliban also claim the are legitimate, Hitler also claimed he is legitimate. (I’m not comparing; I’m just making a point).

    Violence is not legitimate only in self defense. This is agreed by most people in the world, and by most (if not all) Gdoli Yisroel and Beni Yisroel. If someone disagrees with that, he is a bad human apple with no goodness in his hart. End of discussion.

    s
    s
    14 years ago

    The guy says he left Yeshiva at 16 so how does he paskin his own halachos? You also have to have a Rabbi

    anonymous
    anonymous
    14 years ago

    your answer is not based on reason but rather a clarion call for more violence

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    he looks like a mishugana

    Yonason Herschlag
    Yonason Herschlag
    14 years ago

    Rabbi Hoffman asked: “How can one spit in the face of a chiloni? They are also created in the image of G-d.”
    I ask Rabbi Hoffman: “How did Dovid HaMelech kill people? They were also in the image of G-d.”
    When the Israeli government went to war in Lebanon over the kidnapping of two soldiers, they killed many innocent bystanders. Was that okay?
    When the Israeli government kidnapped a charedi woman under the guise that she had starved her child, the charedi community went to “war” against the government. But it was a very gentle war, with mere name calling, spitting, and property damage.

    My question to rabbi Hoffman is this: “If there would be a cause that it your mind would justify going to war against a group of people, and if the war was needed for the survival of the Jewish people, and if we needed to kill people in order to survive, if calling names and spitting would help the war effort, wouldn’t that be okay?

    The point is, rabbi Hoffman is of the opinion that we shouldn’t wage war with the Israeli government, whereas other rabbonem are of the opinion that we should wage war with the Israeli government. If war is called for, then the tactics used are not chilulei Hashem. So rabbi Hoffman and his supporters should drop their accusations of chillel Hashem, as they are irrelavent to those people following the psak of rabbonem who do not recognize the Israeli government.

    And all these acusations of chillel Hashem are simply loshon hora.

    DISGUSTED
    DISGUSTED
    14 years ago

    Why does my mind conjure up an immage of an Al-Quaida thug when I see this guy? If anybody out there thinks the rest of the world doesn’t see the same thing, welcome to the real world!