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- Hebrew Name: הרב שמואל טל (לנגנטל)
- String Ratio: Raavad Ratio
- How We Know: Heard from Reliable Source
- Date Born: September 27, 1962 (Hebrew date: 29th of Elul, 5722)
- Location Born: Bnei Brak, Israel
- Current Location: Yad Binyamin, between Jerusalem and Ashdod
Type of wearer: Rosh Yeshiva
Affiliation: Chardal, Yeshivish Modern
Rav Shmuel Tal is the founder and Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivas Toras HaChayim and its associated institutions, established originally in Neve Dekalim of Gush Katif, but currently in Yad Binyamin, where it moved after the destruction of the Gush. Rav Tal studied under Rav Y. Z. Gustman, zt”l, Rav Y. S. Zilberman, zt”l, Rav Avraham Shapira, zt”I, Rav Shmuel Auerbach, shlit”a, and others. He guides his many students according to a vision of serving God with deep devotion, fundamentally and practically, in a manner that encompasses Torah study in depth and self-improvement, sanctifying every aspect of life.
About Wearer
Translated from Yeshiva.org.il:
Rabbi Shmuel Tal (born on 29 Elul 5722) is the head of Yeshivat Torat HaChaim.
His rabbis/teachers: Rabbi Aryeh Bina, Rabbi Shmuel Auerbach, Rabbi Yisrael Zev Gustman, Rabbi Yitzchak Shlomo Zilberman, Rabbi Yosef Kapach, Rabbi Avraham Shapira, Rabbi Asher Weiss
His works: Tal Chaim
In May 2019, claims were published regarding unethical conduct by Rabbi Tal. Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu claimed, among other things, that Rabbi Tal persuaded a woman to divorce her husband with the promise that she would marry him, agreed to compensate her in the amount of half a million shekels, and transferred to her only part of the amount. The claims were discussed in a beis din established by Rabbi Asher Weiss, with the agreement of Rabbi Eliyahu. In July 2019, the beis din published its conclusions, according to which “Rabbi Tal never touched a woman, not even with his little finger, other than his wife, and no such claim was ever raised.” Along with this, the beis din criticized Rabbi Tal’s reliance on Ruach HaKodesh and the improper relationship he conducted as a result with that woman while she was still a married woman. In light of this, the beis din ruled that Rabbi Tal could continue to stand at the head of the yeshiva and teach Torah, but that he must refrain from engaging in public leadership or giving advice on personal matters such as relationships and medicine, and likewise refrain from receiving women for conversations. The beis din further ruled that Rabbi Tal must publicly announce, “truthfully and sincerely, orally and in writing, that all reliance on Ruach HaKodesh was founded on error, and he must cease entirely from this path.” After the ruling was published, Rabbi Tal spoke before his students and said that he had erred regarding the matter of Ruach HaKodesh that he had attributed to himself.
In response to the decision of the beis din, Rabbis Dov Lior and Chaim Druckman published a letter in which they wrote that the ruling of the beis din was puzzling, and expressed their opinion that in light of the facts clarified in the beis din, Rabbi Tal was not fit to stand at the head of a yeshiva or serve as an educational figure. Several dozen additional Religious Zionist rabbis joined that letter, among them Rabbi Elyakim Levanon, Rabbi Yehoshua Shapira, and Rabbi Yuval Cherlow. On the other hand, Rabbi Meir Mazuz, Rabbi Avigdor Nebenzahl, Rabbi Zalman Nechemia Goldberg, and Rabbi Ratzon Arusi called on the public to heed the ruling of the beis din and to be careful not to accept evil reports or slanderous words about Rabbi Tal.
Yeshiva Info from Wikipedia:
Yeshivat Torat HaChaim is an educational yeshiva network founded by Rabbi Shmuel Tal in 1996, originally situated in the Gush Katif (Gaza Strip) settlement of Neve Dekalim. After the 2005 disengagement from Gaza, Torat HaChaim was re-established in the religious settlement, Yad Binyamin, between Jerusalem and Ashdod.
Rav Tal believes in inclusiveness in the student body, with students representing most types of orthodoxy, Haredi and Religious Zionist, and stresses the need to become more involved in every aspect of Israeli society. He encourages his students to serve in the Nahal Haredi or to do standard National Service.
The Torat HaChaim network numbers (in 2016–2017) 1,600 students and includes:
- a Talmud Torah
- elementary girls school
- yeshiva ketana
- ulpana for girls
- yeshiva gedola
- kollel
- yeshiva for baalei teshuva
- midrasha for baalot teshuva
- midrasha for women after Sherut Leumi (a variant on national Service)
- yeshiva for haredi men
- film and theater school (separate days for men and women)
- school for counseling and therapeutic training (separate days for men and women)
- Tal Chaim publication institute
- off campus outreach programs
- off campus teacher training program
- community of families in Nazareth Ilit
Future plans include a music academy for men and women, and high schools for sons and daughters of baalei teshuva.
External links
From Yeshiva.org.il:
הרב שמואל טל (נולד בכ”ט באלול ה’תשכ”ב) הוא ראש ישיבת תורת החיים.
רבותיו: הרב אריה בינה, הרב שמואל אוירבך, הרב ישראל זאב גוסטמן, הרב יצחק שלמה זילברמן, הרב יוסף קאפח, הרב אברהם שפירא, הרב אשר וייס
חיבוריו: טל חיים
במאי 2019 התפרסמו טענות על התנהלות לא אתית של הרב טל. הרב שמואל אליהו טען, בין השאר, שהרב טל שכנע אישה להתגרש מבעלה בהבטחה שתינשא לו, הסכים לפצותה בסכום של חצי מיליון ש”ח, והעביר לה רק חלק מהסכום. הטענות נידונו בבית דין שהוקם בידי הרב אשר וייס, בהסכמת הרב אליהו. ביולי 2019 פרסם בית הדין את מסקנותיו שלפיהן “מעולם לא נגע הרב טל ואף לא באצבע קטנה באשה מלבד אשתו, ואף לא עלתה טענה כזו”. לצד זאת, מתח בית הדין ביקורת על היסמכותו של הרב טל על רוח הקודש ועל הקשר הפסול שניהל בעקבות כך עם אותה אישה בעודה אשת איש. לנוכח זאת פסק בית הדין כי הרב טל יוכל להמשיך לעמוד בראשות הישיבה וללמד תורה אך עליו להימנע מעיסוק בהנהגה ציבורית או בעצות בנושאים אישיים כגון זוגיות ורפואה וכן להימנע מקבלת נשים לשיחות. עוד פסק בית הדין כי על הרב טל להודיע ברבים “באמת ובתמים, בעל פה ובכתב, שכל ההישענות על רוח הקודש בטעות יסודה ולחדול לחלוטין מדרך זו”. לאחר פרסום הפסק דיבר הרב טל בפני תלמידיו ואמר כי טעה בעניין רוח הקודש שייחס לעצמו.
בתגובה להחלטת בית הדין פרסמו הרבנים דוב ליאור וחיים דרוקמן מכתב שבו כתבו שהחלטת בית הדין תמוהה והביעו את דעתם כי עקב העובדות שהתבררו בבית הדין הרב טל אינו ראוי לעמוד בראשות ישיבה או להוות דמות חינוכית. אל המכתב הצטרפו כמה עשרות רבנים נוספים מן הציונות הדתית, בהם הרב אליקים לבנון, הרב יהושע שפירא והרב יובל שרלו. מנגד, הרב מאיר מאזוז, הרב אביגדר נבנצל, הרב זלמן נחמיה גולדברג והרב רצון ערוסי קראו להישמע לפסק הדין ולהיזהר מלקבל שמועות רעות או דברי בלע על הרב טל.
