By COLlive reporter
The Crown Heights Badatz Rabbonim, Rabbi Avrohom Osdoba and Rabbi Yosef Braun, have released a letter in response to the current debate regarding setting up an Eruv in large cities.
Their letter comes in response to a statement by 16 Chabad rabbis, roshei yeshiva and poskim who stated that “based on the words of our Rebbeim throughout the years, including the Rebbe, the nasi of our generation, it is a mitzvah for us to establish eruvin in cities where it is possible to do so l’chatchila (initial preference).”
The unprecedented letter was received with mixed responses. One of them came from Rabbi Mottel Krasnjanski, sent by the Rebbe to Melbourne, Australia, and Rabbi of Or Chadash Minyan. In his letter, provided to COLlive.com, he wrote that the Rebbe hesitated with eruvin in cities and when an eruv was made, he wanted that it be done discreetly.
The Badatz letter is freely translated below:
In response to many inquiries about an “eruv” in the Crown Heights neighborhood, we the undersigned, as well as Rabbi Yaacov Schwei obm and, as is known in the past Rabbi Dvorkin OBM as well, are of the opinion that it is an absolute no.
(It’s also known that a while back it was advertised by other big Rabbonim, a serious warning against making eruvim in neighborhoods in Brooklyn, NY, without a heter, and even if they made an Eruv, it is forbidden to carry in it.)
And since there is a new effort which is attempting to throw doubts (which is in the gematria of ‘amalek’) on a matter which is known to every member of the community, we must repeat this.
Without getting into halachic reasoning and explanations, with regards to setting up eruvin in large cities nowadays, and especially here in Crown Heights, first and foremost, it is clear and simple, as the Rebbe has said:
1. It’s up to the Rabbonim who know the conditions of a city to rule on matters of the place, (there is also a known a psak of Rabbi Wosner OBM in the subject of eruvin that you can’t decide from far away, the rabbonim in a city alone are in charge).
2. The notion that an eruv can be set up without the agreement of the rabbonim of the community, borders on destroying Judaism.
3. On shabbos one is not permitted to carry in the streets of the neighborhood, and it is as if the “Eruv” does not exist.
With blessings for the Yom Tov,
Signed
Rabbi Avrohom Osdoba
Rabbi Yosef Braun
