0471 - Response to Apologizing for Throwing a Reform Siddur on the Floor - Mihu Yehudi - Menachem Parush

00:01 The Rebbe started speaking about the Gezeira of Mi Yehudi Purim Tov Shin Lamed. Everyone knows what the Gezeira of Mi Yehudi is. There's a law in Eretz Yisrael that any Yid who comes to Eretz Yisrael could become a citizen right away. That's called the Cheik Hashrut, the law of return. And then the law describes what is considered a Yid, somebody who is born from a Jewish mother or was Nisgayer or converted. Now, originally, the law said that it's a person who was converted Kehalacha, according to Halacha. But then later they took out the word Kehalacha, and they left it at anybody that was converted, meaning that even if he was converted conservative or reform, he is accepted as a Yid. And the Rebbe said that this is a terrible Gezeira because this is going to make that Goyim will mix up with Yidden because these people are Goyim. Those that converted according with conservative reform are really Goyim because the conversion is nothing. But they'll be considered Yidden, so they will marry with Yidden, etc., and they'll mix into Klal Yisrael. So the Rebbe said this is a very, very terrible Gezeira. And the Rebbe spoke about it for years, many, many years, Kimat every Farbrengen for many, many years because by the Rebbe this was a terrible Gezeira, and he showed how this is the worst Gezeira possible. He called it the Gezeira HaYumah, the terrible Gezeira. One of the times he spoke about it was Achashverosh Pesach Tov Shin Lamed. Now, when he

01:25 spoke about it, Achashverosh Pesach Tov Shin Lamed, it came after another episode which the Rebbe also brought in. What happened was one of the Chaveri HaKnesses, Reb Nachum Porush, who was a member of the Knesset, and he was from the Fruma parties, and he represented the Fruma Yidden. So he spoke in the Knesset against the Gezeira of Mi Yehudi, against reform Gayros. And to demonstrate it, he took a reform siddur, and he threw it on the floor. This made a very big tumult. People started timing, he toch and he did that. He was very disrespectful to this, and it's not nice, not politically correct, etc., etc. So he apologized. He asked Mechila, and he said really he shouldn't have done it. It's not the place. It's not the thing. And he apologized. He asked Mechila for it. So Achashverosh Pesach Tov Shin Lamed, the Rebbe spoke about it, and the Rebbe said that I am now at odds with many people because the Rebbe tumult a lot about Gezeira of Mi Yehudi, which was against certain people who were for it, etc., etc. There's one person who I am good with him, but now I'm going to be at odds with him, too. I'm going to speak about him. And the Rebbe spoke without mentioning a name, obviously, about Reb Nachum Porush throwing, asking Mechila for throwing down the siddur. And the Rebbe said whether he should have thrown down the siddur Lechatchila or not, that's a question to know whether he should have done

02:42 it or not. But if he did it, he should have not asked Mechila for throwing down on the floor a reform siddur. The Rebbe said it falls into the category of Sefer Torah Shekosfo Min Yisoref. A Sefer Torah that was written by Apikores has to be burned. But then the Rebbe said someone asked him that that is only if the Sefer Torah was written by hand by an Apikores. We're talking about a reform siddur which was printed, so it's written like the Rebbe printed by the Bocher Hazeter, as we call it, by the printer. So that doesn't fall into this category of Sefer Torah Shekosfo Min. So the Rebbe explained this Nekuda, that Sefer Torah Shekosfo Min Yisoref, and it's only if it was written by the hand of the Apikores, is if it's a Sefer that doesn't say anything bad, a Sefer that everything is written is right. The only thing is an Apikores wrote it, then there is a din in Sefer Torah Shekosfo Min Yisoref. But this is not a Sefer Torah Shekosfo Min. This is not a Sefer that Apikores wrote. It's a Sefer Shel Minos. It's a Sefer of Apikores. Their siddur is a siddur, a Sefer of Apikores. They took out Pri Asamesim. They go against the Yomim Avamunah. It's a Sefer of Apikores. So a Sefer of Apikores, no matter how it was written, whether it was written, printed, or written even by a Tzadik Gomer, such a Sefer falls into the category of Sefer Torah Shekosfo Min.

04:01 I think that the Rebbe also said another thing, another question in the same line. In the Hanoch it's not there, but the way I remember now, I'm pretty sure that the Rebbe said it, but I can't say a hundred percent, that there's another question that he asked. This thing of the Sefer Torah Shekosfo Min Yisoref, a Sefer Torah written by Apikores have to burn, the din is that you have to burn it, but you can't be Mesalzel it. You can't show disrespect to it. You just got to burn it, but you can't throw it on the floor. You can't be Mesalzel it. It's only Yisoref. So he had no right to throw it on the floor. So the Rebbe gave the same answer. This is only if it's a Sefer Torah. Everything that's written there is correct, is right. Only thing is it was written by an Apikores. This is a Sefer Shel Minos. This is a Sefer of Apikores. So it's not Sefer Torah Shekosfo Min. So certainly you're allowed to be Mesalzel it. Certainly you're allowed to be respectful, respectful to it. And therefore, he had no business in asking Mechila. And then the Rebbe again said that I know I'm going to get in odds with him. The Rebbe said in Yiddish, "V'zach tzora isem item." But nevertheless, the Rebbe says he has to say it, that there was no... He wasn't right by asking Mechila because this is not a Sefer Torah Shekosfo Min. This is a Sefer Shel Minos. So

05:11 when he threw it down, he's allowed to be Mesalzel in it, and therefore he had no business in asking Mechila.