Arutz Sheva - not Torah Mi'Sinai

[Jude]

Many Jews look at Arutz Sheva for what's really going on in Eretz Yisrael, not the official Israeli news. The website does a nice job of this. However, in addition to the news, they also have an array of articles by all sorts of writers (even Lubavitchers), which people might unknowingly accept as readily they do the news.

The premise of the following article is based on an erroneous understanding of “halacha ve’ain morin ken”. I read it with growing astonishment as I didn't remember this phrase meaning what the author says it means. After doing some research, which confirmed that the author is clueless as to the true meaning, I thought it important to bring this to the public's attention.

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/article.php3?id=2661

[rebayzl]

The title of this thread is correct. And this Rabbi's drush is shvach. But "halacha ve'en morin ken" has more than one meaning.

[masbir]

What so wrong with his perush per se?

[elchonon]

i recommend www.yeshanews.org

[Jude]

by Rabbi Sholom Dovber Volpe
Kiryat Gat

... Another event took place, which rocked our world. Rachmana litzlan, they shut down Arutz Sheva. The Chabad newspapers yelled, “Bolsheviks! They don’t allow freedom of speech!”

I beg to differ. From a Chabad Chassidic perspective, nothing terrible happened. It’s good that Arutz Sheva is no longer operating. There is no excuse for a station that speaks on behalf of the religious to broadcast vulgar songs. If they can’t function without them, we will manage without Arutz Sheva, with G-d’s help. We cannot build the house of G-d in ways that are not in accordance with Shulchan Aruch.

Furthermore, every Thursday night there was a program in which a rabbi responded to questions. On many occasions, terrible things were said in the name of Torah. They spoke of the Medina being ischalta d’Geula, something which the Rebbe said caused korbonos. Better that a station that talks of things that have led to korbonos, no longer operate.

The station has also broadcasted things against our belief, which is based on the besuras ha’Geula of the Rebbe himself. In addition, the rabbi said things regarding ikrei emuna that are not acceptable. I heard this myself: A woman said that what Ramban says in the sedra doesn’t fit with scientific reality as we currently know it. The rabbi responded in his soft singsong: So the Ramban made a mistake!

When the woman couldn’t believe what she was hearing, he went on to say: Did Dovid Ha’Melech not err? So, did he stop being Dovid Ha’Melech? So, even the Ramban erred!

There’s another rabbi from Kiryat Arba who answered questions occasionally. When somebody asked about the controversy between the Vilna Gaon and Chassidus, the rabbi answered along the following lines: You can’t use the word “controversy,” when referring to Chassidim and Misnagdim. There’s no controversy here. The Misnagdim follow Shulchan Aruch and the Chassidim go against Shulchan Aruch!

On another occasion, he told a listener that it’s asur to learn Chassidus.

When our families listen to the holy Arutz Sheva and hear things like this, and the songs that are played, it penetrates the neshama. After all, this isn’t a station of kefira but Arutz Sheva!

When are we going to finally rid ourselves of the dust of “nationalism,” “religious nationalism,” and the “Right,” that clings to us? Chabad is not nationalism. Chabad isn’t Zionism. And Chabad isn’t the Right.

We are Soldiers of the House of Dovid. We have one mission, i.e. to reveal Moshiach and to fight his wars (including shleimus ha’aretz, hafatzas ha’maayonos, etc.) When we have this goal before our eyes, then the Zionist Prime Minister who sheds our blood is far worse than Shimon Peres. “Nationalistic” ministers who support a government that uproots settlements are worse than Beilin. A radio station and paper that are the “religious Right,” that disdains our Rebbe, Chassidus, and ikrei emuna and the foundations of our chinuch, are nowhere to be found in our camp.