![Rabbi Steven Weil speaking at the closing plenary session of the Orthodox Union’s West Coast Torah Convention. [Photo by Daniel Jankovic for The Jewish Journal]](http://www.vinnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/rbbiweil.jpg "rbbiweil")
New York – Today’s published report in the Jewish Journal quoting Rabbi Steven Weil when he spoke on Shabbat at Beth Jacob Congregation in Beverly Hills in January 2008, reads as follows: “Weil famously said of the so-called Spinka rabbis: You call yourself a tzadik [righteous person]; you’re a liar!”
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Rabbi Weil today issued the following response:
“The association of my statement of January 2008 with the Spinka Rebbe is patently false. Over 800 people heard the sermon when I specifically said that when we address financial corruption, we are not pointing fingers but are referring to ourselves. It was about our own community and not about anyone else. What I said was the exact opposite of what the story implied. The specific comment was a challenge to any of our membership who, G-d forbid, may be led to believe that cheating on taxes, lying when marketing one’s product or profession, and manipulative pricing policies are tolerated, while at the same time they observe Shabbos, kashrus and taharas hamishpacha.
My remarks were not to condemn anyone else, but rather to look at ourselves. The more than 800 people who were in the sanctuary for Shabbat services that morning, including individuals who were quoted in the original story two years ago, can verify that. My agenda was to take care of my congregation, my family, and myself and not to sit in judgment of the Spinka Rebbe.”
this whold situation is so painful. i urge all of you out there to stop looking back and focus on a better future.
Rabbi Weil has bigger issues. His congregation spawned and fostered the corrupt informer Robert Kasirer who entraped the Spinka Rebbe to save his own skin. He was looking at decades in prison for defrauding the elderly of their pension funds to the tune of hundreds of millions. In contrast the Spinka Rebbe’s indictment charges under $800k in illegal profits to the yeshivah
He is a Tzaddik because he ACCEPTED RESPONSIBILITY AND DID TESHUVAH. He actually spoke publicly regarding being honest a number of times. He clearly regrets what he did and I have no doubt he comes out a bigger Tzaddik from this whole thing.Rabbi Weil you owe him an apology.
Mr. Steven Weil, Id love to see what you would do if you had a big Moised to support and really pressed for money. Its very easy to point fingers and shrai oif yenem. I’m sure Steven never does anything wrong and if he does I hope he will allow someone to rip him in front of 800 people!
Why did it take this rabbi 2 years to appoligize, interesting
The OU better be careful. This is not a way for a Rabbi to speak. Especially when he represents the OU at a large Torah Convention. There is no heter to single anyone out and if he said what he is accused of he will have a big Onesh for it because whether its a Rebbe or an ordinary person speaking that way in such a Rabim carries a very weighty consequence. R’ Weil you may want to do some soul searching.
Wow, you people can’t read an article in simple English.
Let’s move on and fix the future of our children by educating them bderech ha’yoshor vhatov, and not by finger pointing. A wise man once said; a mistake us not an error only if nothing learned from it. We need to upgrade our chinuch so that our children will not need to cheat they’ll earn a decent living by the education we provide them. Our mosdos will benefit too.
and at the agudah conventions they do not attack mo rabbis and gadolim?
Read the article he was speaking at his shul one year ago not at a big Torah covention and he did not say it.
A) Rabbi Wiel made a general speech, to all readers please read the article at length. B) The Spinka Rebbe did complete teshuva and in public through his speeches has helped others not fall into the same trap regarding financial deals and taxes
Recognize that HaRav Weil did not do anything wrong, rather was the target, again, of an anti-orthodox publication. To those of you against Rav Weil, apparently you keep “good company.”
For those of you who do not know Rabbi Weil, and feel the need to judge, why don’t you go ask true Gedolim about him. Feel free to begin at Yeshiva University, where you can ask Harav Schechter, or any other of the magnificent Roshei Yeshiva there. If that it not good enough, head South on the NJ Turnpike to Lakewood, where the Kotler family, in their entirety, will be glad to attest to the Gadlus of HaRav Weil.
As to quote 7: you have publicly humiliated yourself. Rabbi Weil did support a huge “Moised” in Los Angeles. Actually, he was quite successful, and he did it legally. His success was probably due to the education he received. (Rabbi Weil also has Smicha–I have seen his Klaf, and have talked with him in learning–something you should do–start with Hilchos Rechilus and Motzi Sheim Ra)
The Spinkta has been shamed and humiliated enough already. He will go to federal prision and spend quality time with the Rubashkin, Dwek and the others but in his case, he has acknowledged and appologized for his crimes against the people of the U.S. and the shame he has brought upon all chassidus.
There was a Jewish newspaper guy, Hilel Seidman who used to say, “If there’s a need to deny it, it must be true”!!!
Oh, how true a statement, Rabbi Steven Weil!
BTW, do you have a HEBREW name besides “steven”?
This is a situation where the apology is worse than the (original) insult! It’s akin to the story where a person was having constant friction with the Shul President. One day he let loose a snide remark to the president. Upon which the latter demanded an apology. So the member got on the Bima and announced to everyone “I hereby apologize for calling the Shul President such and such name”!