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Tags: israeli settlers, rabbi, separation-wall
I don’t know if you think American Jews are your only audience, but I can tell you that others (like me) around the world get seriously pissed off by your use of Hebrew words without translation.
Seriously pissed off? Is that a serious attempt to convey information to me? I’m Jewish. That’s part of the pt of this blog. That’s why I use Hebrew/Jewish terms. They’re easily found doing a Google search. If you want to know what something means, ask. I’ll tell you.
Others around the world have not told me they’re seriously pissed off by this format. But if they are they’d undoubtedly convey it to me differently than you have.
I don’t find the “Jewish words” to be a problem. I use google or just ask. No problemo.
This is frightening, that these groups and organizations are gaining ground in Israel and in the US and may even be breaking the law, yet there is nothing being done to investigate. The government seems to investigate Muslim groups and mosques with ludicrous speed, but where are they in cases such as this one? Who is putting the brakes on, who is stifling the questions that should be asked?
RE: “These rabbis are throwing out this important halachic rule in favor of a new interpretation that places settler rabbinic paskanut above this tradition.” – RS
MY COMMENT: Certain parallels in the other Abrahamic religions come to mind….
here’s a video of wolpe on Israeli tv, w/translation:
http://palestinenote.com/cs/blogs/blogs/archive/2009/12/20/a-clear-and-present-danger-far-right-rabbi-dov-wolpe-uncensored.aspx
Strickly speaking, it is not a “loophole.” A loophole is a true legal gap in the regulatory wall. Pending health care law is more loophole than law, for instance. Because of the First Amendment to the US Constitution, Congress cannot regulate religion, so churches are exempt from form 990 reporting FOR THE PART OF THEIR ACTIVITIES THAT INVOLVE ACTUAL WORSHIP. If a church or shrine or mosque or whatever runs a not-for-profit business, for example, that business must file a 990.
In this case, Wolpe simply did something illegal, and the IRS under Bush didn’t enforce the law. Let’s see how fast (or slowly) the case is revisited.