It's official. The so-called gedolim will issue a ruling tonight that will urge ticket holders for the now-canceled Madison Square Garden "Big Event" Lipa Schmeltzer concert to donate their "refund" to the concert promoter and the charity it would have benefited, Simchat Tzion.
(You can hear this appeal being made at the beginning of Zev Brenner's radio show last night.)
So, what's wrong with this?
Plenty.
First of all, the gedolim expect you, the little guy, to pay for their arrogance and incompetence. They want you to get them off the hook.
These doddering, arrogant pretenders caused hundreds of thousands of dollars in damages. They damaged Sheya Mendlowitz, Lipa Schmeltzer, the orchestra, and many others. And they hurt a good cause, the Simchat Tzion charity.
Once these arrogant fools realized they could be successfully sued in secular court for millions of dollars, they promised to make up the losses they caused – and you, my friends, are expected to pony up the cash for them.
Simchat Tzion should be helped. If you want to give them tzedaka, send it directly to Israel. But do not let it get into hands controlled by the 'gedolim.' If you do, the money meant to help Israeli orphans may instead go to paying off Medlowitz's debt or Lipa's loss.
But do not donate your potential refund. That money will in all likelihood be divided between Mendlowitz, Lipa, the other musicians and Simchat Tzion, with the very real potential of a skim off the top to pay for the 'advice' of the 'gedolim.'
It's time these rabbis took responsibility for their actions. Please do not do anything that will let them off the hook.