Reb Aryeh Levine's Lessons on Morality and Rationalization in the Face of Violence

Show Notes
Transcript

What if society's outcasts held the keys to profound moral insights? Join us as we unpack the incredible legacy of Reb Aryeh Levine, a tzaddik renowned for extending compassion and hope to those languishing in Eretz Yisrael's prisons. Through gripping stories, we reveal how Reb Aryeh's encounters with some of the most marginalized individuals illuminate the power of redemption and the perplexing nature of human rationalization—even in the face of attempted manslaughter. Witness the shaking moment when Reb Aryeh confronted a prisoner's chilling justification for violence, challenging us to explore the fragile line between morality and the self-serving narratives we spin.

The echoes of Avram Avinu's interactions with Avimelech remind us of how easily societal norms can sway without the anchor of spiritual discipline. As we discuss the intricate balance between moral integrity and the seductive pull of rationalization, this episode invites introspection on the role of divine guidance in our ethical compass. By reflecting on these timeless lessons, we urge listeners to scrutinize the moral frameworks that guide their lives in an ever-evolving world. Don't miss this opportunity to reassess your beliefs and consider the influence of godly discipline in maintaining ethical integrity amidst changing tides.

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Transcript

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Reb Aryeh Levine walked out absolutely shaken after meeting with this prisoner who was incarcerated in Eretz Yisrael, the great tzaddik in our time, reb Aryeh Levine.

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It's well known, well documented, that his work was most notably seen and how he would help even the lowest souls, those that had plummeted to the very bottom of even the prisons in Eretz Yisrael that have committed such egregious actions, prisons in Eretz Yisrael that have committed such egregious actions.

00:00:24.754 --> 00:00:34.832
He would pump them up, give them hope and then literally guide them to the promised land, get them on their feet as successful adults.

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But one time Rabbi Ari Levine walked out of the cell and was absolutely shaken by what he had just heard.

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There was an inmate there that told Rabbi Ari that I'm in here because of attempted manslaughter.

00:00:45.926 --> 00:00:48.488
I wanted to perform shchita on another individual.

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I wanted to cut his head off, but I had failed and everyone has done messed me up.

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Probably said it in Hebrew Ani lo oseh shalokahogen.

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I didn't do anything wrong.

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I need a lawyer why.

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He explained His rationalization Because the person who I attempted manslaughter against was such a rotten fellow.

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If the courts knew how bad he was and what he was up to, oh, they would have given me an award a medal for my attempted manslaughter.

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Oh, if only I would have gotten him.

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Maybe I would have won the Nobel Peace Prize.

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Rabarri was shaken.

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You see, folks, we can even rationalize the tragic happening of murder, of attempted manslaughter.

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Give a human enough time and he can figure out why he really needs to accomplish this.

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The human brain is a crazy place and it seems like this is what Avram Avinu meant and it's what their amalbim suggests.

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When he walks into Plishtimville to the Philistine king, avimelech Avram does, he walks in with his wife and he's nervous that she's an attractive woman.

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So all of a sudden he makes up a story that no one should kill him it's really my sister and Avimelech gets hit with this disease, can't go to the bathroom, he can't get near anything or near anyone.

00:02:10.001 --> 00:02:35.199
And ultimately Avram Avinu reveals himself and he says I told you that it was my sister because that, even though you guys are Philistines and that means you eat cleanly and you are very sneeus with your conjugal relations, the gemara goes on and elaborates a sleigh of how the plishtim were very upstanding people, they had a constitution and they meant well and they had morals and social norms.

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But insert one taiva, insert a beautiful woman, sara im Insert a new culture coming to town, some other new law and the wanting to just approve new laws that previously were bad.

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Anything can change because if there is no godly discipline and really acquiescing and an acknowledgement of a higher being that gives us moral and spiritual discipline.

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Discipline, yerashamayim, that anything could happen, because you can justify murder, you can tell us why Brasmila is barbaric, you can tell us why same-gender marriages are really really how I define myself and how it really needs to be promoted, and you can tell me that I need to go ahead and do this and that and the other thing, but if there is no fear of heaven, godly discipline, then anything is possible and even the worst rationalizations.

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