Shalom Dov Wolpo

Rabbi Shalom Dov Wolpo, also Sholom Ber Wolpe [Or any number of combinations of these names, when transliterated into English.] , (born 1948) is a prominent religious author and political activist in Israel and a Chabad-Lubavitch rabbi.He has written more than forty books in Hebrew, some of which are on halachic topics, some which deal with the position of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, Lubavitcher Rebbe, as the Jewish messiah, some on the Lubavitcher Rebbe's position opposing religious Zionism.

He has become associated in recent years with right-wing political causes, and has set up a campaign group - "SOS Israel" - an organization that runs press and billboard campaigns promoting the belief that surrender of parts of the Land of Israel is prohibited by halacha, and the idea of "Greater Israel".

Chabad messianism

Rabbi Wolpo is one of the leaders of the group of Chabad Chasidim believing that the late Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, is the messiah. He was one of the first to openly describe Rabbi Schneerson as the Messiah. In 1984 he wrote a book proclaiming the Rebbe as Moshiach. ["The Revelation of Melech HaMashiach (King Messiah), "Yechi HaMelech", Sholom Ber Wolpo, "The Committee for Fulfilling the Rebbe's Directives"] However, after a public address by Rabbi Schneerson in which he said that “such a book can cause hundreds of Jews to stop learning Chassidus, and oppose the Baal Shem Tov and his teachings," he did not publish the book. The book was then edited and published in 1991.

In an interview with Israeli Channel 2 evening news in March 1994, he told an interviewer that Rabbi Schneerson's place as the Messiah and the fact of his "eternal life" was "as secure as the rising of the sun in the morning."

He wrote a number of books of critique on the writings of Rabbi Elazar Shach, leader of Lithuanian Haredim - a prominent opponent of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement and of Rabbi Schneerson himself - under the title "Yedaber Shalom".

Politics

In 1979, on the instructions of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, he published his first book "Da'at Torah" a polemic against returning lands captured by Israel. He was active in the protests that surrounded the forced eviction of Yamit as per the Rebbe's instructions to him, and in 1982 published the book "Shalom, Shalom, Ve'ain Shalom" that argued that peace with Arabs was impossible, and no discussions concerning concessions may be held.

Gaza disengagement

He was active in the protest movement in 2005 that fought the disengagement from Gaza. Following the failure of that campaign he organized a rabbinical conference entitled "We shall never forget and we shall never forgive". After the Second Lebanon War Wolpo organized a publicity campaign with the slogan "We Told You So" that distributed over a million brochures. He was also responsible for a poster campaign promising that those responsible for Israel's actions during the war would be "punished from heaven".

In January 2006 he wrote a letter to Olmert warning him that if he ever gave up even "an tiny parcel" of the Land of Israel he would suffer from a bitter fate. The letter noted that Rabbi Schneerson had warned that he would personally fight with all his powers against any Prime Minister who gave up Israeli territory or backpedaled over settlements. [ [http://news.msn.co.il/news/StatePoliticalMilitary/Political/200601/20060116171412.htm "The Lubavticher Rebbe v. Ehud Olmert", MSN Israel News (Hebrew), Idan Yosef, January 16, 2006] ] [http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-118940692.html "Right-wing Rabbis issued warnings", The Forward, January 20, 2006] ] He told the press that Ariel Sharon had brought about a "new holocaust" with the Gaza disengagement, and that he had gladly "collaborated with the Nazis of today." He ruled that assisting in the evacuation of the Gaza settlement was as bad as violating the Jewish Sabbath. [ [http://business.msn.co.il/news/StatePoliticalMilitary/State/200501/20050116233200.htm "Rabbis: Disengagement is as bad as violating the Sabbath", Noam Shravit, MSN Israel, January 16, 2005] ] He called for Olmert to be "brought to trial and punished." ["The hard-line opponents of disengagement", Leslie Susser, Jerusalem Report, March 21, 2005]

Following the disengagement he published a book entitled "Between Light and Dark" in which he shows that Rabbi Schneerson was right about rejecting Zionism and the claim of religious zionists that the founding of the State is the "beginning of the redemption". ["Chabad rabbi: Disengage from state", Matthew Wagner, Jerusalem Post, November 20, 2005]

OS Israel

He is the founder of the organization Ha'Matteh L'Hatzolat Ha'Am V'Ha'Aretz - "SOS Israel" - a grassroots action group that unites a broad spectrum of the religious right in Israel behind extensive poster campaigns and mass protests against giving parts of the Holy Land away to Israel's enemies.

Another campaign run by his organization under the slogan "There is Judgment and there is a Judge" (referring to G-d), has generated considerable controversy in the Israeli press in March 2007. [ [http://www.inn.co.il/News/News.aspx/160327 "SOS Israel against Natan Zahavi", Arutz Sheva (Hebrew), 28 March 2007] ] One radio host, Natan Zahavi, denounced Wolpo on the radio in obscene terms [ [http://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-3375134,00.html "Suspend Zahavi immediately", Meirav Kristal, Yediot Aharonot, March 11, 2007] ] and the Israeli Broadcasting Authority is currently investigating. [ [http://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-3378760,00.html "Censure steps against Natan Zahavi", Meirav Kristal, "Yediot Aharonot", (Hebrew) March 20, 2007] ] [ [http://www.globes.co.il/serve/globes/docview.asp?did=1000192778&fid=821 "The Rabbis against Zahavi", Yigal Gaoni, "Globes", March 14, 2007] ]

He has recently released a film under the "SOS Israel" name entitled "there is judgement and there is a judge" which shows how all the political leaders that had a hand in the Gaza disengagement have suffered as a result, for example Sharon suffered a stroke; former Chief of Staff Dan Halutz and Police Chief Moshe Karadi were forced to resign; President Moshe Katsav, former Minister Chaim Ramon and MK Tzachi Hanegbi have been involved in criminal affairs; and Yonatan Bassi, head of the Disengagement Administration, had to leave his kibbutz after being accused of collaborating in driving settlers out of their homes. The film maintains that this is God's retribution. The film includes footage of Rabbi Schneerson declaring that making peace with the Arabs will lead to disaster and telling Katzav that "it would lead to the opposite of peace. [http://www.nrg.co.il/online/11/ART1/559/985.html "Live on Film", Maariv, March 22, 2007] ] Maariv reports that two million copies of the film are to be distributed, and the film is to be made available for download online.

Recent activities

Textbooks

In a halachic ruling, Wolpo ruled that it was forbidden to teach children from Israeli education ministry approved textbooks that show maps of Israel with Green Line marked, as this was an attack on West Bank settlers. [ [http://www.haaretz.co.il/hasite/spages/797118.html "New Halachic ruling", Akiva Eldar, Haaretz (Hebrew), May 12, 2006] ] He told "Maariv" that Israeli education minister Yuli Tamir should "recall what happened to Ariel Sharon" before she attacked the settlement movement. [ [http://www.nrg.co.il/online/1/ART1/514/245.html "Yuli Tamir should remember what happened to Ariel Sharon, Maariv, May 12, 2006] ]

Controversial slogan

In February 2007, Wolpo appealed a decision that a political campaign under the slogan "if anyone comes to remove me from my home, I will chop off their hands" amounted to incitement to violence, since retired Supreme Court Justice Mishael Cheshin vowed to defend the Supreme Court, which he said was dear to him, with all his strength, saying, "If someone raises a hand against my house, I will cut it off," and he wasn't accused of anything. The slogan was meant to protest the removal of Jewish settlers from their West Bank homes. [ [http://www.haaretz.co.il/hasite/spages/823764.html "Appeal to Mazuz: Allow threats of hand amputation against settlement evacuators", Yuval Yoaz, Haaretz, February 8, 2007] ]

Hananel Dayan

Wolpo arranged an elaborate award ceremony for Sergeant Hananel Dayan (son of Yosef Dayan), who was disciplined for refusing to shake the hand of Israeli Chief of Staff Dan Halutz. The soldier was protesting the forced eviction of his grandparents from their Gaza home in 2005. [ [http://www.hazofe.co.il/%5Cweb%5Cnewsnew%5Ckatava6.asp?Modul=24&id=44726&Word=&gilayon=2726&mador= "The grandson who neither forgave nor forgot", Hagai Hoberman, "HaTzofe", May 5, 2006] ]

Rabbi David Druckman

In 2006 Wolpo defended Rabbi David Drukman, chief rabbi of Kiryat Motzkin, over charges that he had abused his position as a state employee to incite violence. Wolpo said: "Rabbi Drukman will go down in history as someone who stood up to a vile government fearlessly." [ [http://www.inn.co.il/News/News.aspx/151439 "Rabbi Drukman in court hearing", Arutz Sheva, July 6, 2006] ]

econd Lebanon War

During the 2006 Second Lebanon War he told the local Kiryat Gat weekly that "Olmert has declared war against G-d and against his "Torah" and that he should be brought to justice. He added that the war should continue "until the enemy has been totally eradicated." [ ["Interview with Shalom Dov Wolpo", Kiryat Gat Net (Hebrew), July 13, 2006] ]

Anti-Zionism

In 2006 offered a free copy of one of his book "From Light to Darkness" to anyone that pledged to refrain from celebrating Independence Day. [ [http://www.makorrishon.co.il/show.asp?id=12202 "We must celebrate Yom HaAtzmaut", Hodia Crish Chazoni, "Makor Rishon" May 15, 2006] ]

In 2007, he told a conference in Jerusalem that "the remedy for the disengagement is to understand that the State of Israel is a terrible thing. We should not bless or praise the state that was founded by criminals and heretics like Herzl." [ [http://www.makorrishon.co.il/show.asp?id=8125 "Thousands of delegates promise: "We shall not forgive", Dikla Gal-Ed, Makor Rishon, March 14, 2007] ]

Olmert hanging comments

In December 2007, Wolpo stated that his followers will secede from Israel if the Israeli government withdraws from Judea and Samaria [ [http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Top_News/2007/12/07/rabbi_threatens_secession_from_israel/5602/ "Rabbi threatens secession from Israel", United Press International, December 7, 2007] ] It is unclear which part of Israel Wolpo and his followers would claim, or how they would achieve autonomous status.

Wolpo, addressing a demonstration against the Olmert government's peace moves with the Palestinian Authority, said the prime minister, Vice Premier Chaim Ramon, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and Defense Minister Ehud Barak would be "hung from the gallows" were Israel run properly. "The terrible traitor, Ehud Olmert, who gives these Nazis weapons, who gives money, who frees their murderous terrorists, this man, like Ariel Sharon, collaborates with the Nazis," Wolpo said in the speech.

Yoel Hasson, a lawmaker with Olmert's Kadima party, said he would ask Israel's attorney general to take legal steps against Wolpo. The U.S.-based Orthodox Union issued a statement condemning the remarks. [ [http://www.jta.org/cgi-bin/iowa/breaking/106217.html Rabbi wants Olmert hanged, "JTA" Jan. 3, 2008] ]

Rabbi Wolpo said that the comments he made at the conference were twisted and taken out of context. In calling for the execution of state leaders by legal means, he was not calling for vigilante violence, he explained, but rather calling on the police to implement the law. Rabbi Wolpo wrote that he believes violence against a fellow Jew is unacceptable, but that law enforcement has the right and responsibility to enforce the law. One of Israel's laws prohibits providing assistance to Nazis, he explained, and Muslim terrorist groups are the Nazis of our day. If the government provides terrorists with aid, he reasoned, then the government has violated the law and its members must suffer the consequences, which can include the death penalty.

Rabbi Wolpo emphasized that he was calling for any such punishments to be carried out in a legal manner. [ [http://youtube.com/watch?v=9Qx3QWI38Pg http://youtube.com/watch?v=9Qx3QWI38Pg] ]

Bibliography

Wolpo has published over 40 books in Hebrew. These include:
*"Daat Torah Be'inyanei HaMatzav B'Eretz HaKodesh" - polemic concerning the halachic prohibition of territorial concessions of parts of the Land of Israel.
*"Shalom Shalom V'Ein Shalom" - proves that everything the Rebbe said, based on Torah sources, about the State of Israel, came true.
*"Gedolei Yisrael Al Hachzoras Shtachim" - Torah leaders on the subject of surrendering parts of The Holy Land.
*"Yechi HaMelech" - polemic arguing that Rabbi Schneerson is the Messiah.
*"Yechi HaMelech HaMoshiach" - explanation of the legal ruling declaring Rabbi Schneerson to be the "Presumed Messiah."
*"Yedaber Shalom" - a series of books disputing the works of Rabbi Eliezer Schach.
*"Rodef U'ba Be'machteret" - a halachic discussion of the concept of a "rodef"
*"Ki Hem Chayenu - 770 Jewish Ideas" - educational textbook (Israeli Education Ministry).
*"Shemen Sasson MeChavreicha" - anthology of Torah leaders and their connection with the Lubavitcher Rebbe (three vols.).
*"Leket Shikchat HaPeah" - halachic exegesis on the wearing of wigs by Jewish women and why they are preferable as a hair covering.
*"Yakum Se'are Lidmama" - more on women's wigs.
*"Bein Ohr Lechoshech" - explains opinion of Rabbi Schneerson that the State of Israel is not the "aschalta di'ge'ula" (beginning of the redemption).
*"V'Torah Yivakshu Mi'Pihu" - it explains various Chabad customs.
*"Mevaser Tov" - explains Chabad's position on various things especially Moshiach.
*"Ha'Nisayon Ha'Acharon" - explains why the Rebbe is Moshiach even after his passing on 3 Tammuz 5754.
* "Pardes Shalom" - His scholarly work on the Talmud and Maimonides' Mishneh Torah (two vols.).
*"U'biarta ha'ra mikerbecha" - explains the Talmudic discussion.
*"Sefer, Sofer, V'sippur" - a book attacking the booklet "Yisbareru v'yislabnu" - by Rabbi Yechezkel Sofer.
*"Harambam Hashalem" - on the laws of Shabbos.

Citations