The Rabbis Vs. Luke & Aaron

Joe emails:

To those who learn torah in the brisker method, the crucial portion of the analysis in torah learning, or any other field, is to ascertain the distinquishing characteristic between two occurrences and then the analysis is bulletproof. Your being barred from Pico Rob shuls and probably never being allowed back in versus Aaron Biston being thrown out and then being welcomed back deserves some analysis.

The reason for the disparate treatment is simple. Aaron sued. You have not (yet).

I am not sure what Rabbis say about you to other people – if they say, well, he was into porn blogging so I tossed him, or, he bad mouthed people in the shul or uncovered some chick’s identity, well, you can try and sue for defamation, but truth is an absolute defense to the claim – unlike lashon hara, which is prohibited derogatory language, even if true, one is allowed to speak the truth and not be held liable.

Now, if Rabbis are saying that you inappropriately approached women (is there any other way?) or that you were anything other than your meek self, with a talmud under your arm, nursing a serious case of undiagnosed asperger’s, well, you have a claim.

Note that Biston did not ask to be let back into the shul. No court would get involved in that sort of matter.

So the question for you is do you want to sue?

I would never sue. I’m from Australia. We don’t sue there except under the direst of circumstances.