“אין העולם מתקיים אלא בשביל הבל תינוקות של בית רבן“

The world only stands in the merit of children learning Torah
תלמוד בבלי, מסכת שבת, דף קי”ט, עמוד ב

The New York  State Legislature passed a new law barring unvaccinated children from school. Greatly troubled by the new law and the Chabad community’s compliance with it, Rabbi Michoel Green, a Chabad shaliach in Westborough, Massachusetts, wrote letters to both.

In his letter to the NY State Legislature, he explains why no government can compel a rabbi or teacher to bar a Jewish child from Torah studies. Halacha treats the Torah education of every Jewish child as a supreme communal obligation, so fundamental that it takes precedence even over the construction of the Beis Hamikdash. An unvaccinated child who poses no actual danger to others may not be excluded. Furthermore, it is a violation of the community’s First Amendment rights to freedom of religion. He wrote:

Interfering with Jewish children’s ability to attend Torah classes is worse than
preventing Jews from attending a synagogue, or from observing any religious
ritual. As mentioned above, a Torah class of children may not be interrupted for
any reason, even to construct the Holy Temple.
Coercing me to exclude Jewish children from my class, school or synagogue, is a
gross violation of my First Amendment rights.
It is asking me to violate my religion in the most egregious and unacceptable way.
It is downright un-American, an abomination to everything this great nation stands
for. It flies in the face of all the freedoms we hold dear.

Read Rabbi Green’s letter to the Legislature here.

Rabbi Green wrote an impassioned plea to the rabbis of the Chabad Communityת Rabbonei Anash, “who preside over Anash communities throughout New York State, and especially the esteemed members of the Beis Din Tzedek of the Rebbe’s own neighborhood, Crown Heights, שליט”א.

“And to all Anash in Crown Heights, New York State, and throughout the world, שיחיו.”

Written during the Nine Days of 5779 (2019), he decried the shocking silence of Chabad leadership as hundreds of Jewish children were barred from school across New York State. Rabbi Green argues that giving a heter to exclude these children,  or remaining silent while it happens, violates one of the most basic principles in all of halacha. He calls on every Lubavitcher to protest, and on rabbinic leadership to act before another day is lost. He wrote:

This horrific news has reached me davka at this tragic time of year, the Nine Days in which we mourn
the destruction of the first two Holy Temples. The present dire situation invokes our sages’ ominous
words:

“Rav Hamnuna said: Jerusalem was destroyed only because schoolchildren there were interrupted from studying Torah, as it is stated: ‘[And I am filled with the wrath of Hashem, I
cannot contain it], pour it onto the children in the street…’ (Yirmiyahu 6:11). Rav Hamnuna explains: What is the reason that the wrath is poured? It is because ‘children are outside in the
streets’ and are not studying Torah.”

And here we are, 1,950 years later, Jewish children are yet again “outside on the streets,” being barred
from attending school, “interrupted from learning Torah.” This outrageous situation worsens from
day to day, and not one single word of protest… ומצפצף פה פוצה ואין!
What has happened to our rabbinic leadership? Why the silence? Why the inaction?

Who is taking responsibility for these children!?

The silence is deafening.

Numerous administrators have been asked: “Hayitochen? How can you throw out this child? Did you
get a heter from a rov?”

They respond affirmatively, that rabbonei anash have granted them a heter and rabbinic stamp-ofapproval to oust these children from school!

Hoyo lo sihye! Rachmono litzlan. Heaven forfend! Have we sunken so low that such obvious and basic
Torah principles have eluded our rabbinic leadership?

Read Rabbi Green’s letter to the Chabad Community here.

Update: Unfortunately, Rabbi Green was fired from his position by Chabad on February 4, 2021, as COLlive wrote here.