Monday, January 23, 2012

A Light to the Nations

A Light to the Nations

My name is Daniel Abraham.  I have worked with Rabbi Shmuley Boteach for the last few months on a variety of projects, and I organize and lead the weekly prayer services at his synagogue on Shabbos.  He has been both a mentor and a friend to me.  I’ve had the unique opportunity to get a behind-the-scenes perspective on the entire controversy surrounding his new book Kosher Jesus, and given the unfolding of events, I feel compelled to speak up in his defense at this time.  Specifically, I want to address a number of the points that Rabbi Yitzchak Schochet brought up in his latest article against Rabbi Shmuley that can be found here.
When Rabbi Yitzchak’s father Rabbi Immanuel Schochet wrote a letter of condemnation against Rabbi Shmuley’s new book Kosher Jesus and branded it as heretical, the consequences of this attack affected a number of people.  Rabbi Immanuel Schochet had to have known that by declaring Kosher Jesus as heresy, the implication to the public was that Rabbi Shmuley was therefore a heretic, inevitably meaning for all intents and purposes that Rabbi Shmuley was now excommunicated from his community.  This proclamation against the book maligned not just Rabbi Shmuley, but his family, his friends, and his close associates.  Yet Rabbi Yitzchak seems to think there is nothing wrong with his father’s defamation of another man’s name and reputation with absolutely no detailed explanation as to why he was found guilty.  In order to be fair and just, the accused must always know the charges against him and have an opportunity to respond.  I myself and the entire Jewish world are closely watching the actions of Rabbi Immanuel Schochet, and wondering if we are entering a new age of book burnings and witch hunts, where the innocent are convicted without any evidence presented.  We have already seen this phenomenon rear its ugly head in cities in the land of Israel.  Rabbi Yitzchak, I hope that you convince your father to lay out in broad daylight exactly what makes this book heretical according to Jewish law.  I say this because I have spoken with a number of well-known rabbis who have told me in private that they are not at all convinced by your father’s condemnation of the book, and one of whom told me he truly doubts this book could be heresy.  Furthermore, Rabbi Shmuley himself has spoken with one of the world’s leading Jewish anti-missionaries who read Kosher Jesus and told him it is most definitely not heresy.  Yet given the McCarthyist-like atmosphere that has developed around this book and the fear of being labeled a counter-revolutionary to the set establishment, almost all are refraining from speaking their mind.  However I feel some solace in knowing that in time, when the storm has died down and rational voices can finally be heard, these rabbis will speak out, and as you said Rabbi Yitzchak, the truth will always prevail.
In regards to the other points you make in your piece, unfortunately it is riddled with factual errors.  For one, you mention that your father was voted the winner by a panel of judges in a debate with the Christian missionary Dr. Michael Brown.  However, Dr. Brown and the moderator of that debate, Dr. James White, have sent out emails that they are both willing to go on record that the debate with Rabbi Immanuel Schochet on March 30, 1995, at Arizona State University had no judges whatsoever.  Dr. Brown added that during this debate everything was audio and video recorded.  Rabbi Yitzchak, you put all your claims in doubt when you show that you do not even verify your facts.
You say that your father used the word “Jesus” only when necessary, and you proudly proclaim your piety that in your home this word was not used.  You then wonder that Rabbi Shmuley is willing to say “Jesus”, and your statements implicitly deride Rabbi Shmuley for not acting the same as you.  Yet I should bring to your attention that according to Jewish law there is nothing wrong with saying the name “Jesus”.  The Chavot Yair discusses this entire topic and comes to the conclusion that however one chooses to view Christianity, only names that from their very beginning were designated for idol worship are forbidden to be said.  The name “Jesus” existed long before Christianity and there is no prohibition in saying it.  So although you may choose not to say “Jesus” and not even write his name, you have no right to look down upon those who choose to follow halacha as the Chavot Yair has elucidated it.
As for your friendship with Rabbi Shmuley, it is a well-known fact that the two of you in the past have had a number of disagreements in public, and though you call him your friend in your article, I cannot imagine a friend mocking and speaking as disrespectfully as you do about Rabbi Shmuley in your recent twitter posts.  Clearly the two of you have had your clashes in the past, and this alone should have been enough for your father to know he would be viewed by many as being what we call in Hebrew nogeia bedavar in this matter—that to the public he could be seen as having a stake in this latest controversy, and he therefore should have recused himself in this instance.  In addition, you attempt to remove any doubt in the public’s mind as to the conflict of interest in your father’s banning Rabbi Shmuley’s book as a result of upcoming elections for Chief Rabbi of Great Britain.  Now regardless of what your personal views on Rabbi Shmuley’s chances are of being elected Chief Rabbi of Great Britain, newspaper speculations and the wider Jewish public view Rabbi Shmuley as a strong potential contender for Chief Rabbi.  And you’ve made it known that your father does not want you to run for the post of Chief Rabbi of Great Britain, and that you are not a declared candidate at the present.  However this does not mean that you are not currently planning to enter the race for Chief Rabbi, as the media has speculated.  So irrespective of your claims of innocence, the public usually remains unconvinced when a candidate for public office answers a charge of conflict of interest based solely on his reassurances that everyone should just trust him on this one.  This is another reason why your father should have recused himself.
As regards to his other writings, Rabbi Shmuley has told me that to claim that his book Moses of Oxford or any of the other books he has authored are against Jewish law is an absurd charge.  Any claims you make that Rabbi Shmuley somehow admitted this to you are false, and might be considered borderline slander.
While referencing your public debate with Rabbi Shmuley over his previous book Kosher Adultery, you insinuate that Rabbi Shmuley is a liar and that you did not rip pages out of his book during the debate.  Even though I have read an independent description of this debate online with a commenter describing his amusement as he remembers you tearing pages out ofKosher Adultery as you read from it, I would like to judge favorably and assume that it was a misunderstanding of your actions that led to these conclusions.  And yet, when you claim that you had torn the pages out before the debate began, and they later then fell to the floor, I must point out that this is no defense to Rabbi Shmuley’s criticism of you.  Rabbi Shmuley wrote, “Destroying books in public is not the sign of a gentleman. Nor is it the sign of someone who is serious about intelligent debate. We Jews have had our experiences with those who destroy books.”  Your admission that you tore the pages out beforehand is an indictment against yourself.  Whether you tore the pages before or during the actual debate is immaterial.  In all my years of studies, if I ever required a page to reference from a book, I would photo copy it or place a marker to keep the page.  I have never heard of anyone ripping out pages and destroying a book even for the purpose of a debate.  I would add that your recent tweet “@RabbiShmuley sitting here with Eli Shear. On 3rd bottle of wine & half way thru torn pages of your book. Wish u were here to defend urself,” sounds as though you are still engaging in ripping pages from books that you disagree with.
Rabbi Yitzchak Schochet, at this time the Jewish people are at a crossroads as to what we will do when faced with challenges to our faith and way of life.  We have seen in history a fight or flight response from various schools of thought in the Orthodox world when confronted by new questions to our beliefs.  Those who chose the fight response understood that because the Torah is truth, there is no knowledge to fear, and any challenge to the Torah will have an answer because we trust in G-d’s revelation to our ancestors.  Those who chose the flight response believed that the only way to maintain faith is by building the walls of the shtetl so high that one cannot see what is occurring outside.  We as a people must now decide.  Will we hide from the world or engage it?  Will we will fear knowledge or embrace it?  Will we cower in the shadows, or will we reveal the light to all of mankind?  We are no longer in the Middle Ages, and the shtetl approach is showing itself unsustainable in the modern world.  I truly pray that the Jewish people will understand this fact, and I hope that there will be complete transparency in regards to this most recent proclamation of heresy.  I also look forward to the day when banning books is a thing of the past, and the enlightened Jewish nation can use its G-d given intelligence to confront and refute all challenges to our holy Torah.