"Defending Rabbis' Honor No Excuse For Murder"
Beit Shammai took swords and spears and murdered members of Beit Hillel. (Jerusalem Talmud, Shabbat 1:4)
'Defending rabbis' honor no excuse for murder'
Prominent rabbis comment on Wednesday's murder of yeshiva student over halachic dispute
Kobi Nahshoni • Ynet"Defending a rabbi's honor is no excuse to commit such an act," Chief Rabbi Yona Metzger said in response to Wednesday's murder of yeshiva student David Mansharov in Netanya.
Police suspect that Mansharov was stabbed to death by two fellow yeshiva students following an argument over a halachic ruling.
The "Haredim" website reported that the students were arguing over the status of the head of their yeshiva, Rabbi Amos Gueta.
During a visit to a school in Ra'anana on Thursday, Metzger said that the search for truth during halacha-related disputes must never deteriorate to violence.
In the spirit of the upcoming Rosh Hashanah holiday, Rabbi Metzger said that the blowing of the shofar teaches us to take something violent, like a ram's horn, and turn it into something spiritual and dignified.
Prominent Religious-Zionist Rabbi Shlomo Aviner said, "It is obvious that killing over a halachic dispute is forbidden, and it is also clear that anyone who kills over such an argument has major problems."
The rabbi said of the murder, "We cannot let such incidents distort our way of looking at things. In general, good things come out of places that teach Torah."
The Jerusalem Post published a report yesterday denying a halakhic or religious dispute motivated the murder.
It is clear the Post was wrong. It is also seems the post's pro-haredi (and also here), pro-Orthodox bias is the reason for that error.
ok this was a kollel for ex cons the odds are that when u have 100 of ex cons learning in yeshiva violent situations are going to happen once in a while, and aveiner is a pervert who this site should focus on once in a while.
Posted by: joe | September 10, 2009 at 06:36 PM
who are these rabbis to go against beit shammai? do they have the audacity to think they are smarter than those holy men who were much closer to har sinai than we are today? the fact that we still dont drink wine made by a non jew is proof that beis shammai was right to to do whatever was necessary to ensure passage of the proper halacha. these rabbis are heretical as to the infallibility of the mesorah. shocking. all is fair in halacha , love and war.
Posted by: ah-pee-chorus | September 10, 2009 at 07:21 PM
Us Brits have disagreements with each other from time to time, but we settle our differences without resorting to violence.
Posted by: Proud Englishman | September 11, 2009 at 06:14 AM
PE, isit why Britain has one of the highest levels of street violence in Western world, which is much higher then in Israel? Just curious.
Posted by: Ben | September 11, 2009 at 07:30 AM
see they yerushalmi in shabbos that says that Hillel's students and Shammai's students killed each other
Posted by: BOB | September 11, 2009 at 08:04 AM
I know. It's the second sub-head for this post. Yerushalmi Shabbat 1:4.
On Sep 11, 2009, at 8:04 AM, typepad@sixapart.com wrote:
Posted by: Shmarya Rosenberg | September 11, 2009 at 08:20 AM