JERUSALEM (VINnews) — Rabbi Shlomo Shraga, a prominent Jerusalem posek and the son of the rabbi of the French Hill neighborhood, Rabbi Baruch Shraga, has issued a number of rulings regarding the person, Michael Elk, who was recently discovered to be a missionary after posing as Rabbi Michael Cohen and officiating at weddings and even performing circumcisions. The rulings were ratified by Rabbi Shraga’s mentor, Sephardic Chief Rabbi Yitzchak Yosef and by his father.
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Rabbi Shraga was asked four questions regarding the Christian missionary “who posed as a Jew and mixed into the Ashkenazi community and even sent his children to their institutions. Now his disgrace has been revealed after investigation and after you raised money for his wife’s recovery after she fell sick.”
Rabbi Shraga added that investigation had revealed unequivocally that he and his wife were gentiles and his wife passed away and had been buried in a Jewish cemetery.
Regarding the circumcisions Cohen performed, Rabbi Shraga was asked if they would require Hatafas Dam Bris (bloodletting) and answered that they would indeed require this procedure. Regarding the weddings at which Cohen officiated Rabbi Shraga ruled that if there were two kosher witnesses the marriage was valid but if Cohen himself was a witness they would require a new marriage ceremony. Either way the woman should receive a new Kesubah (marriage document).
Regarding the issue of Tefillin and Mezuzos which Cohen sold, since there are some people testifying that he wrote them and even if he didn’t he probably brought them from other missionaries, they should be burnt.
The most dramatic ruling concerned the burial of Cohen’s wife, who was buried in a staggered grave in Jerusalem with a religious Jewish woman buried underneath her. Rabbi Shraga ruled that the Jewish woman should be removed from her grave in order not to be buried next to a wicked person, this despite the fact that there are 4 cubits between the two women.
Why don’t they remove the Shiksa’s Neveila instead?
Why take out the Jewish lady’s remains? She’s supposed to be there. Shouldn’t they remove the shiksa?
Why don’t they remove the missionary?
It’s likely that decomposition of the shiksa’s body has resulted in complete permeation of the surrounding soil. They’ll never get all of the neveilus out. That kever might have become permanently posul for a Yid.
Better to get the yehudis a fresh apartment with no stains.
What about if he was a witness at a divorce. That would be tragic.
WHY REMOVE THE RELIGIOUS WOMAN. REMOVE THE LIAR AND THIEF
According to Rashba doing kaporas with a chicken is darkei amorie.
According to Rambam kivraiy tzadikim is doresh el hamacim.
There are also yidden who don’t make kiddush between mazel tzedek and mazel madim, isn’t this loi teonenu (a clear issur of not following mazolus)
100% of yidden (everyone) are oiver on some form of Avoideh Zoroh. Stop being hypocritics when it comes to someone elses avoideh zora, no-one is perfect. The chofetz chaim says Lashon hara is the equivalent of shvichas domim, Gila ariyus, avoideh zoran. Open your minds up and stop criticizing other jews when you are just like them. Like Dovid Hamelech says in tehillim We are all lost sheep looking for a shepherd.
I’m sorry if my comment offended those who aren’t familiar with chabad ideology. Without criticizing Chabad, according the Rambam Chabad and a messianic jews are both problematic because they both believe that their Rebbes are God incarnate, meaning at the extreme they both believe that their dead teachers are actually God. I have heard many times Chabadniks saying ” the Rebbe is eloykoze mammish” also “miloiy kol ha’oretz kivoyd Harebbe
With full respect to all people,
the humble simpleton yosef eliezer.
Gaetz and Weisselberg agree with this ruling.
Emunah tifailah (false faith) doesn’t make somebody who is a jew into a not a jew category. If someone is shomrei Torah umitzvohs but believes in a false prophet hes still a jew. Chabad believes in their Rebbe the same way messianic jews believe in yeshua and they are still considered jewish.