We Should NOT Suffer Fools Lightly

I guess Rav Chaim Kanievsky encourages Mesirah. At least according to a Chasidic group who is responsible for the poster (pictured here) written in Yiddish.

Rav Kanievsky has been quoted as saying that violators of the Israeli government's requirement to stay home during this pandemic should be reported to the police. 

Before anyone accuses me of vilifying Chasidim, let me clearly state that to the best of my knowledge this poster is not the work of any organized portion of the Chasidic world.

Even the Satmar Rebbe of Kiryas Joel has ordered his community to stay home and not go to Shul during this pandemic. It was a late start – for which he paid the price of contracting the virus himself. But to the best of my knowledge he is now fully on board with the state’s requirement to close down all churches and shuls until it is safe to re-open them. I believe he has ordered all of his Chasidim to stay home.

This poster is very likely the work of a few ignorant fools and idiots in Monsey that think they know - all by themselves - exactly what God wants. They actually believe that it is OK to violate the stay at home order and find novel ways to create public Minyanim. Or at least to defend people that do.

Anyone that tries to warn people of such deadly foolhardiness is considered is guilty of Mesirah. This poster urges people to remember these three people after the Shuls re-open and to make sure they are ostracized by the entire Jewish community - the modern day version of a Cherem (a virtual excommunication).

So, if these are outliers, why bother with them? Why bring them up at all?

The answer to that is that not everyone realizes that these fools are outliers. When a sign like this goes up, some people might think it is a legitimate call to action. But perhaps more importantly to make it known to anyone that might end up seeing it - just how wrong they are in the eyes of every sane and rational Orthodox Jew. And perhaps most importantly to do to them what they wish to do to others and ostracize them!

There is no forgiveness to be given to these individuals. Being an ignorant fool is no excuse. Those that violate these rules are Rodfim. There is no Mesirah in reporting Rodfim to the police. Not only are they targeting heroes whose entire goal is saving lives they are defending people that are Rodfim - foolishly risking their lives and those of others for the purpose of Davening with a Minyan!

So if anyone should be placed in a Cherem, it’s these guys. It is my hope that they will be. I believe it it should be an obligation of Chasidic leaders like the Satmar Rebbe (or whomever they see as their leader) to place them in Cherem right now - and not look the other way while they vilify heroes like Rabbi Horowitz. And by implication, Rav Kanievsky as well. 

If the Chasidic leaders of Monsey look the other way, then they are guilty too - by way of their silence. If they say nothing, my hope is that there are other Chasidic community activists that will hold massive rallies to that end. This kind of behavior should be put to an end once and for all.