Israel – Rabbi Yehoshua Shapira, a leading national-religious rabbi, has declared war on what he says is a neo-Reform stream within the religious Zionist camp.
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“This justifies tearing the clothes [in mourning – ed.] and tearing apart the public,” he told an audience of religious youth from the Ezra movement.
Shapira belongs to the more strictly traditional stream within the national-religious movement, which has been dubbed Hardali — an acronym formed from the Hebrew words meaning “Hareidi national-religious.”
He cited recent Halachic [Jewish-legal] rulings allowing pregnancy out of wedlock and the activity of the feminist women’s group Kolech, as well as that of Hod, an organization of religious homosexuals.
Rabbi Shapira, who heads the Ramat Gan Yeshiva, hinted that the split between the National Union and the Jewish Home on the eve of the last national election reflected this spiritual divide.
The religious-Zionist movement has many problems to contend with, Shapira said, “but the most difficult problem in my eyes in the Neo-Reform movement.” This new culture “challenges the G-dly nature of the Torah and its continuation in the Oral Law of our day, which is the authority of the rabbis to lay down Halacha in practice, from the Shulchan Aruch, to those who continue in its path in the present day.”
“To the best of my understanding, there is growing within us a new Reform movement – this is my opinion – and it has many of the characteristics of the first Reform,” he said.
It is hard to perceive this process, he said, because “it is done with kippahs, it is done by people some of whom are stricter about the mitzvot [religious commandments] than those who fight against them,” he explained. This problem, Shapira added, characterized the first Reform movement, too.
“The Neo-Reform movement touches upon two things,” Shapira said, “romance and the limits of Halacha, and these are two things that we must not touch at all.” Neo-Reformism “destabilizes the sanctity of the Jewish home and the sanctity of modesty and purity (tahara) in the Nation of Israel.”
Besides Kolech – a feminist women’s group funded by the New Israel Fund – he mentioned a ruling which allowed co-ed activity in the Bnei Akiva youth movement, and “all of the permissions to marry without having children, not marry and have children,” as well as “[the subject of] homosexuality that is talked about so much.” The talk about homosexuality in itself constitutes hachtaat harabim (directing the public towards sin), he explained.
Participation of rabbis in conventions held by homosexual religious people is wrong, he said. The attendance of a rabbi at such a meeting, Shapira explained, “gives the stamp of kashrut (kosherness) to abominations and to direction of the public towards sin, and shakes the foundations of the sanctity of the Jewish nation.”
The rabbi cited the synagogue “Shira Hadasha” in Jerusalem for straying “out of bounds” and said that the women who prayed there were not Orthodox. But that synagogue is not a special case, he added. Rather, it is part of “a huge system that is collapsing under our hands.”
Shira Hadasha, founded in 2001, is a feminist congregation where women read from the Torah alongside men.
Shapira said that while phenomena like these existed in the past, they were seen as manifestations of weakness, but these days “it has become more and more of an anti-rabbinical ideology; entire establishments are rising within it and operating and taking their places around us, and some of us are completely immersed in this.”
To make things better, Rabbi Shapira called for a new culture of “a passion of loving Hashem, fearing Hashem and following Hashem, that are manifested in every single mitzva.” This, he said, is lacking today in religious Zionism.
MK Zevulun Orlev of the Jewish Home said that he was “shocked” to hear Rabbi Shapira’s pronouncements and “very disappointed at his approach, which splits religious Zionism.” He called for the creation of a spiritual leadership “that will know how to fight with courage for the original positions of religious Zionism and will fight against secessionist and divisive approaches.
This is an important hour in which the rabbis of religious Zionism will be tested,” he said.
There is an egalitarian “shul” in the city too, where women daven for the amud, what is up with this world? I think its the mistrust in the establishment
Yeyasher kochacho R. Shapira.
Some of the problems he outlines exist outside Eretz Yisroel as well, even if they look different or use different names.
Maybe he should call for protest and throw rocks and smelly nappies at the other Jews, why not you guys are good at this behavior.
zevulam orlev is a first class mevazeh hashem vetorato.
lets not forgetabout the “intellectual” neo-reform in our midst, that seek to be oker torat moshe they are one and the same as these neoreformists.
religious homosexuals-isn’t that an oxymoron?
The Jewish Home needs its mezuzahs checked.
What ever happened to the notion of “tolerance” among jews for other jews who choose another derech. Why does rav shapira so threatened by a women who might daven at the amud or lain torah. They are doing this because they believe like d’vorah haneviah that women can take a more direct role in serving hashem. Even if you disagree, why does he compare them to others whose behavior he calls an abomination?
#6 …so which other derech are they choosing. where does this derech come from…there were those who chose a drech which subsequently is called christianity, then there was a drech which sub. called karites, reform , conservetive, centrists. of course they can (?) choose a drech what they like , even having your horse and cow to bear witness on your marrage(ye its a true case)but dont call it torah misinai
wow some people are really talking without knowing the basics of yiddishkeit! we believe that the torah was given at mt. sinai by hashem through moshe to the jews. also in our religion there is no such a thing as times change, so does the torah. whatever is written in the torah is relevant to today and were not allowed to rewrite any word differently. these are the fundamentals of yiddishkeit. the torah does explicitly forbid homosexuality! if anybody wants to change anything it’s their right to start a new religion! (based on christianity which keeps on changing with time as seen befit by certain individuals.) but you can’t tell people that their religion has changed.
Rav Shapira doesn’t feel threatened by women who might daven for the amud or might lain. He feels it is halachically wrong. Moreover, he feels that the motivations of the people pushing these non-traditional behaviors are not doing so L’shem shomayim. That is why he compares them to others whose behavior he calls an abomination.
I have a question. Didn’t Hashem make these people too? As I’m getting older, I’m finding it harder to understand why “people” are allowed to criticize and condemn other “people.” Who’s to say what Hashem really wants if so many so called bad people live great lives and so many good people lead terrible ones. If anyone can comment, I’m all ears.
#13
Such chutzpah in your words. Since when is it OK to speak about our Rabbeim like this? Whether not you agree with him lends you no right to speak in such a chutzpahdige way. You are right, however, the RSO WILL figure out who is right or wrong, but this isnt a fight between Chasidim and Misnagdim, who fought l’shaym Shamayim….these people are detractors of the Torah and Yiddeshkeit. And we all have a chiyuv to speak out against the defamation of Torah.
I think the point is that rav shipara was not appointed by hashem to be the “policeman” for what is and what is not daas torah. The real abominations are those who would judge other jews rather than embracing all yiddin with an ahavas yisroel that presumes that hashem will figure it all out in the end.
The RSO gave us a mitzvah called Hochayach tochiach es amisecha vilo sisa oluv chait. The RSO told us to reprimand people that violate Torah principles, i.e., the accepted standard practice of Judaism for the last few thousand years. Woman did not have their own minyanim to demonstrate their “equality based on liberal, western, social norms. Woman did not put on tefillin, Homosexuality was viewed as an abomination because the Torah says it’s it’s an abomination. We didn’t cut slack to deviants because it was popular to make excuses for people that don’t want to attempt to control their deviant urges. Jews got married at 18-19 because the Torah says shmoinah assur lichupah not because modern society says party hardy for 10 years before undertaking responsibilty. All the above was around long before the baal shem tov. just Like beards and payis were the standard Jewish attire for MILLENIA before modern orthodoxy determined that G-d wasn’t really serious when he said lo sakifo pias roshecho and Lo sashchiso pias zikonecha. For millenia Jews were embarrassed to look like Jews even though there might have been a heter to use a sam or misparayim. For those there was at least heterim. The majority of electric shavers espececially anything that says Micro sheild or microguard are a Ta’or di’oiraisa and you incur the same malkus for shaving aS YOU DO FOR EATING CHAZIR. If you would like to verify this, take the razor apart and slide the outer guard or shield on the back of your forearm. If there’s any hair on it, it cuts like a razor. 39 malkus for each time you shave.
Give me the Klausenberger Rebbe (Kiryat Zans Netanya) and his tolerance any time over this head of a yeshiva in ramat gan, and the others like him. They have along way to go to reach his madrayga of ahavat Yisrael and so much to learn from his derech.
#16
Who says he isn’t embracing? Bc he doesn’t like the actions, Im 100% sure that he would have them at his Shabbos table? Can’t a Rav speak up for whats right without his being a good yid or his motives are in question?
Who needs to bone up on their dan l’kaf zchus?
Rav Shapira is 100% correct.Everyone who knows of these types of anti-Torah ways masquerading as good Torah must be exposed and rejected. Halocho teaches us the correct derech. It makes no difference if you are a chossid or misnaged,or s’fard or Ashkenaz;as long as you follow the Torah .Rav Samson Rephoel Hirsch had the same fight against those who made changes. There are changes that are sanctioned by the Torah and there are others that are forbidden. Our Rabbonim who are the carriers of our Mesora know the truth.
#10 we have a torah , with talmud explaining the torah (torah she ball peh) and there you’ll see what hashem wants. and not what every tom dick and harry decides what they feel comfortable with . your question is also dealt with in the talmud and any heretical question is dealt with some where in shas. and we dont need anyones heretical opinions to ‘all ears’. the problem with most posters is thye’re ignorant of the torah and seek answers from heretical mekoros.
Is there not room for more “participation” by the women in our community? Not every change is “anti-Torah” and to simply say that “we never did it that way” isn’t a valid response. For example, we didn’t “do” chassidus till the B”ShT. We didn’t “do” education for girls until the Bais Yaakov movement (another innovation and this one approved of by the Chofetz Chaim Z”TL) and we’ve now had a few generations a girls who have received a solid Torah education. It is only natural that the grand-daughters and great-grand-daughters of an ever increasing girls’ educational system, (many of the taught by frum men) are seeking opportunities previously not open to them.. To compare these women to the Reformists is absurd: they are not looking to get rid of Torah! We have to have a better, more nuanced approach.
I believe that most of these women are motivated by Torah-true values (of course, in any large group I’m sure that there are those who are motivated by less pure reasons). It is up to Rabonim to rise to the challenge and find a proper path for these Torah-educated, Torah-motivated women. “We never did it” is not an answer and “barefoot and in the kitchen” is not a Mesorah. We can do better than that.
#13 ..you’re also showing your ignorance …no, you cant do your own thing and call it judaism and hashem will be happy with you. its called torah beksav and ball peh and if you don’t believe in this fundemantal of judaism please go to a chritsian site as they were the first to hold this view. also ball shem hakadosh did not make new movement . there is nothing that he promoted that is not in the talmud. please be explicit what he did that you call a ‘new invention’? i’d like to know what your judaism consists of. judaism is not to pick and choose what you feel comfortable with
I am sure Devora Hanevio didn’t lead a prayer service or have an aliyah at a women’s “minyan”. Homosexuality is a toevah no matter if you love your fellow yid or not. Rabbi Shapira is right. We must reject these abberations from our religion, but at the same time we should be mekarev people who are astray.
These statements by Rabbi Shapira continue the unfortunate trend to declare everything that one personally disagrees with as beyond the pale of Orthodoxy. Manhy great rabbis have endorsed coeducation, including Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik z’tz’l, and also Bar-Ilan University which is in his own town! Rabbi Shapira is entitled to disagree on halachic matters, but he has no right to degrade such great leaders of the past.
They aren’t torah driven, the women have kippas and the men are feminists, I’m surprised the women don’t get circumsized also…they keep nothing except for rebellious convenience
Rabbi Shapira has it right. He should outlaw every group that tries to be inclusive. Then, any group that wants to feel included, will do like they do in our Charedi world: go off the derech. That is the right way.
To all the people claiming that Rabbi Shapira is lacking tolerance, you should know that the chasidic rebbeim and Litvishe gedolim fought against the original reform movement in the same manner. They weren’t interested in tolerance as these heretical ideas deviate from Hashem’s will as expressed in our holy torah. We now see 2 hundred years later how irreligous the original reform movement turned out to be despite claims of observance at the time.
Getting pregnant without marriage is an issur of a kedeisha. Co-education has never been permitted. The gedolim have only found a limud zchus. Even that only applies until Bar and Bas Mitzvah (as explained in Igros Moshe). Homosexuality even if proven to be a hard addiction to rid for some people doesn’t change the explicit issur in the Torah against it.
Every time someone stands up for the truth and promotes adherance to the Torah, people are quick to scream, “Tolerance”. It is not Rabbi Shapira who one should judge, rather it is the words and content that he is saying, which is the cold hard facts straight out of the Shulchan Aruch.
When it comes to standing up for the truth of the Torah, anyone can do it. Pinchas went and stood up for the Torah even though Moshe Rabbeinu was standing there and not protesting.
Chazer is treif even if the biggest Rav or Gadol says otherwise. Whether people think Rabbi Shapira is a qualified Rav or not is really irrelevant.
Many years ago, the Mizrachi party, as it was called then, wanted to join with the charedi parties to form a united religious party. The charedi parties brought this question to the Chazon Ish, who answered that it is assur to join with them. Obviously, the Chazon Ish had the foresight to see what the Mizrachi movement is all about.
I find it interesting that a Mizrachi Rabbi is the one commenting here. Usually the Mizrachi movement calls for all people to love EY and torah hashkafa is secondary. Maybe they will realize that killing arabs is not mechaper for all their aveiros.
Unfortunately, Zevulun Orlev and his ilk are still in charge. I realized after the Mafdal, as it was known then, got rid of Yitzchak Levy that it is not any different than some of the other non-religious parties. It seems that not much has changed.
worry about your home first…then you can throw rocks at others
someone who endorses co-ed is encouraging ‘zimah beyisroel’ and is not worthy of the titel posek, gadol beyiroel etc he may know kol hatorah, rishonim achronim ,4 parts of shulchen urach etc….so did shabse tzwi, oiso ish etc..a gadol beyisroel is measured by his torah mitoch kedushe , not by knowledge..so im not mentioning anyonebut this is our measuring stick
Women reading from the Torah and getting an Aliyah is not against Halacha. It’s just not kovod of a Tzibbur to have a woman lein. According to most Rishonim the lack of Kovod Hatzibbur is the impliction that none of the men ar proficient enough at reading the Torah.
there is not a shred of ehrlichkite or even a ounce of wanting to do ratzon hashem ,when you have these femenazis going to these female minyans or layning from the torah,let me ask you have you ever seen a lady at a 530am daf yomi or a 600am shachris or running to a maariv after putting the kids to sleep,
i rest my case
#40 to take your case further, the halacha is ‘noshim chyuvim beziomn(‘to bentch) but those femenists dont even practice it (probably dont even bench) why, because it doesn’t symbolize anything and also its in the privacy of the home usually, so there is agenda to promote..i can also bring many other instances but no point
I agree with everything Rav Shapira said – but there is no reason to make crazy unsubstantiated attacks as #41 did. I have been in homes where I saw women make a zimun (there were not 3 men). They are 100% l’shaim shomayim. When you paint everything and everyone as posul/assur with a broad brush like that all you will accomplish is turning people off from Toras Hashem Temmima. You need to be careful. You should follow the advice from Avos and be of the talmidim of Ahraon Hakohen, i.e., you need to be an ohaiv es a brios and only after can you successfully mekarvan l’Torah!
“I am sure Devora Hanevio didn’t lead a prayer service” Vatashar devorah ….
uri uri devorah uri uri dabri shir