Jerusalem – Rabbi Moshe Hirsch of Neturei Karta Passes Away

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    FILE - Guard escort Rabbi Moshe Hirsch, center, before a meeting with Arafat in the West Bank town of Ramallah, Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2003.Jerusalem – The world is filled with people of different shades of gray.

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    On LaG BaOmer today, Rabbi Moshe Hirsch, the leader of the Neturei Karta organization passed away at the age of 79 at his home in Meah Shearim after a long illness. This past week he was hospitalized in Shaarei Tzeddek Hospital in Jerusalem. His perspectives on Israel, Zionism, and the propriety of meeting with Palestinian leaders and terrorists were quite controversial. He was firm in his anti-Zionist beliefs but went beyond most others of his circle in embracing Palestinians. It is interesting to note that the government of Israel vilified R. Hirsch, but eventually, they too sat down with Arafat and other Palestinians who had blood on their hands.

    His views of Hareidi leaders who supported receiving money from the State of Israel was quite negative and as a consequence he himself was viewed negatively by many in the Hareidi world. A Tzaddik who knew him since his youth commented that his views were skewed because he did not learn Mussar on a daily basis.

    Nonetheless, there were many remarkable qualities that Rabbi Moshe Hirsch possessed, that we can all learn from. He was an extraordinary Talmid Chachom, and published articles in Torah journals. One such piece dealt with the notion of Shaim UMalchus in a bracha when the it was recited erroneously.
    Rav Aharon Kotler zatzal respected him highly when he was a single bochur learning in Lakewood, and came to be Menachem Avel him, when he sat Shiva for his father, Reb Yisroel Meir Hirsch. Rabbi Hirsch was the bochur entrusted with saying over Rav Aharon zatzal’s shiurim by the Rosh HaYeshiva.

    R’ Moshe had a remarkable amount of Ahavas Yisroel, as well. Once there was a young woman who the doctors in the hospital had given up for dead. Reb Moshe Hirsch went around and gathered dozens of people, cajoling and convincing them, to give the young woman an emergency blood transfusion – an almost impossible task. Miraculously, she survived and gave birth to a family of Talmidei Chachomim.

    On another occasion, he met and conversed with a former member of the Irgun Tzvai Leumi, and got along fabulously well with him. Although worlds apart in philosophy, the two of them appeared as if they were the best of friends. His respect for others in conversation was well known.

    Rabbi Hirsch was an expert in the laws of Esrogim and sold Esrogim in meah Shearim. Numerous Gedolim were his customers year after year.
    A few years ago, an assailant threw acid in his face and Rabbi Hirsch was blinded in one eye on account of the attack.

    Reb Moshe Hirsch was a son-in-law of Rabbi Aharon Katzenellenbogen, the founder of the Neturei Karta. He grew up in Williamsburg, and studied in the Lakewood yeshiva under Rav Aharon Kotler. His son, Yisroel Meir, ybl”ct is the author of the Vilna Gaon Siddur, which is a masterful work.

    The funeral will be at 6:00 PM outside of the Yeshuos Yaakov synagogue in Meah Shearim. He leaves three children, Yisroel Meir, Mordechai, Tzivya, and one other daughter. He has one surviving brother of the seven siblings, Yitzchok Hirsch, living in California.


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    162 Comments
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    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    13 years ago

    barach hashem

    Remove
    Remove
    13 years ago

    Take his body and bury him in gaza

    Babishka
    Member
    Babishka
    13 years ago

    B’avod reshoim rena!

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    13 years ago

    I’ll shed no tears…..

    wooo
    wooo
    13 years ago

    Good riddance to bad rubbish. He has a Din Rotzeach and we should celebrate this murderers death. Bubby once said “There is nothing worse than a capo”. I can almost hear his screams from hell and can do nothing other than smile. His body may even be too rotten for the worms.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    13 years ago

    i hope he did tshuva before he passed away. to make a huge chillel hashem by appearing in a photo with that rusha is terrible.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    13 years ago

    Is that why everyone is celebrating?

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    13 years ago

    its not worth bad mouthing the dead!!!! its one thing do critisize him while hes alive… maybe he can change his ways but now its to late and who r we to judge!!! i rest my case!:)

    jay
    jay
    13 years ago

    He was a good man with strong believes, his believes would have been acceptably 70-80 years ago
    But in today’s society sadly he was not understood ZT’L

    ZionistfromFlatbush
    ZionistfromFlatbush
    13 years ago

    Is there a chiyuv to mourn for this guy?

    Ehrliche
    Ehrliche
    13 years ago

    Another reason to celebrate Lag Baomer

    Eli
    Eli
    13 years ago

    Palestinian flags flying at half mast.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    13 years ago

    Many people of the isrealy gov met with arafat! What’s the big deal?

    Bek721
    Bek721
    13 years ago

    Remember the pure souls of the children of Maalot that Arafat took from this world because this Rushe certainly did not

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    13 years ago

    I can’t wait to see the gehinom of all you “tzaddikim” who dare speak like this about him! It’s easy to post your hatred on this site but it will be much harder for you to explain yourself to H”KBH. Most of you are complete amei ha’aretz who have no shaichus to having anything near a valid opinion. Let the real tzaddikim say what has to be said about the petirah and you please keep your mouths closed.

    yesh din
    yesh din
    13 years ago

    Baruch dayan emes.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    13 years ago

    I would NEVER say such nasty comments on a just decesed rabbi that I am in odds with. Comes to show how holy he was , and what bums you are!

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    13 years ago

    while i dont support meeting with the palestinians i will say this oy vay on the fingers of # 1 3 4 5 6 i hope you all have a chance to do teshve

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    13 years ago

    Why was he taken to shharei tzedek? He should have gone to ramallah or amman for treatment. It is so funny how these people have no problem benefiting from public services and infrastructure. Roads, utilities HOSPITALS, etc. a little two faced if you ask me.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    13 years ago

    You are all very mad. (except 8 of course)

    Liberalism is a Disease!!!
    Liberalism is a Disease!!!
    13 years ago

    Leave him alone. He will be giving din v’cheshbon soon & HKBH doesn’t need anyone’s help in deciding his fate.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    13 years ago

    Many people of the isrealy gov met with arafat and other terrorist! What’s the big deal? He meant to save jewish blood! Rather than sharon that didn’t care about jewish blood!

    AZ
    AZ
    13 years ago

    binfol oyvecha al tismach! But we can at least acknowledge he was an oyev of every Jew

    sorry but are misguided
    sorry but are misguided
    13 years ago

    for all of you that are happy and saying disrespectful things about this holy Tzadik I have a question to ask you.
    first of all this man died on LaG BaOmer on a day like this I don’t think Hashem would take his neshoma if it wasn’t pure.
    second of all did any of you ever learn anything about Kenois? just because he was a Lochem Hashem yes maybe not the way you were brought up doesn’t make him a bad person, and thirdly he said many times before that the only reason he spoke to the terorist was to calm them so they don’t blow up another Jew…
    He should be a mielitz yosher for all of us!!!

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    13 years ago

    Maybe he was a extremest, but he loved other jews and he did everything “leshem shumaim”, didn’t gain any goods out of his doings!!

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    13 years ago

    “He was an extraordinary Talmid Chachom, and published articles in Torah journals. One such piece dealt with the notion of Shaim UMalchus in a bracha when the it was recited erroneously.”

    Shabsai Tzvi was also a talmud chachom. He was no Rabbi.
    Hirsch was a piece of you know what that should have been taken care of years ago.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    13 years ago

    They needed something to start the lag baomer fire in shamayim

    Aron
    Aron
    13 years ago

    I would recommend that people think twice before posting negative comments. After 120 years we ALL are going to learn a few surprising things that will change what we THOUGHT we knew about other people. Once you say or post negative comments about other people, it goes on YOUR record to be reviewed after 120 years.
    BTW, Rabbi Hirsch was a cousin of mine. While I couldn’t agree with him on his views about working with the Palestinians & other issues, I would say he was one of the finest people I was privileged to meet.

    yehuda
    yehuda
    13 years ago

    you are celebrating the dead of a good yid , you all should do teshuvah !

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    13 years ago

    What a shame to read all comments bashing a true tzadik and talmid chochem for having a different opinion than yours. It just makes me wonder what your comments were (would be) when the “moshiach schecker” of our dor was niftar.

    And to you vin i must say, your so called rabbi is going beyond all limits. Can you pleae say who the “Tzaddik who knew him since his youth commented that his views were skewed because he did not learn Mussar on a daily basis” was?

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    13 years ago

    How could a Jew unite with killers of his own people?

    Ari
    Ari
    13 years ago

    While i am a Chassidish Yid that loves the State of Israel and i am strongly opposed to all the Haters of our Medina, i am deeply disturbed by the nasty comments written here , i do not agree with anything that Rabbi Hirsch Z’L did and said in his lifetime, on the other hand he was a Talmid Chacham and whatever he did and said he meant Lshem Shomayim and who are we to judge what awaits him in the Olem Haemes, let him rest in peace and he should be zoiche to a lechtigin Gan Eden.

    sick n tired
    sick n tired
    13 years ago

    So didn’t deserve the same yurtzait as Rashb”y, but look at the bright side we can sing and dance on his yortzeit
    !

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    13 years ago

    Many many years ago, when I was a seminary girl in yerushalayim, my friends and i were “regulars” at the Hirsch home for shabbos. A the time I knew that he had some ties to the NK but only learned later more about him. The Hirschs lived in a cramped meah shearim apartment and there were always shabbos guests form “off the wall”. The men sat at a different table from us but somehow, Rabbi Hirsch would always smile to the women and say good shabbos to us. The food was simple and heimish, the atmosphere warm and friendly and what made me come back time after time was the feeling of acceptance as a jew that you felt being in the Hirsch home. I was so proud of this family, who showed an equal amount of ahavas yisroel to me, a good seminary girl, and to secular, nonaffiliated, often inappropriately dressed girls who they welcomed into their home. The shabbos table talk was not heavy, or loaded with talks about religion and I could tell the wonderful impression the Hirschs, as chassiddic orthodox jews made on the nonreligious jews. Before we all judge, and spew our hatred and negative comments, maybe we should take a look inwards first and look at ourselves and our lifes actions.

    Chaim
    Chaim
    13 years ago

    ברוך שפטרני מעונשו שלזה!!!
    Good riddance, he was a rasha and he will pay dearly.

    KarneiShomron
    KarneiShomron
    13 years ago

    “Embalm, cremate, and bury. Take no chances!”‘

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    13 years ago

    Please. He was no tzaddik. He was not Reb Amram Bloy ZTVKL or any successor to him. These posthumous stories of his tzidkus are laughable. May his death be a kapoore – for HIM and his son Yisroel mamshich darchov. Allah yenachem eschem besoich shaar avlei Jenin veRamallah.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    13 years ago

    it seems that the “chilul hashem” posters havent learned mesechet Gitin the story of reb Yochanon ben Zakai who was smuggeled out to meet the “arafat” of that time to try to minimize the killings

    Israeli.
    Israeli.
    13 years ago

    Boruch Dayan Emess.
    A righteous, holy, pious and sincere man. He truly believed in what he did without any negios. He never seeked popularity or “played to the audience” He was a genuine oved Hashem according to his understanding. His place in Gan Eden is secore which is more than can be said for many of the posters here.
    I neither support nor agree with either NK’s views or their actions but that is not the point.
    Just to quote Voltaire. “I disgree with everything you say and will fight to the death for your right to say it”.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    13 years ago

    If he’s in shamayim then maybe he can explain himself to all Jews who died defending the country he benefited from yet hated.

    To # 13
    To # 13
    13 years ago

    I think it’s pretty dumb to say that # 5 killed this man with his tongue…the guy died and only later did # 5 make his comment. Duh! Use your brain!

    (Small font: this comment is meant to be sarcastic, as well as to raise the ire of all the fanatical frummies who think all Jews are perfect and rouse them into a frenzy. Have fun with this one boys.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    13 years ago

    My daughters are his grand nieces and they went to visit him recently. He was a nice man who gave them brachos. Of course everyone disagrees with his politics. But you should know that the comments here saddned them deeply and made them cry. These girls love eretz Yisroel and appreciate the Medinah..

    Robert
    Robert
    13 years ago

    i wish a condoldence to the family and may God comfort them.
    as an observant zionist, i disagree with his philosophy and religious choices specifically his interpretation of some of Gods commandments as it applies to the land of israel and current jewish state.
    i will leave it to the Almighty to make any judgements. i certainly will not judge him;

    as the child of a concentration camp survivor i find the analogy to a capo distasteful.
    (yes capos were about as low as a person could descend) however he was not a capo.

    i beleive his misguided religious perspective led him to make bad political decisions that were not in the interest of the jewish people or jewish state.
    sadly, there are today articles here in VIN of secular jews in europe condemning the jewish state from also a misguided perspective also promulgating bad political decisions.

    we need jewish unity and mutual respect, perhaps his passing may move us towards that goal..

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    13 years ago

    !ברוך דיין האמת

    !!!!אני מוחה על עלבון תורה ותלמוד חכם

    When he talked to the Palestinians in order to save Jewish lives everyone was against him, now most secular jews support having talks with the Palestinians, even more, now they support giving back most of the land and appeasing the Palestinians, now its okay huh?!!!

    Everyone has a right to do and say what he/she feels is right. Who appointed the israeli government as the representatives of the Jewish people?!!! When they want to deal with the arabs its okay but when someone else wants to do it he is vilified as the worst person ever?!! What ever happened to freedom of speech and free thinking? Does that not apply when it pertains to something you don’t like?

    I didn’t know Rabbi Hirsch but I respect him for the Torah he has learned and for doing what he believed was the right thing to do and not being brainwashed by the Zionist Brainwash machine like most of Klal Yisroel. You never know how many lives Rabbi Hirsch saved by his negotiations.

    תהא נשמתו צרורה בצרור החיים

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    13 years ago

    To all you bashers & celebraters, do you also celebrate when Hashem’s true enemies die? The ones who secularize a Jewish nation. Or do you only celebrate when Zionist’s enimies die???

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    13 years ago

    I’m ashamed, how dare you ppl talking like this about a person who was just niftar, even the goyim don’t behave like that when an opposing politician dies, where is the respect for another Jew? I for 1 was against his every idea, but what do you have out of bashing him now. This Is just terrible what kind if ppl are brought up like that? Certainly not chasiddim

    Chaim
    Chaim
    13 years ago

    What his proponents fail to understand is that through his words and deeds, Hirsch emboldened Araft and his cronies to continue the war of terror against Eretz Yisroel. I would postulate that this lead to many additional korbonos. This is what he will have to answer for in the Bais Din Shel MaAloh; his being a talmid chochom not withstanding. Arafat used him for PR purposes. He was Arafat’s guniea pig. Pretty stupid for an allegedly smart person. I’m sure that Rav Aaron Kotler is not coming out to greet him.
    I’m terribly upset that he’s being buried in the same cemetery as my father A”H.

    kanai jew
    kanai jew
    13 years ago

    i would be a kanai like him if the palestinian authority and iran gave me 25 million a year. NOT!!!!!

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    13 years ago

    what a shame that it wasn’t Yom HaAtzmaut that he died on! Better still …. Yom HaAtzmaut of 62 years ago! Still, as long as this lunatic is gone, it is good for us all in Israel!

    Godol HaDor
    Godol HaDor
    13 years ago

    I’ll try to be nice.
    I can’t believe the positive posters, who extoll his ahavas yisrael and his sincerity and caring and how he just want understood
    If anyone here believed anything other than the fact that he endangered yidden kipshutoi by his reckless acts
    If anyone here can fathom how he hugged a child murderer like arafat ym”s who’s hands were drenched in yiddishe blood and relished the fact that a yahud with a shtreimel no less was validating him
    If anyone here can accept his disgusting kow towing to the iranian hitler ym”s
    If anyone thinks that a few blatt gemorro and a table full of american bais yaakov girls in need of a shabbos meal can condone such atrocious. Misguided sick acts of treason.
    Then
    All I can say is you are all very very spiritually sick and in need of both a psychiatrist and a good dose of reality
    He is in front of his creator now, the judgement is in the hands of the ribbono shell olam the father of orphans and widows murdered by bloodthirty haters. It is not our place to judge merely to learn from
    Personally I am shocked that there exists a chevra kadisha willing to process his body for kvurass yisroel