Rabbi Yitzhak Ginsburg
ISRAEL — Head of yeshiva in West Bank settlement of Yitzhar detained by police over book permitting murder of non-Jews who threaten Israel.
Rabbi Detained for Book Condoning Murder
ISRAEL — Head of yeshiva in West Bank settlement of Yitzhar detained by police over book permitting murder of non-Jews who threaten Israel.
The police’s Unit of International Crime Investigations on Thursday detained rabbi Yitzhak Ginsburg, the president of the Od Yosef Chai yeshiva in the West Bank settlement of Yitzhar in connection to a book that condoned the killing of non-Jews.
Ginsburg was detained for questioning days after the alleged author of the book, rabbi Yitzhak Shapira was arrested for inciting to violence. Shapira is also a rabbi at the Od Yosef Chai yeshiva.
The book, named “The King’s Torah,” deems the killing of non-Jews who threaten Israel as legal. “It is permissible to kill the Righteous among Nations even if they are not responsible for the threatening situation,” the book says, adding: “If we kill a Gentile who has sinned or has violated one of the seven commandments – because we care about the commandments – there is nothing wrong with the murder.”
Ginsburg, who recommended the book to his students, is a follower of Chabad. He has faced prosecution in the past for incitement to racism after having published a book insisting that there is no place for Arabs in the state of Israel. The charges were dropped after Ginsburg issued a clarification letter.
Ginsburg is a well known radical in his views on Israel’s Arab public. The police declined to comment on the ongoing investigation against him.
The Od Yosef Chai yeshiva issued a letter on Thursday condemning the police, saying that in any other enlightened country it would be inconceivable to question such an admirable man as rabbi Ginsburg.
3645
You go rabbi!!!!!
nos
whats wrong with killing someone who is threatening you? what about self-defense? what about “Hakom lehorgecha hashkem vehargoi”?
Chaim Tovim
Rav Itzhak is an amazing person. I know him well and it is so sad that the israeli government chooses to harass him.
recent classes
for all those interested, recordings of most of the classes given two weeks ago in NY can be seen/heard here – http://tiny.cc/kaballah
Milhouse
In the USA such an arrest would be impossible. We have freedom of speech here, including the right to publish any opinions we like. The same freedom that protects those who print Mein Kampf, lehavdil, also protects those who teach the uncensored Torah that we received from Hashem. Unfortunately in Eretz Yisroel the golus is so strong that rabbonim and roshei yeshiva are jailed for teaching Hashem’s Torah without censoring and expurgating it to cater to the political preferences of the government.
Concerned Noachide
“It is permissible to kill the Righteous among Nations even if they are not responsible for the threatening situation,” the book says, adding: “If we kill a Gentile who has sinned or has violated one of the seven commandments – because we care about the commandments – there is nothing wrong with the murder.”
So, if I’m a Noachide and I’m visiting Israel and some sneaky Hamas-bomber gets on our tour bus and the IDF catches wind of him and strikes the bus – killing me and every non-Jew aboard and thereby prevents the bomber from killing Jews … it’s okay?
Back in my Air Force days we called this collateral damage. It ain’t pretty, but you do what you have to do for the “greater good.” Is that what this rabbi is talking about?
Or, is this rabbi talking about capital punishment for any non-Jew in Israel, who violates one or more of the Noachide Laws? Is capital punishment murder? Isn’t the Law to be enforced without malice? If so, then how can executing a criminal be considered murder? Are all of the Noachide Laws addressing capital crimes?
If I violate the Noachide Laws and/or threaten Israel, then … can I truly be considered a Noachide and one of the Righteous of the Nations?
It’s stuff like this that fuels anti-Semitism and anti-Rabbinism. The LameStreamMedia is going to put a very anti-Orthodox spin on this. I don’t see how this is going to help matters. It’s just going to re-draw the lines in the sand. :(
Good Publicity
Best way to bring attention to a book is to try and ban it or take action against those who wrote or endorsed it.
miriam
we need Meshiah now!!!!! it”s the only way!!!!
Good Intentions
There is another way.
Eat lots of prunes.