If he refuses to do community work voluntarily, and wants and accepts payment for everything he does, such a man should not be leading a community. He should get a job and earn a living. He can collect milk bottles or clean the windows. That is what is called ‘earning a living’.

Torah is learned, studied and taught: out of Love. Voluntarily. But the ‘rabbis’ have turned the Torah into their ‘Profession’, from which they earn money.

We are commanded in the Shema to:
‘LOVE Hashem, your G-d, WITH ALL YOUR HEART, and with all your soul and with all your might.’

‘VE’AHAVTA et Hashem Elokecha BECHOL LEVAVECHA uvechol nafshecha uvechol meodecha.’ (Devarim, Vaethanan, 6:4-5)

Is the ordinary man or woman PAID to pray to Hashem, or to say some words of Torah? No. Has veshalom! But the rabbis are. These men can give ‘lovely’ shiurim that they have rehearsed. But they would not give a shiur without being paid for it.

The true hachamim and rabbis of old, all actually worked at proper jobs and professions.

Wake up! Even a little child could have worked this out. These salaried men can never truly stand for the Torah, because in a case of conflict between a correct course of action according to the Torah, and the rabbi or rav’s pocket – his pocket and position will always prevail.

Pirkei Avot: (2:2)
“Raban Gamliel beno shel Rabi Yehuda HaNassi omer: yafeh talmud Torah im derech eretz, sheyegiat shenaihem mashkachat avon. Vechol Torah she’ein imah melacha sofa betailah ve’goreret avon. Vechol haoskim im hatzibbur yiheyu imahem leShem Shamayim……”

“Rabban Gamliel, the son of Rabi Yehuda HaNassi, said: It is good to combine Torah study with a worldly occupation, for working at them both drives sin from the mind. All Torah without an occupation will in the end fail and lead to sin. And let all who work for the community do so for the sake of Heaven………”

You can involve the community. You can do everything you can to make sure parents and children are educated, get the Beis Din on board, et cetera et cetera et cetera.

But at the end of the day you have to encourage the victims and their families to come forward and aren’t punished for doing it. You have to make sure the crimes are reported. The community has to cooperate with the police and prosecutors. And you can’t whinge about antisemitism or rachmonas for fellow yidden while you hide the crimes and protect the criminals as been the practice to date. The monsters have to be exposed and put in jail where they cannot hurt more children.

To do anything less is a terrible crime against all Jews and all children everywhere. If that makes someone a moser or people scream that it’s against Torah to turn them in, then fuck them and to hell with their religion.

Dov Hikind had asked me to create a task force that would design a system whereby the frum community could handle abuse cases internally, remaining within the confines of both halacha and secular law. I was never asked to meet, interview, or evaluate a single victim or perpetrator. I received messages, relayed through my children that were intimidating, not threatening. There was never a risk of bodily harm, and police were never considered for consultation about this. The task force did not occur because I chose to back out (and you are free to debate whether I was chicken). The work I had done was handed off to a colleague who was named to write and design a project that was feasible. What was developed is a spectrum of educational programs that could be tailored for use within the various facets of the frum community. To date, I am not familiar with any of these being launched, though there are definitely many different programs being implemented with constant discussion to improve and expand. There were no emails, voicemails, or threatening text messages. I know that makes for good press (and it did), but there was no drama to that piece.

Finally, I repeat this often. Dov should be commended for the work he does in this area (and many others).

1. Do not ever ‘kiss the hands’ of these men (which they might offer to you in public).

2. And do not be duped into queuing and waiting, to see them for their ‘brachot’ (‘blessings’). They peddle ‘brachot’ purely for their own selfish gratification and ‘kavod’ (‘honour’).

Their duplicitous behaviour is nothing short of deception and cunning. In short they are abhorant and causing so much harm to amm israel. They prey on the vulnerable, and those who are naïve, unsuspecting and trusting of these pedlars.

2. The ‘dayan’, ‘rabbi’ or false ‘mekubal’ may knowingly and willingly, deliberately deceive a Jew or Jewess e.g. in the area of shidduchim; offering to perform a ‘pidyon nefesh’ etc. This abhorrent and deceptive behaviour has caused tremendous harm to people who are innocent and trusting.

3. The ‘dayan’, ‘rabbi’ or false ‘mekubal’ may steal. They steal and siphon off money for themselves, from the community and individuals.

4. The ‘dayan’, ‘rabbi’ or false ‘mekubal’ will not hesitate to use Lashon Hara – the ‘Evil Tongue’ – to suit his own ends. Slander and gossip. This is one of the worst acts of murder in Jewish Law. Their slander is never challenged by the community, because they hold positions of power. And the slander may begin with the Rebbetzin herself.

5. The ‘dayan’, ‘rabbi’ or false ‘mekubal’ may shame and humiliate a Jew in public, even repeatedly. This is one of the most vile acts of murder in Jewish law – and they know this.

6. The ‘dayanim’, ‘rabbis’ and false ‘mekubalim’ worship idols and other gods. Their only god is Money. Especially the ‘Dayyanim’ – the ‘Judges’ who sit on a Beit Din. They only care about their high incomes and retirement packages. They have little or no love for the Torah or Hashem.

In the case of Lubavitch/Chabad, all their rabbis are carrying out a form of Avodah Zarah – strange worship. They are using mediation and intercession. This is completely forbidden, and against the Torah. We are only allowed to pray to Hashem, directly ourselves.

7. When the NAME of Hashem has been taken in Vain – repeatedly – by reshaim, the ‘rabbi’ ‘dayan’ or false ‘mekubal’ will turn a deaf ear and blind eye to the

CHILLUL HASHEM.

This behaviour by so-called ‘leaders’, is utterly abhorrent.

This is an extremely severe and dangerous situation.

There is NO forgiveness for this evil sin and aveirah.

8. The ‘dayan’, ‘rabbi’ or false ‘mekubal’ may also offer large bribes, tell lies and bring False Witnesses – when he in fact has committed the crime. These are heinous acts of the most despicable kind. This is especially vile when the ‘dayan’ is sitting on a ‘Bet Din.’

9. The ‘rabbi’ may commit adultery. And when he gets divorced, he may spread slander about his own ex-wife, blackening her name – when in fact he was at fault.

10. The ‘dayan’ and ‘rabbi’ may also desecrate Shabbat – if it suits him. He will use physical violence to assault another Jew or Jewess at any time. This evil and venomous behaviour is 100% against the Torah.

No other ‘rabbi’ will ever act against another ‘rabbi’ – even when he knows his colleague is clearly desecrating the Torah. Each rabbi is only worried about losing his own position.

Therefore, the ‘rabbi’, ‘dayyan’ or false ‘mekubal’ will never effect justice. And he will never truly stand for the Torah or the Honour of Hashem. His pocket will always prevail.

The Torah must never be used for commercial gain and profit. Am Yisrael can only be lead by those who have the necessary love and respect of Hashem and the Torah.

Also, many of the adults in the community I live in are clueless. Boys and girls (including yeshivish ones) are smoking, drinking, drugging, texting one another and meeting on the sly. They are also having same sex sexual relationships with one another. (Makes watching tv look almost ideal!!) And the adults freak out about kids looking at one another in the local pizza shop!!

Perhaps it’s because I’m ba’al teshuva, perhaps it’s just because I’m me, but I will NOT let my kids be taken advantage of or abused because I wasn’t brave enough to discuss these issues with them. We no longer live in shtetls – period. And while my son especially rolls his eyes when I launch into another version of, “You can come to me about anything, honey, ANYTHING.”, I think he’s ultimately very grateful that he has a mom he can talk to about important issues like this.

Please, parents, talk to your kids. Swallow your embarrassment and do the right thing.