ISRAEL (VINnews) — Following the death of Chaim Walder, Rav Shmuel Eliyahu, one of the leading dayanim involved in the case, appeared on a radio show with Esti Perez, discussing the many victims that he has worked with, and the immense pain they have suffered.
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The Rav emphasized that the focus right now should be the numerous adults and children who suffered immense trauma.
He said, “Although as humans it is not pleasant and we feel bad that someone took his own life, the moment it happened, dozens of girls were saved from attack.”
The Rav shared his unique experience hearing first-hand accounts of the assaults. “When people only read the stories, they may not feel the same level [of sympathy] . I saw these people, I saw the scars that he caused. It is not possible to see that and not try to avenge what happened.”
The Rav said that he was not surprised that Walder took his own life, because he threatened his victims that if the news became public he would do so.
When asked about the line in Walder’s suicide note saying that he would take Rav Eliyahu to din Torah in Shamayim, the Rav replied,”In this world he wore a disguise, but now he is in the Olam Haemes where the truth is revealed. He will not reach Shamayim, people like him do not reach Shamayim.”
Ms. Perez went through the shocking list of victims, both adults and children. Rav Eliyahu’s Bais Din heard 22 testimonies, including a 9 year old girl, many teenage victims, even a mother who brought her son in for counseling.
The Rav replied that he shed many tears over the horrific stories, adding, “The severity of what he did is equal to murder. You look at the eyes of the victims and you can see it.”
He said that it’s important to emphasize to victims that they did nothing wrong, they are completely innocent and pure.
The Rav described Walder’s tactics, saying “This man was a genius, he knew how to impact people and excite people and that is how he developed connections. He was very helpful and supportive. In the end people would fall into his cobwebs.”
The Rav said that he spoke with Walder and urged him to do teshuva. He also praised the Rabbonim in Bnei Brak, saying that they were extremely supportive of the Bais Din and tried to get Walder to cooperate.
Thank you, This is the rabbinic response that we need, one who considers the victims, who isn’t aiming to push this all under the rug.
Rabbi Eliyahu is a true Talmud chachom and most likely judged this to be a rodef situation where any means necessary is used to stop the abuse. Do you really think a man of his daas Torah not know the laws of Loshin hora etc. he was saving lives! I do not doubt his conclusions for a second.
Thank you Rabbi Eliayhu for restoring faith in the truth of Torah.
Based on many of the comments here regarding this subject recently which whitewash and minimize a 40 year old man raping a 15 year old girl (Halacha says it’s not really rape, she “agreed”) or (He can’t be publicly called out because of Lashon Harah, who says she isn’t making it up?) you would think that in Judaism, a man’s honor is worth more than a girl’s life.
My bottom line conclusion: Who in their right mind would agree for his daughter to see a frum therapist these days? If he molests her, there will be no rule of law, no consequences, she won’t be believed, and he will be protected by the community because of issur “Lashon Harah” aka turn our community into Soddom where the victims are guilty and the criminals are saints.
One should also have rachmonus on his family and minimize discussion of what he did. Very sad on all fronts
Every time I hear another report on this Rav (who I had never heard about before this case) the more suspicious I get of the story.
I’m not commenting on Walders guilt or innocence, as I am not qualified to do so.
But it makes no sense that this had to be blown up via the media. Once this had blown up, there was no way that Walder would have been able to convince the world that he was innocent, no matter what the verdict would have been. His life as he knew it, and those of his family, was finished. He was a dead man walking and he knew it. I completely understand why he felt that, even if proven completely innocent, he was not going to have his life back – and that the only way out was to go and let his family live without him.
What should have happened if this Beis Fin should have quietly and without any publicity called him in and insisted that he take a sabbatical, withdrawing from his radio shows and newspaper columns, stopping to publish and practice therapy immediately and for Walder to meet with Feldheim to get them to stop distribution of his books at the end of that month. He could claim any matter of excuses why, but it is up to him to do so.
If Walder wouldn’t agree, then the BD would have no choice but to go public. If he does agree and does all the above, the BD would agree to deal with this case quickly and without any fanfare.
That would have resulted in a real,Torah true trial, and without risking any potential victims or ruining Walders life!
And btw, in Halacha, the accused is allowed to choose the BD to go to. Walder obviously was never going to agree to go to a BD that ran a trial by media and found him guilty without even hearing his side of the story.
Not taking sides , but a simple civil question. Has any accuser been subject to cross examination at all ? If not , why not ?
If there was so much evidence and first hand accounts of abuse why were the authorities not involved? Why wouldn’t Rav Eliyahu contact the police and alert them of his predatory activity. Take away his license etc. ?
tragic on all fronts.
if indeed guilty his victims get no justice .
and if he was not guilty, never had a chance to prove his innocence.
Can someone please explain this too me??. Firstly if children were really abused I would be the first to say castration etc. Regarding what he allegedly did with married women, while very wrong ect … that’s a private matter between the families etc they were consenting adults, I’m not getting into hallachic issues etc.
If in fact he abused kids and they came forward why was there never at minimum an arrest?…
And finally if this Rabbi involved that put out a scathing report on him weeks ago and already considered Walder Guilty……… how then can this Rabbi call Walder to come in front of his beis din for a hearing once he declared him guilty in public.
Please publish this, I’m honestly having a difficult time comprehending.
I really pitty his wife and children, 1) Because of his actions, 2) They’re in everyone’s mouth,,,
I didn’t like the way he said that he slept very well last night. If a rov administers dinay nefashos, even if perfectly correct and just, how could he sleep at at night.
See ספורנו (בראשית ל”ז, כ”ה)
accused without a trial? this is judaism? for shame !
Rabbi eliyahu is a true Talmud chacham in every sense of the word
after listening to the interview; a thought
1. the charges are very wide & serious , rav eliyahu should ‘ve done a better job informing the public on the scope & the way to do that would have been to invite 3 respected charedi dayanim to ” hear the stories” & get the publics approval by those 3 saying we are not judging but its very serious & seems credible
I don’t know, but did this Rabbi act properly?
Seemed to me he pre judged the case against Walden….
Rabbi Eliyahu thank you for standing with the victims.
Walder could’ve gone to the Bes Din in Bnei Brak to denfend himself and deny the accusations. People in EY and the US were VERY RECEPTIVE to hearing him declare his innocence and refute the charges so why didn’t he do that? The answer is apparent to me, a person who defended him until he killed himself.
liolam lo nidach hayidach. correct? so what does it mean that he will never “get into shamayim.”
The religious establishment should have informed the police so he could have been detained, tried and punished
Does anyone know if he had a proper levaya
What does the Torah say to someone who is alleged to have done what he is allege did to kids?
“It is not possible to see that and not try to avenge what happened”?
So he’s saying that this was vengeance?
“The Rav said that he was not surprised that Walder took his own life, because he threatened his victims that if the news became public he would do so.”
So why did he publicize it? Did he want him to die?
harav shmuel eliyahu showed what it means to pasken according to the din and he should be praised for that ,bh he defended the victims instead of the abuser
I don’t know anybody who doesn’t feel bad for victims but this? It baffles me. I’m not a gadol so I won’t say more.
Did he have a proper levaya?
Mendy, your comment is commendable, it could/should have been done the proper way without all this unnecessary noise and commotion and without all the infamous fanfare.
Yet, I do understand the emotions involved due to the nature and sensitivity of these accusations as well as the multitudes of people they involved.
Sadly, we can’t turn the clock back and undo ALL the alleged misdeeds he was accused of and we also can’t undo his suicide.
כן יאבדו כל אויבך ה
fyi shmuel eliyahu has an hechsher in israel which by many people is highly unreliable
Thank you for saying the truth. I plan to donate money to this man and burn every one of Walder’s books that I can find. Hopefully he is burning in hell right now and forever!!