Wednesday, September 07, 2005

R'Ovadia

I was particularly impressed with R'Ovadia's recent statements, correlating Katrina with Bush's support of the disengagement. Throw in the racist statements, and it surpasses all inflammatory remarks that he has made in the past.

6 comments:

jacob said...

I wont read reports on the Jewish world from haaretz so I address your post without reading the article.

As to the correlation of major disasters with actions of man, Rav Ovadia is not alone. Rav Shach used to do the same thing. Infact, the history of rabbinic literature do the same thing for the inquisition, the holocaust, etc.

His comments raised a question of fact. Whether or not it is TRUE is a question you are incapable of answering. The most you can say is that it offends your sensibilites as a modern american and goes against everything you believe in. The problem with doing that is that 1. it exposes the root of your sensibilites and from where you derive your values and 2. it puts your beliefs in question.

Zev said...

The second Beit Hamikdash fell because of sinat chinam. This is probably the best known rabbinic prescription correlating personal fault to political events and persecution. While that instance was quite literal, ie the burning of Yerushalaim's grain by the kanaim did directly lead to the destruction of the Beit Hamikdash, we generally use the analogy as a form of musar.

As one of my friends points out, the absurdity that hanging your mezuzah wrong is the cause of all your political and social ills is ridiculous. But in proclaiming as much you refuse to set your political situation on anyone beside yourself and Hashem.

When Rabanim in the Polish Ghettos wrote about why they Holocaust was happening to them they were making a musardic prescriptive statement. R. Ovadya's descriptive blame of Bush, and inadvertently the people of LA and MS, is nun and insulting.

Josh said...

Zev - would you prefer to follow R. Yosef's comments on the Holocaust?

I you forget that ultimately R. Yosef is a politician serving his not insignificant constituency. While many rabbis all over make similarly stupid comments, R. Yosef's get broadcasted more because of his particular position.

Josh said...

Sarcasm aside, there is a whole slew of plausible interpretations about theodicy.

Zev said...

Mikey Passman (HaKadosh) reminded me of the mishna which talks about how you should not fault people for the troubles that befall them. While interpretation you offer Mr Halevi is provocative, we have ceased to make declaratory statements associating natural disasters with human folly. Someone ought to give the memo to HaRav Ovadya.

miriam said...

"we have ceased to make declaratory statements associating natural disasters with human folly. Someone ought to give the memo to HaRav Ovadya. "

zev, i suspect that a cursory review of jewish history since the mishanh you cite will reveal that, unless you define "we" as the people who "have ceased..." you are in fact empirically mistaken. certainly, for example, rav O. has not ceased this activity. rav ovadiah is a big talmid chacham, wahtever else may be said, and you should maybe not talk about yourself havinga "memo; that he doesn't so cavalierly...