Yisrael Beytenu chairman MK Avigdor Liberman angered chareidi Knesset members on Wednesday, when he invoked the names of great rabbis who studied non-religious subjects in addition to Torah. Liberman spoke during a Knesset speech on a private bill to require core curriculum studies for all pupils and cancel exemptions for chareidi institutions.
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“Elijah ben Shlomo Zalman, I don’t know if everyone knows him, the Vilna Gaon, studied astronomy and mathematics in his free time. When he was asked why he studied these topics, he replied that it helped him to understand our religious sources,” Liberman said.
“Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the Lubavitcher Rebbe, studied at the University of Berlin and earned a doctorate, he mastered several languages and served in the US Navy as an electrical engineer and was a great rabbi. The degrees did not interfere with his spiritual education. Therefore, everything you [chareidi Knesset members] teach is a lie,” he charged.
MK Yinon Azoulay from Shas then came to the podium to speak and responded sharply to Liberman’s criticism, stating that , “The head of Yisrael Beytenu stood here earlier and talked about the Vilna Gaon. You ignoramus from Moldova, you have no right to talk about the Vilna Gaon. You don’t know who the Vilna Gaon is. You should be ashamed of yourself. When you become like Maimonides, you will be able to preach to us. Who are you? Who are you to preach to us? You stand here all day and incite.”
Yisrael Beytenu later responded to Azoulay and said, “The racism and hatred spread by Shas is intolerable. You have no ownership of Judaism.”
Journalist Yael Zin later said that even though Azoulay’s statements were unacceptable, Liberman himself has yet to apologize for stating during his tenure as Finance Minister that the “Chareidim should be taken by wheelbarrow to the garbage”.
So can someone please explain whats wrong with schools teaching basic math? Yes I understand govt mandates over our schools are bad. But thats not my question. My question is what’s wrong with charedi high schools in israel and the USA teaching math out of their own free will? Its a simple question
Why did he only go back so far. Rabban Gamliel invented a telescope. The Gemara clearly warns against teaching chachmos Yavin. Science and math isn’t the issue, you can’t build an eruv or succah without them. The issue, as always, is interpretation and dissemination. Chachmos Chol comes from the Eybishter too. Use it as a tool as it was intended.
Math and astronomy should be included in torah studies
The students and Mr. Liberman should know as much Torah and be yirei shomoyim like the Rabbanim.
On the other hand, secular subjects can be taught in a Torah context. Math can be taught to understand Torah measurements, etc. Science can be taught to understsnd kashrus and to appreciate Hashem’s wisdom – not as a goal in itself, to promote careerism. Reading,writing, and public speaking can be taught with Torah subjects. History can be taught with the lives of Rabbanim and the responses of Torah life to problems Jews faced throughtout the ages. It doeshave to be all or nothing.
Who is FOOLED by this lowlife?
Did he also advocate his chilonim schools to study TORAH like the Vilna Goen or the Lubavitsh rebbe?
I saw a video of a Frum man giving a very indepth & technical lecture about Astronomy to students at a major Yeshiva. I don’t remember it all but I remember him explaining the 3 ways to measure a year, shadows, Tekufahs, positioning of the stars, etc. I was very impressed by the high level information being presented.
Nonsense
So why dont you study Torah?
and you Evet Lvovich studied neither Astronomy, Math, engineering NOR Torah and all you are is an uncouth wannabe Moldavan Bullvan Oligarch with a filthy sewer like a drunken longshoreman/truck driver (which made him suitable to be Transportation Minister), and are only suitable to be a bouncer in a motorcycle gang bar. His stint in agriculture obviously infused him with the manure that he spews.
The Vina Goan studies Astronomy and math to help him understand Torah and The Lubavitcher Rebbe studied engineering because he never intended to be a Rebbe in fact he never learned in a formal Yeshiva or sat in a Kollel.
So do not foul their blessed memories with your filthy manure filled obscene chazer fressing pie hole. Urban legend has it that at your bris, the Mohel threw out the baby and presented the parents with the foreskin and the smegma.
What a shame that your father was released from the Gulag
I agree with him only the Vilna Gaon, Lubavitcher Rebbe and Torah giants should study Astronomy And Math,.
No Way. You can not study Torah and also Astronomy. The Gemoroh in various places clearly entertains the belief the during the night, the sun travels from west to east over the non-transparent blanket called sky. And this happening while the moon is shining onto us. Chazal held that the moon has ITS OWN LIGHT.
When there is an eclipse, because of our Sins, than the moon gets darkened.
Every Rosh Chodesh there is a brand new illumination for the moon.
he iz rite. we need too edooykate our children mor. i think that the speeker at cunee was reel smart and that we want too teech our kidz too hate amerika and support terrorists and that all poleese ar bad and that is how wee shud spend taxks dollers and if chasidim dont teech that they shud be prosekuted and go to jale. i myself was denyed an edukayshion and that is whye i alwayz walck around holding up a sine about it. all i know how to doo is imitate other peeples screen names and hold a sine and rite shmutzdik jokes on this website but i kan never get a job. plees feel soree for me