ב"ה
Tuesday, 16 Shevat, 5786
  |  February 3, 2026

Rabbis Denounce Guest Violence

Members of Badatz Crown Heights Rabbi Yaacov Schwei and Rabbi Yosef Braun wrote against "raising hands" and "mesira" in light of recent events involving Israeli Tishrei guests. Full Letter

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Rabbi Ori Shonthal, 76, OBM

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mesira?? hashemmmmmmmmmmmmmm
October 10, 2011 9:53 pm

and every time people are dieing we ask why… stop mesires now!!!

to 32
October 10, 2011 7:46 am

So what is to Tzfatim pulled up to the ohel where Detroit had a camp (theoretically) and offered a child a ride to 770 for 45 minutes there, would yoo call that kidnapping? Moreso, would you be stupid enough to invoke Kletzky? Would you support a group of detroiters beating him really badly while his face was covered in a towel? In the worst case scenario, if the story was truly the way you portrayed it, it was irresponsible very dirty political immaturity.

is this the Jewish way?
October 10, 2011 2:08 am

Why has it become so prevalent and so easy for some of us to run to the police / authorities against a fellow yid? I think it’s time for us to make a serious ‘chashbon nefesh’ and see what brought us to this terrible low level. (I’m not blaming any particular person. It’s so sad to see how low we have fallen).

who would do this?
October 10, 2011 2:05 am

Who would go and “moser” on the guest coming for Tishrey?

Why would it bother some that these orchim are sleeping in basements that may not be 100% up to code?

Is their hatred for Hendel blinding them to destroy an institution that our holy Rebbe stated many times that is the obligation of all members of the community to help house, feed and tend to the needs of the Rebbe’s orchim?

rule of Torah
October 10, 2011 1:26 am

How is it that some of us don’t grasp the gravity of Mesira – even if it’s against someone who you cant stand and gets on your nerves?

Does Torah change if I don’t like you???

Tell the truth
October 10, 2011 12:40 am

The Mesira was against Hachnosos Orchim and left a few gu
ests apartments (meaning a couple hundred bochurim)
without a place to stay since the Fire Department issued violations and shut down the apartments in question.

#19
October 9, 2011 9:11 pm

i like that

this is SAD
October 9, 2011 8:20 pm

then we wonder why were still in golus

Doesn't it bother the writers of the letter that
October 9, 2011 7:53 pm

Anarchy rules!??!? It certainly should!

Yes kidnapped!
October 9, 2011 7:20 pm

The poor bochur who was beaten, asked two kids if they wanted a ride and then drove off with them… That’s kidnapping! their counselors were freaking out.
Meshichist or not, thats wrong!

to 27
October 9, 2011 5:55 pm

Stupidity. They were not kidnapped. First of all ch in tishrei with the ohrchim is hefkeres. If a child is abandoned in CH, how can they have been kidnapped? That’s the way these minors are. The parents send their boys for 3 weeks across the world themselves! Kletzky was 8, what was the age of the children who were “kidnapped”? Your invoking Kletzky is ludicrous. Let’s even say they were 2 year old children, these tzfatim knew the motive was to bring the children to the ohel to say some tehillim by the Rebbe’s kever, and not cutting “the kidnapped… Read more »

frustrated
October 9, 2011 5:47 pm

I was trying to get into the women’s section to say Yiskor for my mother. Our wonderful young guests were blocking all the entrances to racen back to their (??) seats and would not let me pass. Begging and pleading did not work. I would not come down to their level and shove to get in so I gave up. What a disgrace and who brought them up? Next year will go elsewhere.

to 27
October 9, 2011 4:46 pm

are you mad? kidnapped? do u evern realize what you are writing?

In my opimnion
October 9, 2011 4:04 pm

Anyone who contributes to Eshel is a blazing fool!

The real story
October 9, 2011 1:52 pm

The “poor” bochur who was beaten up, had kidnapped two kids from the camp to the ohel… he just picked the up and ran off with them…
one can imagine that the bochurim in charge were freaking out.
I am not condoning violence, but a kidnapper who runs off with children today… child molester… Leiby Kletzky. Enough said.

Enough!
October 9, 2011 12:51 pm

Say no to Aishel.

Police?
October 9, 2011 12:51 pm

The maggid shiur in 770 and the bochur walking home late at night were beaten and almost killed. Why weren’t the police called?!? Are things totally ‘hefker’ in Crown Heights?

well done
October 9, 2011 12:43 pm

bh for the taftis they now have TWO rabbonim to help them along with their violence & mesiros….

rabbi's denounce violence???
October 9, 2011 11:45 am

It sounds like they are saying “don’t say anything provocotive against the gabboim or us, who are voted in by the majority”. Like that is going to end the violence, which is overwhelmingly from the side of the tzfatis. Time to grow up and get over your differences, as you yourselves write in your letter.

Very engry
October 9, 2011 11:41 am

The same Rabonim encourage mesira when it is good for them

Correction to the se-if in the Alter Rebbes Shulchan Aruch
October 9, 2011 11:31 am

Its not in Se-if vav, only in Se-if zayin.

18 is correct i know the bochur it was done to.
October 9, 2011 11:28 am

The “mesira” they write about at the end, refers specifcally to someone paining the other with words, but in the same seif the Alter Rebbe writes clearly, that if it is physical (which is what they are referring to in the first half of the letter) then one who tells the authority, it is not considered mesira.

Don"t Need English
October 9, 2011 11:22 am

If you can’t read the Hebrew, then it doesn’t pertain to you.

The story behind the letter:
October 9, 2011 11:14 am

A Bochur who had been selling tickets to Orchim for the ohel bus (something organised by the “vaad hatemimim”), was walking home one night at 3am, when three guys approached him from behind wrapped a towel around his face so he would not be able to identify his attackers, and beat him severely to the extent that the boy still has bruises on his face. The attackers for some reason had to leave in a hurry, and left some belongings behind (besides for the towel), a hat, and a yechi yarmulka. The last half of the letter, “mesirah”, has nothing… Read more »

English Please
October 9, 2011 9:52 am
frustrated
October 9, 2011 9:34 am

Yet this same letterhead ok’s a website that condemns peaple without due proccess namely CHW so where is tzedek or yosher ?!

to #9
October 9, 2011 9:21 am

1) they come to every door every day to ask for money either for themselves or hide behind a name of a mosod 2) feel welcome?????????? they take over our lives here. We give them our homes, keys, food, time, koach, money, shul etc. We stand on our feet and cook for them and then they turn around and stab us with messira and bottles and kicks etc. Wake up and stop being brainwashed. Why are they coming? It is the Tishrei Crown Heights Experience. They come every year. How often have you been in Eretz Yisroel ? Do you… Read more »

pot calls kettle black
October 9, 2011 8:53 am

interesting! Look who’s talking about mesirah. Eye roll here.

To # 8
October 9, 2011 2:00 am

You will survive w/o the loshon horah, I promise you.

ouch!
October 9, 2011 12:54 am

What happened??

They have to clean up their act
October 9, 2011 12:14 am

Maybe tell the “hachnasas orchim” not to hurt US. It’s not appreciated when you get a soda bottle kicked at you when you’re carrying home your groceries!!!!

be a mench
October 8, 2011 10:33 pm

i heard that someone maserd on the eshel basements, thats not cool

Let them live
October 8, 2011 10:14 pm

Thay have spent hundret of dolers to come hear let’s make Tham fell welcome

dear col
October 8, 2011 10:08 pm

is this a news article? please give us more information such as what were the incidents that happened

old timer
October 8, 2011 9:41 pm

Mesira is bad news. No good comes to the person who masers. We see and know when a person masers on another yid, he is filled with tzoros in gashmius, health parnosa etc. Impress upon people the chumra of that.
why would guests maser on anyone? they are treated like royalty and some. we give up our homes, time, money, kochos, etc. for their month long vacation and still it is not enough?

I agree with #1
October 8, 2011 9:41 pm

but you spelt umm wrong!

Col in English
October 8, 2011 9:32 pm

If it’s published on the Englisg version of COL, the letter MUST be translated in English. Can you translate, please?

yo all of you, its motzi yom kipur! stop fighting ppl u dont like!
October 8, 2011 9:27 pm

Hashem is watching!

yes it maybe a small number of people who make all the noise but really the majority are peaceful mature chasidim!

pls let the few loud ones grow up & follow the vast majority who have a life!

trying to hurt the Hachnosas orchim network is not justified!
October 8, 2011 9:10 pm

thats the translation!

translation:
October 8, 2011 9:08 pm

Ahavas Yisroel is good,
Sinas chinum is bad!!

especially if you dont like them

ummmmmm
October 8, 2011 8:42 pm

could someone translate this please

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