Putting the Rabbis of Baltimore on Trial and a False Badge of Honor

Amalek and Erev Rav #77 with Rabbi Raphael Szendro

This month’s Amalek and Erev program is availabe here.

Related links and information from Rabbi Szendro:

https://www.mishpattzedek.org/

Summary of questions for the rabbis

Essay on Talmudic Law related to medicine

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A False Badge of Honor

The instinct of many people when they learned that Google locked me out of my account was along the lines of “You’re telling the truth” and “You must be over the target”.

This is most plausible, though we’ll probably never know for sure, let alone specifically what triggered it and why NOW. (Seriously, guys, if it’s because I’m outspoken about the shots and the Erev Rav, what took you so long?)

It’s tempting to play this up to attract attention to my work and increase my “credibility” as a so-called “truth-teller”, but a cautionary note is advised. The fact that someone is being persecuted by the establishment should NOT be taken as proof that they are one of the good guys, let alone worthy of automatic trust, let alone a savior.

Many people have decided that certain Prime Minsters, presidents, and other high-profile figures are heroes leading the fight against tyranny and evil, largely because these people have been targeted with outrageous lawsuits and judgments, extreme censorship, and other blatantly unreasonable measures by the so-called deep state and their lackeys (not to mention highly dubious “assassination attempts”).

The problem is that many of these victims of persecution have been steadily advancing the agenda of the bad guys, and are not exactly God-fearing people of integrity besides. Is it really so hard to imagine that the same people who pulled off the Covid production and so many other deadly practical jokes on the masses would give us a persecuted savior that they control as well?

Unfortunately, for many people it is indeed difficult to imagine this. They fall for it every time. Persecution is proof.

A few years ago I met someone who tried earnestly to convince me that a certain rabbi is Moshiach. His main proof was that the Erev Rav establishment that controls Israel persecutes him more than anyone else. They know his great spiritual power, and that’s why they’re going after him — which is why we must believe in him.

First of all, this is an extremely dubious argument; quite a few people can claim that unfortunate distinction (Amiram Ben Uliel comes immediately to mind, but it’s a long list of contenders).

But even if it were true, this is completely off the mark and against the Torah. Moshiach has a specific list of tasks that must be fulfilled. Before someone completes ALL of them, we have no obligation to accept him as Moshiach, and it is highly irresponsible to do so.

This rabbi, like all the many contenders who came before him, has completed exactly zero of these tasks. So at most his devoted followers can believe he is worthy of being Moshiach, and might someday become Moshiach, but that’s the extent of it. It’s not even worth discussing, and proselytizing to that effect will lead to nothing good.

The fact that someone is persecuted does not elevate him to a Messianic figure, or a hero, or a truth-teller, or even a good person. A Messianic figure must accomplish Messianic tasks. A hero must perform acts of heroism. A truth-teller must tell the truth. And a good person must be consistently good, while acknowledging his mistakes and striving to correct them.

Persecution is not a substitute for any of the above.

The bad guys know that people fall for it — so stop falling for it.

So while it’s most likely true that Big Tech went after me for telling the truth, this little badge of honor is not why you should trust me or anyone else. Only if they earn it — and continue to earn it, every single time.