Monday, May 5, 2008

A more realistic understanding of the conversion crisis

Bright Eyes responds to RaP:

RaP makes a very interesting case.

The Supreme Rabbinical Court in Israel has concluded in what is certainly a thoroughly analyzed decision (50 pages worth) that Rabbi Druckman's conversions were performed illegally.

RaP says that if we do not accept these illegal conversions, then bad physical things will likely happen to the Jewish people (such as Civil War), and specifically to the people who are responsible for making and supporting these rulings, "the life you save, may be your own."

Put another way, the goal of RaPs argument is to cause Jews to accept illegal conversions (aka goyim) for the sake of their own protection.

This way of thinking is the basis of strong arm organized crime globally. This is the whole logic behind "protection money."

I am in the U.S. and have intentionally stayed ignorant of Israeli politics for my entire adult life because I have observed that the more one knows about it, the more one argues and gets upset.

However, one cannot avoid hearing the well informed argue, and from what I gather Bedatz, the Rabbanut, and the RCA can all be described as opposite corners of a triangle, and that neither Bedatz nor the Rabbanut accept the other as an authority.

So, the notion that the Supreme Religious Court's ruling of last week was somehow orchestrated by people at Bedatz seems absurd.

Also, I don't think that Rabbi Eidensohn posted the Syrian Takana in order to endorse it. Throughout these last few months, Rabbi Eidensohn has posted various aspects to the question of how conversion is viewed and handled and opened the topic to discussion. The Syrian Takana was one of many viewpoints posted.

There were so many viewpoints presented, it is clearly impossible for any one human being to embrace them all.

RaPs general thrust seems to be that of the Religious Humanist, which is that popular sentiment should be the decisor of religious law and practice.

While he makes a nice defense of Rabbi Druckman as a "mainstream" Rabbi, this does not exempt Rabbi Druckman from needing to follow Halacha. If a court comprised of properly competent judges has determined that his Conversion proceedings have not followed the law, Rabbi Druckman's public standing and reputation is not a factor in the difference between legal and illegal.

In the Christian world, senior clergy, such as the Pope, are "infallible" and above reproach. Not so in Judaism.

It alarms me to see RaP judging entire segments of the Jewish people using Christian standards of "good and evil."

He has made it quite clear that anyone who he sees as not being open enough, such as the "Haredim", Syrians, and various Hasidic groups, are all defined as bad because of this characteristic. He also labels them as such based on false information.

Again and again he accuses the Syrians in particular of not accepting converts even though he is repeatedly presented evidence that they do indeed accepts genuine converts.

RaP makes it appear as though Rabbi Eidensohn and Bedatz (whose Rabbonim are really just easily controlled puppets of Rabbi Eidensohn) has done a bad thing by not publicizing the list of Rabbis who received private mail from Bedatz. In other words, because Rabbi Eidensohn would not smear many Rabbis who have done nothing wrong (remember, the letters spoke as warnings against future behavior, and were not judgments against past behavior), he is one of the bad guys!

His argument makes it clear that he considers nobody to be a religious authority. He likes the RCA and says they would never accept Bedatz's standards, yet ignores the fact that the RCA has already accepted those standards by agreeing to the newly published standards of the Rabbanut (who in this case appears to be in agreement with Bedatz).

Regarding the RCA, he says that they "would not accept the standards of the BADATZ and it would drive a wedge with the American communities where the real problems of intermarriages and fuzzy conversions exists." In other words, he feels that the RCA will not accept any ruling that disqualifies intermarriages and "fuzzy" conversions. If I were an RCA Rabbi, I would be highly offended!

People who support Halacha and disqualify fraudulent conversions are now like Nazi's to him! That's quite a viewpoint. Since when is "breach of contract" a racial issue? All Jewish communities accept converts. RaP would have us believe otherwise.

RaP has made it clear that in his view what Judiasm today really needs is a moratorium on practicing and enforcing Jewish law.

Ethereal concepts such as subjective individual ideas of right and wrong for him take precedence over Halacha.

I have spent many years fighting missionaries from other religions. They try to cause ordinary Jews to think like RaP does. I have heard no fewer than ten known missionaries disguised as Orthodox Rabbis say "You can wear the black coat and grow a big beard, but if you don't have love in your heart you aren't practicing Judaism" in order to cause ordinary people to disregard everything that legitimate religious authorities rule on. He's saying those same words in a different way. Instead of discussion/debating the Halachic sources and logic of decisions which make him uncomfortable, he just erases the credibility of everything with broad brushstrokes. Somehow he speaks for all Mizrachim, Hassidim, Ashkenazim, Sephardim etc....are each of us really just cookie-cutter clones of other who share our religious and culinary culture as RaPs would have us believe? I don't think so. I know Ashenazi Rabbis who say that the Syrian Takana is the only way to save the Jewish people, and I know Syrians who say the Takana is the most repulsive thing any Jewish group has ever done.

We're all individuals.

From my point of view, RaP is preaching rather than debating, and his message is dangerous.


6 comments :

  1. An old joke comes to mind:

    “Moishe, have you lost your mind? Why are you reading a White Supremacist newspaper?” Moishe replied, “I used to read the Jewish newspaper, but what did I find? Jews being persecuted, Israel being attacked, Jews disappearing through assimilation and intermarriage, Jews living in poverty. So I switched to the White Supremist newspaper. Now what do I find? Jews own all the banks, Jews control the media, Jews are all rich and powerful, Jews rule the world. The news is so much better!”

    Rabbi Eidensohn controls the entire Jewish world. We could do a lot worse.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Note the date on this article. It could have been written yesterday.

    http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,963271,00.html

    ReplyDelete
  3. Unfortunately I am now finding that once Rabbi Eidensohn has used negative words about me (like "paranoid" and "fantasy")) instead of responding in a reasoned, logical, fair, give-and-take manner, it has now opened the way for the likes of "Jersey Girl" and "Bright Eyes" to chime in with really silly and childish words and jokes, and those like "Larry Lennhoff" who totally misconstrues what I say, so that I come off as looking like a kind of "Rorshach" for them and each sees whatever meshugas they want to project onto me when I have never said or intended anything any of them alleges or claims or maintains I said or meant.

    I wish Rabbi Eidensohn did not give the signal for the intellectually challenged among us to goad me, and that he would have instead signalled to them to try sticking to real reasoned discussion even though that seems to be hard for them to do for any length of time.

    Rabbi Eidensohn is silnet and does not refer back to my important research and posts revealing EJF's and Rabbi Tropper's nefarious double-handed actvities with Dr. Tom Kaplan in tow, and gave me no real credit then which I can libve with, but now that I argue a line that there can be no such thing as a "Syrian Takana" for all of Klal Yisroel by not accepting any gerim (something that can ONLY happen and be enacted in the Messianic Age), he gets defensive and calls me "paranoid" when I all was doing was pointing to the FLOW of his own posts and how he has been FRAMING the arguments and citations from Chazals and reliable sources by pointing to his own posts and Rabbi Shternbuch's declarations and actions by the BADATZ.

    "Bright Eyes" seems to be totally clueless about my past words on this Blog during the EJF and Rabbi Tropper discussions and should go back and read them up so that he see for himself that I am not a "one-sided" "danger". "Jersey Girl" also seems to have a short and selective memory by forgetting that I do not approve of blanket easy conversions for anyone when I spent so much time arguing against and coming up with plenty of good material that Rabbi Eidensohn posted proudly contra the EJF and Rabbi Tropper's aims to help with mass-conversions via the EJF and related Batei Din.

    So my bona fides are actually well-documented on this very Blog and I have nothing to be sorry about or that I wish to undermine anything.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Bottom Line halakhah, though, is that it's impossible to revoke a valid conversion, and it's possible for even for three ignoramuses to get together and happen perform a valid conversion.

    Thus, despite what may be attempted, there is no way to anull every conversion en masse. Someone is going to have to go through each case and determine whether the person AT THE TIME started trying to keep mitzvos or not.

    I would think that any minors who went through their beis din would be as Jewish as their adoptive parents are Orthodox. Regardless of the quality of the beis din.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Bright Eyes says: RaP makes a very interesting case.

    Response: Thank you, but alas from reading the rest of your post this is a cynical insincere comment.

    Bright Eyes says: The Supreme Rabbinical Court in Israel has concluded in what is certainly a thoroughly analyzed decision (50 pages worth) that Rabbi Druckman's conversions were performed illegally.

    Response: Use words carefully. It was actually Rabbi Sherman who negated the rulings of other Rabbinical Courts. Rabbi Druckman and his associates and important rabbis in Israel among Religious Zionists and they cannot be treated and negated like garbage. Your use of the word "illegal" is meaningless here if Rabbi Amar, the Chief Rabbi of Israel and a leading Sefardi Posek in his own right declares that he will overturn the action of Rabbi Sherman's group in favor of Rabbi Druckman and the Rabbinical Courts that did the conversions.

    Bright Eyes says: RaP says that if we do not accept these illegal conversions, then bad physical things will likely happen to the Jewish people (such as Civil War), and specifically to the people who are responsible for making and supporting these rulings, "the life you save, may be your own."

    Response: They cannot be "illegal conversions" if Rabbi Druckman and Rabbi Amar says they are legal. Don't mix up and jump with all my points, and that is why I gave them separately, to point out POSSIBLE short term and LONG term consequences. You are obviously not aware that in Jeruslem Haredi youth have stabbed pro-gay demonstrators (I am against BOTH the stabber and the demonstrators, but I fear the stabber, because bloodshed begets bloodshed), that Haredi youth beat up women who refuse to sit in womens' sections of buses or that they burn down bus-stops if they don't like the photo of a lady on it, and stones get thrown at cars on Shabbos. There is an undeniable very dangerous tendency to violence under-current in Charedi and non-Charedi society in Israel, that could explode onto the scene if the wroing moves and decrees are made at the wrong trime. Noone knows when this could chas vesholom happen, but based on past examples, anything could happen.

    Bright Eyes says: Put another way, the goal of RaPs argument is to cause Jews to accept illegal conversions (aka goyim) for the sake of their own protection.

    Response: Nonsense. Noone is being told to accept anything "illegal" anywhere and you are now twisting my words and creating things I did not say by saying "put another way" -- typical lawyer talk used to undermine someone, which I do not appreciate. This is a discussion about conversions and if those done by certain Batei Din should be accepted by other Batei Din. It's a serious issue and one needs to see if the fight can be waged and won. Right now, it does not look like the Charedim can force their world view about much of anything on the rest of Israeli society, so they would be well-advised to tend to their own kehilas and not stick their noses into business where they will do only more harm than good, including for themselves. Noone is going to stop the Israeli Batei Din or the RCA from doing what it wants, so why would the BADATZ want to pick fights with them and expect that anything good would come of it?

    Bright Eyes says: This way of thinking is the basis of strong arm organized crime globally. This is the whole logic behind "protection money."

    Response: You stump me here. What "protection money"? Huh? You are now saying that "eizehu chacham, haro'eh es hanoled" could somehow be like mafia tactics. So that if someone thinks there is a danger in imposing untimely kefia datid (religious coercion) by the Charedim on the rest of Israeli society at this time, it's like a game of "protection money"? Altogether what you say here is beneath contempt and I have really dignified it too much with too many words in resposne already. Shame on you.

    Bright Eyes says: I am in the U.S. and have intentionally stayed ignorant of Israeli politics for my entire adult life because I have observed that the more one knows about it, the more one argues and gets upset.

    Response: Ok, so good, that is your right, but what does this statement have to do with anything?

    Bright Eyes says: However, one cannot avoid hearing the well informed argue, and from what I gather Bedatz, the Rabbanut, and the RCA can all be described as opposite corners of a triangle, and that neither Bedatz nor the Rabbanut accept the other as an authority.

    Response: This is the first true and rational thing you have said in this post so far.

    Bright Eyes says: So, the notion that the Supreme Religious Court's ruling of last week was somehow orchestrated by people at Bedatz seems absurd.

    Response: Noone said it was, because noone knows. Anyhow, I never said that that is what the BADATZ did. I was painting a scenario of where the general FLOW of things seem to be headed. That there are, not in the BADATZ itself, but among the known phenomenon of kanayim extremists who are always waiting to create the next crisis to split Klal Yisroel by getting rabbis to oppose each other on issues that then works its way down to the man and woman in the street.

    Bright Eyes says: Also, I don't think that Rabbi Eidensohn posted the Syrian Takana in order to endorse it. Throughout these last few months, Rabbi Eidensohn has posted various aspects to the question of how conversion is viewed and handled and opened the topic to discussion. The Syrian Takana was one of many viewpoints posted.

    Response: The Syrian takana is thus far the most radical and seriously flawed posting in Rabbi Eidensohn's campaign against "weak conversions" and it's a sudden jerk in a dangerous direction, moving from reasoned debate and discussions and the citation of sources, which is fine, to the notion and publicization of a "Syrian Takana" a form of "rule by decree" alien and even antithetical to the Halachic process which shouldand must be mindful of the human element and not expect people to jump to "salute" "just because I (the Syrian rabbis who signed) said so" -- this is a dangerous and counterproductive method that Western Ashkenazi Jews of all stripes will reject and will fight against because noone appreciates being told what to do when there are other known alternatives in Halacha that are not based in "decrees" belonging more to the age of Kings/tyrants that to the democratized system of rule of the Chachomim. That is why there are principles not to make decrees that the tzibur cannot abide by ("ein oisin gezeirah she'ein hatzibur yachol la'amod bo" as well as the over-all notion of "tircha detzibura" and "koach dehetereh adif" and others like this) and a recognition that there must be flexibility and not just rigidity, even when dealing with the issue of geirus. To think that Dayanim do not care about the human factor is itself a kanoyishe chazir-treif hashkofa.

    Bright Eyes says: There were so many viewpoints presented, it is clearly impossible for any one human being to embrace them all.

    Response: No. On this Blog there is one viewpoint and it is Rabbi Eidensohn's. He just uses material he likes to support what he has to say.

    Bright Eyes says: RaPs general thrust seems to be that of the Religious Humanist, which is that popular sentiment should be the decisor of religious law and practice.

    Response: Hmm, interesting point. So you think that Judaism does not deal with the human aspect? How odd. We are all robots and it's the eve of "1984" -- no wonder people ran away from Yiddishkeit in modern times don't you think? And G-d forbid, at no point have I said or intimated that "popular sentiment" should determine Halachah! I have repeatedly stressed that everyone is beholden to ONLY to their ORTHODOX rabbi or rov or posek and follow a Bais Din if that is of their community. You outright lie when you claim that I hold that "popular sentiment should be the decisor of religious law and practice." Shame on you for assuming that I think so shalowly or that I am so ignorant of the Halachic process that I would arrive at such a false Humanistic conclusion.

    Bright Eyes says: While he makes a nice defense of Rabbi Druckman as a "mainstream" Rabbi, this does not exempt Rabbi Druckman from needing to follow Halacha. If a court comprised of properly competent judges has determined that his Conversion proceedings have not followed the law, Rabbi Druckman's public standing and reputation is not a factor in the difference between legal and illegal.

    Response: Now YOU are making things up here and YOU are in NO position to judge the level or position of Rabbi Druckman or if he acting within or woutside of "aw" as you put it (what "law" you refer to I am highly sceptical of, because you have not defined what you mean by "law"). Rabbi Amar obviously is willing to back up Rabbi Druckman's status in this, so your assertions here are moot. What differnce will what "you" or "I" say when thse rabbis are going to slog it out btween each other?! We are just chatting on this Blog, nothing more and nothing less! You seem to be scolding Rabbi Druckman as if he were a five year old which is also not too flattering of your take of others involved in this serious Halachic mangle between rabbis. Why don't you try butting out of this?

    Bright Eyes says: In the Christian world, senior clergy, such as the Pope, are "infallible" and above reproach. Not so in Judaism.

    Respsonse; So who said otherwise? And your words only disprove your own assertions that Rabbi Druckam is obligated to follow a "higher up" body whatever that may mean.

    Bright Eyes says: It alarms me to see RaP judging entire segments of the Jewish people using Christian standards of "good and evil."

    Response; such as? Give some solid examples instead of "pontificating" yourself.

    Bright Eyes says: He has made it quite clear that anyone who he sees as not being open enough, such as the "Haredim", Syrians, and various Hasidic groups, are all defined as bad because of this characteristic. He also labels them as such based on false information.

    Response: Rubbish. I never said such a thing. And stop lumping Syrians with the Haredim because they are very, very different! When have I said that ANYONE was "bad" and which of my information is "false"? You are getting to be like arguing with a tiresosme lawyer.

    Bright Eyes says: Again and again he accuses the Syrians in particular of not accepting converts even though he is repeatedly presented evidence that they do indeed accepts genuine converts.

    Response: Oh yeah, so now the Syrians accept converts, so why do they need a "Takana" not to accpet converts? Either they do or they don't accept converts. If they do accept converts then they no longer or ever needed a Takana to forbid converts, and if they have Takana that forbids converts why do they accept the converts of even OETHER Batei Din if their own rabbis reject the notion of accepting converts based on their Nazi-era 1930s Takana? As the saying goes, you cannot be "a little" pregnant! You either are or you aren't and it makes no difference if some nice minority-view-at-best Syrian rabbi wrote a few letters to spin his way out of it by saying "some of my best friends are gerim"!

    Bright Eyes says: RaP makes it appear as though Rabbi Eidensohn and Bedatz (whose Rabbonim are really just easily controlled puppets of Rabbi Eidensohn) has done a bad thing by not publicizing the list of Rabbis who received private mail from Bedatz. In other words, because Rabbi Eidensohn would not smear many Rabbis who have done nothing wrong (remember, the letters spoke as warnings against future behavior, and were not judgments against past behavior), he is one of the bad guys!

    Response: This whole convoluted paragraph is for the classics and makes ME laugh! For the record: I do NOT think or believe that Rabbi Eidenssohn "controls" the BADATZ, really, now, such a line that you imagine I could think that deserves a hahahahahahaha!! When did I say that Rabbi Eidensohn is "one of the bad guys" -- more lunacy! I think the world of Rabbi Eidensohn, I even know him and his family quite well for many years now and in one second I could give a reference that would put all doubt to rest, but he does not who I am, and obviously you have not been reading and seeing all the work I have been doing for him on this very Blog regarding the EJF and Rabbi Tropper and Dr. Tom Kaplan saga and that he has been posting PRO BONO quite liebrally over the past few months! As for making the Recipients of the letter from the BADATZ known and giving it Publicity, why is that a push to "smear" anyone??? What is this a joke? Now it is YOU that is making the BADATZ sound as secretive as the CIA or the Mosad, a very funny thought indeed. You know, there is so much stupidity in what you say here it's a wonder I bother with answering any of it!

    Bright Eyes says: His argument makes it clear that he considers nobody to be a religious authority. He likes the RCA and says they would never accept Bedatz's standards, yet ignores the fact that the RCA has already accepted those standards by agreeing to the newly published standards of the Rabbanut (who in this case appears to be in agreement with Bedatz).

    Response: This is not about "me". Who cares about "me" or "you" or anyone! When we talk of the RCA or BADATZ or EJF or the Rabbanut or any other known Charedi or Orthodox entity we are are having a discussion in common about a common topic. There are views being exchanged back and forth and there is a discussion under way. (Even though it now seems that you and "Jersey Girl" would love to have me shut up once and for all.) There are agreements and disgreements. But to say that I negate this or that entity is a total lie because on the contrary I try to VALIDATE ALL ORTHODOX entitities, be they the RCA, BADATZ, Rabbanut and refer to others that may not be on that level with a degree of respect that they must be recognized. So quit yet again putting words in my mouth that I neither said nor intended. If you want to speak for yourself go ahead and if you want me to explain something I said ask me, but please DO NOT tell me what am saying as if you know what I said better even if I never said or meant it. That is called conducting a Kangaroo trial in a Kangaroo court, in short a proverbial lynching, and again your false and tendentious lawyering is not appreciated at all in this regard.

    Bright Eyes says: Regarding the RCA, he says that they "would not accept the standards of the BADATZ and it would drive a wedge with the American communities where the real problems of intermarriages and fuzzy conversions exists." In other words, he feels that the RCA will not accept any ruling that disqualifies intermarriages and "fuzzy" conversions. If I were an RCA Rabbi, I would be highly offended!

    Response: RCA rabbis do not lose sleep over what the BADATZ says or does not say for better or worse and vice versa. I don't know what you mean by "fuzzy" conversions, you are trying to be a wise guy and it's not a good argumentation tactic in an intelligent good-faith rational discussion. In a nut-shell in case you were not aware: The RCA is aligned with the Rabbanut. On the other hand the BADATZ is aligned with the Central Rabbinical Conference of Satmar. The RCA and the Rabbanut accept and are even proud of Religious Zionism, whereas the BADATZ and Satmar are completely opposed to all forms of Zionism, therefore they differ not just in Halacha but in Hashkafa from A to Z and neither one is insulted or feels put down by the other when they disagree because they are so far apart and different from each other. If you don't know this you should not be commenting on such issues.

    Bright Eyes says: People who support Halacha and disqualify fraudulent conversions are now like Nazi's to him! That's quite a viewpoint. Since when is "breach of contract" a racial issue? All Jewish communities accept converts. RaP would have us believe otherwise.

    Response: The Syrian Takana borders on a Nuremburg Law in the eyes of the world and if all of Judentum (it's what the Jewish World is called in German) or even Charedi Jewry would be expected to accept such a Takana on itself, were it to be issued by a very POWERFU Halachic body like the BADATZ -- and it is one of the most powerful Halachic bodies in the world and getting stronger all the time, but yet not ripe for the kind of possible decrees/Takanos that may be in the planning stages and in offing POSSIBLY -- it would be a catstrophe at this time for all Jewry because it would be called Nazi-like and racist by the world, not by "me" or minor people and could have great unintended negative consequences for Jews everywhere as I have stated in my earlier post that you so much dislike and have tried to denigrate and rip to shreds with false and misleadaing "arguments" that are a disgrace to huamn intelligence. So that again, take note, this entire subject is not about "me" or "you" it's just the way the chips would fall and things would not look good for Klal Yisroel. If we have managed to live without a national Takana forbidding accepting Gerim for 2000 years we can continue doing so until Mashiach shows up and will show us the best way to say politely to the gentiles of the world: "Goyim verboten"!

    Bright Eyes says: RaP has made it clear that in his view what Judiasm today really needs is a moratorium on practicing and enforcing Jewish law.

    Response: Sure, and you need a moratorium on twisting other people's words and putting words in their mouths that they neither said nor implied. Shame on you for being so underhanded.

    Bright Eyes says: Ethereal concepts such as subjective individual ideas of right and wrong for him take precedence over Halacha.

    Response: Another lie not worthy of a response.

    Bright Eyes says: I have spent many years fighting missionaries from other religions. They try to cause ordinary Jews to think like RaP does. I have heard no fewer than ten known missionaries disguised as Orthodox Rabbis say "You can wear the black coat and grow a big beard, but if you don't have love in your heart you aren't practicing Judaism" in order to cause ordinary people to disregard everything that legitimate religious authorities rule on. He's saying those same words in a different way. Instead of discussion/debating the Halachic sources and logic of decisions which make him uncomfortable, he just erases the credibility of everything with broad brushstrokes. Somehow he speaks for all Mizrachim, Hassidim, Ashkenazim, Sephardim etc....are each of us really just cookie-cutter clones of other who share our religious and culinary culture as RaPs would have us believe? I don't think so. I know Ashenazi Rabbis who say that the Syrian Takana is the only way to save the Jewish people, and I know Syrians who say the Takana is the most repulsive thing any Jewish group has ever done.

    Response: Well, now to claim that I may even be a "missionary" is truly sick! Get this straight: I never claimed to speak for anyone. I am participating in a discussion on this Blog. Sometimes my words have even been found worthy enough to become leading posts, and lately, because I am saying only one simple thing, that there has never been a time that all of Judaism opposed the taking-in of true geirei tzedek, not such a radical point at all, I am being vilified by you and "Jersey Girl" is having cows. How sad, that if one says something as simple that Yiddishkeit accepts geirei tzedek, as it accepted Ruth the Moabite (an upcoming theme for SHAVUOT when all of Klal Yisroel is regarded as converts when they accepted the Torah at Har Sinai and perhaps the Syrian jews must have missed that time in history power boating on the Nile maybe) and the Vilna Gaon, the graetes Torah sage accepted the Vilna Ger [see below], and must never do what the Syrians did 70 odd years ago by blocking such a thing, that for that I am to be called a "Christian missionary" yet. For this you owe me an apology in the context of a fellow debater on ONLY a Blog!

    Bright Eyes says: We're all individuals.

    Response: So?

    Bright Eyes says: From my point of view, RaP is preaching rather than debating, and his message is dangerous.

    Response; Boy, for a guy who just gave a pretty nasty sermon, mostly at my expense, you sure do have one big chutzpa buddy!

    ----

    From Wikipedia:

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abraham_ben_Abraham

    Abraham ben Abraham, also known as Count Valentine (Valentin, Walentyn) Potocki (Pototzki or Pototski), is a legendary figure who is claimed to have been a Polish nobleman of the Potocki family who converted to Judaism and was burned at the stake by the Roman Catholic Church because he had renounced Catholicism and had become an observant Jew. According to Jewish traditions he is regarded as someone known even to the revered Jewish Talmudic sage, the Vilna Gaon (Rabbi Elijah (Eliyahu) Ben Solomon Kremer (1720-1797)). However historians who have studied his story have stated that surprisingly little evidence of Potocki's existence has yet been discovered other than several 19th century sources citing earlier oral histories, and therefore consider that he most likely did not exist.

    The legend in a Jewish tradition
    There are several versions of this story, especially among the Jews of Lithuania, Poland and Russia, who know and still refer to Potocki as the Ger Tzedek ("righteous proselyte") of Vilna. Virtually all Jewish sources agree that he was a Polish nobleman, who converted to Judaism and was burned at the stake by the Roman Catholic Church at Vilna (Vilnius) on May 24, 1749 (7 Sivan 5509) because he had renounced Catholicism and had become an observant Jew.

    Multiple oral histories, backed up by several 19th century and later printed versions of the story, from many Jewish communities over the past two hundred and fifty years, serve as evidence of Potocki's story. Jewish oral tradition teaches some most interesting details as well as outcome of Avraham ben Avraham's life and death.

    Polish author Józef Ignacy Kraszewski, who is acknowledged as the oldest verified source citing this story (and thus perhaps its creator) relates that young Potocki and his friend Zaremba, who went from Poland to study in Paris, became interested in an old Jew whom they found poring over a large volume when they entered his wine-shop. This Jew might have been their own countryman Menahem Man ben Aryeh Löb of Visun, who was tortured and executed in Vilna at the age of seventy (July 3, 1749). Tradition has brought this Jewish martyr into close connection with the Ger Tzedek, but fear of the censor has prevented writers in Russia from saying anything explicit on the subject. His teachings and explanations of the Old Testament, to which they, as Roman Catholics, were total strangers, so impressed them that they prevailed upon him to instruct them in Hebrew. In six months they acquired proficiency in the Biblical language and a strong inclination toward Judaism. They resolved to go to Amsterdam, which was one of the few places in Europe at that time where a Christian could openly embrace Judaism. But Potocki first went to Rome, whence, after convincing himself that he could no longer remain a Catholic, he went to Amsterdam and took upon himself the covenant of Abraham, assuming the name of Abraham ben Abraham.

    After residing a short time in Germany, a country he disliked, he returned to Poland, and for a time lived among the Jews of the town of Ilye (Vilna Governorate), some of whom seemed to be aware of his identity. He has became close to the revered Gaon me'Vilna. While in the synagogue of Ilye one day he was irritated into commenting severely upon the conduct of a boy who was disturbing those occupied in prayer and study. The boy's father was so enraged that he informed the authorities that the long-sought Ger Tzedek was in Ilye. Potocki was arrested. When finally apprehended by the authorities, and placed in prison awaiting his death - it was decreed he would burn alive at the stake - the Vilna Gaon sent message offering to rescue him using Kabbala. Avraham ben Avraham refused, preferring instead to die 'al kiddish Hashem' and inquired of the Vilna Gaon which blessing he should make immediately before his passing. The Vilna Gaon answered "...M'Kadesh es Shimcha be'rabim" and sent an emissary to hear and answer "amen.". The entreaties of his mother and friends failed to induce him to return to Christianity; and after a long imprisonment and a trial for heresy he was burned alive in Vilna, on the second day of Shavuot. It was unsafe for a Jew to witness the burning; nevertheless one Jew, Leiser Zhiskes, who had no beard, went among the crowd and succeeded by bribery in securing some of the ashes of the martyr, which were later buried in the Jewish cemetery. A letter of pardon from the king arrived too late to save the victim.

    Potocki's comrade Zaremba returned to Poland several years before him, married the daughter of a great nobleman, and had a son. He remained true to the promise to embrace Judaism and took his wife and child to Amsterdam, where, after he and his son had been circumcised, his wife also converted to Judaism; they then went to Palestine (Eretz Yisrael).

    It is Jewish tradition that following Avraham ben Avraham's death, the Vilna believed that the spiritual constitution of the world had become altered in such a way that a Jew was no longer bound to wash his hands in the morning within four amos, as explicitly taught in the Mishna Brura and other halachic works. Rather, a Jew's entire house would be considered as though four amos for this regard. This minhag, born from Avraham ben Avraham's death, commenced with the Vilna Gaon and later became the practice of the Slobodka yeshiva in Europe becoming today the routine of many leading Rabbonim in Eretz Israel who follow the Slobodka tradition. This story was related by Rabbi Ostroff, posek and talmud of Rav Sternbuch in Jerusalem, as well as Rabbi Hadar Margolin and the Artscroll biography of the Vilna Gaon.

    As to why there are few full sources, the Jewish view is reflected as in the views published on the Shema Yisrael Torah Network website:

    There are a few reasons why there are so few contemporary sources about the ger tzedek story. It can be assumed that the noble Pototzki family, which was a religious Polish- Catholic family, was not happy that one of their sons defected to Judaism. The Pototzki family was said to have generally dealt kindly with the Jews living on its lands. Mentioning the conversion would have been interpreted as an open provocation of the area's ruler, which would have not resulted in any good. In addition, undoubtedly the conversion of one of the upper- class gentiles aroused great interest among the populace, and his refusal to return to their faith caused them great embarrassment...Nevertheless, we believe the words of our rabbonim, which clearly indicate that there was a connection between the Gra (i.e. the Vilna Gaon) and the Ger Tzedek [http://chareidi.shemayisrael.com/archives5760/nasso/features.htm]

    From Dei'ah veDibur - 4 Sivan 5760 - June 7, 2000

    http://chareidi.shemayisrael.com/archives5760/nasso/features.htm

    IN-DEPTH FEATURES
    Al Kiddush Hashem: R' Avrohom Ben Avrohom

    By Rav Dov Eliach

    The following material is from the book about the Gra of Vilna being prepared by Rav Eliach, entitled HaGaon. Shavuos is the holiday of converts, who follow the example of Rus. Also, the yahrtzeit of The Ger Tzedek is on the second day of Shavuos. He was martyred in 5509 (1749), 251 years ago.

    Reb Avrohom ben Avrohom was one of the most admired and hallowed personalities in the eyes of Vilna Jews for generations. They called him "The Ger Tzedek," with a capital "T" -- he who, in his youth, answered to the name "Duke Valentine Pototzki," was named Avrohom ben Avrohom at his conversion.

    A number of traditions remain about the man who attached himself to Klal Yisroel with such tremendous mesiras nefesh until that second day of Shavuos when he was burnt at stake al kiddush Hashem. From that day until Vilna was destroyed by the Nazis ym'sh, the Vilna Jews used to go to his kever to pour out their hearts. In the masses' opinion, the Ger Tzedek's tomb was almost as holy as the tomb of the Vilna Gaon zt'l.

    The Jews of the city used to show the site where the Ger Tzedek was burnt at stake on a street called "the Wide Road." They said that the trees for the fire were brought by gentiles of Sapinikes, a suburb near Vilna. They paid dearly for their alacrity and devotion, because immediately after the Ger Tzedek was burnt a large fire broke out and destroyed the entire suburb.

    The Vilna Jews also used to tell about the fact that when the Ger Tzedek was burnt, the smoke ascended onto the building next to it and a black stain remained there forever. The gentiles worked hard to remove the stain, but nothing, not even repainting the building, helped. They finally knocked down the building in great embarrassment.

    Fear of the authorities and censure prevented the wondrous story of the Ger Tzedek from being written down when it happened. Only years later was anything written. The inscription on his grave, as well, is short. The memory of the fascinating story, therefore, was kept alive by tradition, passed down from father to son.

    Due to the unique connections between the Vilna Gaon and the Ger Tzedek, we have devoted a short chapter on the matter in the sefer of the Gra's life story.

    From "Valentine Pototzki" to "Avrohom ben Avrohom"

    In the fifth century of the sixth millennium (the early 1700s), an extremely wealthy duke lived in Poland, son of the Pototzki family, a famous noble family that had held important political positions in the Polish government. They say that the Duke, or as he was called in Polish, the Graf, owned nine hundred and ninety-nine properties. He purposely did not buy another property so that when people were describing his vast wealth, they could not merely say that he owns a thousand properties. They would have to enunciate "nine hundred and ninety-nine properties." (See Shimusha shel Torah Maran HaRav Shach, page 68.)

    One of the Graf's luxurious palaces is still standing and has become a tourist attraction. People point out that the Pototzki family coat of arms, which is engraved in the gate and contains a number of leaves, is missing one leaf as a sign of the lost son.

    Graf Pototzki had one son, a smart, learned son named Valentine, and he had a friend named Zarembo, who studied with him in a theological seminary. The two planned to become Catholic priests and the Vilna Bishop sent them to study in Paris. There, while taking a stroll, they came across a Jewish Tanach. They began to learn with a certain rov in secret, until Pototzki's soul became attached to Judaism and he decided to convert, come what may. He traveled to Amsterdam, far from his devout Christian parents' home, and joined the Jewish nation.

    Some say that even before he converted, Pototzki possessed a lofty soul. Every Shabbos he was overcome with a special excitement and he didn't know what it was. He used to walk back and forth in his room, in inner emotional turmoil, crying out in Polish, "Tzu ta za Sabato?" What is the nature of Shabbos?

    (Much later, after the Ger Tzedek was burnt at stake, his friend Zarembo also converted and was called Boruch ben Avrohom. He traveled with his wife, who had also converted and was called Rochel bas Sora, to Eretz Yisroel where they spent their days involved in tzedaka and chessed.)

    Valentine's parents, the Graf Pototzki and his wife, began a thorough search for their only son who was missing. They sent emissaries to the various lands from which he had sent them letters over the years, but they could not find him. On the other hand, "Valentine" began worrying that his parents would find him, so he left Amsterdam and went to Vilna dressed as one of the Perushim with a beard and payos. He settled himself into some small kloiz where he learned Shas and poskim day and night. Righteous women brought him meals.

    They say that when the Vilna Gaon found out what was happening, he advised the Ger Tzedek not to live in a large city like Vilna but to move to a small village where no one would recognize him. He traveled to Ilia, where he stayed in the beis knesses wrapped in a tallis and tefillin and learned and davened with lofty deveikus. The Jews of Ilia respected him as an exalted, holy man, but with the exception of the village rov, no one knew who he really was.

    A tailor who used to sew furs for the noblemen lived in this village. Through his gentile customers, he heard that Graf Pototzki was searching for his lost son and the rumor was that the son converted. The tailor suspected this Porush, who spoke Yiddish with a strange accent and also a perfect Polish -- a rare accomplishment among the Jews -- but he kept his suspicions to himself.

    One day, the tailor's mischievous son teased the Porush and disturbed his learning. When he could not take it anymore, the Porush picked him up by ears and took him out of shul, saying that if a Jewish boy could act with such wickedness, he could become a meshumad. (Some say that the boy did become an apostate.) The tailor was enraged, and although the Ger Tzedek apologized, the tailor went to the authorities and informed on him.

    Armed soldiers immediately came to Ilia, bound the Porush in chains and brought him to the capital city Vilna to the local bishop. In those days, when the Church ruled supreme, a gentile who dared convert to Judaism was sentenced to burning at the stake.

    Some say that the Ger Tzedek was captured on the night of his wedding to the daughter of the miller of Ilia, 13 Adar 5509 (1749), about a year after he came to Ilia.

    To Be Mekadesh Shem Shomayim

    As soon as the imprisonment became public knowledge, the Ger Tzedek's parents came to the prison and tried to convince him to return home. They fell at his feet and cried and begged him to save himself from death and to return to Christianity. It was all for naught. Their former son now dwelled in other worlds, pure and holy.

    The priests as well tried to convince him again and again to return to their religion. But he answered them bitingly, "I am willing to meet you, but why do you bring me `these dogs,' " and he pointed to the crosses they wore. He announced that he was prepared to die as a Jew, al kiddush Hashem. The many terrible tortures that they inflicted upon him were to no avail, and he remained faithful to Hashem.

    One of the tactics his parents tried was to suggest that he renounce his geirus only outwardly. They said that when he was freed, they would build him his own palace where he could live secretly as a Jew. The answer to this too was absolutely no. He wanted to fulfill his strong desire to sacrifice himself as a korbon to sanctify Heaven's name.

    Some say that his mother begged him to deny Judaism and he answered, "Dear mother, you are very dear to me but the truth is even more dear to me." His mother realized it was a waste of time to try further to convince him, and she quickly traveled to the Kaiser himself to plead for her son's life. She did obtain a special permit allowing her son to live, but the priests pushed the judgment up one day and burned him a day before the permit came.

    They also say that before the decree was carried out, some of those who tortured the Ger Tzedek came and asked for forgiveness and asked that he not take revenge on them in the next world.

    The Ger Tzedek answered them confidently and calmly, "It says in Tehillim (117), `Praise Hashem, all the nations, praise Him all nationalities, because His kindness has overpowered us.' The gemora (Pesochim 118: 2) asks why do the nations of the world need to praise Hashem because `His kindness has overpowered us.'

    "However, it is compared to a prince who was hit by his friends while playing. The boy promised that when he becomes the king after his father, he'll pay back the one who hit him, double the pain. The years passed, the boy grew up, and he was crowned king. The friend who hit him remembered the promise and was afraid of what would happen now. How surprised he was when the king explained to him that from the heights of the throne, with all the honor he had, the entire incident of the slap was just a joke.

    "So too, the Ger Tzedek said, when I reach the World of Truth, to the place set aside for me, all the tortures you caused me will be considered like a child's slap in comparison to all the honor and rewards promised me there. My mind will not even be thinking about small matters such as revenge on you and your wicked deeds. That is why the nations of the world, as well, need to give thanks that `His kindness has overpowered us.' Because of the fact we are so overcome with His kindness, all the problems they caused us will not be considered so terrible."

    About the fate of the tailor who informed on the Ger Tzedek, some say that the Ger Tzedek calmed him with the same moshol and promised that he'll try to intercede on his behalf in heaven so he will be allowed into Olam Haboh. After all, the tailor brought about this tremendous zechus for him, to give his life al kiddush Hashem.

    Another source relates that the Ger Tzedek cursed the informer that he and his children for ten generations would be malformed. Indeed, when a certain writer visited Ilia, he found descendants of this tailor who were malformed, generation after generation -- deaf or mute or such, and they had not yet reached the tenth generation. See the words of HaRav Tzvi Hirsch Farber, "It is a terrible lot to be like an informer, to tell everything he sees. How much bloodshed was caused through this in Yisroel, and the holy Avrohom ben Avrohom Ger Tzedek was burnt in Vilna al kiddush Hashem because of the story of one tailor to the government."

    "Boruch Mekadesh es Shimcho Borabim"

    The story of the Ger Tzedek took place in 5509 (1749), and the Vilna Gaon, who was then about twenty-nine years old, knew the Ger Tzedek and had secret ties with him.

    They say that the Gra once came to visit the Ger Tzedek in prison and found him worried. Seeking an explanation, he said to the Ger Tzedek, "You should be happy, because in a few days you'll reach a very high madreigo, to sanctify Heaven's name in public, like the level of the tana hakodosh Rabbi Akiva."

    The Ger Tzedek answered the Gra that he was worried for a different reason -- he did not have zechus ovos, for his father and mother were gentiles who did not believe in the Creator of the world. The Gra comforted him and said, "Hakodosh Boruch Hu says, `I am first and I am last;' Hashem is the father of all those who do not have yichus ovos."

    HaRav Boruch Ber Leibowitz of Kaminetz told the story of the Gra's visit as follows: The Gra once visited the Ger Tzedek, the tzaddik Reb Avrohom, and found him crying. The Gra wondered why; after all you are going to sacrifice your life al kiddush Hashem. Why are you crying? You should go happily.

    The Ger Tzedek answered that he was not crying because of that. He was crying because he was not zoche to put down roots in Am Yisroel, for he had no father or son in Yisroel.

    The Gra said, "We find in the medrash of the posuk, `I am first and I am last etc.' (Yeshaya 44:6) `I am first for I have no father; I am last for I have no brother; And besides Me there is no power for I have no son' (Shemos Rabba chapter 29, 5. see also Yalkut Hameiri, Yeshaya 44). The words seem questionable. Why does it have to say something that everyone knows?

    "However," Rabbenu answered, " `I am first' for someone who has no Jewish father and came to bask in My shade; `I am last' for someone who doesn't have a brother; `And besides Me there is no power' for someone who doesn't have a son. I am better for him than ten sons."

    The Chofetz Chaim, who used to tell over the story of the Ger Tzedek often, related that the Gra offered to save him from being tortured and killed through sheimos kedoshim according to kabolo. But the Ger Tzedek told his rebbe that since he had recognized the Creator of the world, he was prepared to sacrifice his life al kiddush Hashem. He did not want to forgo the lofty merit of Kiddush Hashem and exchange it for a physical body.

    And so, with these pure, lofty thoughts, the Ger Tzedek returned his holy soul al kiddush Hashem when he was burnt at stake a few days later. Before being put on the fire, he made the brocho of "Boruch mekadesh es shimcho borabim" and called out in a loud voice, "Shema Yisroel Hashem Elokeinu Hashem Echod."

    The Chofetz Chaim also said that the Gra said that if ten Jews would have been present to answer omein to the Ger Tzedek's brocho, Moshiach would have come already.

    Who was Bound upon the Mizbeiach

    Reb Avrohom ben Avrohom made his way to the fire in song and dance. In Yeshivas Volozhin, they used to sing a special song that the Ger Tzedek sang when he was being burnt with the words from the brocho of kiddush Hashem: "But we are Your nation, bnei berisecho, sons of Your beloved Avrohom that You swore to him on Har Hamoria, seed of his only son Yitzchok who was bound upon the mizbeiach."

    They say that when the fire grabbed hold of the Ger Tzedek's body, he called out, "Burn the body that ate treif," and so on. Even as the flames engulfed him, his voice was heard singing verses of Tehillim until his soul left him amidst terrible suffering.

    One author of that generation dared write something about the happening, but only in a hint. He wrote, "And in our generation, I heard that some of the kedoshim who were killed al kiddush Hashem, zechusom yogein oleinu, used to go to their death as if they were going to a beautiful chuppah. And some used to say that their hearts are happy like one going with a flute and they would have wanted to hear musical instruments such as an ugov, harp and musical instruments, since they were zoche to give their souls as a present to Hashem yisborach and cling to the upper light and fulfill the mitzvo of ve'ohavto es Hashem Elokecho. And in their fervor for love of Hashem, they don't feel pain in their death."

    It seems that due to the lack of authentic tradition on this story, great importance is placed on this source, because it is the earliest one we have.

    A tradition is cited in the name of the Gra that on the day the Ger Tzedek sanctified sheim Shomayim, the klipo chitzonis was nullified and the power of tumo that rests on the hands in the morning (after sleep) was weakened. In the wording quoted in his name: with his [the Ger Tzedek's] ascent to Heaven, fear overcame all the klipos chitzonios and they all became mute.

    They also say in the name of the Gra that when he was praising the Ger Tzedek of Vilna he said, among other things, that the level of a ger is higher than the level of a Yisroel. It is known that a Yisroel is higher than a mal'och, for a mal'och may only say "Hashem" after three words, "Kodosh, kodosh, kodosh Hashem," and a Yisroel says after two words "Shema Yisroel Hashem Elokeinu" (see Chulin 91:2). The ger says after one word, like it says, "And Yisro said `Boruch Hashem . . . '"

    The Chofetz Chaim used to repeat an explanation that he heard in the name of the Ger Tzedek about the origin of geirim. The words of Chazal are well-known that before Hashem gave the Torah, He went to every nation and they all refused to accept it. However, the overwhelming majority of each nation refused, but there were individuals who did want the Torah. Those individuals are the source of the souls of geirim.

    A Jewish Burial

    After the Ger Tzedek was burnt at stake, the priests forbade gathering his dust to be buried. But the Gra decided that they were obligated to try to give him a Jewish burial, and that is what happened. A Vilna Jew by the name of Reb Eliezer Meir Sirki (or Leizer Siskes according to another version) did not have a beard which made it easy for him to disguise himself as a gentile. The Gra chose him to fulfill this mitzva.

    Reb Leizer dressed up in gentile clothing and went to bribe the gentile appointed to temporarily guard the ashes. After offering a large sum of money, Reb Leizer received some ashes and two pure fingers, which he buried in an earthenware vessel -- a proper Jewish burial.

    For his great devotion, the Gaon gave him a brocho that he should live a long life. Indeed, he lived to the ripe old age of one hundred and twelve. They say that engraved on his tombstone are the words, "The Gaon's brocho -- the number of years of his life: one hundred and twelve years."

    They also say that when they found out that the Gra instigated saving the Ger Tzedek's ashes, the authorities imprisoned him for some time. The chapter of this imprisonment, however, is shrouded in darkness, and details of two later prison stays, which happened in his old age for other reasons entirely, are mixed into it.

    A wondrous phenomenon occurred at the grave of the ashes of the Ger Tzedek in the ancient cemetery in Vilna. A thick tree grew on top of it, shaped like a human body stooped over the grave, covering it, as if to protect it. At the bottom of the tree, two branches grew like two legs and two branches crossed on top like two arms. Whoever saw it was frightened by the tree's awesome appearance, which rose from the ashes of the holy and pure one.

    Stories abound about the tree, mostly about repeated attacks from the gentiles even as late as one hundred and fifty years after the Ger Tzedek's demise. They say that during World War I, a soldier shot the tree and suddenly there were drops of blood coming out of it. Another time, a soldier tried to cut down the tree, and when he hit it with his ax, the ax slipped out of his hand and killed him. The fact that this "rebel to their religion" merited a remembrance and a place for many Jews to daven infuriated the gentiles. In any case, during World War I, German soldiers succeeded in cutting off the upper part of the tree.

    Due to the circumstances, the grave did not have a proper ohel until 5687 (1927) when the "great tzedaka" of Vilna erected an iron ohel to protect the grave and a stone fence to protect the rest of the tree. The following wording is engraved on board on the black ohel:

    The tombstone of the Ger Tzedek / To a dear pure and holy soul / The kodosh Avrohom ben Avrohom / He was mekadesh Hashem in public on beis Shavuos / 5509

    Yizkor

    The anniversary of his death was a special yahrtzeit for the overall Vilna community, and they used to remember his neshomo and speak about his strength. Reb Eliyohu Gordon, a maggid in Vilna, raised the memory of the Ger Tzedek on the bimah of the Beis Knesses Hagodol on the second day of Shavuos 5679 (1919) before Yizkor.

    He concluded his hesped with the following words: "Who of us has not seen this frightful tree; who of us has not stood there bent in great admiration before the remains of the saintly man, who sacrificed his life al kiddush Hashem."

    He also added that on the day Vilna remembers the Ger Tzedek's neshomo, from then until today, they tell stories upon stories about his life, because in his generation it was forbidden to publicize the details of his strength.

    We cannot end the description of this chapter until we mention another thing told about the Gra's connection to the Ger Tzedek. Once, Rabbenu went to comfort one of his students whose son died in infancy. While comforting him, he revealed the secret of why the infant was taken so young. The Ger Tzedek, Reb Avrohom ben Avrohom, purified himself with all kinds of holiness, but there was one thing he could not rectify -- that he was not born in kedusha, because he had a gentile mother. His soul therefore came back down to earth in the form of that baby, and when his tikun was complete, he returned to his eternal home.

    Further Research on the Story of the Ger Tzedek

    By Rav Avishai Beir

    Rav Avishai Beir invested much work in compiling and verifying the historical facts from writings and testimonials divulged over the years, and he has now published his findings for the first time. He found various old source material that sheds light on further details.

    The following article was first published in the sefer hazikoron of the great mashgiach of the Lakewood yeshiva, HaRav Nosson Meir Wachtfogel zt'l, published this year in 5760 (2000), by Lakewood alumni and entitled Nit'ei Ne'emonim. The sefer is a two-volume compilation of unique, Torah articles and surveys as well as speeches of gedolim of previous generations, some of which were previously unpublished. Accolades to the publisher, Machon Mishnas Reb Aharon and the editors.

    The story of the Ger Tzedek shook up the Jewish world at the time and until today, and it still makes the hearts of anyone who reads it tremble.

    Very little was written about this story at the time, and we must rely on a combination of rumors and bits of tradition. There are a few reasons why there are so few contemporary sources about the ger tzedek story. It can be assumed that the noble Pototzki family, which was a religious Polish- Catholic family, was not happy that one of their sons defected to Judaism. The Pototzki family was said to have generally dealt kindly with the Jews living on its lands. Mentioning the conversion would have been interpreted as an open provocation of the area's ruler, which would have not resulted in any good. In addition, undoubtedly the conversion of one of the upper- class gentiles aroused great interest among the populace, and his refusal to return to their faith caused them great embarrassment.

    Sources of Confusion

    The sefer, Ir Gibborim relates a blood libel that happened in Horodna: A Christian girl disappeared and her scarf was found in the possession of Reb Eliezer ben Reb Shlomo of Verbloi. That was enough evidence for some to testify that they saw with their own eyes how the Jew killed the girl and used her blood. All efforts to save him did not help, and he was sentenced to a cruel death. His body was cut into four pieces, which were hung in four corners of the city. The decree was carried out on the second day of Shavuos 5550 (1790). It seems that the fact that this kodosh, Hy'd was also killed on the second day of Shavuos caused some vagueness in the story of the ger tzedek.

    The sefer Amudei Beis Yehuda, tells about "a certain kodosh Hy'd, Morenu HaRav Man, a seventy-year old man and great talmid chochom who was killed al kiddush Hashem in Vilna." This story could have also caused a confusion in tradition.

    Someone named Litwin in an article, "Graf Pototzki, the Ger Tzedek," wrote that he made a special trip to the village Ilia, about thirty-seven kilometers from Vilna, where Reb Avrohom ben Avrohom hid and subsequently was given over to the authorities. Litwin asked the community's secretary permission to see the "ledger" in case anything was written about the story of the Ger Tzedek. The secretary absolutely refused.

    Litwin related that his efforts to find documentary evidence on the Ger Tzedek were not very successful and only after much toil did he find even a pamphlet of a few pages entitled "The Story of the Ger Tzedek," written by a Vilna Jew. The handwritten story was in Yiddish, according to his guess from around 5560 (1800), and was only a copy, not the original. Litwin only published a few paragraphs of that pamphlet.

    The handwritten paragraphs that Litwin quoted, relate that Reb Avrohom ben Avrohom always had a burning desire for learning, and especially a strong desire to know what is the true faith. "The noble's son's main desire in learning was to clarify which faith is the true one." For this purpose, he traveled to Paris and there "he put his body and soul into investigating all faiths."

    Litwin wrote that the writings before him related that after the Ger Tzedek found out that he had been informed upon, he fled to the "Starinke" area, about nine kilometers from Ilia. The area's owner, out of fear of the local poritz, handed him over to the authorities.

    The article goes on to relate that when the author visited Ilia, a local Jew told him that the Jews of Ilia have the following tradition. When the Ger Tzedek was brought to Vilna in chains, he cursed the informer, his sons, grandchildren and great-grandchildren until the tenth generation, that none of them will be physically whole men and that none of them will die in their beds. The same Jew added that the Ger Tzedek's curse was fulfilled and the informer's descendants, who from then on bore the derogatory title "Di Yoshkes," were never physically whole. One was deaf, one mute, one crippled, etc. and it was rare that any of them died a natural death. The family members were stamped with a kind of sign of Cain, and they were always met with looks of fear and suspicion.

    A curse fell as well, the Ilian Jew added, on the pub where the Ger Tzedek hid and was chased out by the owner. Not a single barman finished his years of tenancy there alive.

    Descendants

    In the book Converts to Judaism in Russia and Other Countries, the author relates that in 5645 (1885), when he was in Charson, he met a forty-year old Jew in a hotel who used to say vidui every single night before he went to sleep, as if he were prepared to die that night. When he was asked to explain this custom, he said, "I am a descendant of that tailor, the one who handed over the Ger Tzedek zichrono livrocho to the authorities, since he rebuked him and his wild son. When he [the Ger Tzedek] was imprisoned, he cursed him with the same curse that was placed on the high priest Eli's family: `There will not be an elderly person in your house all the days . . . and all of the majority of your house will die [young] men.' Because of this we, his descendants, say vidui every night . . . Only in rare cases do we cross the border of `their days will not reach half.'"

    The author adds that he spoke to the rov of Dimasa, Reb Gershon Pinsker, who told him that he also knows some of this tailor's great-grandchildren and grandchildren and not one them lived a long life.

    The Sefer Gerei HaTzedek

    In 5622 (1862), M. Dik in Johannesburg published a small pamphlet called Gerei Tzedek, which contains the story of the Ger Tzedek and his friend. The book's style is smooth and gushing; it is obvious that a storyteller embellished the story. It seems, however, that M. Dik never claimed that all details of the story are true. We will quote a story that appears in the pamphlet:

    "One gentile woman twisted her mouth in laughter while they judged him, and immediately screamed in a bitter voice and remained that way, with her mouth twisted and opened, and she became mute and had harsh tribulations."

    At the end of the book, M. Dik cites two stories in the name of "HaRav HaGaon of Ilia." We are unable to cross verify who exactly this was and if he truly told Dik or this is one of his "improvements." We'll cite them as is:

    "HaRav HaGaon of Ilia told me that the tzaddik cursed the wicked tailor who handed him over to the authorities, that from all of his house, none will be a talmid chochom forever, and if one of his family members desires the Torah of Hashem, he will die in adolescence. When he was appointed rov there, he said a shiur in gemora every day in the beis medrash. A good, smart boy sat in the shiur, and the rov drew him close because he was also diligent in his studies. One time his mother came, grabbed him by his payos and dragged him out of the beis medrash and cried a great, bitter cry saying to the rov: Go out, go out murderous man, heretical man, have pity on yourself.

    "The rov was very angry and asked about this outburst. And they answered him that he [the boy] is from the wicked family and his mother is scared that if he learns Torah of Hashem he'll die, so she doesn't want him to learn.

    "The aforementioned rov also told me that when the wicked tailor died, they buried him in "a donkey's burial," thrown outside the cemetery's gates. After a few years, members of his family were appointed to the Chevra Kadisha and it was a disgrace to them that their relative was buried outside the gate. What did they do? They bought another piece of ground for graves from the city's prince so that he would be buried in the middle of the cemetery. In that year, anyone who was involved in this died."

    A New Manuscript -- Kuntrus Ger HaTzedek

    The collected manuscripts, Kehillas Moshe of Arye Leib Freidland, today found in the Leningrad library, contain a nine-page kuntrus, which tells the story of the Ger Tzedek in more detail than was previously known. Undoubtedly, this manuscript is not the one Litwin had, because his was written in Yiddish and this one in loshon hakodesh. It was also not translated from Litwin's, because Litwin related details that it does not contain. These details themselves are unimportant, but they do determine that there are two entirely separate manuscripts.

    The author's literary style is very nice. It seems, however, that he was not so educated, because his manuscript is strewn with blatant spelling mistakes and he undoubtedly skipped portions of the story. At the same time, there is no attempt to polish up the story and fill the gaps with details from the author's imagination. Perhaps this fact, as well, gives the manuscript a certain ring of authenticity.

    In his aforementioned article, Litwin complains that there are not enough details about the Ger Tzedek. The manuscript before us also does not elaborate much about the Ger Tzedek, but it does speak about his friend Zarembo at length.

    The Ger Tzedek's Ties with the Gra ztvk'l

    In spite of all our traditions that speak about the Ger Tzedek's ties with the Gra, the manuscript does not say anything about it. It seems quite certain that Litwin's manuscript did not mention it either, because if so he would have cited it. Dik, as well, does not say anything about it.

    Nevertheless, we believe the words of our rabbonim, which clearly indicate that there was a connection between the Gra ztvk'l and the Ger Tzedek.

    We will discuss one point: Did the Gra ztvk'l himself visit the Ger Tzedek in prison?

    In the sefer, Ruach Eliyohu, Rav Eliyohu Moshe Bloch relates that he heard from HaRav Aharon Kotler zt'l that the Chofetz Chaim told him that the Gra ztvk'l sent a message to the Ger Tzedek that "he is prepared to save him through a mofes, and he answered that he doesn't want that."

    In the sefer, The Life and Deeds of the Chofetz Chaim, the author relates this very story in the name of HaRav Tzvi Hirsch Levinson, the Chofetz Chaim's son-in-law -- that the Gra ztvk'l sent a message -- implying that he did not meet him personally. The same is written in Shimusha shel Torah. The only one who wrote that the Gra did meet the Ger Tzedek in prison was Reb Chaikel Lunski in his aforementioned article, but he was careful with his words and prefaced the incident with, "The story goes." It seems that there is no reliable source for this detail.

    The fact that the Gra was buried in the same ohel as the Ger Tzedek also proves that they did have ties with each other.

    Rabbenu Menachem Azarya of Panno writes that there is a strong link between gerei tzedek and gedolei hador, in sefer Olom Koton. He says that the gedolei hador must take care of gerim like Moshe with Yisro and Naomi with Rus.

    As far as is known, the story of the Ger Tzedek is not mentioned in the seforim of the Gra's disciples. Perhaps there is a hint in the sefer Toldos Odom, which says that Reb Zalman once mentioned the words of the gemora in Brochos: When they took Rabbi Akiva out to be killed, it was time for krias Shema. They raked his skin with iron combs and in spite of everything, he accepted upon himself the yoke of Heaven with love and happiness and was not affected by his body's suffering. And he concluded with the following, "In this golus as well, Yisroel does not lack chachomim who suffered tortures more bitter than death, with happiness and joy like one going out with a flute to celebrate a holiday."

    The Ger Tzedek, Reb Avrohom ben Avrohom was burned al kiddush Hashem on the second day of Shavuos 5509 (1749). Until the Holocaust, all the batei knesses of Vilna commemorated his yahrtzeit le'iluy nishmoso.

    In 5712 (1952), the Russian government destroyed the ancient cemetery of Vilna. Only seven graves were moved to the new cemetery, including the Gra's and the Ger Tzedek's.

    A monument stands at the site of the old cemetery containing the following words in Yiddish:

    Here were buried in the dust / Gedolei Yisroel / Including: / The Vilna Gaon -- / Eliyohu bar Shlomo Kramer / The Ger Tzedek -- / Graf Valentine Pototzki

    Reb Chaikel Lunski Hy'd related that anyone who was in pain or suffering used to come to pour out his heart at the kever, to ask him to be a meilitz yosher for the nation for whose belief he sacrificed his life.

    Ger Tzedek

    One tradition brings the following account of an incident in the life of the Ger before he converted.

    One day the two friends (Pototzki and Zarembo) went for a walk in the city, and they got very thirsty. They went into a vineyard to drink, saw a small hut and heard the voice of someone learning within. They went closer to see who was learning there and found an elderly man learning with a young boy. The friends went into the hut to see what he was learning. They looked at the sefer and could not understand anything.

    The Duke's son asked his friend, "Can you read the book?"

    The friend said, "I have never seen or heard this language until today."

    They asked the old man, "Which book is this?"

    The old man said, "This book is called Talmud Bavli and its language is loshon hakodesh."

    They asked him to tell them what was written there. He told them a few paragraphs, explaining them well. And they liked this sefer. They asked the old man if everything written there is true. The old man answered, "It is very true."

    And they said, "If it is true, why don't you teach us from this book; why do you read from it in secret?"

    The old man answered, "You are Christian. The one who turns you from the proper path put a ban on anyone teaching his son from this sefer. Therefore, I learn in secret, and I'll learn our Shas with you from this sefer."

    They urged the old man to learn with them from the sefer for some time every day and paid him well. He began to teach them from the sefer and [behold] after a half a year they learned the entire Chumash. The words of Torah entered their hearts, and they became different people. They also learned Tanach in this room. They didn't keep up with their academic studies and didn't go to pray. Their priest rebuked them and the Duke's son answered sharply.

    One day, the two friends went for a walk in the field, with their servants following. They sat down and the Duke's son said to his friend, "Tell the servants to go away, because we need to speak in private."

    The servants left. The Duke's son said to his friend, "I will reveal all the secrets of my heart to you, but do not tell any of these words to anyone."

    "Heaven forbid that I should do such a thing."

    "I decided to flee from here to Amsterdam to convert to Judaism, because their religion is the true one, as we know."

    His friend answered, "I am like you, I will also do so if I have the means."

    The two swore and made a treaty together and said, "G-d will be a witness between us." They got up and went back to the city.

    They discussed it with each other, because they were still wavering from one side to the other -- to the G-d of Yisroel or the opposite chas vesholom. They decided to draw lots, and the lot fell that they should convert to Judaism. The Duke's son wanted to travel to Rome, and there in Rome he could discover for sure if there was anything to their faith. He wrote a letter to his father, the Duke, asking him to send a lot of money because he wanted to travel to Rome. And his father sent him a lot of money.

    He came to Rome. They greeted him with much honor and the Pope taught him in their academy. Every week, he used to make a big feast for all the ministers and servants and he gave the ministers many presents. Once the Duke's son asked the Pope's attendant, "How does he go up to heaven?" He begged and pleaded that he should tell him the truth.

    The attendant said, "If you give me a good present, I'll tell you the truth."

    He agreed. The servant told him, "You should know that everything is a lie; he never went up to heaven. On their day, they say he sits in an inner room in great poverty and afterwards they say he went up to heaven, but it is not true."

    He [Pototzki] investigated the matter and found that it was true.

    He thought, now it is time for Hakodosh Boruch Hu to take me out of falsehood and bring me to truth. Blessed is Hashem Who led me on the true path.

    He fled from Rome to the seashore, went onto a ship and came to Amsterdam, where he converted to Judaism. He lived there for a few months.

    His friend (Zarembo) did not hear anything from the Duke's son; he could not write him letters in a way that no one would find out their secret. He stayed in Paris for thirty months, studying well, and then traveled to his father in Lithuania. He passed the palace of Tishkevitz, his father's friend, and the Tishkevitz ruler greeted him with great honor. He stayed there for a month and then wanted to travel to his father.

    The Tishkevitz minister said, "I'll reveal my heart's secret to you. I want to give you my daughter for a wife because I like you."

    And he bowed before him and said, "Why have I found favor in your eyes; my father is from the poorest of nations, Lithuania, and my master is great among the nations."

    He said, "If you are small in your eyes, you are great in my eyes." He sent a letter to his father and his father came to Tishkevitz. They made a big feast and conducted the wedding, and he took the Tishkevitz daughter for a wife. The lad became great among all the ministers and officers of the kingdom. After a year, his wife gave birth to a son and they made a big feast for all his ministers and servants and the Lithuanian ministers for a month. And behold, due to his great success and happiness, he forgot the pact he had made with the Duke's son.

    In those days, letters arrived from Poland saying that the Duke's son disappeared -- his name is Pototzki, who went to Rome, and no one knows anything about him. When his friend heard the news, he trembled greatly. He was very pained over the fact that he had forgotten about their promise and understood that he had definitely fled to Amsterdam to convert to Judaism there. He also had sworn to convert like him. He did not want to separate from his wife and son and all his glory; but he also did not want to break his promise, because he knew from what he and his friend had investigated that their religion was nonsense and empty. And he was very worried about this and he became depressed.

    His father-in-law realized that he was worried and in pain and asked him what was with him. He said that he was not feeling well and asked for a horse and buggy. His father-in- law gave him two horses and a carriage and two servants, and he and his wife and son went to his father and stayed there for a month.

    He wrote a letter to his father-in-law asking for money because he wanted to tour Konigsburg. They liked the customs of the people there, because their faith was much better than the officers of Lithuania. They stayed there a few months. He said to his wife, "Write a letter to your father that he should send us a lot of money and we'll buy property here."

    The wife agreed and wrote to her father to send them a lot of money. When the money arrived, he said to his wife, "I want to travel to Holland for two or three days. Perhaps there is a boat to Holland from here."

    She said, "I will also come with you and see the country's beauty." They boarded a ship and reached Amsterdam, where he rented a palace and lived there.

    The next day, he went to the rov of the city and told him that he wanted to become a ger. He gave them a special room to circumcise himself and his five-year old son. And his wife was waiting for her husband to come and he didn't come. In the evening, she and her servants went to find him and her son. He sent her a message that she should not look for him because he had converted.

    When his wife heard this, she fainted. The women said to her, "What's with you?" She told them that her husband became a Jew. They said that there is freedom to do that here. She went and came and begged him and cried before him a great cry and said to him, "I will also convert like you."

    Her husband said to her, "It is very good, but before you convert, you must learn (Judaism) and see how many mitzvos there are. It is not like the Christian faith where everything is permissible. And when you learn the Jewish religion, if you want to convert, I will accept you."

    The matter found favor in her eyes. She went to wise, righteous women and they taught her the Jewish religion. Afterwards she went to a beis din and they informed her of the severity of the mitzvos, their punishments and rewards. They took her out to tovel and she became Jewish.

    She came with great happiness and said to her husband, "Now I am like you."

    He said, "You did a good thing, but one thing I want to tell you -- I want to marry another woman who knows more and could teach me Judaism, and you should marry another man who will teach you the Jewish religion."

    When his wife heard this, she was very pained. She said, "I will tell you what I read in a history book. Two people were walking on one path and they wandered in the forest for three days and could not find the right way. They cried and davened to Hashem and He made a miracle for them and they found the proper path. When they were on the right path, one said to the other, "Now let us separate; I will go one way and you will go the other way."

    The other answered, "Is it right that when we were lost in the forest we went together, and now that we found the right path we should separate? Is that right? Rather, let us go together and rejoice over the great miracle Hashem did for us."

    When her husband heard her good words, he took her as a wife. They lived in Amsterdam for a long time and then traveled to Eretz Yisroel.

    May his merit and the merit of all tzadikim help us and may we all be zoche to see the comfort of Tzion and Yerushalayim.

    ReplyDelete
  6. and those like "Larry Lennhoff" who totally misconstrues what I say,
    Please rephrase what you have said so that I may understand it. In my interpretation you have said that as long as your local O rabbi and community validate a person's gerut, they need not worry about the rest of the O world.

    My counter-assertion is that if the person ever wants to change communities, or if their children ever want to change communities, they may encounter a problem. Therefore one should be concerned about this issue today.

    1) Do you disagree with what I just said above?

    2) If I have misunderstood what you said, I am sorry. Please try again to explain what you are saying and I hope I'll understand this time.

    ReplyDelete

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