SATMAR REBBE'S ULTIMATUM WORKS

As recently reported here on FAA News, just days ago, after originally giving his full blessing to a heter me'ah rabbonim, Rav Ahron of Satmar made a complete round-about and got behind a massive shame campaign against the man and his new wife.

The Rebbe yesterday issued a dire ultimatum - within 24 hours the man must either prove he still has 100 Rabbonim supporting his heter, or he must divorce his new wife or give his former wife a get.

The Rebbe vehemently stated that if his ultimatum is not met within 24 hours, he "will do whatever he needs to do."

The Rebbe's ultimatum was successful - the man took his new family and moved out of Kiryas Joel to Monsey.

The story began with a talmid from Tosh who married a woman in 1998.

After the marriage, her father got very rich. He used his wealth to support only certain mosdos and shuls which are affiliated with R' Zalman Leib of Satmar.

In or approximately 2012, the father-in-law got into a dispute with his son-in-law who davened at a different shul.

Ultimately the father-in-law convinced his daughter to leave her husband.

The woman did everything possible to antagonize and hurt her former husband. She dragged him to civil court (with permission from Rabbi Pinchos Rabinowitz), and ultimately alienating the 5 children from seeing their father. At this point, the youngest child is too young to even remember ever seeing his father in their home.

The woman obtained numerous orders of protection against her former husband. The first couple of times the husband was able to get the orders dropped by the courts. However, eventually the woman hired enough lawyers and they were able to secure a final order of protection.

The woman married off all the children in Israel. Her hope was to get their father arrested in Israel due to his status of being a "get refuser."

At one point, seeing as his former wife was refusing to come to Bais Din to adjudicate the case, the man embarked on obtaining a Heter Me'ah Rabbonim. This ambition got delayed at the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. Subsequently, he renewed his efforts.

As part of the process of obtaining a Heter Me'ah Rabbonim, the man escrowed a get in bais din. In this fashion, once the woman is willing to adjudicate her divorce in bais din, she will receive her get.

Many Rabbonim from R' Aron of Satmar's community, including Rav Getzel Berkowitz, a respected dayan from Satmar, and Rav Yosef Yisroel Eisenberger, the Skver dayan, signed on the Heter Me'ah Rabbonim.

Earlier last year, around Purim time, the man was engaged to remarry. Rav Aron of Satmar gave his full blessings, telling him "run, don't walk" to remarry her.

The chasuna took place in the Monsey area. A Skver dayan was mesader kiddushin. The Tosh Monsey Rebbe read the kesubah.

As previously reported here on FAA News, in an act of retaliation, numerous Rabbonim associated with Rav Zalman Leib of Satmar, including Rabbonim from Eidah Hachareidus, sought help from the Israeli government to arrest the Tosh Monsey Rebbe while he was in Israel. Last week, the Rebbe was arrested at Ben Gurion Airport while attempting to leave the country.

As previously reported here on FAA News, seeing this arrest, Rav Ahron of Satmar - who is now fearful he will also get arrested during his next trip to Israel - who originally lent his full support to the man, has now turned a full 180 degrees against the man.

A massive shakedown campaign is now underway to coerce the man into giving a get.

First, attempts were made to get his new wife to leave him. After that was unsuccessful, the man was thrown out of shul and his new wife's kids were threatened with expulsion from school.

Campaigns even got underway to urge his new wife's ex-husband to use the court system to alienate her from her children.

In addition, smear campaigns are going on against everyone who is helping the man. Claims are being made that they are only helping him because they are getting paid to do so.

As previously reported here on FAA News, Rav Ahron of Satmar yesterday issued a dire ultimatum - within 24 hours the man must either prove he still has 100 Rabbonim supporting his heter, or he must divorce his new wife or give his former wife a get.

The Rebbe vehemently stated that if his ultimatum is not met within 24 hours, he "will do whatever he needs to do."

The Rebbe's ultimatum was successful - the man took his new family and moved out of Kiryas Joel to Monsey.

The man penned the following letter to the Rebbe.

Following this development, the Rebbe stated that it's "no longer a Kiryas Joel matter."

Curiously, leaving Kiryas Joel while keeping his new family intact was not one of the choices in the ultimatum.

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