A Rebbishe Mayse

We recently linked a satirical video titled "Ikh Vil Zeyn A Rebbe." The video, which first appeared on the Chaptzem Blog quickly went viral and was posted on many other blogs. Hirhurim posted a link to our post and then, after a heated comments thread, removed the post explaining his rationale here.

In the meantime, a fake copyright violation takedown request was filed with YouTube by "Chofetz Chaim". Parshablog writes about the controversy here. There is a working copy of the video on YouTube, but the links in many of the earlier posts are dead due to the fake request. (The link in our earlier post is working.)

Meanwhile, the singer/songwriter tells Chaptzem that he did record the song for own entertainment, not for the public. He writes:

This is Shauly Grossman. I'm not about to run after everyone I know and explain myself, but I can't hold myself back here. I made this song together with other similar songs (on Goyish tunes) for fun more than a year ago. I never dreamed that anybody but my few friends will hear it and if I would have known that a year later I'm gonna find it on the net, just like you, with no clue how and who, I wouldn't have made it. At least I would have made it a drop more professional.
Anyways, I'm sorry if I offended anybody. It was meant for my own private fun.

I am a Tzanzer Chussid and really look up to him, but I can't help but agree with the guy that said "if they want our respect, they should earn it". As my family found out the hard way, most of the BIG Rabbonim, especially the big ones by whom you are nothing but another piece of meat, (at least the small ones try their best to be there for their people, they need them) are good for telling you that you need to do the right thing and Hashem will help. They were there to tell us that. But when it came to real life, when you really need their help, you can talk to the wall. If you want them to do anything but talk, you are alone.

Grossman, who wrote lyrics for the title track to Lipa Schmeltzer's "A Poshiter Yid", says that he says he did not make the video and does not know who did. Taken apart from the video, the song is a sharp satirical look at unqualified "leaders" who inherit their positions, but do not deserve them. It's a sharp and humorous social critique. With the video added, it becomes a personal critique of the specific rebbes pictured (as well as Rabbis Aaron Schacter and Avremel Schorr).