He is not the first and he won't be the last. Haredim: take note of your holy figures. Precisely why we seculars do not trust them and do not want them in our government! Catholic priests are infamous for molesting underage boys and Jewish rabbis for greed, schemes and corruption. Reading this only inspires me to turn my back on this religion, what a shame.

first, that was 9 years ago. no matter how slow the israeli police are, that's very old news. and second, a complementary hotel room isn't very much of a bribe. it may look crooked, but in reality, it's not very much money. apart from the marketing angle, which is what hotels normally use complementary rooms for, is there any indication that rabbi metzger did any special favours for the hotel in return? third, if he wasn't charged for his hotel expenses, then presumably rabbi metzger wasn't reimbursed by the state, either. which makes the comment about his apartment in rehavia entirely unjustified, and nothing but incitement. lastly, the inclusion of the remark about rabbi bakshi-doron has absolutely nothing to do with this story, and is pure yellow journalism.

I see with you secular 'righteous ones' it's guilty until proven innocent... Anyway, we know all about the low level of corruption amoungst secular leaders (or rather the reluctance of the secular courts to actually punish anyone who doesn't wear a head covering.)

"I'm making a buck here!" A blight on the Jewish community. Shave of his payess and his beard and chain him to a road gang for a few years – make him work off his debt to Israel.

Correct that he should be innocent until proven guilty in the secular courts but its interesting to note that according to Jewish law, the defendant is guilty until proven innocent.

I have seen the man in person and he has no peyos. No more than any secular Israeli that would be. You shave them and he would be sporting a mohican style hair cut. Secondly, to #1 its so funny other agencies report that the charges from previous investigations were dropped when Rabbi produced proof of paying for all this hotels stays. Now have anyone gotten a free night at a hotel? Well yes I have under several programs you stay 4 nights get one free etc. Is that theft? No is promotional marketing. Even though I already said the Rabbi already did paid for the stays as noted in other news venues. But who cares right as long as you can strike at the Rabbi that can not defend himself from this vicious attacks. If he did something this time around still to be proven. So he is still innocent and so is the person accusing him for now... Both of this cases to be reviewed.

We righteous seculars do not speak on behalf of G-d and pretend to be holy leaders. Show me where it is written in the Torah that financial crimes are permitted. Us seculars worship a different kind of book, the checkbook, so yeah these crimes are expected from us little unworthy people but definitely not from the high and mighty Orthodox!

Praying hasn't opened a safe yet to deliver money to the "tzadik", or maybe I am not up to date on the news? Let's see if Metzger can open a bank safe with his prayer. He is a tzadik, not?

??paid too little for a hotel room and now they ransack his home? i have no faith in the israeli police. criminals run wild across the country, but certain people get "special attention" from them

I met him once. Not a very nice man. I'm kinda not surprised

until he'll be proven innocent as usual but will not be reported on media as usual.

what are you talking about? jewish law has a very strong notion of innocent until proven guilty. it is a very lenient system: for example you need a warning before you commit a crime in order to even be charged.

Many times police seem to have nothing better to do, so they try to find a reason to justify their salaries. The article does not mention the new charges, so we cannot comment yet about those, but I don't see why anyone cares if a private hotel gives a break to a Rabbi. In other societies, clergymen are respected, and no one would care if a hotel gave a priest a free room. It is not our money, so who cares?

Nothing is normal in Israel. If you commit a minor offense undercover, the police will crack down hard. But if you commit a serious offense in the open, you have no problem. But hey, if the whole economic system is corrupt, what can you expect.

Mishnah, Avot 1:9 Yehudah Ben Tabai said, "When the litigants stand before you view them as evil; however, once they have accepted your judgment you must view them as righteous." That we are supposed to look at the witness as guilty and then try to find reasons to make them innocent - vs looking at them as innocent and try to find reasons why they are guilty.

that only religious Jews suspected of fraud and bribery get their homes raided. Never were secular MK homes raided for bribery or fraud when most of them commit it begadol! Typical Zionist racists.

Er no. You are probably getting mixed up with the advice given to in Pirkei ovos to judges in monetary cases to see both parties as 'reshoim' i.e. potentially lying, in order that the judge looks at the merits of the case. It does not mean 'guilty until proven innocent' as propounded on these pages.

No, you just say that you are behind 'justice' etc etc.. while blatantly disregarding it. As to your comment about higher standards, of course we should hold ourselves to our own standards. However those who don't are not doing it because they espose that they should be at a higher standard. I

I am so sorry to read this. I am hoping that the Police will do their job Honestly and with dignity. And that he will eventually be found clean, for our sake, and for the sake of all those who still believe in the greatness of Torah scholars! I cannot imagine the magnitude of damage this can potentially cause us all! I rather maintain my naïve approach here.

Big crime. Sounds to me,like witch hunting.

your secular friend Olmert is still walking free

According to Jewish law a person is presumed innocent until two reliable witnesses testifie that so or so has done something wrong . In most cases the person can only be condemned if he has been first warned that if he does this or that he will be punished that way . The reliability of the testimony is checked and double checked. Only then a court will condemn him. so you are mistaken

oh... please say it isn't so!

a tzadik is a totally different man or woman. a tzadik can be the most humble among the people, but he is holy through his love of humanity and his love of god.

President peres was given money for his foundation my Bill Clinton is that allowed? maybe Bill wants Peres to back his "peace plans" Now YNet are you going to publish this?

Everyone is going to get exposed, end times.