Rabbi Zilberstein on a Girl Cutting Herself
There has been much talk about the report that Rabbi Yitzḥak Zilberstein said that it was permissible for a girl whose parents objected to her wearing modest clothing to cut her legs in order for her parents to agree to have her legs covered. See e.g. this post at Emes Ve-Emunah. The original Hebrew article can be found here and an English version here.
Some have doubted that Rabbi Zilberstein actually said such a thing, and thanks to Rabbi Hillel Lavery-Yisraeli’s heads up, I have posted a recording of Rabbi Zilberstein’s remarks below. His comments were said at a gathering of the Lev le-Aḥim organization. Their Hebrew website can be found here, and an English Wikipedia entry here. The entire recording can be found here, under “Lev le-Aḥim, 28 Nisan 5771.” In the original recording this part begins at 2:17.
From the recording the girl’s age is unclear. The cutting was her idea, with Rabbi Zilberstein supporting her decision, even thought it seems to explicitly transgress the prohibition of self-inflicting a wound. The first speaker is Rabbi Eliezer Sorotzkin, an important leader of Lev le-Aḥim.
July 7th, 2011 at 7:24 am
R. Z. Is a genuinely nice and kind personbut sometimes naive and sometimes his sheltered background produces surprising takes on situation. Give him some slack.
July 7th, 2011 at 7:54 am
It’s ironic to read this post with the link above the title to your previous on “Danger versus a prohibition.”
Is it ethically problematic for haredi rabbis to be advocate for tznius (and opposition to hiloni parents) to the point that ad hoc cutting would be allowed and publicly praised as heroic?
Perhaps the context of the speech, and the quasi-legendary (yet “true”) character of the case, makes this morally unproblematic?
Or perhaps the repression of the haredi, by the hiloni world, does require greater self-sacrifice by dati girls and young women?
(The answer cannot be merely halakhic, since Rabbi Zilberstein could choose not to publicize such his opinion.)
July 10th, 2011 at 11:22 am
As a baal teshuva and one who has been mekarev a few people, I think this girl is a super hero and a true rolemodel for mesirus nefesh in our generation. I wonder how many of those commenting negatively against this story are baalei teshuva themselves. How many of you know what it means to stand up to parents who try and do everything to make you desecrate the holy laws of Judaism?? We glorify the 10 martyrs for having such beautiful and inspiring mesirus nefesh but then we abandon these ideals when it comes to everyday people trying to create a relationship with Hashem.
July 10th, 2011 at 1:17 pm
The whole frum world has gone absolutely insane. If I didn’t believe, I wouldn’t want any part of this. If this is what they’re teaching baalei teshuva, we’re just adding more sick people.
July 11th, 2011 at 5:44 pm
For generations rebellious frum teenagers have been sneaking out of the house in modest clothing and changing at a friends house or in public restrooms. It is a simple matter for a healthy baalat teshuva to use similar subterfuge in reverse.
Bottom line: If an adult hears a child ask about injuring herself she should be calling a mental health professional to have her evaluated, not a Rabbi to condone such a practice. If her home environment is so sick that she is led to inflicting self injury perhaps we can have her removed from the home. If she is mentally ill and looking to self-injure is a symptom of underlying illness, we must help her. If she is just a healthy teen caught between her parents lack of understanding about her religious journey and the demands of Halacha there are millions of better ways to help her cope than to even allow her to think twice about self-immolation.
July 14th, 2011 at 5:16 pm
bukin86.. you are insane… this is NOT was orthodox judaism SHOULD be about. if pikuach nefesh docheh shabbat then certainly bodily injury docheh tzniut..
the ppl who were mekarev to you have done a lousy job and you are just perpetuating the lunacy. Please stop!!
July 21st, 2011 at 9:48 am
Agreed with the first two lines of RML, above. Criticizing Rabbi Zilberstein, or, as others have done, critizing the parents for their religious intolerance, is beside the point. This girl is a teenager. Teenagers rebel, it’s what they do. Some do so by moving to the right, some do so by moving to the left. Let us all hope and pray we have the wisdom to handle it correctly when and if our own children begin to spread their wings!