Author Topic: Mezuzah Fraud  (Read 73261 times)

Offline IGBES

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Mezuzah Fraud
« on: January 03, 2019, 09:22:35 AM »


Offline lubaby

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Re: Mezuzah Fraud
« Reply #1 on: January 03, 2019, 09:40:36 AM »
Crazy

Offline cmey

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Re: Mezuzah Fraud
« Reply #2 on: January 03, 2019, 10:00:17 AM »
Crazy

I’ve heard this before but אינו דומה שמיעה לראיה. This is one video that ought to go viral...

Offline tzifanya54

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Re: Mezuzah Fraud
« Reply #3 on: January 03, 2019, 10:17:58 AM »
Is it only a problem on the low end? Or is this potentially a problem even for $100-$150 ones?

Offline stooges44

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Re: Mezuzah Fraud
« Reply #4 on: January 03, 2019, 10:20:39 AM »
I know I'm opening a can of worms here but how can they publicly name the stores that are selling the pasul ones?

The message and point of the video/investigation is clear but why the public shaming?
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Re: Mezuzah Fraud
« Reply #5 on: January 03, 2019, 10:20:39 AM »
Is it only a problem on the low end? Or is this potentially a problem even for $100-$150 ones?

Fwiu, low end only. Even an untrained eye can quickly see the difference

Offline tzifanya54

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Re: Mezuzah Fraud
« Reply #6 on: January 03, 2019, 10:23:45 AM »
I know I'm opening a can of worms here but how can they publicly name the stores that are selling the pasul ones?

The message and point of the video/investigation is clear but why the public shaming?
To save others from the same fate....

Offline lubaby

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Re: Mezuzah Fraud
« Reply #7 on: January 03, 2019, 10:40:15 AM »
To save others from the same fate....
#ButTheyAreYidden

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Re: Mezuzah Fraud
« Reply #8 on: January 03, 2019, 11:08:54 AM »
I know I'm opening a can of worms here but how can they publicly name the stores that are selling the pasul ones?

The message and point of the video/investigation is clear but why the public shaming?

I am happy he did it. When I was purchasing mezuzahs for myself, not mivtzoim, I was unable to spend too much money. I went to one of the places in the video and ordered one expensive mezuzah and the rest mivtzoim mezuzahs. The salesman tried to dissuade me from buying the cheaper ones. He said they were 100% kosher, l'chatchilah, only that they were cheap and not good quality. In that situation, my plan was to buy the cheap ones and in time replace them with better ones.

The first time I got them checked, they were all pasul. Not kosher b'dieved, not some of them ok, some not. All pasul. I was furious. As much as I was at fault for cheaping out on the mitzvah, and I certainly should have splurged, he did assure me they were 100% kosher l'chatchilah.

The "expensive" mezuzah (~$150 IIRC) was impeccable. It has been checked by 3 different sofrim over the years, and they have not found even the tiniest blemish.

Offline yitzgar

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Re: Mezuzah Fraud
« Reply #9 on: January 03, 2019, 11:09:41 AM »
#ButTheyAreYidden
As are the victims

Offline coralsnake

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Re: Mezuzah Fraud
« Reply #10 on: January 03, 2019, 11:12:08 AM »
I once lived in an apartment building in Brooklyn and noticed one day that my clear mezuzah cases looked like something other than a mezuzah was in them. So I opened it up and low and behold someone had stolen the mezuzah and replaced it with a piece of white cardboard paper.

I told my non religious Israeli neighbors accross the hall to check theirs (since their cases were non transparent) and theirs had been stolen as well.

I knew it was likely the other neighbors nasty teenager who did it.

Such a shame.
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Offline yitzgar

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Re: Mezuzah Fraud
« Reply #11 on: January 03, 2019, 11:15:53 AM »
I once lived in an apartment building in Brooklyn and noticed one day that my clear mezuzah cases looked like something other than a mezuzah was in them. So I opened it up and low and behold someone had stolen the mezuzah and replaced it with a piece of white cardboard paper.

I told my non religious Israeli neighbors accross the hall to check theirs (since their cases were non transparent) and theirs had been stolen as well.

I knew it was likely the other neighbors nasty teenager who did it.

Such a shame.
Unfortunately a common issue especially in apartment buildings, especially in NY

Offline gingyguy

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Re: Mezuzah Fraud
« Reply #12 on: January 03, 2019, 11:23:59 AM »
Seems like a whole lot of mekach taus...
May you slide down the banister of happiness & get many splinters of success up your career.

Offline whYME

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Re: Mezuzah Fraud
« Reply #13 on: January 03, 2019, 11:36:47 AM »
I can kinda understand the places like Judaica World and Hamafitz Judaica, they can say they trusted their supplier(s) and didn't know better. But a place like Hasofer where safrus is their main business should've known better.

Offline zh cohen

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Re: Mezuzah Fraud
« Reply #14 on: January 03, 2019, 12:24:55 PM »
Many other sofrim have reviewed these pictures and (taking into account the limitations of the pictures) said that many of those he said are passul, are actually kosher (bedieved).

Having said that, when you pay $30 for a mezzuzah, you are going to get, at the very best, a questionable product.

Offline ushdadude

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Re: Mezuzah Fraud
« Reply #15 on: January 03, 2019, 12:29:06 PM »
#ButTheyAreYidden
so was that butcher in monsey

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Re: Mezuzah Fraud
« Reply #16 on: January 03, 2019, 12:39:07 PM »
Many other sofrim have reviewed these pictures and (taking into account the limitations of the pictures) said that many of those he said are passul, are actually kosher (bedieved).

Having said that, when you pay $30 for a mezzuzah, you are going to get, at the very best, a questionable product.

Oh come on. Even if ALL were kosher, but only b'dieved, it's still awful. When I'm buying a mezuzah, I'm looking for a kosher mezuzah l'chatchilah. Don't tell me it's my fault for only spending $30. If $30 is not enough to get a kosher mezuzah, don't sell mezuzahs for $30. How is a SOFER selling a mezuzah that is not 100% kosher l'chatchilah not theft?

Offline S209

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Re: Mezuzah Fraud
« Reply #17 on: January 03, 2019, 12:47:27 PM »
Oh come on. Even if ALL were kosher, but only b'dieved, it's still awful. When I'm buying a mezuzah, I'm looking for a kosher mezuzah l'chatchilah. Don't tell me it's my fault for only spending $30. If $30 is not enough to get a kosher mezuzah, don't sell mezuzahs for $30. How is a SOFER selling a mezuzah that is not 100% kosher l'chatchilah not theft?
Although I am hesitant to bash mochrim in general, this is a pretty valid point.
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Offline zh cohen

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Re: Mezuzah Fraud
« Reply #18 on: January 03, 2019, 12:52:35 PM »
Oh come on. Even if ALL were kosher, but only b'dieved, it's still awful. When I'm buying a mezuzah, I'm looking for a kosher mezuzah l'chatchilah. Don't tell me it's my fault for only spending $30. If $30 is not enough to get a kosher mezuzah, don't sell mezuzahs for $30. How is a SOFER selling a mezuzah that is not 100% kosher l'chatchilah not theft?

If the guy told you it is kosher l'chatchila then he stole from you, but when people ask for the cheapest possible mezzuzah, then it is going to be b'dieved (and anyone who didn't know that before now was burying their own head in the sand). The fact that one sofer who checked them said they are passul does not mean that the one who sold them agrees.

Again, I agree that passul mezzuzas being sold and the ones who sell them should answer for their actions, but this video went to far to the other extreme by using a sofer that is more machmir.

I'm just calling for a little bit of nuance.

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Re: Mezuzah Fraud
« Reply #19 on: January 03, 2019, 01:03:08 PM »
If the guy told you it is kosher l'chatchila then he stole from you, but when people ask for the cheapest possible mezzuzah, then it is going to be b'dieved (and anyone who didn't know that before now was burying their own head in the sand). The fact that one sofer who checked them said they are passul does not mean that the one who sold them agrees.

Again, I agree that passul mezzuzas being sold and the ones who sell them should answer for their actions, but this video went to far to the other extreme by using a sofer that is more machmir.

I'm just calling for a little bit of nuance.
Also a valid point! Bravo!
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