Racist Chabad Rabbi Explained

Under the influence of Rabbi Yitzchak Ginsburgh, Shapira has deviated from mainstream religious Zionism. It can be detected in his dress–the long black Prince Albert frock coat and black hat favored by Chabad Hassidim–and in his thought.

Shapira's distinction between Jewish, gentile blood
By MATTHEW WAGNER • Jerusalem Post

Rabbi Yitzhak Shapira, who was detained for questioning by the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) in connection with the burning of a mosque in Yasuf, a village near Nablus, is head of the Od Yosef Chai Yeshiva in Yitzhar, and is a disciple of Rabbi Yitzhak Ginsberg [sic], who lives in Kfar Chabad.

Ginsberg [sic] is considered by scholars of modern Jewish thought to be an original and important thinker in the fields of hassidut and Kabbala, though he is best known for his extreme views on the fundamental and inherent differences between Jews and non-Jews, which some say smack of racism.

Shapira, who grew up in Kedumim, learned in religious-Zionist yeshivot, first in Merkaz Harav's High School and later in Merkaz Harav's yeshiva for older students.

His brother, Rabbi Yehoshua Shapira, is the head of the Ramat Gan Hesder Yeshiva.

Under the influence of Ginsberg [sic], Shapira has deviated from mainstream religious Zionism. It can be detected not only in his dress - the long black Prince Albert frock coat and black hat favored by Chabad Hassidim - it is also apparent in his thought.

While religious Zionists tend to emphasize the importance of cooperating with secular Zionists in the building and protection of the Jewish state, Shapira and his students are concerned with maintaining what they consider the purity and authenticity of Jewish teachings and practice.

For instance, the students at Od Yosef Chai are more likely to avoid performing military service out of concern that they will be forced to follow orders that contradict Halacha.

While religious Zionists are primarily concerned with the issue of evacuating settlements, the students at Od Yosef Chai also see IDF ethics as problematic because they are based on "western" or "Christian" morality that equates Jewish lives with those of non-Jews.

In sharp contrast to the Goldstone Report, which criticizes the IDF for purportedly committing "war crimes" against Palestinians during Operation Cast Lead, Od Yosef Chai's criticism of the IDF is totally different.

IDF battlefield ethics are seen as immoral not because they allow for the killing of innocent bystanders but because they force Jewish soldiers to needlessly endanger themselves to protect gentiles.

The measures taken by the IDF to protect non-combatants, such as using ground forces to weed out terrorists embedded in highly populated civilian areas so as to minimize collateral damage, are viewed by Shapira as downright evil, because they lead to the needless injury or death of Jewish soldiers.

In his preface to the controversial book Torat Hamelech [The King's Torah], authored by Shapira and Rabbi Yosef Elitzur, Ginsberg [sic] points out the tremendous need to illuminate the fundamental differences between Jew and gentile "at a time when we are obligated to conquer [the land of Israel] from our enemies so that we can act as we need to in the spirit of Torah and so that we can strengthen the spirit of the nation and its soldiers."

Some of the guidelines mentioned at the back of the book in a section entitled "Conclusions - Chapter Five: The Killing of Gentiles in War," include the following: "There is a reason to kill babies [on the enemy side] even if they have not transgressed the seven Noahide Laws [to believe in God, not to commit idolatry, murder, theft or adultery, to set up a legal system, and not to tear a limb from a live animal] because of the future danger they may present, since it is assumed that they will grow up to be evil like their parents...."

In all of its 230 pages, the book makes no mention of Arabs or Palestinians. However, a group of moderate religious Zionist groups calling themselves the "Twelfth of Heshvan," named after the Hebrew date of prime minister Yitzhak Rabin's assassination, are concerned that the book's teachings will not remain purely theoretical.

The have petitioned the High Court to order Attorney-General Menahem Mazuz to confiscate the books and arrest its authors for incitement.

Previous Posts: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.

Previous Posts: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.

Comments

[Nobody]

This is a hitpiece and I wonder how much the Israeli govt paid Wagner to produce it.

The govt of Israel is softening up the public for consumption of a pogrom against the settlement of Yitzhar. The govt knows that if Yitzhar falls, they will all fall. And Bibi and his govt has every intention of taking out every existing settlement to return us to the Auschwitz borders.

Once again Shmarya and ignorant readers out there are relying on know-nothing journalists to "teach" us what's supposedly in a book that anyone can pick up and read for themselves, and how "far from mainstream" this rabbi supposedly is. Please. The points of view he cites are not coming from his own invention. Up until the "conclusions" snippet, his views sound very normal and very praiseworthy. I'm sure "Wagner" is taking 'conclusions Ch 5' out of context with his brief one-line quote. In either case, I cannot see where Shapira has done anything except state Torah point of views. If people like Wagner reject Torah and the halachic sources, Wagner should just be honest with himself and with everyone else. Don't try to distort and deceive people into thinking the Torah is nice to our enemies or demands us to be nice to our enemies in battle - It doesn't - and that a Rabbi daring to talk about what the Torah says is "far from mainstream." Let us hear the "mainstream rabbis" tell us how they differ within the sources.

That he cites the 12th of Heshvan (are there 3 people in that group?) is obviously agenda-driven.

[rabbidw]

There are two issues here, neither of which is surprising or controversial. First, every school of law, secular or religious, engage in discussions on the outer limits of the Law. Some of it is purely theoretical, some edge to the practical, but this is common. It sharpens legal thinking.
Second, this particular issue is being discussed all over the world, and especially in Israel. The relative merits of the risk to civilians vs. the risk to ones own troops has been discussed at least since Sherman's march through Georgia, when he burnt crops that would have been used to feed the people. In ww2 we bombed Dresden and Hiroshima, causing many civilian deaths. The USA has the same problem in Iraq and Afghanistan. There are no simple answers and nothing wrong with discussing the issue from the perspective that our soldiers ARE more importand than enemy civilians. It is from arguing both sides that deicisions can be made.

[Althelion]

""western" or "Christian" morality that equates Jewish lives with those of non-Jews."

We (Jews) do not live in a vacuum. These religious fanatics would have Jews purposely "ghetto-ize" overselves from the rest of the world. We do not live in ancient times. Our communication and technology have allowed Jews to live with; do business with; and relate to the non-Jewish world.

This will be either a blessing or a curse - depending on how we deal with it.

[Shmarya]

It is from arguing both sides that deicisions can be made.

1. That is NOT what Shapira is doing.

2. Shapira and his thugs also support attacks on secular politicians who disagree with them.

3. Your 'logic' would say that the KK or the American Nazi PArty are good because they establish "outer limits" of debate.

[invisible hand]

Since it appears that "Undivided Land of Israel" zionists are reading this blog I would like to remind other readers that the end state in Israel/Palestine is either two states or one state. The one state will have somewhere between 40% and 60% Palestinians. So much for the Jewish State.

Shapira believes this bi-national state will either induce Arabs to emigrate or will exterminate them while the world stands by. Readers: Is this what you believe? Is this the Judaism you want?

Shapira is not a Jewish Osama bin Laden. He want to be the Jewish Sayyid Qutb (look him up). We cannot stop him from fantasizing. The tragedy for Islam is that Qutb found an audience. May there never be a Jewish audience for Shapira and his betrayal of all that has made Judaism an advocate for peace and human dignity.

[effie]

Both Dresden and Hiroshima were military targets. The war criminals were the Nazis and Japanese -- not us, who made the decision to hide military targets amongst their civilian population which led to civilian deaths.

This is in no way akin to arguing that the deaths of children are justified "because of the future danger they may present, since it is assumed that they will grow up to be evil like their parents...."

Again, that is the same justification used by Heinrich Himmler.

[effie]

" The USA has the same problem in Iraq and Afghanistan."

The US and the IDF are constantly agonizing over the ROE and often to the detriment of our own troops. Again, our behavior is not comparable to someone who argues that the deaths of children are justified because they will grow up to be evil.

[george]

Shapira may be a nutcase (if the quotes are not out of context he would certainly appear to be); but where's the petition to the high court requesting that the Koran, which calls for the murder of all Jews, be banned - or is Jewish extremism bad, Muslim death calls good?

[rabbidw]

Halacha has certain categories and it is impossible to discuss things halachically without putting things in categories, even if the fit is not perfect. And the problem that Israel faces is that all the targets have been located among civilians. The reason R'Shapiro sounds like a nutcase is that because Judaism places such a high value on all human life, it does not allow the usual justification of numbers. Saving more than you kill does not work halachically. What R'Shapiro is doing is stretching the concept of "rodef", one who is endangering your life, to include children, who may grow up to become jihadists. Of course it is a stretch, but the real reason is the risk of the lives of our own soldiers. Halachically, that argument does not hold so R'Shapiro is using one that fits within halachic categories.

[rabbidw]

And what about a Jewish State that limited the right to vote to Jews? Do any non Jews vote in Saudi Arabia? When was the king elected? How long is his term of office? Israel is a Democracy, but freedom consists of manyn things besides the right to vote. Suppose the franchise was limited to only those who served in the army. This would eliminate the chareidim, the American retirees and the Arabs. Is there anything inherently wrong with that? The problem is that the Arab leadership will not accept Israel, or Jews. Therefore various compromises which make perfect sense on paper make no sense in real life as no Isreali concession is met by an Arab concession, but rather by an increased Arab demand.

[randomthought]

Invisible Hand: Agreed about Qutb.

George: I don't think it actually calls for the death of all Jews (unless it's being read by the Muslim versions of Shapira so to speak). The general message is that 'too many Jews' no longer believe and are thus unworthy of their chosen-ness. Should we prove them right?

Rabbidw: I'm glad to hear halacha doesn't actually support his arguments.

These cowboys may think they're saving Jewish lives with their 'hardcore' attitude - but their strategies would probably just create even more insurmountable conflicts which in the long run would mean more Jewish deaths. Admittedly, I'm disagreeing from the start.

[Choni Davidowitz]

Shmarya; Did you approve of the policies of Rabbi Meir Kahane, of blessed memory,?

[soso]

Well: Merkaz harav is not exactely left wing either...

So in fact we see the emergence of an interesting common "fringe" between chareidim who become right-wing, anti-arab jewish supremacists and religious zionist who become more chareidi...

And interesting that chabad should be their main breeding ground...

Ginsburg himself is chabad, but a Baal t'shuva... He seems quite attractive because he preaches "unconditional love" (not towards arabas, of course).

Interesting also that so many hate-speech groups preach "love" within a determined group.

Ginsburg also has a Bnei Noach movement within his "gal einay" network... (as long as they know they are inferior, we are ready to accept them)...

Apparently, the hevron settlers are also active in the "lost tribes" business: they go to remote places and try to find the descendents of the ten lost tribes. Conveniently enough, they have the settle in their settlements once they come to israel...

[george]

Sahih Bukhari Hadith Volume 4, Book 52, Number 176: Narrated by 'Abdullah bin 'Umar: Allah's Apostle said, "You (i.e. Muslims) will fight with the Jews till some of them will hide behind stones. The stones will (betray them) saying, 'O 'Abdullah (i.e. slave of Allah)! There is a Jew hiding behind me; so kill him.'" Sahih Bukhari Hadith Volume 4, Book 52, Number 177: Narrated by Abu Huraira: Allah's Apostle said, "The Hour will not be established until you fight with the Jews, and the stone behind which a Jew will be hiding will say. "O Muslim! There is a Jew hiding behind me, so kill him."

[randomthought]

ah pretty bad george, although it's not technically the koran either.

[randomthought]

At some level the Koran just reiterates what a lot of our own writings and prophets say (... that many have strayed and should return to fearing g-d, with a main course of fire and a side of wrath).

[Chayim]

The secular anti chareidi self hating jews who run Israel are on their way out. There are THREE ways to defeat our hellinist enemies. BABYS,BALLAOTS AND BELIEF. We Chareidim should increase our baby output by marrying at 16 instead of 18 as is already happening in many frum circles.We must all vvote to outvote the self haters in charge. And we must give a top quality Jewish education to all our children that is based on total Judaism not modern orthodox wishy washy Judaism. Belief is more powerful than bullets. When we take over in about 15 years we can free all chareidi prisoners including Yigal Amir. We must defeat our number one enemy the secular pork eating Sabbath violators. 10 more years for Jerusalem to be 100 percent chareidi and 15 more years for the majority of Israel to be chareidi.

[randomthought]

Actually the same logic that is used to 'convert' Jews to secularism is the best way to beat 'the hellinists'. Rather than hate 'em, love 'em (the good in them). Or at least be secure in yourself and the value of your connection to g-d.

[A E ANDERSON]

Kudos to Shin Bet for keeping tabs on these inciters and potential Jewish terrorists. It wasn't all that long ago that Ginsburgh penned his infamous paean, ברוך הגבר, to Yeshiva U grad Dr. Baruch Goldstein ימ"שׁ, the Hebron mass murderer.