Close associates of Rabbi Yitzchak Zilberstein, a leading Lithuanian-haredi rabbi, on Sunday released a harsh statement denouncing the publication of videos distorting the rabbi’s comments regarding military enlistment.
The statement alleges “coordinated and deliberate persecution” by “self-interested parties” who attend the rabbi’s public lectures and attempt to extract quotes to present to the public “in a misleading manner.”
Rabbi Zilberstein's family emphasized that “the recently published videos are edited, cut, and manipulated in a biased way, including partial quotes and statements taken out of context.”
According to the statement, the videos caused “great distress to the rabbi,” and his aides view “any attempt to harm the honor of the Torah through media manipulation as extremely serious.”
Rabbi Zilberstein clarified that he “does not wish to rule on public matters, particularly on matters pertaining to enlistment in the military,” and generally refers such questions to the generation’s leader, Rabbi Dov Lando.
Regarding statements about violating Shabbat to avoid drafting a yeshiva student, his aides explained that “these remarks were cited from his teacher, Rabbi Yehezkel Abramsky, solely to illustrate the gravity of the issue, and not as practical halakhic (Jewish law) rulings.”
The statement also addressed Rabbi Zilberstein's comments on the Netzach Yehuda unit, noting that “one of the attendees attempted to mislead the rabbi on this matter,” but Rabbi Zilberstein wanted to clarify that Rabbi Shteinman “never forgave or excused those who claimed he had founded or supported this unit until the end of his life.”
The rabbi’s aides called “all parties and media outlets to act responsibly, accurately report statements, and refrain from misleading the public.”
They also expressed regret over “repeated attempts to harm the rabbi’s honor and distort Torah teachings on serious matters.”