Response to the slander of Rabbi Riskin because of his YouTube video.

Rabbi Eliezer Melamed

The writer is Head of Yeshivat Har Bracha and a prolific author onJewish Law, whose works include the series on Jewish law"Pininei Halacha" and a popular weekly column "Revivim" in the Besheva newspaper. His books "The Laws of Prayer" "The Laws of Passover" and "Nation, Land, Army" are presently being translated into English. Other articles by Rabbi Melamed can be viewed at: www.yhb.org.il/1

The Evil in Slander

Following my article in favor of Rabbi Shlomo Riskin shlita, I received a number of severely critical letters. 

The most hostile responses claimed that he is introducing heresy into Judaism, and encourages missionaries to seduce Jews to approach Christianity. 

The most moderate responder wrote: "I was shocked and embarrassed. I really admire you, Rabbi Melamed, and your books, etc ... I simply think that you are unaware of Rabbi Riskin's sympathetic views of Christianity and oto ha’ish (literally ‘that man’, or a euphemism for the Jewish founder of Christianity) ... God have mercy ... Rabbi, I suggest you have a look at the videos on YouTube where Rabbi Riskin speaks the praises of Christianity and oto ha’ish. The videos are in English. With this in mind, I'd be happy to understand how you could defend Rabbi Riskin."

Since all the slanderers based their reactions on a certain video in which Rabbi Riskin speaks in English, I asked Rabbi Maor Cayam shlita, a rabbi in Yeshivat Har Bracha whose native tongue is English, to listen carefully to what Rabbi Riskin said, translate it word-for-word, and tell me what he thought

.

His Opinion

"It should be pointed out that the section in question, which lasts for about eight minutes, was edited and censored from an hour-long conversation in which Rabbi Riskin familiarizes his Christian audience with the principles of Judaism, explicitly saying that any Jew who believes in Christianity betrays his own faith, and forfeits his portion in the world. 

At any rate, even in the edited version there were no expressions of support for Christianity, he simply treats them with respect.

"Generally speaking, the impression I got from the conversation is that Rabbi Riskin is a fascinating and powerful speaker, who knows how to explain Jewish values even to the unacquainted. 

In this conversation, he attempts to familiarize Christians with the moral values ​​in Judaism, in particular world peace, and share with them the criticism of violent Islam which threatens Israel and the entire world. In his speech he draws his Christian audience closer to a love of Israel and universal values, and attempts to build a common basis for advancement. He talks about the common values ​​of vision, redemption, truth and love, paving the way to enable the People of Israel to be a light unto the nations."

Conclusion

I will not quote the sensitive points from the transcript upon which Rabbi Riskin may be criticized, because the overall conclusion is clear: 

Out of absolute loyalty to the Jewish faith, Rabbi Riskin took on a sacred mission: drawing non-Jews closer to the principles of Judaism and to support the redemption process of the Ingathering of the Exiles, as expressed in the words of the Torah and the Prophets, and to elevate them from the typical Christian anti-Semitism which inflicted horrible disasters on the Jewish nation. 

True, there are definitely some rabbis who would prefer to phrase things differently, but this does not mean that Rabbi Riskin’s approach is inappropriate, and certainly there is no basis for making false accusations against him.

 

Different Styles of Communicating

As well known, there is a vast difference in the way one talks to religious Jews and those removed from Torah and mitzvoth – all the more so when speaking correctly with Christians. In the same manner, Rabbi Kook once criticized a Torah scholar who wrote a booklet called 'The Religion of Israel’ so as to explain Jewish faith in Japanese, that he erred by expressing disdain for ‘oto ha’ish’ and Muhammad. "It is impossible to offer supreme religious content to this nation by insulting the founders of [other] religions, whoever they may be. We must speak only about the holy, supreme advantage of God’s Torah, and the rejection will come of its own accord" (Igeret 557).

Our Goal in Relation to Other Nations and Religions

Rabbi Kook also wrote that in respect to other religions our objective is not to destroy them, but rather, to elevate and correct them. 

"It is not the goal of Israel’s light to uproot or destroy them, just as we do not aim for the general destruction of the world and all its nations, but rather their correction and elevation, the removal of their dross, and of themselves they will join the source of Israel, [where] dewdrops of light will flow over them. ‘And I will take away his blood out of his mouth, and his detestable things from between his teeth, and he, too, shall remain for our God’ (Zechariah 9:7). This applies even to idolatry, and therefore even more so to religions whose foundations are partly based on the light of Israel’s Torah” (Igeret 112)."

The resulting guideline is that anyone who attempts to familiarize Christians with the light of Jewish faith must tip-toe through a minefield, so as on the one hand not to disgrace the positive aspects of their faith, but on the other hand, not to agree with opposing beliefs. 

Rabbi Riskin, in his rare talent, is one of the few people who function in this manner, and we should all be grateful to him for that. Those who slander him – their sins are too great to bear. If someone has criticism about one method or another, he should respectfully present what, in his opinion, is a better approach.

A Story about Rabbi Yisrael Salanter

It is worthwhile to illustrate this idea with a story about one of the Gedolei Yisrael (eminent Torah scholars), Rabbi Yisrael Salanter, of blessed memory, whose main effort was the founding of the Mussar movement in Lithuania, and later in life, was active in Western Europe. 

In his book on the Mussar movement, Rabbi Dov Katz related the following story: 

When Rabbi Salanter settled in Memel, many residents of the city worked as merchants, most of whose business was connected with the local port, and would load and unload their merchandise on Shabbat as during the week. 

The first time Rabbi Salanter came to the synagogue where the merchants and port agents prayed to preach about Shabbat, he asked whether there were any Lithuanian Jews (who were strictly observant) among the worshippers. When informed that indeed there were, he refrained from preaching about Shabbat. 

The following Shabbat, when told there were no Lithuanian Jews present in the synagogue, Rabbi Yisrael began preaching about the importance of keeping Shabbat, until he reached the conclusion: "Handling the cargo that arrived to the port on Shabbat may be necessary, but writing is not.” The merchants accepted this, and agreed not to write on Shabbat.

 After a few weeks, Rabbi Yisrael delivered another sermon in the synagogue, and said: “Unloading goods on Shabbat may be necessary - but loading goods – certainly is unnecessary.” 

The merchants also agreed to this. In time, he spoke once again, and cautioned about unloading as well. Thus, he influenced the community step-by-step, until ultimately he brought about a major change (T’nuat HaMussar, Sect. 1, pg. 174).

Imagine if some fools had been present in the Memel synagogue, and afterwards, went to different rabbis and innocently told them that they heard with their own ears how Rabbi Yisrael Salanter permitted blatant and public desecration of Shabbat, for indeed, he had said: "Handling cargo on Shabbat  may be necessary, but writing is not.” 

And if those rabbis had also been tempted to believe them, they would have libeled him as being a Reform rabbi, cautioned the public, and excommunicated him. Fortunately, that did not happen. Regrettably, however, this is how many controversies began.

How to Draw People Closer

After all, in order to draw people nearer, one has to speak their language, preferring to talk about ideas they are able to grasp, while ignoring points that, in the meantime, they cannot accept. 

As our Sages said:  “Just as there is a mitzvah to say that which will be heard, so there is a mitzvah to avoid saying that which will not be heard” (Yevamot 65b). 

Not only that – people drawing closer and their views deserve to be respected, seeing as they do not stem from spite, and had the detractors been born in their situation, who knows if they would have even reached their level.

 Anyone who falsely accuses a rabbi involved in outreach – taking his words out of context, as if he supports desecration of Shabbat, etc. – transgresses a severe Torah prohibition. Indeed, it would be initially best to make sure that different audiences hear what is fitting for them. However, today the reality is that anything can be recorded and heard by all, and consequently, one should always consider who the speakers’ audience was, and judge his word’s accordingly.

How to Relate to Rumors

It is a Torah prohibition to accept lashon ha’ra (derogatory speech), as it is written: "Do not accept a false report" (Exodus 23:1), and our Sages said: "This is a warning to the recipient of lashon ha’ra" (Mekhilta d’R. Yishmael). The prohibition is believing the derogatory things said about a particular person are correct, because, as proven by the video of Rav Riskin – upon examination, the malicious rumor turned out to be incorrect.

Our Sages also said that the punishment of one who accepts lashon ha’ra is equal to that of the person who spoke it (Pesachim 118 a), because on account of him, the masters of lashon ha’ra are able to continue their sinful ways, arousing dissension and evil.

If from the outset, the lashon ha’ra could have been interpreted in a positive way, as in the case of the video, but nevertheless, was interpreted in a negative way, one violates an additional Torah prohibition, as it is written: "Judge your people fairly" (Leviticus 19:15), and our Sages said: "Judge your neighbor favorably” [‘kaf zechut’](Shevu’ot 30a). 

And with regards to a God-fearing person who is known to be meticulous in the performance of mitzvot, the obligation to judge him favorably is even greater (Sha’arei Teshuva, 3:218; Chafetz Chaim, positive mitzvoth 3).

It is impossible to check every piece of information, but based on past experience, it can apparently be determined that the vast majority of reports about people involved in drawing Christians closer to supporting Israel - are blatant lies.

The Evil in Christianity and its Tikun

Throughout history, anti-Semitic hatred of Christians towards Jews resulted in dreadful slander, incitement, blood libels, expulsions, extermination, campaigns of destruction, and the murder of entire communities. 

This hatred persists in most Christian organizations until today. Only recently, the Catholic Pope, considered to be relatively friendly towards Jews, acknowledged the rights of the Arab occupiers over Jerusalem, while ignoring our historical rights over the city, and ignoring the fact that the Arabs initiated all the wars against us. We also hear about various churches organizing boycotts against Israel, as well.

Precisely in this context should we view the ethical choice of tens of millions of Christians, people of conscience and devotion to the Bible, who decided to support the Jews and the State of Israel. 

Moreover – many of them accept responsibility for the crimes of Christianity against the Jews, and seek to atone for them through volunteer work, donations, and political and public support worldwide – and this, even though they themselves were not involved in any crime against the Jewish people. Certainly, it is a mitzvah to appreciate, encourage, and draw them nearer.

This article appears in the ‘Besheva’ newspaper, and was translated from Hebrew. Other interesting and informative articles by Rabbi Melamed can be found at: http://en.yhb.org.il/

 

On the Rabbi Riskin Saga: Don’t Disqualify the Torah Scroll

The writer is Head of Yeshivat Har Bracha and a prolific author on Jewish Law, whose works include the series on Jewish law "Pininei Halacha" and a popular weekly column "Revivim" in the Besheva newspaper. His books "The Laws of Prayer" "The Laws of Passover" and "Nation, Land, Army" are presently being translated into English. Other articles by Rabbi Melamed can be viewed at: www.yhb.org.il/1

It was recently reported that the Council of the Chief Rabbinate has expressed doubt as to whether to permit Rabbi Shlomo Riskin from staying on as chief municipal rabbi of Efrat despite recently turning 75.

The hearing ordinarily would have been nothing more than a procedural matter. But several members of the council evidently aimed to prevent Rabbi Riskin from continuing in his capacity as a result of their objections.

This, then, is the appropriate time to take a stand and praise Rabbi Riskin, a righteous, wise leader who has done extraordinary things.

Rabbi Riskin was born into a non-religious, poverty-stricken family.  But from a young age, of his own free will and with the help of his grandmother, he began making his way toward the Torah and religious observance. Being a prodigy and an outstanding student, he was accepted to Harvard, the most prestigious university in the world, with a full scholarship. By choosing to study there, he would have guaranteed his professional and financial future: no door is closed to Harvard graduates.

It was a once in a lifetime opportunity, a temptation that few could resist. Yet Rabbi Riskin declined the scholarship and instead made his way to Yeshiva University, which also took notice of his abilities and granted him a full scholarship.

Since then, he has dedicated his life to Torah.

As a young, gifted, and charismatic rabbi, a captivating speaker with the ability to lift up the souls of his audience and draw them near to Torah and religious observance, Rabbi Riskin earned special esteem in the United States. Successful, educated individuals also found meaning in his words of Torah and were privileged to become acquainted with Jewish tradition under his guidance. “There was truthful Torah in his mouth, and he brought many back from sin.” The future that awaited him was that of a leader of the American-Jewish community.

Yet before even turning 40, inspired by pure faith in God and His Torah, he gave up his position in the United States and made a decision to immigrate to Israel.

In so doing, he gave up what had been his main skill in his work: his command of the English language, which had brought him the success he enjoyed in the United States. 

True, he learned to speak Hebrew excellently. but they say that in English few can parallel his rhetorical skills. Thanks to his vision, abilities, and leadership, he was able to bring many members of his community to Israel in his wake. He established an Israeli city at the heart of whose cultural life are the study of Torah and religious observance, whose residents enjoy a high standard of living and contribute to the economic, scientific, and social development of the State of Israel.

His 'aliyah' to Israel was felt by hundreds, even thousands, who followed in his footsteps to new  homes in Efrat and throughout Israel, while also benefiting from the enhanced religious life implicit in such a change. Never slowing, Rabbi Riskin successfully established yeshivot and educational institutions for boys and girls in Gush Etzion and Jerusalem. Drawing on incredible sources of energy, he still makes his way to all of these institutions, where he teaches, speaks, illuminates, and imparts to his students the excitement of a life centered on Torah and Judaism.

Yet when he arrived in Israel, he was guaranteed nothing. He came with little more than the shirt on his back.

Western Aliyah to Israel

Unfortunately, though we are not always aware of it, the vast majority of those who have immigrated to Israel in modern times have come from countries where Jews were subject to persecution and poverty. Immigration from Western countries, particularly the United States, is perhaps the most impressive of all.

I therefore have a deep appreciation of Rabbi Riskin as well as all other immigrants from the United States.

A Difference of Approach

There are most definitely different approaches to various issues in Jewish law. This always has been the case in Jewish discourse, whether between the sages of the Mishnah, those of the Gemara, the luminaries of Geonic Babylonia, the scholars of the medieval era, or those of the modern period. Sometimes the differences stem from people’s different characters, as with Shammai and Hillel. Other times they stem from differences in background or intellectual method. Concerning these issues, our sages said (Ḥagigah 3b), “‘Masters of assemblies’ are those scholars who sit, some in this faction and some in that, and occupy themselves with the Torah. Some say it is impure; others say it is pure. Some forbid; others permit. Some declare it invalid; others declare it valid.

Lest a person say, ‘Then how can I study the Torah?’ the verse states that all were ‘given by a single shepherd’: a single God gave them, a single leader said them, from the mouth of the Lord of all creatures, blessed is He, as is stated, ‘God stated all of these things.’ So you, too, make your ears a funnel and develop a discerning heart so that you can hear the words of those who say it is impure and the words of those who say it is pure, the words of those who forbid and the words of those who permit, the words of those who declare it invalid and the words of those who declare it valid.

American Jewry

Rabbi Riskin’s American background plays an important part in his pursuits: American Jews and immigrants from the United States stand at the forefront of the struggle with Western culture and its principles of liberalism and equality, including feminism.

Out of their faithfulness to the Torah, Rabbi Riskin and his colleagues have forged a path to contend with these major and important questions. Among American rabbis, too, there are different approaches: how much to open up and how much to close, what to bring near and what to keep distant.

Sometimes, other rabbis, including myself, prefer other solutions. Sometimes this preference stems from habits of observance to which we are devoted, sometimes from the fact that we believe a certain way is more appropriate. For the most part, these differences of opinion and practice pertain to questions of education and society, rather than to questions of practice per se. Time will tell what advantages and disadvantages each path contains. In any event, we must not seek to delegitimize Rabbi Riskin’s path, which is one of the most important approaches to religious observance in our day.

A Whole Torah Scroll

If a single letter is missing from a Torah scroll, it is unfit for use, and the same holds true for the pan-Jewish religious world: every true Jewish scholar has a letter in the Torah, and any person who excludes one of these scholars makes his own Torah scroll unfit for use. Any offense against Rabbi Riskin’s service in the rabbinate is equivalent to the obliteration of whole sections of the Torah.

I imagine that it was only out of ignorance that the Council of the Chief Rabbinate entertained doubts with regard to Rabbi Riskin. I am confident that once they have heard a bit of his reverence, erudition, and rectitude, the majority of the members of the rabbinical council will take his side.

If, heaven forbid, they reach a contrary decision, Rabbi Riskin’s dignity will not be harmed. His standing in his community and his institutions will keep rising, and his influence will become even greater. However, the public standing of the Chief Rabbinate as the public representative of the Torah of all Jews will be weakened when it becomes known that the Torah scroll it represents is deficient and unfit.

Policy of the Chief Rabbinate

Some have argued that the Chief Rabbinate should draw a line that all rabbis must follow, and Rabbi Riskin is not following the line that was drawn concerning such issues as conversion.

True, it is desirable that the Rabbinate take a position in pressing matters of public importance—but in order to do so, it must engage in a deep, serious discussion of each of these issues, a discussion of Talmudic, medieval, and modern literature that analyzes the reality of the matter at hand in all its dimensions. In order to expedite such a discussion, rabbis who are active in the given area would have to study various books and articles ahead of time, and then the discussion of every issue would continue for at least a few whole days.

Unfortunately, today no serious discussion is held concerning any important matter, whether in the Rabbinate or in any other religious entity. For instance, when it comes to conversion, Rabbi Ḥaim Amsalem wrote a very respectable book that is deserving of discussion. True, I draw different conclusions from his, but in objecting to what he wrote most of his opponents offer worthless arguments that rely on violence such as is accepted in Haredi circles.

I must add that despite the great value of arriving at a consensual position on every issue, such a position must not come at the expense of rabbinic discretion. Even when the Great Sanhedrin held session, local courts enjoyed a certain degree of authority, because fundamentally this position is not a thin line, but a divinely sanctioned field, a field in whose scope there are different practices and approaches thanks to which the Oral Torah becomes richer and greater.

All the more so today, when there is no Great Sanhedrin that traces its authority directly to Moses, must the Rabbinate not set a rigid line that seeks to disqualify religious perspectives of substance. The lesser the standing and authority of the Chief Rabbinate, the more it must take the various perspectives into consideration in arriving at its position. This is how the rabbis of the Jewish people carried themselves in previous generations.

“One Law Shall There Be for You All”

Aside from anything else, a single law must apply to all. When the Council of the Chief Rabbinate declines to react to profound challenges to its views and its dignity on the part of rabbis belonging to the haredi stream, who violently reject its kashrut supervision and treat the chief rabbis and municipal and neighborhood rabbis with contempt, it must also act tolerantly and fondly toward rabbis such as Rabbi Riskin, who respect the Chief Rabbinate but sometimes take a different track.

In today’s reality, the Rabbinate does not go out of its way immediately to dismiss rabbis who, contrary to the rules of Jewish law, disqualify conversions performed by representatives of the Rabbinate. It continues to recognize kosher supervision services, marriages, and conversions by “rabbis” who have the gall to publicly dismiss commandments of the Torah, such as the duty to settle the Land of Israel and defend the nation of Israel through military service, or deprecate the good that God bestowed on us with the establishment of the state and denigrate those who recite the Psalms of Praise on Independence Day.

In such with today’s reality, the Rabbinate must restrain itself from taking action against a rabbi whose reverence, deeds, and erudition are greater than those Haredi “rabbis” whom it is overly careful not to slight.