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	Monsey Rabbis on Leib Tropper 5 Towns Jewish Times January 30, 2010 http://www.5tjt.com/news/read.asp?Id=5814 MONSEY (NY) -- On January 21, 10 Rabbi Dovid Ribiat released an interview regarding the Tropper scandal. His remarks generated a lot of interest, and he was asked on Jan. 29 for another brief interview to address some of the many questions that have since been raised. Rabbi Ribiat heads the Kollel Ohr Yaakov of Forshay in Monsey NY, and is regarded as a prominent Halachic authority across the US. He is also the author of several Seforim, including the world-renowned four-volume work on the 39 Melochos of Shabbos. Interviewer: I know that you have said that you do not wish to be thrust onto the public stage. May I ask why you have agreed to do these interviews? RR: Firstly, please understand that I am not acting as an official spokesman for the Rabbonim of Monsey, only as an individual Rabbi. I've consented to this only because several Rabbis, myself included, realized that there is perception in the public that the Rabbonim are unwilling to act on this very serious matter. We hoped that explaining some of the difficult issues involved could help people who are justifiably concerned to see that this was not the case. I hope we can make a positive difference. INT: I believe that you have, Rabbi. Now, in the previous interview, you repeatedly emphasized the lack of evidence in the case of Tropper. Many are asking why evidence is necessary if Tropper himself is not denying the tapes? RR: The Rabbonim and Roshei Yeshivah I have spoken with have told me that he has vehemently denied the authenticity of the tapes to them. However, I definitely agree that his failure to deny them publicly, or to indicate that he is trying to disprove them raises very strong suspicions. A Beis Din can, and I'm sure will, demand an explanation. But they cannot take action, or even make statements, without proof. INT: OK, but isn't it pretty obvious by now that the tapes are real – everyone who has listened to them insists that it is his voice. Can't the Beis Din proceed on that alone? RR: This may seem hard to believe, but the Rabbis have been warned that, given today's advanced technology, tapes and even videos could be fabricated or manipulated with amazing results. In fact, Rabbi Tropper claims that he is being harassed by powerful adversaries with the desire and resources to do this. Therefore, a Beis Din cannot use them as evidence unless they are authenticated. INT: Is this being done? RR: I can't get into details, but I know that there are Rabbonim working hard to establish the facts on many allegations, according to Halacha. A Beis Din must also be concerned about the potential of a libel suit, and must be protected legally. All this is taking time, and is also expensive. But bear in mind that even with good evidence, a Beis Din may be limited in what it can do if a subject is recalcitrant – they cannot call the sheriff to remove someone from his premises. Even a large group of Rabbis making a joint statement can be limited legally in the language that they may use in a condemnation. In any case, people should realize that these Rabbonim, who have their own personal responsibilities, are donating their precious time, and even money to assume an unpleasant task for the sake of Klal. They are not being paid for their efforts, and have no agenda against anyone. But I also know that they have no intention of letting this just "blow over"; they intend to settle this matter and hopefully remove the Chillul Hashem. INT: There have been rumors for years about Tropper's immorality. Isn't there something in Halacha about constant rumors being a kind of evidence? RR: What you're referring to is a concept known as "Kola D'lo Posik", which means "rumors that do not cease". Yes, there is such a thing as rumors that carry some legitimate weight as evidence. However, not all rumors are alike. In this case, the rumors do not qualify because the subject, Rabbi Tropper, has many detractors. We must consider the possibility that the rumors might have originated from those sources; they are Halachically not acceptable evidence. INT: You mentioned Beis Din's fear of a libel suit. Why weren't the Rabbis afraid of a libel suit in the case of Slifkin? RR: I am not a lawyer and cannot answer that question. As I have said, I was not involved with that controversy. In any case, the Slifkin issue is not really relevant here. INT: Even so, there was a lot of response to your comments regarding the Slifkin case; were you condoning the ban against his books? Did you read any of them? RR: To your last question; yes, in fact I have - and even jotted notes on the margins. However, I had no involvement with that controversy, and had no intention at all to comment on it, other than to respond that the controversy was over serious matters of Hashkafa, not merely "political correctness", and that the source of the controversy was over subject matter that was verified, as opposed to the Tropper case. I was not stating any opinion on whether the ban was justified, or on how it was conducted. INT: People have also asked why there was swift condemnation of "Lipa" for what the Rabbis considered to be his objectionable music, even though this was nothing compared to the Tropper scandal? RR: I am not very familiar with the Lipa Schmeltzer matter, and cannot comment other than to say that I don't recall hearing that Lipa denied anything, or that the facts were an issue. In any case, I am sure that there are other Rabbis in a better position than myself to discuss the Lipa matter. I am concerned mainly with our ongoing problem in Monsey. INT: In your previous interview, you concluded that if the allegations are proven to be true, that [I quote] "… we in the Torah community must collectively take swift measures to eradicate this abomination from our midst …". Is this suggesting that there will be violence against Tropper if the tapes are proven to be authentic? RR: No, no, no - Chas V'shalom! What I meant was that, if true, the status quo – that of remaining a Rosh Yeshivah, Mechanech, public figure, as before – is an abomination that in my opinion must be removed. However, only a Beis Din can determine specific measures. Or, perhaps he will resign on his own and resolve the matter quietly. INT: Do you care to add any further comments? RR: Yes; I hope that my efforts have helped allay at least some of the concerns that all of us have felt over this very painful episode. I think that it should be mentioned that even if the allegations are proven to be true, we do recognize that Rabbi Tropper has also made positive contributions in the past. However, the status quo cannot be allowed to remain. With Siyata D'Shmayo – Divine assistance – we will succeed in resolving this matter quickly and fairly, and without further Chillul Hashem INT: Thank you very much, Rabbi, for your time RR: You're welcome.
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