Rabbi Elyashiv Rules Taking Money From The International Fellowship Of Christians And Jews "Ignores The Prohibition Against Idolatry"

Head haredi forbids taking money from IFCJ, says doing so "assists missionary activity in the future."

 

Arutz Sheva reports Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv, the 99-year-old haredi leader, has ruled taking money from the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, headed by Modern Orthodox Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein, violates the prohibition of idol worship.

Rabbi Elyashiv added cooperation with IFCJ will aid future missionary activity.

It is unclear how taking money from Christians halakhicly causes Jews to violate the prohibition against idol worship – especially because most rabbinic opinions hold the Evangelicals themselves do not violate that prohibition, and the Jews receiving the money get it through existing Jewish organizations, many of them Orthodox. 

A blanket prohibition against taking donations from Christians should mean, for example, money given by Christians to feed, care for and house Holocaust survivors in the immediate aftermath of WW2 caused those survivors to violate the prohibition of idol worship.

Rabbi Elyashiv's concern about future missionary activity without any mention of past missionary activity seems to support the idea that IFCJ does not engage and has not engaged in missionary activity up until now.

In early September, a Chabad rabbinical court also ruled IFCJ money is forbidden due to potential missionary activity.

The driving force behind these rulings appears to be Yad L'achim, a hredi anti-missionary organization headed by Rabbi Sholom Ber Lifshitz, a Chabad-Lubavitch hasid.

Lifschitz's organization has made several allegations of IFCJ missionary activity ion the past.

All those allegations were proved false.

Most of the false allegations were based on confusing (or intentionally distorting) basic Christian terminology and the English language.

An example of this type of error would be ruling the US-based United Jewish Communities money forbidden because it is involved in 'missionary work.' What 'missionary work'?  It runs "missions" to Israel. Of course, those missions are filled with Jews, many of them Orthodox, who go to Israel to see the organizations they fund. There is no Christian missionary activity related to those missions or UJC.

Rabbi Elyashiv also reportedly claimed taking money from IFCJ is an "unclean act."

Other rabbis who have ruled it is forbidden to take money from IFCJ include Rabbi Shmuel Auerbach, Rabbi Nissim Kerlitz, Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, and Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu.

Related Posts: 1, 2, 3.

Comments

[helen bowdine]

sometimes its kinder to just let them have their say and quietly do the right thing.
even David ate the shew bread to avoid starvation. he also took refuge with the Philistines to avoid being hanged by Saul.

this is the equivient of saying that G*d is limited in the ways He can bless.

[Reb Doniel]

Christianity is not avodah zarah according to many poskim within halakha.

This is hatred and vitriol, hiding behind a fancy hat.

The "posek ha dor" is so old and senile he has no knowledge of any of the issues that come before him, and "paskens" on the basis of lies and misinformation, as in many of his other cases.

[harold]

I followed the provided link to IFCJ and couldn't quite figure out how one obtains funds from them.

Do you have to approach them for funds or do they approach you with funds. There is a difference.

As a more general question, in light of the current story, if funds are given to you do you have to analyze the source of the funds or simply say "thank you". This would create a logistical nightmare if all charitable events, telethons, Chinese auction etc. would be required to do a background check for all funds received. I have a feeling that the prohibition probably would be to not approach organizations that do missionary work.

[Shmarya]

I have a feeling that the prohibition probably would be to not approach organizations that do missionary work.

IFCJ doesn't do or fund missionary work.

[ah-pee-chorus]

excellent writing, shmarya.

following this logic,giving and accepting money from chabad should also be questioned as idolatrous . and chabad openly uses its funds for missionizing its moshiach. they are a far greater threat.

[R]

APC Chabad never offer funding for any other jewish cause, so i think we are safe. They are too busy scrounging from everyone else.

[Yochanan Lavie]

The Tracks of My Fears (apologies: Smokey Robinson)

People say I'm the life of the yeshiva
'Cause I tell a vort or two
Although I might be a cranky old geezer
I am a super Jew

chorus:
So take a good look at my face
You know a smile would look out of place
The way I poskin it's easy to trace
The tracks of my fears

I need Jews...
Need Jews

Since you left me if you see me with another rabbi
Looking like I'm learning gemara
Although he may be cute,he's just a substitute
'Cause you're the big kahuna

chorus

Outside I'm always scowling
Inside I'm also frowning
I'm such a gadol, over all you rabble
My smile never shines through
Because it's not "k'dai" for Jews

Bubbeleh, take a good look at my punim
You know my smile would like it's Purim
The way I poskin it's easy to trace
The sum of my fears.

[Dave Marshall]

I cannot believe that I would actually agree with Rabbi Elyashiv on anything, but on this subject I do. And I am not even Orthodox.
I personally do think that Christianity is avodah zarah, and I am sure if many Jews were not fearful of some kind of repercussions from Christians, they would also admit that they also think that Christianity is avodah zarah.
However, I also think that any good person, even if they are an idolater, will certainly merit Olam Haba, as long as they are a righteous person.
Still, I think that taking money from any organization that avowedly believes in supercessionist ideology and believes that not only Jesus is G-d, but that every human must worship Jesus as G-d otherwise they will be doomed to hell, as all Evangelicals do, is quite frankly stupid as well being inadvisable.
If however, there were a Muslim charity based for example, in Saudi Arabia, that was avowedly anti-Jihad and had Zero ties to any militant Muslim group and repeatedly stated that the Koran says that the land of Israel was promised by Allah to the Jews- which is a fact- and if this organization said they wanted to donate money to poor Jewish families in Israel, I would take their money.

[seymour]

maybe he should also say one should not take money from Jews if the money was from ill gotten gains.

Maybe he is afraid the money would dry up

[Dave Marshall]

Seymour, I absolutely agree with you that one should not take money from Jews if the money was from ill gotten gains.
As far as the 2nd part of your comment:
sadly, you are right.
Shabbat Shalom.

[Dave]

Also, I would not take money from Chabad for any charitable project.