Survey Responses

Note: Several months ago I began issuing notices of religious exemption from self-harm and child sacrifice, and I am reiterating that offer. If you would like one, just ask. Rabbi Chananya Weissman https://chananyaweissman.com/

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I asked people to seek answers from rabbis to these 15 questions: https://chananyaweissman.com/article.php?id=316. Here is a follow-up. The following rabbis have been contacted and did not respond as of this time:

Rabbi Yosef Mizrachi, NY

Rabbi Mendel Kaplan, Chabad, Potomac Maryland

Rabbi Chaim Ovadiah, Rockville Maryland

Rabbi Shelly Kelaty, UK

Rabbi Levi Chazen, Israel

Rabbi Tovia Singer, Israel

Rabbi Mike Feuer, Israel

Rabbi Michoel Gourarie from Bina

Rabbi Richie Moss, Bondi Australia

Rabbi Kemins of Emanuel Synagogue in Australia (Reform "rabbi", just for fun)

Rabbi Warren Goldstein, Chief Rabbi of South Africa was contacted. His office assistant, Tali Blumenau, replied on July 19 that she would pass on the email to him. No further response.

Rabbi Mendel Kastel, from Australia was contacted. I was told about him as follows: "runs a registered charity crisis centre for Jewish and non-Jewish community - a humble mensch". He replied: "I agree [these are] serious questions and need to be asked to a rabbi who specialises in this. I would suggest you contact the Beth din." 

Fair enough. The Beis Din of Sydney was subsequently contacted and has not responded.

Only one rabbi thus far engaged in any meaningful correspondence, Rabbi Aron Moss from Nefesh in Australia. In the initial email with the questions he was informed that "there are now studies (Israeli) that show people who have had the actual disease are 6.75 times more immune than those who have been injected."

Rabbi Moss replied as follows: "These questions need to be addressed by a posek. They are serious issues of life and death that have national impact. Your local rabbi (like me) is not qualified to make such decisions. 

There is a halachic process that the Torah laid down. A posek follows the halachic process and makes a decision based on that. 

We believe that Torah determines reality, not the other way around. So if the leading halachic authorities of the generation pasken one way, then nature follows that psak. 

We are living in confusing times. The messages we get from various media do not help give us any more clarity. We don't really know whom to believe. I think this is the test of our emunah now. 

We each have the power of emunah in our soul. It is our ability to ignore the way things look and hold strong convictions about something deeper. Everyone chooses how to use that emunah. You can use your emunah power to trust politicians, news media, memes on whatsapp, conspiracy theorists, doctors, experts, Hashem, rabbis - all in spite of evidence to the contrary. What do you choose? I choose to believe in Hashem and the Torah process. 

Wishing you all the best and may we only have good news always"

This response is extremely vague and confusing, but I want to focus on one line: "So if the leading halachic authorities of the generation pasken one way, then nature follows that psak." Rabbi Moss seems to be arguing that if poskim declare that poison is not poison, then nature will follow that psak, the poison will cease to be harmful, and people would be obligated to take the poison with full belief in Hashem and this "Torah process". 

Some sources and historical precedents to substantiate this radical claim would have been helpful, but unfortunately they were not included.

The woman who contacted Rabbi Moss replied back as follows: 

"Dear Rabbi Moss

Thank you for your reply, I really appreciate it.

Would you have any recommendations as to a posek I can ask to address these questions?

Also, I am of the understanding that some rabbis in the community have given advice on this issue. If they are halachically "unqualified" to do so, then by what authority are they influencing and advising people? Of what use are our rabbis if they cannot provide guidance from Torah on real and important issues in our lives? when it really counts.

I have asked several rabbis and they are brushing off these important questions. 

I know someone in our community who decided to get her son jabbed as a result of advice she received. Her son was a perfectly healthy 17yo boy who lives in Vaucluse. He now has inflammation of the heart. people have said to this mum "don't worry, you did the right thing. it is for the good of our society, oh and is he going to get his second jab?" NO! she finally answered. 

Like you, I trust Hashem, and only Hashem. Trusting people doesn't change poison to something that won't harm you. However, nor does trusting Hashem to save your body whilst you get poison injected into you.

It appears that once again, we Jews are sheep. It appears there are no leaders of conscience in our community. Leaders to speak out and up for our inalienable human rights. Our right to choose - without measures of coercive control -what goes in our bodies."

Rabbi Moss replied as follows: 

"The halachic process is that each individual should ask questions to their own community rabbi. In questions like this that involve life and death issues, the community rabbi will respond based on the published opinions of the leading Poskim of the generation. 

This system of course only works if the questioner is actually asking a sincere question, seeking to receive the rabbi's answer. If the questioner is merely seeking the answer that they have already decided is the correct one, then it is a farce and has nothing to do with halacha.

If you are asking a sincere halachic question and seeking Torah guidance, then you should ask your rabbi and follow his directives. 

If you have already made up your own mind on this life and death issue, then asking me or your rabbi will not help.

Just as an example, I have attached the written halachic statements of two leading poskim in Israel, Rabbi Yaroslavski of the Chabad Beis Din, and Rabbi Zilbershtein, a leading posek in the Lithuanian Torah world. Both view vaccination as a halachic obligation. Neither speak about forcing people to vaccinate. For those who follow halacha, there should be no need for coercion. I have not found any psak from any reputable posek that disagrees with them. 

None of the above should be seen as a personal attack against you or anyone else. I am merely sharing the halachic approach to this question. I acknowledge that there are other, non-halachic approaches. But a Jew follows Torah."

In plain English, this response is essentially "Shut up and follow orders." In addition, "Anyone who doesn't shut up and follow orders is engaging in a non-halachic approach and does not follow Torah."

Of course, that should not be seen as a personal attack against anyone.

Rabbi Moss helpfully included the "psak" from the two rabbis he mentioned, which I have attached. These are devoid of any Torah or scientific value, and simply reiterate the same "shut up and follow orders" approach, in the name of "saving lives". 

We are still waiting for ONE RABBI to give a thoughtful, Torah-based reply to ANY of my 15 questions. This is remarkable. Can none of these rabbis offer any guidance whatsoever on questions such as "Under what circumstances, if any, is it permissible for healthy Jews to submit to a medical experiment?" and "Under what circumstances may a minority of medical opinions be followed?" 

Are questions such as these off limits? Are they "political"? Are they not relevant? How can it be that every rabbi who has been asked these questions thus far has either not responded or dodged the questions completely? 

If rabbis cannot offer any guidance with straightforward, fundamental, extremely relevant questions such as these, what makes them rabbis exactly, and what function do they serve? Is the job of a rabbi today merely to cash a paycheck and tell you to ask your questions to someone else, or shut up and follow orders? 

Are they nothing more than the customer service agent who does nothing to help you, then asks if there's anything else they can help you with, then disconnects the call?

Keep pushing for answers, everyone. It's time to make the phonies, the whores, and the Erev Rav feel some heat.