A rabbinic colleague has been arraigned for video recording unwitting individuals (women preparing for immersion in a mikveh). It appears that on numerous occasions he violated the privacy and the dignity of people whom he had every responsibility to treat with the utmost respect. He appears to have crossed several boundaries and to have taken advantage of the time and labor of a number of people. Instead of serving, he abused his authority.
The truth will out. Now that it is being revealed, the pain caused to women using the mikveh and possibly recorded by his 'Dream Machine', to converts who are unsure of the integrity of their conversions, to the rabbi's congregation, family, and community, to his rabbinical association and yeshiva, to Orthodox Judaism, to Judaism in general, to religion, and to civilized society, continues to be felt.
What can we learn from this painful episode?
• a person will use the powers that he enjoys to do good or ill as he chooses. The human heart harbors dark intents.
• once a person begins to do ill, he will find every temptation to continue
• it is very difficult for a powerful individual's colleagues to interfere into a pattern of inappropriate behavior. Political considerations tending to inaction are often present.
• where there is smoke, there's fire. The Talmud avails severe sanction, even when the fire is not yet visible.
Would that this rabbi's colleagues had responded more forcefully to complaints that had been reported to them in the past.