The Slonim Rebbe Warns

The wave of madness and unrestrained persecution against our teacher, the holy Gaon, Rav Eliezer Berland shlit"a, has been condemned by many great figures in Israel. Now it is the turn of the great man, Rabbi Shmuel Berzovsky, the Admor of the Slonim Chassidut and a member of the Council of Torah Sages of Agudath Israel, to express his shock at the terrible filth that is attempting to wash away every good part.

"The conduct of shaming and persecuting a Jew who is sitting in prison, all the more so one upon whom the Judaism of many families depends, is terrible and awful," the holy Admor of Slonim begins his words. "The very act of this terrible publication is a frightening Chillul Hashem (desecration of G-d's name) for all of Haredi Judaism, and whoever has a part in this will certainly not be cleansed. I am certain that R' Yaakov Meir is not involved in this; he is a clean and holy Jew and would not take part in such bloodshed. Even the signature does not look genuine on such a shocking text, and it is not his style at all. In any case, it is worth approaching him to exert his influence on his people who are leading the campaign, so that they all stop spreading all this filth in the wide world in general, and among us in particular. It has no benefit or purpose, and this he will surely understand."

As we have brought before you, and as many surely hear, the shock at the campaign of persecution against our teacher, the Rav shlit"a, is shared by anyone with a drop of sense in their head. But, to our sorrow, the war of impurity against the drawing near of every Jew to the true tzaddik is unbearable, and we must continue to cling to the truth until it is fulfilled in us: "The lip of truth shall be established forever, but a lying tongue is but for a moment" (Proverbs 12:19).

Letter of the Admor shlit"a in Yiddish

"The conduct of shaming and persecuting a Jew who is sitting in prison, all the more so one upon whom the Judaism of many families depends, is terrible and awful. The very act of this terrible publication is a frightening Chillul Hashem for all of Haredi Judaism, and whoever has a part in this will certainly not be cleansed. It is certain to me that what they are attaching themselves to regarding Rabbi Yaakov Meir Schechter is a lie and a falsehood; he is too clean and holy a Jew to take part in such bloodshed. It seems to me that his signature on this terribly sharp text is a false signature; it is entirely not his style to write such language. He is a very, very refined Jew. I have known him for a long time, but nevertheless, it is worth approaching him with a request that he exert his power of influence on his people who are leading the campaign, so that they stop sending around all this filth, in the entire wide world in general, and among us in particular. It has no benefit or purpose, and he will surely understand this." Thus far are his holy words.