I usually don't pay much attention to the psycho spoon bender Uri Geller. I don't know why anyone pays much attention to him...so it really annoys me when R' Shmuel Eliyahu (Rav of Tzefat) comments publicly about Geller in an interview with Arutz-7 that "people should not use supernatural powers for cheap entertainment."
Use of supernatural forces for entertainment purposesTo make matters worse, an 11 year old kid tried "duplicating" Geller's TV performance last night of holding his breath...and the kid passed out and was hospitalized.
Quack is right.
ReplyDeleteIf you disagree with R. Eliyahu, are we to understand that you approve of using supernatural powers for cheap entertainment purposes?
ReplyDeleteI think Geller was proved to a fake quite while ago--long enough ago that you might have been an eleven year old given to duplicating his performances yourself. Is Geller now trying to be an imitation of David Blaine?
If you disagree with R. Eliyahu, are we to understand that you approve of using supernatural powers for cheap entertainment purposes?
ReplyDeleteSince Geller was proven to be a fraud, it's unfortunate that R' Eliyahu guves him any media attention in the first place. Do we really need kids asking about "the supernatural"? Is it true? Is it fake? What about kabbala? It's alot easier for me to explain to my kids that Uri Geller is a fake, than having to explain R' Eliyahu's statement because that means eeding to explain: "What real supernatural stuff is out there?"
I have no clue what to answer to that.
kishnevi: Do you?
Wasn't Geller in a second career as an oil filed locator?? Guess that failed so he is back to the spoon tricks.
ReplyDeleteVery nice, Jameel. Take a look at my blog, if you want to know how to use a phone in Israel. I thought of you the whole time I posted it...
ReplyDeletehttp://mevaseretzion.blogspot.com/2006/11/how-to-use-phone-in-palestine.html
Sorry here's the link:
ReplyDeletehttp://mevaseretzion.blogspot.com/2006/11/how-to-use-phone-in-palestine.html
my good friend organised uri geller's wedding here in london..and brought home a bent spoon souvenier which i myself have seen
ReplyDelete(michael jackson and shmuely boteach were the 'best men' at the wedding! lol)
i love seeing things out of the ordinary
-towik
"What real supernatural stuff is out there?"
ReplyDeleteWell, the Torah received at Sinai, for one thing.
better they try to imitate Geller(most kids give up before they get to the fainting point) than Superman.(it happened!!!!)
ReplyDelete"Hah! Uri Geller bending spoons with his thoughts? That's just laughable. What idiots would believe such stuff...
ReplyDeleteRav Kaduri (ZT"L ZY"A) of course could fly, turn water into wine and speak with angelks and demons. But he's a mekubal. And of course Baba Sali..."
Pardon my discordant note but when I hear frummeh yidden mocking the supernatural I'm amazed at their ability to simultaneously believe in all manners of superstition and disbelieve in the same. All depending on whether said magic is emanating from a shaman of their own tribe.
And this cuts even more precidely when you hear Lubavitchers swearing by all sorts of nissim from their own Rebbe but mocking the possibility of the Vilna Goan's having performed the wonders attributed to his story. And the same vice versa. We're all sane thinkers when we're mocking yennim's mishegos but we become the most frightening sort of believer in insanity when looking at the gods of our own faith.
just saying.
mnuez
I saw the episode in question (I'm ashamed to admit it, but my wife likes the show).
ReplyDeleteIt wasn't Geller, but rather one of the competing psychics on his show.
It wasn't his breath that he held, but rather the guy stopped his own heart - for real, for around 25 seconds.
MNUES: I wasn't mocking the rabbanim for supernatural talents, but expressing my discontent with R' Eliyahu giving Geller any credence whatsover.
ReplyDeleteI wonder what force he's in touch with.
ReplyDelete