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Shmuley Boteach Responds to Attack over New Book

Yesterday, we published an op-ed written by Rabbi Yitzchok Wolf from Chicago, lambasting Rabbi Shmuley Boteach for his latest publication, Kosher J. While we do not wish to take sides in this controversial issue, in the spirit of fairness we gave Rabbi Shmuley a chance to respond to his critics.

The following is what he wrote:

Rabbi Yitzchok Wolf’s vicious attack against me and my new book, Kosher J – to say nothing of the insane comments attending his diatribe, some of which called on me to be ‘burned out from the Jewish people’ – betrays a malignancy growing in Chabad that should be resisted and combated by all those who are concerned for the heart and soul of the movement.

I am prepared to give Rabbi Wolf the benefit of the doubt, which he denied me, and assume he wrote his tirade calling for me to be ejected from the movement (does he thinks Chabad is a football game?) because of his concern, as he states, for the ignorant who may be misled. But it makes no difference. His assault betrays a growing tendency in Chabad toward uninformed criticism, anti-intellectualism and contempt for scholarship, contempt for Jews searching for a way back to Judaism, knee-jerk reaction, venomous personal attack, uninformed personal vendetta, and a celebration of ignorance. Rabbi Wolf’s screed would seem more appropriate being pasted on a wall in Meah Shearim than posted on the home page of a Chabad website.

When I wrote a book on marital relations, it was condemned by many Chabad commentators as the same kind of apikorsus that Rabbi Wolf now accuses me of. But today you would be hard pressed to find many young Chabad couples getting married who have not read the book or Shluchim who did not give it to their congregants to teach them the beauties of mikveh and Taharas Hamishpocha.

A curious thing happened last week in Jerusalem at the official press conference where we launched Kosher J. All the Jewish publications that covered the book loved it, but some Evangelical Christian reporters took offense. They argued that my book, which demonstrates from Christian and Jewish sources that J was a Torah-observant Jew who condemned any Jew who did not observe every last letter of the Law and never said he was divine, is insulting to Christianity. I countered that, to the contrary, in this new era of Christian-Jewish alliance for the security and safety of Israel, it was time for Christians to reject the false legacy of J as an anti-Semitic enemy of his people and embrace the fully observant, Jewish patriot who never sought to create a new religion and devoted his life to reinforcing Jewish observance.

That Rabbi Wolf never read my book does not matter. I did not expect him to. That he condemned it without so much as knowing a single paragraph of its content is perhaps to be expected. But what is utterly unforgivable is how he did not use the very same computer with which he sent his harangue to Crownheights.info to simply Google my name, where he would have encountered tens of audio and video debates between me and leading Christian missionaries all over the world where I am at the forefront of combating efforts to evangelize Jews, and reverse the trend by bringing Jews who have converted to Christianity back to Judaism.

Those efforts are the reason that Christian missionaries are taking umbrage at my book. How bizarre to now find Rabbi Yitzchok Wolf in the company of the world’s leading Christian missionaries who hate Kosher J.

Mind you, I mean no offense to Christians. My evangelical brothers and sisters are stalwart supporters of the Jewish state and through great men like Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein – one of the biggest supporters of Kolel Chabad – give more than $100 million a year to poor Jews in Israel. G-d bless them. But it is time that our Christian brothers and sisters reject all efforts to proselytize Jews and come to the Jewish community to learn about the Jewish roots of the Christian faith. It is not Jews who must learn from Christians but rather the reverse.

J was a Jew. He lived a life totally devoted to Torah and Mitzvos, as should every Jew. He resisted all efforts to change Judaism. As my book clearly demonstrates from Christian sources, he drew upon the Torah for everything he taught, and it is time that Judaism received credit for the riches it has brought the world through Christianity.

Contrary to what Christians have learned, J hated the Romans rather than the Rabbis. He fought the Roman Emperor and was put to death for opposing the tyranny and paganism of Rome. Later, after the Jewish revolt of the year 66-70, when the Jews became the most hated group in the Roman Empire, the story was changed to strip J of his Jewishness and Romanize him. Added to this was the abominable charge that the Jews killed one of their own, a blood libel which would later claim the lives of countless Jews for the past two millennia. Using reams of scholarship the book puts the nail in the coffin of the greatest lie of all time, that the Jews, rather than the Romans, killed J.

It is time that these falsifications are combated. It is also time, although Rabbi Wolf does not seem to much care, that the Rebbe’s vision for spreading the Noachide Covenant be realized by Christians discovering the humanity and Jewishness of J rather than emphasizing his divinity.

I have no doubt that many Christians will take issue with my book, although I believe that the scholarship is sufficiently sound to hold its own. What I did not expect was that Rabbis who have watched tens of thousands of Jews lost to Christianity without a fight would attack a book that can reverse that trend without knowing the first thing about it.

Chabad is better than this. There was time when Chabad produced world-class scholars, writers, and speakers rather than knee-jerk reactionaries whose idea of informed debate is an email to a website. Perhaps this is the reason that Chabad brings so many people to Yiddishkeit, only to see them lost to other orthodox groups when they wish to study further. The anti-intellectualism and the refusal to engage the great intellectual assaults against our religion must cease and Chabad must produce a new generation of scholars able to intelligently defend the Torah from secular assault. The Rebbe was a world-class intellectual and used his encyclopedic knowledge to engage Jews of every philosophical bent. It is a tradition that we who go by the name “Wisdom, Understanding, Knowledge” should seek to reclaim.

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148 Comments

  • You suck Boteach

    No, I did not read your first book, nor did anyone I know. Yo are disgrace to Chabad who thrives on being in the limelight, and you will do anything to get there. Shame on you.

  • Chaim Yankel

    Two year old cry-baby! If you cant take heat, get out of the kitchen. The man is a danger to Judaism. CH.info should stop giving him a platform.

  • Sue him or shut up!

    If you think you are right and Wolf defamed you publicly without merit – sue him for libel damages(with your publisher)! But if this is merely an intellectual “pilupl” or a “Boteach game of words”, admit the truth and don’t try to whitewash.

  • Mrs. Cohen

    Dear Editor,
    Please, please, please I beg of you, have rachmonus on my kids before they wake up in the morning and read this drivel! Please, I beg of you as only a mother in so much deep raw pain can, please! This article can ruin AND UNDO a lifetime of my hard work and chinuch…. Do I really need to get into debates with my 8 year old and 13 year old about Yoshke?!
    Hashem, have mercy, how low have we fallen? Will we do anything to get traffic and comments?!

    How can be so irresposible as to to post this!??! How cvould you let Boteach defend himself!??!
    Please, from the bottom of my heart, I beg of you, dont make me block crownheights.info on my computer! Dont confuse further an already confused generation of youth.

    I BEG OF YOU!!!!!!!!
    Mrs. Cohen

  • A Shocked chosid!

    Shmuely Boteach is the most self-aggrandizing arrogant, selfish, self centered person i have ever seen. All he cares about and thinks is himslef!
    has shmuly eversaid i made a mistake? has someone ever showed him a sicha of the rebbe or so and he would say, oh, i didnt see this?
    how dare he be compared to Rabbi Wolf who is a Shliach that is Moser nefesh for Shlichus, the Rebbe and Chassidishkeit!

  • Mordy R

    Brilliant #4. Would Shmuli give this book to the Rebbe’s hand? I really doubt it… Let Shmuli be alone – he’s more popular than you think… he has tons of goyish friends… he’s a superstar in many parts of the world… But it’s important to know. He is a yid and will live and die as a yid. He is not apikorus. I davened with him one Shabbat months ago at Chabad Gate Thornhill, he was part of our minyan. Leave the guy alone. He’s having his fun right now.

  • A wagon full of BS

    “J was a Jew. He lived a life totally devoted to Torah and Mitzvos, as should every Jew. He resisted all efforts to change Judaism.”

    J is called Yeshu because it is an abbreviation of Yemach Shemo V’zichro – not a name we bestow on a Jew who lived his live totally devoted to Torah and mitzvos.

    SB cut the BS!

  • Satire

    I think it’s terrible that the Rebbe’s library didn’t receive an advancve copy of the book yet. In fact, the kehos showcase right outside the Rebbe’s room should be replaced with a showcase of all Boteach’s books. That would be a major kiddush lubavitch!

  • TO RABBI WOLF

    Rabbi Y Wolf. YOU threw me away from yidishkiet! with this same coward quick acusations! shame you never changed after many years.

  • No Kosher Book b4 Marriage

    Nor I nor my husband or ANY of my family read your book Kosher S. Nor will we, or will our children.

    You have the freedom to write what you want, but please don’t portray yourself as speaking as a Lubavitcher or Chabadnick.

  • Uninformed Jews?

    Rabbi Boteach, you still haven’t clarified the issue of uninformed Jews, who may look at the title of your book, without actually reading the contents and will come to the conclusion that Orthodox Rabbis are now supporting the concept of Jews for J.
    Where will that lead….?

  • whaaaaat?????

    first time in my life i hear something close to what u just said
    even in gemara it says that only after 50 000 yovlus would yoshker get up for techiyas hameisim because of the many aveirus and caused pepole to do
    i dont get it YOU ARE THE FIRST RABBI I EVER HEARD OF THAT IS MAKING YOSHE YEMACH SHEMO INTO A TSADDIK
    confusing to say the least

  • Why attack Chabad?

    Your upset that Rabbi Wolf attacked you, but your response is laced with ad hominem attacks against the Chabad movement as a whole, who died and made you G-d (or the son thereof)?

  • yosef

    so boteach u most probarly learn on dec 25 bec u want to give chayos to such a great soul. u have problems and need help .stop looking for publicity .enough of ur books enough of hanging out with such guys like michael j etc. do teshuvah and keep ur mouth and pen shut.

  • CH Resident

    I see Boteach takes himself very seriously when he lectures us about his scholarship and tells us how difficult it is to find a Lubavitch couple today that hasn’t read his book on ‘yichud’ or how he can’t count on one hand the shluchim which don’t recommend his book.

    The irony is that Shmuel Boteach and Yoshke were both nice Jewish boys until they got desperate for attention.

  • a attention seeker

    part of the problem is he loves this attention. am sure he worte this before he got attact puplic. hay shmuli its a sad story. ur so in the whole that u have the chutzpe even to respond. rabbi walf is rite in most ppl in chabad. if u disagree thats not for u to change chabad. there are many older etc. thatn u who know alot better what the rebbe vew on shlichas is

  • rabbi zalman

    “As my book clearly demonstrates from Christian sources”
    did you read the ranban???
    you lost your way and your identity, but you love to run around with a chabad tee-shirt
    please join your good friend mati’s and publicize that you are no more chabad

  • calm down shmuli.

    hay shmuli as bright as u think you are. ur taking it to far, u agree with rabbi walf

  • Uch n Vey

    Feh! look at the picture of him. A leather bomber jacket and no visible Tzitzis….this is a Rabbi to honor and give credence to??? Get a life Mr. Shmuely B.

  • Sam

    Shmuly maybe your intentions were right but you goofed big time. Your book will be used by Jews for J to entrap other innocent Jews.

  • someone explain

    huh? please enlighten me i always thought that J was not as Tora observant as the rabbanim would have wanted. didn’t he make trouble in yiddishkeit?

  • say it out AM NOT CHABAD

    rabbi boatch. you are yung and wild. to write such crazy books this one and others that i feel ashamed to write the name is a lil out of wack. please stay in line of chabad. if not then say out to the world AM NOT CHABAD. and we should not post anything of his garbege on chabad websites or connected to chabad

  • SZ

    I didn’t read the book, mainly because I don’t think it’s part of my avoda to read it. It sounds Rabbi Boteach does have some valid defenses. My only question is if he received a psak from a Rav about reading and making use of Christian texts. I don’t think the average frum Jew needs to be reading their texts or excerpts from them. If he received a psak from a Rav saying it was muter from him that would make a big difference.

    My younger brother, who has dabbled in different religions unfortunately, might really like it for example.

    The title is inflammatory though. I’m sure it’s pure marketing driven but my first response was unfavorable to the book.

    I do wish Rabbi Boteach much hatzlacha, although I think he’s also over generalizing about the entire Chabad movement in his response to Rabbi Wolff.

  • shmully must be banned from speaking at

    shmuelly do you condemm anyone who is gay who falunts their gay lifestyle ( or that hits cose to home )
    are you so narcicistic that you believe what you right
    you are a bright jewish boy but you have lost all respect from many of those that new you as a bochur

    i believe chabad should ban you from speaking in any chabad location and if they dont they are guilty of assisting a sinner

  • To Rabbi Wolf, SHmuley, CHI, and others

    You were a yarmukah and say “I am not a spokes person for the jews”

    you are a Shliach and say “I am not a spokes person for Chabad”

    You then asked this person to leave Chabad..

    Funny!!! NOT!

    You judged a book by its cover.. literally!

    I am glad you have made this disclaimer as I wouldn’t want to be part of Chabad if you were to have claimed you were part of it.
    ———————————–

    The Idea of s-x or J-s to be “Kosher” is a problem as its “Misleading” as you stated, as it sounds like its “OK”

    How ever their are going to be 2 types of people

    1. The ones that say “wow let me read more”. there people will now learn and understand just how “Kosher” S or J is.

    2. People like you, who will judge by the cover and for this alone turn to Christianity. ummm…. I doubt this will be the case.

    ———————————–
    Shmuley
    I didnt yet read you book, so I cant have an opinion on it. If I do, and disagree with it, Ill challenge and debate you.

    Till then, do what you do best.

    ———————————–

    CrownHeights.info Thank you for being fair and just.. regardless of the heaviness on this topic.

    Like Rabbi Wolf, you state on the bottom of your site that you are NOT a chabad website. This helps all who read this article that Boteach inst talking about you when he says “A Chabad Website” but rather is referring to the “leading” one that put up wolfs bash yet didn’t give more then 10 minutes of return fame to Boteach at the wee hours of this morning.

    Exit question: How is it that Rabbi wolf and the leadership of Chabad have not challenged the use of “chabad” in the naming of that site?

  • apikorsus

    yes i do feel hes on the line of an apikors, if not now then down the road as once a person has no 1 above them and they thing they are the smart on creation with no “bitul” then we have a protencial apikors

  • Summary.

    You have to fight fire with fire.
    If R Boteach is wrong, only someone that is familiar with his work, and has the intellectual opacity to hash it out should. It doesn’t look good when you have someone just ranting and raving.

    I think R Boteach is very smart, and very effective. I just wish he found a different way of getting peoples attention. This whole thing where he makes awkward sounding statements, especially when he constantly defines the Rebbe gives me the irks.

    The bottom line is, the Rebbonim need to make an official statment to clarify two things that constantly come up on web sites:

    Is boteach a good thing or bad. (for our community). if it’s bad, we should not give him a platform. If it’s good, then we have to stop hating.

    Is the Ahavas Yisroel Shul good for our community? If yes, then we must all be silenced, and if it’s bad then let them do something about it.

    The rabbanim need to act.

  • mayshe

    shmuly- u were thrown out of lubavitch and as a shliach, no? youve been trying to krich zich back in…vidal

  • Canadian Dave

    Mr. Boteach

    The values of the man you are promoting in your most recent book were enough to have him ejected (like the football game you cite) from the community. Not only that but if the Talmud is anything to go by he was executed by the Sanhedrin and quite a detailed description is given as what happens to him every day in the afterlife.

    Rabbi Wolf is unfortunately right on the money. There is no reason to read the book. Some books can be judged by their cover. This is akin to saying that just because the DVD jacket has a title implying explicit sexual content, one should first see the film before hastily jumping to any conclusions.

    The notion that there is anything kosher to be associated with this man is so disturbing and just plain horrifying that anyone even nominally associated with Yiddishkeit, intellectual lightweights and all would be expected to demand your eviction from the community.

    There are already those who promote “Rabbi J.”. Your book, likely geared to the American Christian right will doubtlessly cause more harm then good. This is no fine line that was crossed here. This is more like scaling a one thousand foot high barrier. It is difficult to believe that this criticism and outrage has you caught by surprise.

    I would respectfully suggest that the book be withdrawn from the market immediately.

  • Milhouse

    Of course Xians are upset at your book. You are proselytising them! You are telling them that their god is not a god and thus that their whole religion is false and they should give it up; how could they not be upset? And then you tell them that they should not try to bring us to what they see as the truth; again, how could they not be upset.

    That you’ve upset Jews too is unfortunate but inevitable, since there are so many who are unthinkingly wedded to the idea that if the Xians love Jesus then we must hate him; that if they think he’s a god then we must think he was a rosho, and make up fantastical stories of his wickedness. Motzi shem ra is an aveira, whether the subject is living or dead. There is no reason to believe Jesus was less frum than any of us, so we have no right to accuse him of anything.

    As for the fact that the goyim turned him into an avodo zoro, Yaacov Ovinu was afraid that they’d do the same to him. Suppose Par’oh had not allowed him to be taken to EY, and he had perforce been buried in Mitzrayim and had become an AZ; would we think less of him for that?! Would we ch”v call him bad names and make up bad stories about him?!

  • grrr

    See how shmuly snuck in the contents of his book, don’t we know it assure to say yushkes name?

  • cant wait!!!

    cant wait for the book “Kosher Mishichistin” maybe that will take care of the problem or the mishichistin, after all as chasidim we have to also help them out

  • Milhouse

    #35, No, he does not.

    #34, The Talmud says NOTHING about him; the amoraim had no authentic traditions about him, because none of his contemporaries had ever heard of him. He was certainly not thrown out of the community. The only record we have of his life is that which is very imperfectly preserved in the so-called “New Testament”, and that record shows that he was a frummer yid, something of a talmid chochom, a bit of a character; today he might pass for some rebbele in Meoh Sheorim.

  • no one special

    The difficulty with this response is the lack of response. Boteach is attacking his attacker; as Wolf did to Boteach.
    What is difficult for me to digest is a “Lubavitcher” writing a book that says that Jews did not kill J. That book has already been written by many authors of recognized distinction. This is not groundbreaking. Added to this Boteach’s lack of recognition of the blatant incongruity of a chossid, in the garb, flashing his (Lubavitch) badge and suggesting what The Rebbe would have thought.
    Is the book worth reading? Maybe for those who have no knowledge of history.
    Was the book worth writing???? Yes, if one has the need to be in the spot-light.

  • Milhouse

    #9, there’s certainly someone full of BS. Your etymology of Yeshu is nonsense. His name was Yeshua, which is simply a variant of Yehoshua.

    #11, No, it doesn’t, and in any case who says anything in that sefer is true?

    #15, the gemoro says no such thing, and you have no right to be motzi shem ra on a yid who was probably more of a yerei shomayim than you.

  • A concern Jew

    In Jewish tradition a book on Judaism needs to be approved by a rov, where is that letter?

    I am hoping the rabbonim can outlaw Mr. Boteach.

  • Enough!

    Shmuly you are right. I hope you know better than to think there are so many bored screwballs in our community writing all these negative comments. It’s probably one ignorant person writing all of them. Comments like these should not be posted.

  • Born and bred Lubavitcher

    You tell ’em Shmuelly. The failure of the Chabad education system, of Chabad parents, and regular Chabad folk, from Shliach Wolf to most of the commenters is obvious, and horrifying. The book title is an attention grabber, because … you’re trying to grab peoples’ attention. After all this time working as a Jewish Rabbi, despite all real and imagined human fallibilities on your part, if people still don’t give you the benefit of the doubt, to READ what you write before calling you an Apikores and calling for your excommunication … The intellectual capacity of the Lubavitch Congregation really distresses me.

  • To a shocked chosid

    This is an oxymoron
    7. A Shocked “chosid!” wrote:
    Shmuely Boteach is the most self-aggrandizing arrogant, selfish, self centered person i have ever seen. ……

  • charlie

    shmuly is right, chabad is into crushing people’s dreams. When I told a former magid shiur that I was enlisting in the idf he tried discouraging me. When I wanted to drop out of mesivta to do a proper high school I was told wait until your older, when usualy at that point people dont want to start out. As my professor said today in class 90 percent of the beginning of argument is based on feelings not logic, and I feel that is what Wolf did in this case. another problem in chabad is that when one has a issue with something instead of logically responding they yell out “Rebbe, Chassidishkeit”, which for a record is a big turn off.
    Shmuly you go get ’em.

  • S.

    CHI:
    Thank you for providing Shmuley the opportunity to make his case. I (a small town shliach) am frankly disturbed that Rabbi Wolf would come out and condemn this book, if in fact he hasn’t read the book. Rabbi Wolf, you insult logic and sanity when condemning anything without at least a rudimentary knowledge thereof, let alone not reading the darn thing.
    Remember, it was Jews who first began buring seforing (I think of the Rambam) before the French and others made a habit of burning seforim.
    Frankly this is a topic I am curious about, Yeshiva taught me nothing about, and now after these exchanges I am compelled to buy a copy of the book and judge for myself how I feel.

  • Reb chuna

    Shmuli, if u truly beleive that lubavitchers read and distribute your other “kosher” book, u r truly insane. For a while i thought u had reformed urself, slowly returning to the fold, but u have dissapointed me

  • Re: Mrs. Cohen

    To Mrs. Cohen: If you want to save your 8 year and 13 year old children and not have them exposed to “garbage” that will counter their chinuch, you may want to start by not allowing them to be on the internet at all!!!!! No child that young has anything productive to do on the internet, so before “begging” ch.info PROTECT YOUR CHILDREN YOURSELF!!!!!! DON’T EXPECT OTHERS TO DO YOUR DIRTY WORK (of keeping your children frum)!!!! But anyhow this website is not geared to be child friendly in many ways!

  • pinny

    THe more he writes the more i see he needs help did he ever ask a rov a torah scholar to look at the book… did he take it to Rabbi Schoichat for his comments since he says there are no wise learned men in chabad? he is scared to show it to anyone.

    Let him loose like the shluchim in england did many years ago….

    let him looses and do not let in to your chabad houses and it time Rabbi Krisky distances himself once and for all from him…

    He will sell books and make money but let him go…

    He thanks Schneur Zalman Felig for bring him to chabad i wonder if Felig is still proud of him now…..

    Bye Bye Shmuli

    leave chabad and dont try to hang on to it… you are outside of the realm of chabad just as the rebbe sent shlomo carlbach flying and let him run away so to just leave us

  • SHAME ON YOU!

    IT’S ABSOLUTELY ABSURD THAT ANY SITE THAT IS DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY ASSOCIATED WITH LUBAVITCH SHOULD EVEN THINK FOR A MOMENT THAT BOTEACH IS IN ANY WAY SHAPE OR FORM LEVEL WITH ANYONE LIKE RABBI YITZCHAK WOLF, THAT SOME SHOULD SAY:

    “WE DO NOT WISH TO TAKE SIDES IN THIS CONTROVERSIAL ISSUE, IN THE SPIRIT OF FAIRNESS WE GAVE RABBI SHMULEY A CHANCE TO RESPOND TO HIS CRITICS”

    IT HAS FOR THE LONGEST TIME BEEN BOGGING THE DAYLIGHTS OUT OF ME THAT SOME ASSOCIATED WITH CHABAD-LUBAVITCH SHOULD GIVE SPACE OR TIME TO SOMEONE WITH THIS BEHAVIOR.

    SHAME ON YOU!

  • Sholem

    This book will help a lot of people and these commenters can only trash it. If you never read the book, how can you all be freaking out?!! See what it says and then make an informed opinion.

  • to all

    this is exactly what shmuly puts fourth in his rebuttal….
    so many of the above posts reek of pure ignorance, its SHAMEFUL!!!
    secondly, it is well documented than j did not start Christianity, it was years later that his so called followers concocted a new religion. THIS IS AN HISTORICAL FACT, there are numerous NUMEROUS texts backing this up. it is the christians who diluted the story and is shmuly is bringing to the forefront. its unfortunate that dogma and ignorance is so rampant in the crown heights and chabad community….so get on with your life. either read the book or dont…

  • Please

    would people commenting stop calling him Rabbi. Just because he has smicha, doesn’t mean he is worthy of the title.

  • Why all the dumb commets?

    instead of everyone bickering why dont you send the book to Rabbi J. I Schochet and get his haskama/ opinion on the book. He is the foremost Jewish scholar on this subject

  • cant wait!!!

    i hope boteac rights a book called “Kosher Mishichist”, then maybe we’ll be able to see how there is some good in mishichistin

  • one book the man cant right

    is “Kosher Boteach” if he would of been able to he would of for sure written it

  • Just curious

    Rabbi Shmuely,
    Can you seriously say that you wrote this book to “truly” enlighten the christian world or that you are frustrated that your past books primarily focus on jews and that is just to small a market for your ambitions.
    I saw the title of your book and thought right away that you want a book that the entire 6 billion people might rather than the lowly 16 million jews in the world.
    we have so much work to do with our “own” people. Do we truly need to tackle the worlds issues as well?

  • talmid

    hey did u even learn the gemara in shabos 56.1 and 56.2 yoshke suffers in geihenom, with four of the worst punishments ever…!!! all for what? being a good jew?? start learning your facts? rav pappa and rav wore a little smarter than you!!

  • Rambam on J

    All is well that you suggest that in your opinion perhaps J was the perfect Jew. But I think that you owe it to the consumer to advise that the Rambam states clearly the opposite of what you write.

    It is true that I have not read your book, so it may very well be that you do say so in your book. If so, may I dare to suggest that who are you to argue with the Rambam? and if you think that you have the authority to argue with the Rambam, why should we even begin to accept your opinion?

    I am referring to the Rambam end of Hilchois Melachim and to the Igrois Harambam in Igeres Teiman (mosad Horav Kook page 119). In igeres Horambam the Rambam states clearly that J was distorting the Torah and would cause lots of Yidden to ignore the mitzvahs.

  • 34 well said

    Ur rite. I find it also hard to believe that write this stupid book and no1 will condemn it. U really think chabad or no chabad will just stay quite? And the chutzpe with ur respond is like “how der u attack me”

  • Your Past Friend

    Dear Rabbi Boteach,
    Stop responding to the actual attack by Wolf by tooting your horn. Here are some of the quotes taken from your Book:
    Jesus was a man who worked to rekindle Jewish ritual observance of every aspect of the Torah and to counter the brutal Roman occupation of his people’s land. He never wavered in this mission even when he realized the consequences would be fatal.

    All Jews can embrace Jesus as part of a grand tradition of heroic leaders who fought to free Israel from tyranny. Looked at from this angle, Jesus was a great, world-changing patriot for Judaism.

    Once we strip his life story of its patina of paganism and the supernatural, Jews will see they need no longer reject the beautiful ethical teachings of Jesus, which find their source in Hebrew scripture and the teachings of the rabbis among whom he counted himself.

    Fundamentally, Jews have the duty to ask themselves: Do we really profit by shunning a Jewish patriot who fought and died for our freedom? Jesus certainly was one of the most famous Jews that ever lived. Should he be forever lost to his people?

    Ad Kan
    Can you defend this? Is there any Yid in the world you know who recited Mode Ani every morning that would utter this nonsense or rather Blasphemy?

    This is heresy at its best.

  • emet

    you seem to have always been on the outside of Chabad, but somehow trying to get in.
    You seem to have good intentions, but to me
    you seem to be overly self-confident in bending Chabad from more of an outsider approach.
    I bet that it bothers you often that you can’t really be fully in Chabad. But if its so important to you to be in that position, then just accept that you will mostly always be in that in/out position.
    Some of your points are good, but looking objectively, it does not seem that your book fits in to the general “energy” of Chabad. I would also question if you would really send that book to the Rebbe.
    Anyone can say Chabad, Chabad, but we want to know how it fits into the Rebbe’s ways, which is what the comic changing Chabad is all about.
    Please do a double check on your arrogance. Intelligence which is sprinkled with an overbalance of arrogance (albeit the intelligent kind), can be a dangerous combination.

  • CH.info=the J platform

    It’s bizarre that ch.info gives J a platform. While they think they are giving SB a platform, if you read his rant, he’s promoting J.

  • Tempest in a Teapot

    I agree with Mrs Cohen (#5). We are not the intended target or audience for Rabbi Boteach’s book. The discussion of the subject matter of his book, the criticism and the subsequent defence thereof, are not topics for the readers of this site. Most of us (this writer included) lack the necessary scholarship to form an opinion on the matter any-which-way. It just does not belong here, for all of us to view.
    His book is a scholarly book. It has its intended readers and we are not they! For all those screaming geshray, I can bet you that this book will never end up on the curriculum of OT and BR! Nor is everyone expected to rush out and place a copy on their coffee tables! This book is certainly destined for those involved in that inyen and not for the everyday person. We aren’t the ones supposed to be reading this and getting bent all out of shape on account of it. For the type of yidden that we are, this should not concern us in any way.
    Would Rabbi Boteach have given this book to the Rebbe? Remember ‘meditation’ about 30 years ago? The Rebbe instructed certain individuals to provide a Jewish alternative to the then very treif ‘meditation’. Similarly, perhaps Rabbi Boteach’s book may be helpful to those persons involved in this field.
    Finally, I am sure that all comments are being made l’sheim Shomayim. But please – kovoyd habreeyois! – show some respect, no matter how you feel and no matter the target! We must be careful about loshon horeh and moytzee shaym rah! Attack the message – not the messenger!

  • how about a change yoshka the jew

    The way it was presented is what most people are havng an issue with.
    Jewish Jesus-
    Come on Shmulie did you really expect anyone to not get startled by that???
    – yes he was a Jew many don’t know fully about him because of the issues involved thrue out history and any information on him has banned, basically removed, due to reprecussions with the non jews hatred of the yiddin .
    It would have been better Shmulie to present it/ name it in a less tramatic way … I dont see anything that you say that is untrue in your article above , you are stating facts.
    However ,any advocating of an acceptance of yoshke in any way
    is not a good idea and helps the missionaries who will twist what you’ve said.
    Chabad should probably be alittle less vocal with this issue due to the fact that they have enough of a controversy with Mishachism on their plate .
    Shmulie once again you have managed to set the cat amongst the pigeons with the “dramatic” way you address things.
    That is my only issue, its the way you go about it.
    You are fighting a losing battle .
    The world has believed the lies too long and it would make them question their faith and all its standing for, is it really realistic to believe that the goyishe world is ready for the “TRUTH”.
    Its gonna take Moshiach Tzidkanu to make them believe,nothing more and nothing less.
    # 32- maybe the rabbanim should also come out about a descision on Mishichism as well, we are waiting to hear what they will say….

  • Don Yoel Quixote

    Shmuli,

    Oh, how you make me laugh.
    How craftily you allude to your unparalleled intellect, your unmatched scholarship, your mesmerizing speaking skills!
    If only we could engage with non-believers with the same erudition and brilliance as you do!

    So tell me, that time Hitchens dragged you around the stage of the 92Y, mocked you, eviscerated your arguments, and generally made a mockery of Gd and religion without fear of coherent riposte or counterargument— is that how we should do it?

    If you get your thrills from heaping scorn onto Shluchim who and others who you consider to be the ignorant unwashed, that’s fine; but remember, kshot atzmecha v’achar kach kshot acheirim.

    Or as you would prefer, “let he who is without sin cast the first stone”.

  • to each his own

    to mayshe – snobery isnt a nice thing.
    your attitude suggests you are a from one of the gesher and are holding up your nose at someone whos managed to become way more successful and accepted by the world than any lubab around.
    im sure there are many people within lubab that should have been kicked out long ago if not for their protectzia.h
    you dont like his book dont read it.
    who says what chabad rabbis say and believe and promote is what the Rebbe would have wanted and believed?
    who are we to decided what the Rebbe thought?
    You can read his writings but when you explain them, who says your doing right?

  • Yehuda

    I would just remark to comment 23 who criticizes Rabbi Boteach for not showing his tzitzit, that he is Sephardic and it is not Sephardic minhag to show tzitzit. I also don’t believe the Torah says anything about bomber jackets. Why all the hate?

  • RabbiHasCourage!!

    Does any shliach have the courage to tell the christians in their (friendly) face that THEY ARE FULL Of S__T!?

    We chassidim deplore why the misnagdim did not properly research the Alter Rebbe’s teachings & Chassidus in general, before mounting that war against the Chassidim.

    Is Rabbi Wolf a gilgul of a Vilna Misnaged? He wants to ‘do what?’ to Rabbi Boteach??

    This book (via the key facts pre-released) has ALREADY saved TWO HUGE souls (that I know) from the christian lie!

    I can’t understand how Rabbi SB has the courage to tell them (and the pope!) that their entire religion amounts to ZERO!
    How is he going to face THEM and their barrage. Need we hit him from the other end?? Please!

  • To all you Ignorant People

    Do you guys know that every shabbes the passage of shochan ad that we say, was wrten by Saint Paul.

  • Mrs. S. Shakinovsky

    As a proud Jew I am ashamed to read Rabbi Wolf’s attack on Rabbi Shmuley’s book and the man himself.
    Firstly read the book before you comment,
    secondly constructive criticism is important and we should all be big enough to botn give and receive without throwing wild accusations.
    Thirdly there are enough Jew haters in this world without us creating more amongst ourselves.

  • FactsRule

    Now Rabbi Boteach has to respond to all of this ignorance, hatred, & insanity with the good pen he has. Let’s all get some things straight:
    1) The Yeshu in the Chrisians’ bible is NOT the Yeshu referred to in the Geomorrah you site.
    2) None of you seem to understand that there are over a billion people out there who have a misunderstanding of their own bible that has led them to spend most of the previous two thousand years persecuting, torturing, & murdering people and that this is incredible information taken directly from their texts that should permanently, or as close to permanently as possible, deprogram these dangerous ideas that still exist.
    3) There is NOTHING wrong with his excellent book or his excellent response to his ignorant hateful critics.
    4) The question is whether Jesus (the one in their bible)is kosher? This is NOT a new question that isn’t being promoted by missionaries all over the place. This isn’t a bad question but a pareve question. At some point in their lives, every Jew in America will hear the name Jesus. Thanks to Rabbi Boteach they will have an incredible understanding about this issue that is completely novel & out-of-the-box thinking. We should be celebrating its arrival as it is extremely helpful in empowering the Jewish people with information that took ten years to compile.
    5)Many of the reactions here and at the extremely unfair collive (a site I will no longer frequent, & thank you to crownheightsinfo for not cowardly piling on this wonderful man) are based on a high degree of ignorance of history, Judaism, human nature, philosophy (it was the Jewish Egyptian philosopher, Philo who came up with the concept of a trinity, 60 of his writings being found in the earliest Chrisian writing, which is just an interesting fact in the history of philosophy), ahavas yisroel, the Jewish laws of speech, the Jewish laws of giving criticism, & the common sense & decency to first at least act like you’re adults & read this exceptional book before completely misjudging & mischaracterizing it & its superb author.
    6) I’ll have more to say after reading it after go order it right now, bli neder.
    7) One more thing: After reading Rabbi Boteach’s excellent points, the Rebbe, obm, would be ecstatic to receive a copy and would have read it in an hour, or less, since it took him only about that long to learn the entire Portuguese language.
    8) One more thing (I have trouble remembering all of the inane points people here made): All of these calls to remove this book and such ideas are a complete waste of time. Ladies begging on their knees that it be withdrawn because they’re so worried about their little kids waking up and somehow being struck by one of these books falling on them from the ceiling and then being forced to read it and then it completely corrupting them, when this lady has no idea what she’s talking about, leads me to believe that many people here have an old vendetta against Rabbi Boteach that is completely misinformed and is filled, filled with motzi shaim rah, loshon horoh, and richilus, regardless of the level of the Rabbi perpetrating these cowardly crimes against someone who has been very helpful to many hundreds of thousands of people, in a good, healthy, Torah-based way. Now go do something about your teen, shidduch, meshachistin, employment, education, pedophilia, & other problems you have to overcome & stop doing the sin of trying to tell people who won’t listen to you what to do. That’s an aveira that is included in the laws of criticism.
    9) I welcome your comments. Thank you.

  • Daniel B.

    This book seems not to be for Jews but for christians as well as, and specifically for, Jews sadly caught up in christianity (many).

  • Let down

    I think it is about time that this good and informative site stops printing articles about or from Shmuley Boteach. The issue is not about Boteach, the issue is whether we should spend any time opr energy discussing him.

  • yossel

    the reason the story abuot a second coming happend so the woreld shuld onderstand truli wen moshiach comes go out their and their are so meny yidin that no more abuot goiishkeit then toiro i think books like that is made for them and its importent the frum yid has plenty other sforim to learn maybe iff rabbi emanuel shochat said something he is more qwalifeid

  • Nisht Glatt

    I was always under the impressiont hat kosher s was just a catchy title to a book filled with great stuff. What my wife and i discovered was that it is a good book, yet very prust and inappropriate at time.s

  • SHMULEY BOTEACH LOST THE PLOT

    I attended a debate between Rabbi Yitzchak Shochet in London and Shmuley Boteach . It was many years ago It was on his book Kosher S. Shochet wiped the floor with him. I still smile when I see Shochet tearing pages from the book when quoting from it.
    Ironically his ather Rabbi Dr Immanuel Shochet would be the perfect person to wipe the floor with Boteach on his Kosher J. Sadly he is unwell. But I wonder if unwell enough to write a response. That would send jitters down Boteach’s spine.
    Meanwhile Chabad as a whole has a moral obligation to distance themselves from him. I am convinced the Rebbe would throw him out from 770 just as he sent Shlomo Carlebach away. The Rebe didn’t chase away Jews but he took issue with those who purported to be Lubavitch but were a disgrace to Chassidism of any kind.
    His debates with missionaries are sometimes laughable. Show me one Jew that has come back because of those debates.
    Shmuley if you are reading this remember this: If one Jew, just one, goes astray on account of your book – it’s on your head.

  • Dear Mrs. Cohen

    While I agree with your fears & your disgust at this clown, if you’re so worried at them seeing anything, just monitor your kids on the internet until the “rebuttal” is down.

    Boteach: Chabad IS better than this. That’s why your filth should be peddled under your own, independent label and you should leave Chabad and our Rebbe out of it.

  • Satire

    I’m very chassidish, so I don’t wear jewelry, however, I ordered a new tallis bag with a groiser tseilim because now Yoshke’s legacy must be seen in the context of Boteach’s book. Perhaps his wife or children should emboss a groisser tseilem on his handsome leather bomber jacket for his birthday or anniversary gift.

  • dont let the door hit you leaving chabad

    it is time that fellig distances himself from boteach
    if not krinsky and kotlarsky and korf should take the rights for achabad house away from fellig

    boteach has been a thorn in lubavitch since his failed oxford experiment . his support of his brothers position supporting gay rights is heipech hatorah as is his writing this book

    it is high time that people speak out and stand behind the rabbi wolf

  • dont even say his name on this site

    let this website which does so much good stop allowing boteach a forum

  • Dovid

    The way you all talk to a Jew is vile and dispicable makes me ashamed to be lubavitch. YOU CALL YOURSELVES CHASSIDIM?!??!? Im in shock. Forget what the rebbe would say about the book what would he say about your abominable behavior. Don’t think that you’re so holy because ou live in ch. Bc YOU have all turned The Rebbes Shchunah into a sesspit for lashon haroh shame on you!

  • Canadian Dave

    Milhouse:

    Correct. My mistake. It’s the Rambam who as I understand it is an accepted Jewish authority so I apologize. The gemoro has it pretty graphic as to what happens to him and bilam (i think) in the afterlife.

    This guy is pushing the same logic as Jews for J. and that alone is grossly irresponsible. For crying out loud this is one of the few Jews about whom we use the words yemach shemoi.

    There is the historical J. who seems to be a semi fictional character promoted by the apostles who was probably based on a talmid of R. Yehoshua ben Prachya who would go on to found one of the several secret sects in Judaism that existed at that time for the purpose of rebelling against and to undermine the Chachomim and who must have lived at least a century before the historical J.

    So sure had he existed today he would probably be sharing novel torah insights and be considered a healer to whom thousands would flock. That’s a point Boteach likes to make every so often when arguing with Christians and it’s irrelevant. There exists only one historical character named Jesus who means something very specific. This is as relevant as the debate regarding the real Shakespeare. The very words Kosher Jesus are in and of itself a gross violation of centuries of Jewish norms at best and of halacha at worst and it must be eradicated.

  • toshav hashchhuna

    Boteach, a pity. Clearly, a talented individual who is wasting those talents. For what? Fame, money and revenge.

  • no one special

    #78. Sweeping generalizations, unsupported “facts”, convoluted wording, double negatives & hubris do not change my thoughts on the subject.

  • glass houses & people that live in them.

    # 85- who are you to decide who gets Thrown out?
    Who is to decide who is a “GOOD CHABNIK”?
    Who makes these rules??
    When you can figure out how to control your shluchim and some the things they get up to, as well as all the wonderfull nachas MESHICHISTIM are bringing to Chabad, then go tell Shmulie what to do.
    People who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.
    Meshichitim and those who are in charge that allow, has chased off more people than Shmulie ever could.
    Frankly, I’m more concerned with the damage they’ve done to Chabad then anyone else.
    If you can all do your own thing and still call yourselves Chabad shluchim, then why shouldn’t he???

  • eli from Crown street

    Igros Kodesh/ Valume 2, 267
    ב) בתניא מצטט לר“פ ט”ז בשבת ושם מדבר במתנכרים, – הנה ר’ טרפון ור’ ישמעאל מדברים שם בנוצרים שבימיהם היינו הנוצרים הראשונים (יעויין בערוך השלם מע’ און, בי אבידן שהובא שם מה שנשמט ע“י הצענזור ומוכח כנ”ל), והנה כת זו בעת ההיא לא חפצו להבדל מעם ישראל ואדרבה דברו בשבחו (ועד שבא שאול מתרשיש הרי גם לא רצו לדבר עם הנכרים) חשבו עצמם מבני ישראל בכל הענינים נהגו במנהגיהם לרבות למוד התורה וקיום המצות ברובם המכריע והיו מבזים את אמונת הפסילים היינו הדת השלטת אשר בעת ההיא, וכידוע, וראה בשבת בסיום הסוגיא שם: אנא לא למיפחת מן אורייתא דמשה אתיתי כו’, אלא שהי’ בהם ענין של ע“ז (וצ”ע איזה) והיו מלעיגים על אחדות מדרז“ל (ראה בהשמטת הש”ס הובאו גם באוצר ישראל מע’ ישו) – זאת אומרת אשר לא היו משומדים, כמו שמפרשים עתה מלה זו, אלא ישראלים חפשים, עוברי עבירה, מינים.

  • Dear 95

    You & the few others who support this fame-seeking fraud are either Boteachs or on his payroll. So sad.

    I feel very bad for Devorah Boteach, children & the machatonim, to have to go through all the fallout & disgust that the vast majority of Lubavitchers have over this latest example of Boteach Insanity & Extremism. They don’t deserve any slurs & I hope they aren’t tainted with the same brush.

    Yes, I meant “tainted”, not “painted.” Not their fault he is what he is.

  • I need some nausia medication

    “Jesus was a Jew. He lived a life totally devoted to Torah and Mitzvos, as should every Jew. He resisted all efforts to change Judaism.”

    Is this what our kidnerlach need to know. Do you teach your children about him? Your book has a catchy title, but your implications and nuances do seem going against mainstream orthodoxy. You are fighting an upstream battle and my friend, Rabbi Wolf seems spot on by calling you out for rhetoric not befitting an orthodox scholor and Lubavitcher Chossid as yourself.

    I close with one thing and will shut up with a solid answer. You failed to address it in your comments above. Did you get any real Rabbinic oversight or approval for such a book and title. Big or small we all need to answer to someone higher, which Rabbi gave his Haskama on such a book.

  • anon

    “But today you would be hard pressed to find many young Chabad couples getting married who have not read the book”
    are you dreaming
    bichlal boteach where do you have an idea what chabad is really about? do you know its history or how the chasidim dealt with certain issues, you obviosly don’t know about certain facts in our history. btw there were times that even the rebbe scraim in public (as if there was not even the right for dioalog).
    the sha’ala is what would the rebbe.
    to mishouse you always seem to be a big chosid, maybe you can explain the chabad minhag not to learn on nittel or what the rebbe rashab said about learning on nittel? have you seen the letter from the rebbe to the satmarer about it being the birth of yoshke pandres.? have you bichlal seen what the wrote about yoshke pandres?
    stam who is yeshu hanotzri who is mentioned in rambam that was killed by the sahnhedrin (which whould mean that yes he was a rasha)?
    if there no sources from chazal pray tell me where is there bichlal a source that he existed of course not the gospel, boteach himself does not hold of it.

  • AA

    I like #19’s last paragraph. They say that history repeats itself, the first time as tragedy and the second time as farce. Well, then, 2000 or so years ago there was a Jew who made a career of attacking the “Pharisees” (i.e., the Torah leaders of the time), and and ended up being executed. Now there’s a Jew who also makes a career of attacking the Torah leaders of our time, and ends up being – well, not executed, thank G-d, just vilified.

  • I look forward to reading the book

    I look forward to reading your book. While I understand some people’s objections to the title, I am eager to read the content of the book. This may not be a book that every chossid wants in his home, but it seems like a book with an important message for others to read.

  • ch resident

    when the Jews became the most hated group in the Roman Empire, the story was changed to strip J of his Jewishness and Romanize him. WHO WAS THE STORY CHANGED BY???????????

  • Milhouse

    #37, No, we do not know that. Show me a mokor.

    #43, There is no such tradition. Show me a mokor.

    #61, Did you think you could give a daf and nobody would look it up? The pages you cited don’t even mention the fellow.

    I too have not read the book, and based on the Haaretz article I probably won’t bother, because it would not seem to contain anything new. Maybe the review is inaccurate, but if it’s accurate then everything in the book has been known for a long time and is not really controversial, except among believing Xians, and among ignorant Jews.

  • proud 2 b chabad

    to don yoel quixote and number ninety six than you your arguments make valid points that are IRREFUTABLE

  • dan kol adam lekaf zechus

    It’s amazing how so many people can get so inflamed about thsi issue. Who the hell cares???? If you don;t like the book don;t read.

    The gemara talks about Rabbi Yehoshua ben Perachyah who ejected J: one shoudl be smol doche and yemin mekareves, and that he regreted ejected him which is why he, the same Rabbi Yehoshua ben Perachayh later wrote in Pirkei Avos Dan kol adam lekaf zechus.

    Thus I find it ironic that Rabbi Wolf does not use this idea towards Shmuely Boteach.

  • WELL SAID!

    “The irony is that Shmuel Boteach and Yoshke were both nice Jewish boys until they got desperate for attention.”

  • To #95

    “# 85- who are you to decide who gets Thrown out?
    Who is to decide who is a “GOOD CHABNIK”?
    Who makes these rules??”

    The rules were made by the Lubavitcher Rebbe who declared that a Chabadnik is someone who follows Torah and Jewish tradition.

    Just to give you a hint of the Rebbe’s thinking regarding the idea of convincing christians of their false beliefs (which is the supposed defense given by the defenders of this book):

    “It is completely out of the question for your Chabad House activities to include debating missionaries. I am surprised that you even had a question as to whether it was fine.

    Yagdil Torah (Israel) vol. 3 p. 1382”

    The Rebbe doesn’t go into any explanation, he just says “I am surprised that you even had a question as to whether it was fine”, plain and simple: Jews don’t do such things for thousands of years.

    Anyone who deviates from Jewish tradition puts himself out of the realm of being a Lubavitcher. No explanations necessary.

  • shmuley

    SHMULEY, PLEASE RESPOND TO THE POINTS MADE BY THE COMMENTERS, NOT ONLY RABBI WOLF.

  • pretty sure yushka wa s delusional too

    what,sluchim,rabanim give the other kosher boteach book as a gift to chasanim and kallahs? now i know he’s delusional.

  • yossi r

    shmully go look what it says in mishnayos about a man who walks with hands in his pants pockets and you are going to interpit be ashamed of yourself

  • FactsRule

    @ 64 You’re the only person here questioning Rabbi Boteach in an appropriate manner. My response to your concerns is simple. If indeed this is what is in the book, then this is what’s in the book. If he shows that this Jesus was a frum Jew who promoted Judaism, then it’s too bad that for 1,900 years he’s been misportrayed so as to hide this. Rabbi Boteach hasn’t written this seemingly amazing book for the faint of heart, as have all of his childish, unfair, shrill, condescending, ignorant detractors. He raises the bar, peaks curiosity, introduces fascinating facts and questions to all. How crude of his naysayers to use such vulgarity of opinion, name calling, calls for him to be ostracized, pronouncements of embarrassment for Chabad, & all of the other undignified misplaced cowardly non-achdus, mishugass being used to scold, embarrass, distance, & bully someone and something they show themselves not to have the capacity to understand, not even having trying to do so. The ONLY things that are unfortunate are all of the lies, distortions, misconceptions, condemnations, ill-will, & flying to conclusions without any objective examination of the other side. ALL of Boteach’s detractors are a shameful, shameful bunch, regardless of their perceived greatness in other matters. To behave this way regarding the bringing forth of bold, brave, controversial, stimulating, novel information that begs discussion, that may very well change millennial opinion is backward & anti-Jewish (in that we believe that the only bad question is one not asked).
    @ 74 It looks to me like Shochain ad maroim v’kadoish sh’moi was taken from Y’shaya 57:15. Perhaps, if this Saul, renamed for some reason, Paul, did write these words he too was lifting them from Yeshaya, just like their book does when it says things like to turn the other cheek, as I recall, another quote the “new testament” writers took from Yeshayah.
    @ 94 One would suppose that’s why you call yourself “No One Special.”

  • To 107. fighting Missionaries

    True that Chabad does not fight missionaries, BUT chabad does me’karev *yidden* who became missionaries!
    Also, true that chabad does not fight missionaries, but others (real frum people) do! For them, this book is a nais min hasumayim! If you don’t do this type of work, you don’t know!

  • ask the Rebbe

    The Rebbe is clear against meeting the pope and holding inter-faith efforts as Shmuley does – certainly, the Rebbe is clear about the person of whom Shmuley wrote his book. The Rebbe’s opinion is clear in many English letters he sent. Shmuley is a danger and should be regarded as such. He has done the work of missionaries. Writing well does not justify the contents of the writing. It’s all about his own ego, as this response of his proves – yet again.

  • FactsRule

    @ 107 So how do you explain the support the rebbe, obm, gave Rabbi Immanuel Schochet? And are you sure that the Rebbe, obm, didn’t agree with Pirchei Avos that says to know what to answer unbelievers? Perhaps the Rebbe, obm, meant that it shouldn’t be a regular class or regular activity to debate with people who steal our souls from us. But, a shliach or any Jew who saves someone from the clutches of missionaries is great, not bad. Or do you not believe it as or more important to save a soul than a life?

  • DOVID ZVI GRUNDSTEIN

    IT IS TIME THAT BOTEACH PRINTS A NEW BOOK WITH THE NAME KOSHER CHAZER – WITH A PICTURE OF BOTEACH ON THE FRONT COVER – AND THIS WILL BE THE EXPLAINATION ON ALL BOOKS EVER WRITTEN AND THAT WILL EVER BE WRITTEN BY BOTEACH.

    PLEASE CHECK IF BOTEACHS BIRTHDAY IS ON NITUL…

  • Dear Rabbi Shmuely

    BH

    With respect to you I’d like to ask you a few questions. But first let me say that I enjoy a lot of your books, articles, talks, etc. And as a Shliach they have been of great help. Thank you.

    1. You say that Rabbi wolf wrote a “vicious attack” against you. But what you wrote in response hardly seems to be any kinder. Moreover, I have found that you have been “viciously attacking” so many other with whom you disagree, e.g., Chief Rabbi J Sacks, Dr Laura and many others. Do they not deserve the same respect?

    2. You want us to read the book and not judge it by its cover. Fair enough. But I ma sure if your young child asked you to rent a movie that clearly was unkosher in the jacket cover you wouldn’t even bother to open it and se any further. So no, this book I have not read (not sure if I will at some later stage). But from the newspapers you seem to have already made statements about J that are unkosher. You say he has “beautiful teachings”. Surely you have learned a great deal of Gemorrah and you know the story in Avoda Zara (16b-17a) about a Tana that was punished for only have agreed to a (seemingly harmless) teaching of J. How then can you explain this Gemorah? There are many others that we can discuss, but I think this passage explains my point.

    3. And this question is the crux of the matter. We all know about perceptions. We know how we can do the right thing and still be concerned about how others will view it. (E.g., Chullel Hashem, maares ayin, etc.) Perhaps someone wouldn’t read the book properly, or at all, or maybe just the cover, and then have a completely different idea than what you were hoping for.
    Certainly you know that the Rebbe would advise someone to consult with a Rav before making such a drastic move. I am wondering if you have?

    With much love

  • ??????

    @105-
    noticed you didnt address the crazy behavior of MISHICHISTIM, and those that quietly look the other way or join in!
    A- the Rebbe was a great man, but he was just a man.
    B- G-d makes the rules, not the Rebbe.
    C- If youre so concerned with doing the right thing and that others shouldnt be led astray I suggest you work on those people in your communitites who aren’t doing what they should be. Waving a yellow flag, taking dollars bills from the air and a host of other crazy things is not only insane but DANGEROUS.
    Keeping quiet about it and not making a stand is also.
    I think this behavior pains the Rebbe more than anything.

  • AA

    It’s a pity that Eli’s comment (#96) didn’t come out properly. (When is the commenting system here going to support Hebrew?) Here it is, in my own translation – and I hope I’m understanding the Rebbe’s words properly. (Parentheses are in the original; square brackets are my own explanations.)

    As Eli said, this is an excerpt of a letter of the Rebbe’s printed in Igros Kodesh, vol. 2, letter 267. The context is a discussion of the Alter Rebbe’s statement at the end of ch. 32 of Tanya, when he says that certain people have to be treated with “tachlis sin’ah.”

    B) “Tanya refers to the beginning of ch. 16 of Shabbos, where it talks about estranged Jews [in the original, ‘misnakrim’].” [This is a quotation from the original letter, to which the Rebbe replies:] Now, R. Tarfon and R. Yishmael are talking there about the Christians of their times, namely the early Christians (see Aruch Hashalem, entries for “Aven” and “Bei Avidan,” which quotes material [from the Gemara] omitted by the censor, which also bears this out). Now, this group at that time did not want to be separated from the Jewish nation; on the contrary, they spoke favorably of it (and until Saul [Paul] of Tarsus came along, they didn’t even want to speak [about their beliefs] with the gentiles). They considered themselves Jews for all purposes; followed their practices, including Torah study and mitzvah observance, in overwhelming majority; and scorned belief in idols, which was the dominant religion at that time, as is well known. See Shabbos, end of the discussion there [which quotes a Christian judge as saying]: “I have not come to take away from the Torah of Moshe…” However, there was some kind of avodah zarah among them (though it requires consideration what kind), and they mocked certain teachings of Chazal (see Hashmatos Hashas, cited also in Otzar Yisrael, entry “Yeshu”). This means that they were not meshumadim as this term is _now_ understood, but rather irreligious Jews, sinners, minim [heretics].

    Ad kan divrei harav. Now let’s consider, then. We see from this that far from being taken for “a rebbele from Me[a]h She[a]rim,” as Milhouse would have it, Yoshke and his ideas were so beyond the pale that his followers, as outwardly frum as they might have been (remember, they studied Torah and kept mitzvos), are classed by the Rebbe – based on this Gemara – as sinners and heretics for that alone. So, now, do Boteach, Milhouse, etc., have the nerve to say that they know better than our Rebbe?

  • :( feeling let down

    Can someone tell me if all the above people that have written comments are Jews? have we not forgotten a rule of yiddishkeit, “Don’t Judge”. So you may not like the book, you may not want your family to read it, but the least you can do is support another Yid, in trying to answer the questions of others. In Tanya, the Alter Rebbe discusses in chapter 32 about loving a fellow like yourself. Seems as though most of the above have forgotten. Chabad is about being the best you can be, the Rebbe taught his chassidim the importance of staying strong with each other. He mentioned the importance of encouraging the 7 noahide laws to all non jews. Rabbi Boteach has had the courage to answer questions many of us are afraid to ask, for fear of being attacked, seems not only would we be attacked by outsiders, but also by our own people. The comments above leave me sadened, and if a Jew who is looking at them and is in a time of confusion or weakness with their belief in the Jewish People as a nation, this for sure would push them off the derech.

  • SHOCKING!

    THAT A LUBAVITCH WEBSITE IS GIVING SPACE FOR AN APIKORES TO DEBATE HERE!!!! PLEASE STOP PUTTING UP HIS WORDS!

  • i love your outlook!

    Thanks for this. This book was made for pepole like me, thank you. Not everyone is ready enough to seek the real truth, its a shame.

  • 126

    Jews need to be the LIGHT UNTO THE NATIONS! that is what Hashem has called the Jewish nation to be, he presented the torah to the Jewish people so they in turn could teach the nations and if, J is part of that mission then the Jews to reclaim him as there own and reteach the christians and nations who J really is… a Torah Observant Jew, who died at the hands of romans and then was turned around as this newly “christian” leader who never started a religion, the goyim did!

    this part i like the best
    “But it is time that our Christian brothers and sisters reject all efforts to proselytize Jews and come to the Jewish community to learn about the Jewish roots of the Christian faith. It is not Jews who must learn from Christians but rather the reverse.

    J was a Jew. He lived a life totally devoted to Torah and Mitzvos, as should every Jew. He resisted all efforts to change Judaism. As my book clearly demonstrates from Christian sources, he drew upon the Torah for everything he taught, and it is time that Judaism received credit for the riches it has brought the world through Christianity.

    Contrary to what Christians have learned, J hated the Romans rather than the Rabbis. He fought the Roman Emperor and was put to death for opposing the tyranny and paganism of Rome. Later, after the Jewish revolt of the year 66-70, when the Jews became the most hated group in the Roman Empire, the story was changed to strip J of his Jewishness and Romanize him. Added to this was the abominable charge that the Jews killed one of their own, a blood libel which would later claim the lives of countless Jews for the past two millennia. Using reams of scholarship the book puts the nail in the coffin of the greatest lie of all time, that the Jews, rather than the Romans, killed J.”

  • AA

    #127: because uncensored editions of the Gemara call that person “mitalmidei Yeshu Hanotzri.” Yeah, yeah, I know, you’re going to say that there’s no evidence that this is the same person as the one the Christians revere and worship. But no one is obligated to take you at your say-so.

  • Chabad Lites Up the World

    Thank you FactsRule for your clarity, calm, and intellectual approach. I agree wholeheartedly with Rabbi Boteach in this instance. For a Chabad Rabbi to publicly demand ejection of another from Chabad – based on reading a title of a book! Shame on you, Rabbi Wolf. Shame on every one of you who would support this! Fear, censorship, intolerance, hatred… you accuse Boteach of not teaching proper Torah. Most major Ravs in Orthodox Jewry say the exact and I do mean exact same thing about Chabad. They accused the Rebbe of creating a cult of personality. You do the same with Boteach. Even worse, you sound the same as all those who would want to destroy the Jews – it started with ignorant censorship, went to ejection and finally death threats, and worse – which were included in the responses to Rabbi Wolf’s pronouncement, as well. This is indeed a fight for the soul of Chabad. I said it elsewhere and I’ll say it here – this smacks of Aryan Nation. You are so upset he wrote about J? You should all be horrified that Rabbi Wolf and his supporters are thinking and speaking in a manner of those all moral people detest. In addition, if Chabad is intolerant of constructive criticism then it is in danger of becoming no better than the institutions that persecuted us for hundreds of years, please G-d, l’havdil. If Chabad wants Rabbi Boteach out, on the basis of a book TITLE, then Chabad will reduce itself to nothing more than a shallow institution with a public relations agenda. Rabbi Wolf, you don’t realize it, and you certainly won’t admit it, but your words are destroying Chabad.

  • Moishe

    To: “Chabad Lites Up”

    You accuse Chabad of behaving like Pharisees? Sounds like you read too much $hmuly Boteach’s books.

  • Moshe

    That’s what makes up ball games. Chabad and its rabbis must go through a growth process, just like any other organization. What they stand for is good. How they get there is impacted by the struggles of man. Chabad is committed to human perfection. They are not perfect. They are working on it.

    From what Boteach writes below, I too would have to agree him. But of course we are working from the knowledge of only one side of this disagreement. I would like to explore why he has had these issues with Chabad. From what he says he is a proponent of, I don’t see where Chabad would disagree. So I think there is more to this story.

  • Mordechai

    To Rabbae Boteach.
    Rabbae Boteach you are a Hashuva Yid, just looking at your eyes.
    you are full of life.
    The Gomorra clearly states that he (Yeshua ben Yosef) led Yisrael Astray. Do you want to object Tannaim or Amoraim.
    Do you feel like arguing with what the Gomorra clearly states.
    Please don’t, you are alone in this. No Frum Yid will support you. If the book ends up bringing Yidden back to Yiddiskeit,
    Kol HaKavod, but if the opposite happens, is better if you haven’t been born.
    Rabbi Boteach maybe you carry part of his neshama in you, I don’t see how else would you be willing to stand up for him.
    Rabbi Boteach we still love you, Ahavas Yisroel is a big Mitzva.

  • Unraveling

    This is certainly an interesting debate and worthy of comment. Intellectual pursuits are exciting and gratifying, especially when they lead to newly discovered or invented findings. The concern we should all have with any intellectual pursuit is how it affects us and our families, our community and our fellow Jew. From what I can glean from the opinions posted by the author and the critics, the author got lost on intellectualizing. He lost his Torah compass. Maybe he uncovered certain interesting kernels that were sufficient to use as a basis for a book. Maybe the excitement of the moment carried his conscious. But in the quiet of the night, after the computer has been put away and we stare at our sleeping children and daven for them, we should ask ourselves is this good for them? Are these ideas and thoughts and debates good for our own neshamas? Maybe it is time to put the computer away, and focus inward on what really matters. Debating J is certainly not on my to do list.

  • Milhouse

    #128, What uncensored versions? Is this in a manuscript somewhere? Or are you relying on Chesronos Hashas? If the latter, how do you know it’s reliable?

  • Tender Jewish Soul

    Other than the few of you who were composed and wrote intelligent comments without any slander or hatred, I find the rest of the comments, as well as some of what both Rabbi Wolf and Rabbi Boteach have said, to be Lashon Hara and not a good use of the tongue. People, please, let’s harness our tongues and only use them for good. What could be worse than Jews against Jews? There are enough people hating us in this world. We need to unite as one, especially since all our souls are connected as brothers and sisters. It was baseless hatred that caused the destruction of the 2nd Temple. Let’s not repeat the mistakes of the past. Let’s use our tongues with love and hasten the Moshiach. Whether the Kosher J book is good or not good for Jews to read is not as important an issue as how we treat each other. My soul is aching after reading what many of you wrote.

  • Chabad Lites Up the World

    No, I accuse Rabbi Wolf’s Chabad of acting like any historical group that was intolerant of intellectual exchange and a different approach. This could include anyone from the Catholic Church to worse.

  • Yossi Shreiber

    The argument shouldn’t be about how correct Boteach is or isn’t in his historical statements.

    It should be about the fact that for all of Jewish history, Yidden didn’t dare write against the prevailing religion, even when it was pagan, for fear of consequences, inciting hatred, and making a Chilul Hashem.

    Boteach has done evrything without limits, without cariung about Yiddishkeit, about Lubavitch, about anybody except himself. He has publicly debated evangelists, minister, and goyim of all types, and most often embarrased himeself and us, just to make money.

    He needs to be tossed out of not just Lubavitch, but all Judaism!

  • no one special

    #111 Tank you for your additional comments. They substantiate my perception that your words are meaningless because they lack facts. They project arrogance; a device often used when logic evades the presenter.

  • AA

    Milhouse (#135): Please try not to be so obtuse. A quick look at Dikdukei Sofrim (http://www.hebrewbooks.org/…) would show you that indeed there is a reliable manuscript – the Munich one – that has this reading. It is also found in early prints of the Gemara, Ein Yaakov, Menoras Hamaor, etc., from before the Christian censors got their paws all over them.

  • Milhouse

    #138, you clearly have no idea what “chilul hashem” means, if you think that writing against the majority religion can make one! Just the opposite, it is the DEFINITION of kiddush hashem.

  • Goodbye Shmuley - take Milhouse with you

    103. Milhouse wrote: “…I too have not read the book, and based on the Haaretz article I probably won’t bother…”

    — Milhouse and Shmuley are quite a pair, they both think they know it all, yet there are tremendous gaps in their actual knowledge.

    Here Milhouse seems quite proud of how sharp he is to criticize others of their closed mindedness in not accepting the book, yet he is satisfied for himself not to even take a closer look at it.

    I’ve skimmed though parts of the book and it is pure garbage. The cover especially is an anathema to Judaism, it is impossible to tell Jews that this person J. is “Kosher.”

    A picture is worth a thousand words, and to show a picture on the cover of a man depicting J., complete with a blood-wound on his hand as if he had been resurrected after being crucified, totally breaks all barriers. You can’t get more abhorrent to Judaism than that.

    No Jew should be told it is “kosher” to embrace the man J. It never was kosher. It never is kosher. It never will be kosher. Traif, traif, traif is all he ever was/is/will be.

    Since Boteach has publicly embraced J., and called on other Jews to do the same, he has written himself out of the ranks of “Kosher” Judaism. Goodbye Shmuley.

  • Zealously annoyed

    “God gave 10 commandments at Sinai, and the 11th commandment, which they expunged but which has come down orally, is ‘Thou shalt do anything for publicity and recognition’.” – Shmuley Boteach. Got your own rules? Start your own religion. Don’t go messing up mine

  • Time for Everyone to Shut up.

    All in all, what is the lesson for this?

    Wolf should never have publicly condemned Boteach. He gave Boteach all the free publicity he ever wanted. This release of this book should not have been covered by any website. All it has done is give this man and his very wrong book, more and more publicity.

    I think that websites such as Crown Heights and COL have to take more responsibility for the Lashan Harah that they are promoting. Regardless of how I feel about this book, when attacks become personal they hurt alot of people.

    In the future, if someone writes or does something that is wrong or plain stupid, please don’t write about it. It only makes the problem worse.

    This is very serious.

  • Genug shoyn

    Wow, and double wow. The amount of time people spend on here reading all the comments would certainly make SB happy.
    He is getting more popular than the pope.
    Perhaps he will be the next Jewish pope!
    Put an an end to this.
    There are far more important issues to take care of than to argue the pros and cons of SB’s books.

  • Emanuel

    Mel Gibson must love Shmuley, just give Mel a couple of vodka shots and he will make a movie of Shmuley as some sort of weird warrior with a painted face and all that. After the movie they will probably go out on a convertible car ride through Hollywood Boulevard together singing…“you are always on my mind”

  • jesus

    I don’t know you’re all complaining about, I thought the book was a masterpiece

  • Yvonne Frey Oppenheimer

    As I read the 147 comments above I sense a validation that Jews are their own worst enemy! Such hatred, intollerance and visious words! We will do ourselves in without help from the nonp-Jews.