In a recent speech, the Tolna Rebbe of Yerushalayim, Rabbi Yitzchak Menachem Weinberg , criticized the phenomenon of weekly magazines posting Photographs and pictures of chasidisheh Rebbes. The Rebbe said we have lost the middah of bushah. There is no shame, everything we do must be advertised and publicized for the world to see. If its not publicly known, its as if it never happened. The only ones to blame said the Rebbe, are the customers who support and buy these weeklies.
The Rebbe explained how the industry works, charging different amounts depending on which other Rebbe is in the picture or weather its a smaller picture or a close up of the Rebbe. Unfortunately they pay for these photos thinking it will bring honor and fame. They invite photographers to each simcha in order to get coverage in the paper. The Eye can not take it anymore, said the Rebbe.
This is not only limited to the chasidisher world but the Litvish yeshiva world has also gotten into the pictures phenomenon. Not so long ago there was one picture accompanying an article covering an event. Today pictures dominate the papers usually repeating the same faces every week but in a different pose.
We no longer show pictures of women- maybe we should cut down on pictures of men too.
"We no longer show pictures of women- maybe we should cut down on pictures of men too."
ReplyDeleteThat should be a kal v'chomer. After all a zochor is a stricter ervah than a nekeivah.
Seriously, this is like spitting in the wind. There is no way the industry can stop this kind of thing. It is a full system, not just people selling magazines.
For example, Mr. Rechnitz of LA made a shiduch last week. Now some mosdos felt the need to put a mazel tov ad in the newspapers. Fair enough. However, what happened was that newspapers called up mosdos to make sure that they advertised. Mr. Lipshits made an extra $75,000 in one week with that method. Some people are hired to design the ads, others write the language, yet more are on the phone to balking mosdos and research gevirim's shiduchim and simchohs to get ads. To stop this kind of thing leaves a whole bunch of people without parnosso.
The same is with the magazines. There are about 3 or 4 magazines devoted to pictures. There are photographers hired for occasions because of them. Rebbes need fancier menorahs, making money for the silversmiths. The fur coats must be updated for the picture. More people have to come to Rebbishe chassunahs making more money for caterers and parentche builders. The system is too big to be dismantled by now. Maybe we will hear of them getting stimulus money because they are too big to fail!
Reb Yankel, how many pages would Mr. Lipshuts have had to print in order to get 75k?
DeleteThe readers ? How about the gedolim themselves . many of these pictures are posed for. There are some gedolim who have made it clear they do NOT want their pictures printed. Thus the Gerer Rebbe does not make it in HAMODIAH. Rabbi Zalman Leib Teitelbaum of Satmar is never in DER YID. The Stolin Karlin Rebbe keeps a low profile as well. other gedolim thrive on pictures. Blaming the customers is absurd , they are not doing anything wrong rather its the rebbes and their gabboim who are indulging I gaayve and pirsum and more. I call it kavod mongering.
ReplyDeleteAnd it's also like we're looking at these peoples family album. The Chosson with the RY, the father with the RY, the shver with the RY, different poses, etc. I think it's ridiculous.
ReplyDeleteYankel
ReplyDeletestam to be motzi Laaz on Reb Pinchus Lipschutz? nit shein.
making money is motzti laaz?
ReplyDeleteI don't understand the rebbe's point.
ReplyDeleteLet's suppose there are no pictures. OK. But these same rebbes are still putting themselves out as spectacles, making public events for the sole purpose of having zillions of chassidim and others watch them eat the Shabbos seuda, or light the menora, or nail in some mezuza or other or light a Lag Ba'omer fire etc. etc. etc. etc.
The Brisker Rov is alleged to said that you can't pretend to be a rebbe, because once you act like a rebbe you already ARE a rebbe. Point being that while public productions are not all of what rebbes are about, they are a very big part of it.
So now someone is taking a picture, so that others who aren't present can see the same production that the ones who are there can see. Why all of a sudden the objection and the claim of "no busha"? I mean, if your midah of busha is such that it interferes with hordes of people watching your every move, then you shouldn't be in the rebbe business to begin with. Maybe try out as a lamed-vovnik.
This Tolna rebbe is actually a talmid chochom and a pretty bright guy generally, so it's hard to imagine that he's saying something as empty as this. But it's also hard to imagine what he might mean.
[If he was criticizing pictures of private people and askonim his point would at least be a valid one.]