Jewish Scene
An ultra-Orthodox Jew in Pyongyang
Tali Farkash
Published: 29.12.18, 07:44
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30 Talkbacks for this article
1. 1000's give $$$ to Chabad their freeloaders travel the world
miki ,   jerusalem   (12.29.18)
2. Kudos to Bibi.Even North-Koreans like Israel!
olim hadashim ,   Tel Aviv   (12.29.18)
3. Get out of North Korea! Idiot! Do you want to end up like
Rivkah   (12.29.18)
Otto Warmbier? The name Seoul, the capital of South Korea, is a warning to stay out of South Korea, too. Seoul in Hebrew is Sheol, HELL! Seoul will be nuked by North Korea is the warning in that name
4. What for ?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ab   (12.29.18)
5. What exactly are we doing in NK?!"Small country with nuclear
(12.29.18)
weapons AND enemies"?
Really, like in do North Koreans have Arabs as neighbors??!!
Funny shit coming form this Man in Black
6. This guy needs to grow up. And fast.
Robert ,   Chicago   (12.29.18)
I think it is all strange. He put his safety at risk....and all for nothing. He has a family and a responsibility to do his best to remain safe. Like other tourists, he could have been arrested and imprisoned. And if the worst happened and they killed him......no one would ever remember him. This guy needs to grow up. And fast.
7. Chabad are the most racist people under the sun/ they follow
Avi Sapir ,   Tel Aviv   (12.29.18)
a strange book called Tanya- it is like Mein Kamph
8. Like my friend, Forrest Gump, once said: NK is like a box of
Incredulous   (12.29.18)
chocolates. You never know whatcha gonna get.
9. S
chadash   (12.29.18)
Mr Alfasi....if you haven't set off yet, don't come back, please stay there.

If you have, please go straight back. It's the ideal location for you.

Better still invite all your like-minded friends, family, neighbors and relations (the world over) to join you there.

Everyone else would be very happy if you did.

Outside of your closed communities, you are universally disliked and unpopular.

Mr Kim would welcome you. He likes that kind of attitude.

And their benefits systems is just the best.
10. MASHIACH MASHIACH MASHICAH
SUK MAI DIK ,   SAFED KOREA   (12.29.18)
11. What an idiot - like the Christian missionary who got killed
Bavli ,   Babylon   (12.30.18)
your mein kampf Tanya should have been their reason to Warmbier you.
12. Not a good idea
DT ,   Ojio   (12.30.18)
Handing the guide a card with the Seven Laws of Noah was a reckless and foolish idea. All that did was put this poor guy at risk. What if his superiors found this on him and were able to figure out the Hebrew? He could have gotten in big trouble. And for what?
13. Perfect match: two ideologies based on deceit& threat of
(12.30.18)
punishment.
In the case of North Korea there’re at least an end to the proposed suffering and death sets its boundary, not so with religion!!!!
It’s a bloody ETERNAL North Korea!!!!!
(That analogy is Christopher Hitchen’s ,of blessed memory
14. A dangerous PR stunt. Nothing better to do with your time?
Rafi ,   US   (12.30.18)
This guy's NOT the embodiment of stability or good judgment
15. creative solutions
dov epstein ,   efrat   (01.05.19)
Later in life, Hitchens discovered that he was of Jewish descent on his mother's side and that his Jewish-born ancestors were immigrants from Eastern Europe (including Poland).
16. racismn
thomas ,   germany   (02.03.19)
Why west people so arrogant to mean they living better then NK...NK wont not coca cola they wont rapeist they wont illegal refugeess they wont drugs..they need not jeans frome USA agressor no.1 they need not internet...70 years gives NK and u see it works and we hate now NK..North korea u a bad land u dont have rapeist u dont have COCA COLA u dont have drugs u must have all that bad shit what we like...YEA RAPES very good in west ...ALL in your land need a gun...RAPE RAPE RAPE...And while u that not will and while u not like the USA North KOREa is bad land..btw in germany all good we never did hate JEWS all was propaganda... :P :P :P :P :P
17. Chabad Outreach
Feivel ,   Texas   (04.15.19)
The Leader of the Chabad Movement directed his followers to reach out to the JJewish people of the world. They follow the Torah which is what US Constitution is based on and why US is different from Europe whose governments are based on Canon Law. Meir is a Messenger. The Hebrew word for Messenger is the same as Angel..."Molach". An Angel can be a stranger who opens your eyes to something right in front of you.
18. Jews do not engage in Missionary Activities
Feivel ,   Texas   (04.15.19)
Chabad reaches out to Jewish people to highlight what is written in the Torah, That is what the prophets did like Isaiah, Jeremiah and others. Meir was doing outreach. That is all.
19. Not a PR Stunt
Feivel ,   Texas   (04.15.19)
The late Rabbi Schneerson encouraged his followers to reach out to Jews in the diaspora. Meir should be commended for helping to bring many lost souls back home. No PR, No Stunt. Just reaching out to teach, He is a blessing.
20. Chabad States this man does not represent them or Chabad.
Shaul Valadez ,   Jerusalem   (04.28.19)

Meir Alfasi does not represent the Chabad movement. He is an individual who acted entirely on his own.

Best wishes,

Chani Benjaminson
Chabad.org

:: On Wednesday, April 24, 2019 you wrote:

Recently I read the following:

https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5434458,00.html

The exerpt is as follows.
As the disturbing journey continued, Alfasi was taken to see North Korean state monuments. “We visited squares with statues of leaders, and you’re supposed to bow to them. I was told not to put my hands in my pocket or hold them behind me, or take a selfie. I also had to buy flowers in honor of 'our great leaders, to whom we owe our lives.' What could I do? I had to bow, there was no choice but to decide between dying sanctifying God’s name or doing what I was told.”

So what does a Chabad follower do in such a case? Alfasi bowed, while saying the “Aleynu leshabeach” blessing, which includes a bow: “Before thee, O Lord our God, let them bow and fall.”

This disturbing incident is a clear violation of Jewish Law. These statues are actual vehicles of worship of the North Korean leaders. It is not honoring the "king".
The North Koreans make that very clear.
Even the statement of the Aleynu as a prayer to Hashem is not allowed when bowing to an idol.
Mr. Alfasi stated himself above
"What could I do? I had to bow, there was no choice but to decide between dying sanctifying God’s name or doing what I was told.”
He did not sanctify Hashem's name, rather Mr. Alfasi bowed to the idols publicly.
And contrary to Jewish Law stated a prayer to Hashem while bowing to idols.
He justified his actions.
Earlier in the article Mr. Alfasi states that it would be better to die in a plane crash than under torture in North Korea.
Apparently it is better, in his opinion to bow before an idol than to die sanctifying Hashem.
And its not like the North Koreans did this for the first time. The touring agencies inform all visitors of this before the person even goes to North Korea.

My question is, if Meir Alfasi emmisary at large of Chabad represents The Rebbe as the shluchim are supposed to do isn't it like The Rebbe bowed to the idol?
I am deeply disturbed by this.
Almost, if not all the Rebbes of Chabad spent time in prison or exile BECAUSE they would NOT bow even through fear of torture!
That Mr. Alfasi should, knowing full well he would have to do this then put himself in a situation where he was going to have to do this or die is bad enough, but then to bow rather than sanctify Hashem's name and pray to Hashem as he did so is actual idolworship through an idol.
Chabad Lubavich must separate themselves from Mr. Alfasi.
He does NOT emulate what The Rebbe would have done.
Shlichus is important, but not at the expense of The Jewish Values.
The Rebbe's army metaphor is The Army of Hashem. I was one of the last people to see the Rebbe.
This would have made him cry and broken his heart.
The values that The Rebbe held dear which are our Torah as taught by Moshe and the values of Abraham the Shliach of Hashem of Hesed founded on Absolute rejection of idolatry and pluralistic systems of worship above all must not be allowed to have EVEN the appearance of maleability.
My question is does Meir Alfasi represent any Chabad organization?

21. Irresponsible idiot
Rachel ,   Jerusalem   (06.03.19)
This guy is the father of four children. He is totally irresponsible .
22. Pictures show normal life, clean neat class, fishing...
TheWall   (06.08.19)
I don't see any "evil" ....where???
sounds like a quack Idiotic story...
23. Sounds like a typical ultra orthodox. Liar, cheat, idol wors
Simon ,   Haifa   (09.18.19)
And an irresponsible idiot.
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