Rabbi Akiva Hamanik Condemns Attack on Rabbi Faivelzon as Repeat of Destructive Hatred

Rabbi Akiva Hamanik, head of the Chayei Olam Yeshiva, strongly condemned the recent violent attack on Rabbi M. Faivelzon, drawing parallels to the historical destruction of the Second Temple. He referenced the teachings of the Netziv of Volozhin from his introduction to the Book of Genesis, emphasizing that the Temple's destruction was not due to ordinary wickedness but because of "righteous" individuals who were not "straight" in their conduct. These individuals, despite being pious and diligent in Torah study, harbored baseless hatred and suspicion against those who differed from them, labeling them heretics and causing bloodshed and strife.

Rabbi Hamanik stressed that God does not tolerate such "righteous" people who justify violence and injustice under the guise of religious zeal. He highlighted that the attackers, both historically and today, believe they are defending the Torah but in reality perpetuate division and destruction. The Netziv’s interpretation of the verse "The Rock, His work is perfect... a righteous and upright God" was cited to illustrate that God’s justice demands integrity not only in religious observance but also in interpersonal conduct.

The attack on Rabbi Faivelzon is thus seen as a continuation of this destructive phenomenon of sanctified cruelty, which ultimately leads to communal ruin. Rabbi Hamanik lamented that while the Jewish people mourn the Temple’s destruction and pray for its rebuilding, some extremists act in ways that further its desecration through hatred and violence. He called out the misuse of Torah study to justify brutality and warned that such behavior brings calamity upon the Jewish people.