Understanding Rav Ovadia Yosef, shelita

A new biography of Rav Ovadia Yosef has been published:

Rabbi Ovadia's life story contains all the stuff of myth: growing up poor, setting oneself an ambitious goal from childhood, a meteoric rise to fame, and upon reaching the top, a tug-of-war between heirs and members of one's inner circle. . . .

At the age of 14, he was forced to leave the yeshiva, until one day the head of the yeshiva, Rabbi Ezra Attia, came to the store and begged the father to let the boy return. "If you need help in the store, I'll stay. Keeping me away from Torah study matters less than keeping this boy away." . . .

In this manner, Rabbi Ovadia worked his way up the ladder, waging a one-man campaign to "restore the glory of Jewish tradition" - which he did without any organization behind him or any financial backing. The outcome was not only a political party with 17 seats in the Knesset, but an educational network from kindergarten to higher yeshivas devoted to disseminating Rabbi Ovadia's own teachings. These teachings were not a recycling of what he learned from his rabbis, but an attempt to create a cultural renaissance that would link Jews living in Israel today with the halakhic traditions of the inhabitants of Eretz Yisrael in the 16th century, when Rabbi Yosef Caro wrote the Shulhan Arukh. . . .

Without budgets, without a foothold in any ministry, Rabbi Ovadia began to spread his teachings, with a little help from his son. Only after Shas was founded and its people were instated in the Ministry of Religious Affairs did the marketing machine go into full gear.

In contrast, for most of his pre-rebbe adult life, the Rebbe lived a life of privilege, studied philosophy (and, less frequently, engineering), frequented the cafés of Berlin and Paris, and did not work to help Jews. Even after he was saved from Hitler's (yemakh shemo) Europe, the Rebbe played no significant role in the attempt to rescue of the millions of Jews still trapped in Europe. Perhaps the Rebbe's avowed preference for alleviating the "spiritual needs" of assimilated Jews as opposed to aiding the rescue of dying Jews is at the root of his inaction in the face of slaughter.

Comments

[Zalman Alpert]

I do not think its really accurate to claim the Lubavitcher rebbe was callous to Jewish suffering.
I am certain the whole Messianic issue was originally his response to ongoing Jewish suffering. His idea to bring time to an end was clearly in the tradition of Jewish history of demanding the arrival of the Messiah !
The rebbe was clearly active in assisting Soviet Jewry and his father in law was active in all these arenas.We can have other criticism of him, but please do not depict him as a playboy in paris or Berlin. He was not
Thanks

[Shmarya]

"The rebbe was clearly active in assisting Soviet Jewry and his father in law was active in all these arenas.We can have other criticism of him, but please do not depict him as a playboy in paris or Berlin. He was not."

His activities on behalf of Soviet Jewry were preceded by the activites of SSSJ by many years. Further, his 'prophecy' of the coolapse of the Soviet Union and a mass exodus of Soviet Jews from there to Israel was made years after SSSJ analysts made -- and publicized -- the same 'prophecy'. SSSJ worked to have the Jackson-Vannik Amendment passed. Chabad did not. Jackson-Vannik is what hastened and in many ways led to the Soviet Union's collapse.

As for the "idea to bring time to an end," it can NOT supercede actual rescue. That is the din.

I did not accuse the Rebbe of being a "playboy." I pointed out that he spent many years learning philosophy in Berlin and Paris and that he did so because his expenses were paid for by the Freidiker Rebbe. What I failed to mention is that the Freidiker Rebbe took the money to support the Rebbe's time in Berlin and Paris from Tzedaka money given to him for the upkeep of his home. It seems certain that few -- if any -- of those donors were aware of that expenditure. Clearly, most would not have approved.

[Zalman Alpert]

As a matter of fact, SSSJ and reb Yaakov Birnbaum were indeed heroes of the struggle for Soviet Jewry. In my opinion Meir Kahane deserves even more credit for their eventual ability to leave.
But while the Stern College girls and Columbia guys were marching and (having fun afterwards) Jews in Moscow, Riga, Kubiyeshev etc did not have siddurim , tefillin etc,. Lets not under estimate the importance of the remaining shuls, mikvehs etc in Russis. The old rabbis like Levin and Lubanov tried to keep the flame alive. Religious supplies packages etc were supplied by a diverse group of people including the Lubavitch community, rabbi P.M. Teitz of Elizabeth, Rabbi Harry Bronstein, Rabbi David Hollander, rabbi Arthur Schneier of New York , Rabbi B. Poupka all of whom visited Russia dozens of times and kept in touch with the religious communities there.
In addition the Satmar community sent packages to the Hungarian area of Russia (not Hungary proper) where many frum jews still lived until the 1970's.Others helped in a higher manner they were completely annonymous.
So the Lubavitcher rebbe acted as both a real administrator of aid to many Russian Jews and was also a symbol of Russian Jewry to tens of thousands of Russian Jews (maybe many more if you include the thousands of Georgian and Uzbek Jews who too regarded the rebbea as their leader).
The rebbe lived in Paris and Berlin with Maamad gelt that his father in law collected. You ask a good question what would the chassid in White Russia say if he knew what the money went for. .
But Maamad is descretionary funding to support the rebbe and the beis horav in any manner the rebbe wishes.
As a amtter of factI think many Anash knew the rebbe's family were modern and my father had a few stories to tell concerning this not directly related to Rav Menachem Schneerson.
I think the point I am trying to state is that the rebbe was a complex figure , certainly a human who did much good but had his weak moments, and times when his judgement could have used imput by serious advisors which he lacked. Where as the rayaatz had men of the calibre of R. Chaskel Feigin, Chaim Lieberman nad others in his inner cabinet, the rebbe's cabinet consisted of sages of the calibre of Yudel Krinsky, Simpson, Label Groner , B. Klein etc. given that its fortunate the rebbe did not ask for thier advise.

[Dawiidh ibn Dawiidh]

I have tried to understand the ashkanazi but I still do not understand how these people can be ´ibryyim. nothing they say, wear, eat or live by has anything to do with the ´ibri way. What I heard of the Rebbe is that he was barren and lived in the comfort of New York. I true nassi saddiqi belongs in the homland and should represent the yehuddi culture in every way. Why should I care about a german looking man in german clothing speaking ´Ibri in a german accent. I dont recognize any of you as benii yisraaiil. kaal hakaabaad le Hakham ´obaadiah from babil to yisraaiil