Rabbi Manis Friedman’s response
Ben Harris has a story about the controversy over Rabbi Manis Friedman's statements in Moment magazine. Here's the rabbi's full clarification (distributed by Chabad) [UPDATE: The statement has been revised by Rabbi Friedman to make clear that he was not blaming Moment for the misunderstanding]:
I would like to clarify the answer published in my name in last month's issue of Moment Magazine.
First of all, the opinions published in my name are solely my own, and do not represent the official policy of any Jewish movement or organization.
Additionally, my answer, as written, is misleading.
It is obvious, I thought, that any neighbor of the Jewish people should be treated, as the Torah commands us, with respect and compassion. Fundamental to the Jewish faith is the concept that every human being was created in the image of G-d, and our sages instruct us to support the non-Jewish poor along with the poor of our own brethren.
The sub-question I chose to address instead is: how should we act in time of war, when our neighbors attack us, using their women, children and religious holy places as shields. I attempted to briefly address some of the ethical issues related to forcing the military to withhold fire from certain people and places, at the unbearable cost of widespread bloodshed (on both sides!) -- when one’s own family and nation is mercilessly targeted from those very people and places.
Furthermore, some of the words I used in my brief comment were irresponsible, and I look forward to further clarifying them in a future issue.
I apologize for any misunderstanding my words created.
-- Rabbi Manis Friedman
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why the surprise? actions speak louder, he called it the Jewish way, I have to correct him it is the Israeli way. The history is full of horrible examples of the massacres done on the hands of Israelis in south Lebanon, Egypt, and Palestine. Yes they proved that they have no respect to any religion or human being apart of their own skin.
his response is just some make up, to correct his real ugly picture that presented on in his speach.
Friedman is a mensch. Another blood libel against a righteous Jew.
Any time we speak in terms of our right to live and fight back, they try to crush us.
BASTA!
Rabbi Friedman has nothing to apologize for.
I stand with him. I am proud of him
With regard to what the nations say concerning civilian casualties…
http://www.nowpublic.com/world/international-law-and-civilian-casualties-report
But what’s good for them is somehow forbidden to Israel, which is why Rabbi Friedman is being attacked for his utterly reasonable, though poorly worded, statement
Above, Rabbi Friedman says that every human being is made in the image of God. But in an essay for Chabad.org, he wrote:
G-d created grass, trees, stones, water, animals, humans, and Jews. A Jew is a unique creation, so the soul of a Jew is inherently and basically different than the soul of a non-Jew. The Kabbalah says that all things were created by what the Torah refers to as G-d’s speech. G-d said, “Let there be light,” and there was light, etc. All creation came about through G-d’s speech, except the Jew.
The Zohar says that the soul of the Jew was created by G-d’s thought—thought rather than speech…
That which is created by speech is finite because there was a time when G-d had not yet said “Let there be light,” so before He said it light did not exist and after He said it, it did. So the world once was not, and now it is, and therefore it’s finite and limited. But the statement that the soul of a Jew comes from G-d’s “thought” means that the soul of a Jew is not something that comes from an external expression such as speech, but rather from an internal, personal, intimate place similar to thought. Therefore the soul of a Jew is “a part of G-d” (as the Tanya puts it) and not a “creation” at all.
The essence of a Jew, that which makes him Jewish, is his soul, and his soul is not a creation. The soul of the Jew is an eternal, infinite part of the eternal, infinite G-d; the Jew is a piece of G-d. Whoever has this soul is Jewish. Whoever doesn’t have this soul is not Jewish, but rather is a human being created by G-d, created in the six days of creation through G-d’s speech.
He also said:
“When a Jew gives tzedakah, he’s basically a Divine being accepting human obligations; he is basically humbling himself, lowering himself into the worldly human condition. When a non-Jew gives charity, he is basically a human being trying to elevate himself to something more Divine. So are the Jew and the non-Jew doing the same thing? Not at all. They’re doing opposite things. The same act, but coming from opposite directions and accomplishing opposite results.”
APearlC
So, you are a creationist?
You must be, because otherwise you wouldn’t take offense at some nonsense about your “soul” that you read off a hate blog that slanders him, and you which you believe (without researching it) is true.
(If you only thought about the fact that a non-Jew can convert, and wouldn’t be allowed to at all if what you said were true, you would realize how foolish it is).
Naturally you are even more angry with scientists who claim you are just an accidental ape who has no soul at all?
And since you feel that way, please share with us some of the comments you have attacked those nasty scientists with. I have no doubt they will be much harsher than what you say about the Rabbi.
Meanwhile, get some facts about those “Palestinians,” OK?
http://aliyahhandbook.com/blog/index.php/politics/arabs_no_palestinians
Oh, and let’s see how offended you get at Arab Perfidy…
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=45c_1231682078
These remarks are a real chillul ha-shem. Rabbi Friedman shows himself to be the Jewish version of Hamas. It saddens me but does not shock me. This is the dark side of CHaBaD that everybody tries to pretend is not there.
RE: Geoffrey Dennis
The “Chillul HaShem” is when Jews slander Rabbi Friedman by projecting onto him the evil he’s trying to alert us to.
Here, on the web site of one of those animals (there’s no other way to describe such bloodthirsty savagery) is his prescription for “peace.”
http://al-ghoul.com/rocketmen.htm
NOTE - he is not only figuratively a “ghoul”
http://knowledgerush.com/kr/encyclopedia/Ghoul/
but literally one, as that is also his family name.
We may not like it, but the Torah tells us that if we don’t remove them, they will remove us. In fact, that’s why the Torah had to tell us what to do, because it isn’t in our nature, and if we weren’t instructed on how to deal with the enemy, our nature would prevent us from doing so.
What saddens me is the dark side of people who refuse to acknowledge the reality of the evil that wants to destroy us, and is willing to allow the innocent to die, because their feeble consciences can’t bare killing the murderers. From the comfort of their ignorance they make moral pronouncements about things they don’t understand, and may even be none of their business. Shame on them!
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yonason h.
06/04/09 12:37 AM
I have to agree with Rabbi Friedman. Anyone who values the lives of their enemies over their own has a tinker-toy for a moral compass. And what’s all the fuss? No one gets mad when Muslims spew their hate. All anyone wants to do is appease them, which only makes them worse.
Well, for those Helenized Jews who are determined to be their own worse enemies, maybe they can start digging their own graves, and save the enemy (who our “friends” are training) the trouble?