Criticism of The Hashkafa of Yaakov Shapiro

לזכר נשמת
צבי בן אלכסנדר הכהן הי”ד

R” Kahane Z”L said that some Jews have a hatred against Medinat Yisrael that is so great that they have no other focus other than this. Thus, some Jews have dedicated their lives to dismantling of Medinat Yisrael even at the expense of the lives of millions of Jews…

Sometimes, a menace to the Jewish people comes in the form of a clown whose words are meaningless. Some horrible people utter nonsense or simple phrases without understanding their depth and meaning. Some people have intentions which might not be clear or good for us. And pogroms against the Jewish people have been carried out because of such a despicable menace.

On the other hand, we have many righteous Bnei Yisrael who treat all Jews like their brothers, and in the lifetime of the living generations, the most noted of such was R” Yoel Teitelbaum – the Rebbe of Satmar. This Rebbe was above average in his interest in creating Kehilot Haredim in a time when Klal Yisrael was dealing with Secular Nationalism in the form of Tzionism. This was in a time when Modern-Orthodoxy was more common, and the “Litvish” Yeshivah World was much smaller than it was prior to the Holocaust. The social attitude on Tzionism is where many of the Westernized, Modern-Orthodox Jews disagree with the Satmar Rebbe.

It is important to understand the opinion of what the Satmar Rebbe held which was held by a fair number of Rabbis during the era of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the Independent Hungary. In context, the Magyarazation of Hungary was a key issue in how Jewish communities were dealing with social changes in Hungary which involved Jewish people being influenced by the general Hungarian culture which led to assimilation.

Thus, when it came to the attitude towards modern states, secular nationalism, and other such ideals, the Satmar Rebbe believed that these were from the Sitra Achra (סיטרא אחרא) which means “the other side” and is a reference to the original source of evil as created by Hashem. Thus, Satmar’s position of Tzionism is specifically and exclusively Anti-Tzionist.

Satmar is more characterized with their specific ideology as part of their Judaism while many Hasidic Jews are identified less with a social ideology but more with the culture that they’re part of. Many Jews who are not part of the Satmar/similar camp will not identify as Anti-Tzionist. Thus, many of the other Hasidic Jews decided to accept the fact that the State of Israel exists even though they don’t see it as a central idea in their understanding of what it means to be a Jew. And the nature of Anti-Tzionist how Tzionism came from the adaptation of secular European Nationalism into Jewish life.

R” Yosef Kahaneman was the Rav of Ponevezh, and told R” Berel Wein about flying the Israeli flag above Yeshivat Ponevezh. R” Kahaneman said: “I flew the Lithuanian flag on the roof of my yeshiva in Ponevezh on Lithuanian Independence Day. My friends, it is no worse here.” This is the attitude that many people who are Haredi or Hardal have.

He was not a Tzionist, and neither was the Chazon Ish. Nevertheless, the Chazon Ish did not want to continue battling the every aspect of Tzionist movement unless it was the right social battle to fight. That’s why he tolerated the usage of Modern Hebrew.

The Anti-Tzionist Hashkafa is influenced by the mentality that it’s worse in Israel than in Lithuania. I have a hard time believing that because if one was in Lithuania today, they would see little to no Torah. It’s also influenced by the idea that the national identity is not as relevant as the religious identity.

Now, a person that’s Hardal be more leaning to being a Tzionist as part of their ideology and theology which includes a prayer for the State of Israel. However, as a community, there is no strictly Hardal community. Thus, many are in communities that are either Haredi or Dati Leumi.

The people who are Dati Leumi are categorically identified as Modern-Orthodox Jews in Israel even if some are more religious than others. These people see Tzionism as the essential component of their Judaism. Consequently. these people are interested in assimilating into the secular Israeli culture or have already done so. Thus, on a logistical level, a person who wants to be Centrist would not lean towards being Dati Leumi or being Satmar which leads to a wide array of choices.

Criticism of Yaakov Shapiro

Yaakov Shapiro is the author of “The Empty Wagon: Zionism’s Journey From Identity Crisis to Identity Theft” is a book that’s over 1,300 pages long. It highlights the idea that the ideology of Tzionism is not related to Judaism. While the fundamental precept of The Empty Wagon is to denounce Tzionism, the primary question arises. What ideology is he promoting? What is the ideology that Shapiro is suggesting that Judaism is?

The primary belief, that Shapiro is advocating for, is that Judaism is just a religion, and thus, Jews are not a nation. This is how Shapiro curves against Tzionism and other forms of Jewish Nationalism. Shapiro went as far as to use the Rabbinic letterhead of the Central Rabbinic Congress of The U.S.A. and Canada to promote his propaganda even though there are no legitimate rabbinical signatures on that document. Shapiro is forging his way into relevance via lies and manipulation. In fact, Yaakov Shapiro was never a rabbi for the Central Rabbinic Congress at any point in his life. Such forgery should be vilified across the aisle!

The entire basis of his opposition to the idea of Yisrael being a nation was debunked centuries ago when Rav Hakham Ha-Gadol Yehudah Ha-Levi wrote an entire sefer that debunks this claim that Shapiro is stating. The book, commonly known as “The Kuzari”, is the primary purpose of The Kuzari is to highlight the validity of the claim of Jewish tradition which includes the Written Torah but also the Oral Torah. The most significant idea, that I have derived from The Kuzari, is the concept of National Testimony. Since the entire Nation of Israel witnessed Mattan Torah (the giving of The Torah) on Mt. Sinai, the Jewish religion is thus a national tradition. Therefor, to claim that Judaism is just a religion is to put it on the same level as Buddhism, Xtianity, and Islam.

The second point that I am critical of is that Shapiro claims that there were no open miracles during the history of the wars that gave us modern Israel. Rabbi Chaim Shmuelevits Ztz”L of The Mir acknowledged the same fact that I had noticed when analyzing the attitudes on miracles. Many people will see them and not change themselves. They won’t feel startled as the Roshei Edom were when they experienced the miracles that were benefiting Am Yisrael – the Nation of Israel. The entire theology, as presented by Shapiro is to claim that the miracles did not happen. Well, it turns out that Nissim (miracles) happen every day. Even the first night of Chanukkah was a miracle because even the normal, natural world is a miracle. Every day is a special day for you because of Hashem.

The third critique against Shapiro is that he is claiming that all of the Rabbanim, in the time of R” Aharon of Satmar, held the ideological position of R” Aharon of Satmar. This can not be farther from the truth. To claim that all of the Rabbanim from Hungary had the same opinion undermines the complex history of Jews in Hungary. To then claim that every Rabbi was identical on the topic is absurd.

The third critique needs to be expounded upon deeply because the details are concerning. Shapiro tries to claim that the majority of Rabbanim were against Rav Kook – the Rabbi behind the early formation of the Hardal movement when Tzionism was not accepted by any Rabbi. Mr. Shaprio will adamantly claim that his opposition is the opponent of Torah even if a card-carrying Tzionist doesn’t view himself as the opposition to Judaism.

Shapiro claims that R” Yisrael Meir Kagan (Khafetz Khaim) spoke of Rav Kook in an insulting language when we know, via his Talmidim, that Rav Kagan did not speak this way.

Shaprio claims that every rabbi had the same, monolithic opinion on the topic. Therefore, he will neglect the fact that not all Rabbanim held like the Satmar Rebbe.

“Eim HaBanim Semeichah” is a book written Rav Yissachar Shlomo Teichtal Ztz”L who died during the Holocaust. During the Holocaust era, he switched his position from that of an Anti-Tzionist Hasidic Jew to being for the return and rebuilding Eretz Yisrael. Now, I am not an expert on the content of Eim Ha-Banim Semeichah, so I don’t now if this book implies that the Rav Teitchal Ztzl” was a Secular Tzionist or merely interested in the return to Eretz Yisrael just like the understanding of the Talmud or the opinions of normative Orthodox Rabbanim. I do not know if the book is for the formation of The State of Israel.

The Truth About Yaakov Shapiro

Yaakov Shapiro is the rabbi and/or founder of “True Torah Jews” (TTJ); this group is the intellectual entity behind the Neturei Karta (NK). Nevertheless, they are not the same entity. The NK is the only so-called “religious” Jewish organization built on opposing Tzionism to the point of meeting with Yasser Arafat (Yemakh Shemo VeZikhro) and other such Vile, Antisemitic terrorist leaders. TTJ is an intellectual advocacy group.

The NK has marched with the Pro-Hamas, Anti-Israel rioters in NYC many of whom include Amalekim and also those who identify State Socialism and/or practice Toeivah. Dovid Weiss is the leader of the NK attended a Pro-Hezbollah rally in Dearborn, MI where no normal Jew would consider setting foot on. This is what the NK is advocating for. Even if TTJ don’t say it explicitly, they are, in fact, standing with those who wish to murder Jewish people including women and children. Why else would Yaakov Shapiro go on Pro-Palestinian podcast to talk about his opposition to Tzionism?

Yaakov Shapiro may have started off as an ordinary rabbi and perhaps an outstanding one, but currently, the majority of his rabbinical career has been built on opposing Tzionism.

Now, it is true that Tzionism is not part of the Mesorah, but the actions of Shapiro have no rabbinic support besides for Gershon Ribner and his colleagues.

The Satmar Rebbe condemned the NK. This was true before and after the massacre on Shemini Atzeret (October 7th). The NK think that Satmar is Tzionist which says a lot about their dichotomous השקפה.

Shapiro has a history of meeting with Non-Jewish Podcast hosts that are openly Anti-Israel who do, in fact, mean harm to the nation of Yisrael, so the fact that there is a rabbi in Lakewood that’s advocating for purchasing and reading The Empty Wagon shows how dis-credible some “rabbanim” are.

Perhaps, the small number of followers of Shapiro are merely mislead people, but why was one of them arrested in Jenin? For those who don’t know, Jenin is a city full of Akum terrorists. Now, it could be that some Jews are so mislead that they will support the mass murder of Jewish people, but how could such Jews be on this level of moral blindness? It has to be because of brainwashing. They are brainwashed by opinions that are not normative in any Orthodox community.

The enemies of Yisrael do not want peace. They will not rest until all of the world’s Jews are dead. And guess what? That will never happen because we Jews have Hashem on our side. Even if some or most Jews are murdered, the nation of Yisrael will continue to exist forever! We are eternal and victorious because of Hashem. Therefore, the Amalekim will never rest in peace. Thus, any Jew who stands for the wicked Amalek is standing for a lost cause.

Any rabbi, who says that the enemies of Yisrael are morally justified in murdering Yehudim B’Eretz Yisrael merely because Yehudim, who live in Eretz Yisrael, want to settle the land, is not a credible rabbi or moral person. Such a “rabbi” said that at BMG quite openly infront of many witnesses as part of his campaign against Tzionism which is definitely not the Religious counter-movement to Tzionism associated with the majority of Rabbanim. That “rabbi” is Gershon Ribner. That same aforementioned “rabbi” was advocating for this very same book. What does that tell you about Shapiro and his allies? Do you want these types of “rabbis” in your neighborhood?

These are not legitimate rabbis. These are people who are morally blind and are not fit for Dayanus or Eidus.

The NK believes that the Palestinian Nationalists truly dislike Tzionism even before October 7th. In fact, many of these people celebrated the massacre on October 7th, and so did the NK… That’s right. The NK celebrated the massacre on October 7th. So when you hear about the intellectual argument of telling the Goyim that we want peace and that Tzionism doesn’t represent us, should we really believe in such arguments? Wiping out the Yehudim was part of the plan of Ḥamas the entire time! There’s a reason why no rabbi takes the argument of the NK as reasonable – because it doesn’t make any sense.

It would make more sense to believe that our enemies hate the entire Nation of Israel as a whole because we’re blessed by Hashem which makes them jealous. How can we explain why Hamas been murdering Jewish civilians, including religious Jews, for decades? Can someone explain why Hamas killed pacifists at a rave in the most Left-Wing Non-Urban region of Israel? Or maybe you should tell them about how, decades ago, some terrorists were intending on murdering the Lubavitcher Rebbe!

The NK does not believe in a morally justifiable cause. Thus, they don’t have any Rabbinical support.

The TTJ are trying to claim that the majority of today’s Rabbanim are wrong because they don’t explicitly and exclusively have the understanding of Tzionism like the Satmar Rebbe. Such people can develop a mistrust for Rabbanim.

It is important that this distortion of truth and justice be stopped before they poison more youth with their dangerous ideology. Thus, it is imperative for the Rabbanim to take a stand against the NK and TTJ. The Jewish community should unite against these spiritually pathetic people.

So how should the Jewish community deal with the NK and TTJ? Well, the Satmar Rebbe had already banned the NK from his Shtiebels prior to Shemini Atzeret (October 7th). The Satmar community might benefit from the aforementioned book by Yaakov Shapiro, but they should find a way to not give him a benefit given his controversial actions…

Now, as for why BMG doesn’t ban all traces of this spiritual filth is beyond me. Perhaps, they are more accepting of different opinions, but when it comes to endangering Jewish people, one can not allow such opinions into the Kehilah.

In my humble opinion, the TTJ should be challenged by the Rabbanim, and the NK should be banned from Klal Yisrel. Our Kehilot should disconnect themselves from such filthy, wretched, disgusting people. May Hashem erase their names forever!