| Revision as of 06:44, 8 November 2010 view sourceM656 (talk | contribs)216 edits →Controversy: Debresser is right. In addition, this paragraph related to content not written by Ginsburgh at all..← Previous edit | Revision as of 21:08, 8 November 2010 view source M656 (talk | contribs)216 edits →Controversy: deleting entire quotation due to its extreme libelous characterNext edit → | ||
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| <blockquote>Rabbi Yitzhak Ginsburg had offered biblical justification for the view that the spilling of non-Jewish blood was a lesser offense than the spilling of Jewish blood. ''Any trial based on the assumption that Jews and goyim are equal is a total travesty of justice,'' he said.<ref> Cowell, Alan, "An Israeli Mayor Under Scrutiny" Published July 6, 1989. Link:http://www.nytimes.com/1989/06/06/world/an-israeli-mayor-is-under-scrutiny.html?scp=1&sq=Yitzhak&st=nyt</ref> </blockquote> | <blockquote>Rabbi Yitzhak Ginsburg had offered biblical justification for the view that the spilling of non-Jewish blood was a lesser offense than the spilling of Jewish blood. ''Any trial based on the assumption that Jews and goyim are equal is a total travesty of justice,'' he said.<ref> Cowell, Alan, "An Israeli Mayor Under Scrutiny" Published July 6, 1989. Link:http://www.nytimes.com/1989/06/06/world/an-israeli-mayor-is-under-scrutiny.html?scp=1&sq=Yitzhak&st=nyt</ref> </blockquote> | ||
| In 1994, Ginsburgh received much publicity on account of an article "Baruch Hagever"<ref>The title of the article literally means "Blessed is the man," (from Jeremiah 17:7). A version of the article later appeared as a chapter in a book, also called "Baruch Hagever" (1995), edited anonymously by Michael ben Horin (Ehud Sprinzak, ''Brother against Brother'', p259).</ref> in which he praised ] who had ] 29 Arab worshippers at the ] in ].<ref>Motti Inbari, ''Jewish Fundamentalism and the Temple Mount: Who Will Build the Third Temple?'' (State University of New York Press, 2009), p132.</ref><ref>Don Seeman, Violence, ethics, and divine honor in modern Jewish thought, ''Journal of the American Academy of Religion'', Vol. 73 (2005), 1015-1048.</ref> Rabbi Ginsburgh wrote that it is possible to view Baruch Goldstein's act as following five Halachic principles, namely "sanctification of God's name", "saving life" (referring to testimonies that he had allegedly received regarding a planned Arab massacre of Jews<ref>Kuntres Baruch Hagever. p.11, footnote 3</ref>), "revenge", "eradication of the seed of ]" and "war".<ref>Kuntres Baruch Hagever, Introduction, p.3</ref> |
In 1994, Ginsburgh received much publicity on account of an article "Baruch Hagever"<ref>The title of the article literally means "Blessed is the man," (from Jeremiah 17:7). A version of the article later appeared as a chapter in a book, also called "Baruch Hagever" (1995), edited anonymously by Michael ben Horin (Ehud Sprinzak, ''Brother against Brother'', p259).</ref> in which he praised ] who had ] 29 Arab worshippers at the ] in ].<ref>Motti Inbari, ''Jewish Fundamentalism and the Temple Mount: Who Will Build the Third Temple?'' (State University of New York Press, 2009), p132.</ref><ref>Don Seeman, Violence, ethics, and divine honor in modern Jewish thought, ''Journal of the American Academy of Religion'', Vol. 73 (2005), 1015-1048.</ref> Rabbi Ginsburgh wrote that it is possible to view Baruch Goldstein's act as following five Halachic principles, namely "sanctification of God's name", "saving life" (referring to testimonies that he had allegedly received regarding a planned Arab massacre of Jews<ref>Kuntres Baruch Hagever. p.11, footnote 3</ref>), "revenge", "eradication of the seed of ]" and "war".<ref>Kuntres Baruch Hagever, Introduction, p.3</ref> | ||
| <blockquote>In his writings, Ginzburg gives prominence to Halachic and kabbalistic approaches that emphasize the distinction between Jew and non-Jew (Gentile), imposing a clear separation and hierarchy in this respect. He claims that while the Jews are the Chosen People and were created in God's image, the Gentiles do not have this status.... Ginzburg stated that, on the theoretical level, if a Jew requires a liver transplant to survive, it would be permissible to seize a Gentile and take their liver forcefully. From this point only a small further step is required to actively encourage and support the killing of non-Jews, as Ginzburg did in the case of Goldstein.<ref>Inbari, p134.</ref></blockquote> | |||
| In a rabbinical responsa published in 1995, Ginsburgh stated that: | In a rabbinical responsa published in 1995, Ginsburgh stated that: | ||
| <blockquote>It is forbidden to kill a non-Jew who is not making war against us.<ref>Text of Israeli Supreme Court decision given on 3/28/96 </ref></blockquote> | <blockquote>It is forbidden to kill a non-Jew who is not making war against us.<ref>Text of Israeli Supreme Court decision given on 3/28/96 </ref></blockquote> | ||
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Rabbi Yitzchak Ginsburgh (born 28 Cheshvan 5704/1944) is a prominent Israeli Rabbi. He is the Rosh Yeshivah of the Od Yosef Chai Yeshivah, and the leader of the Gal Einai organization.
Biography
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1944 to 1983
Ginsburgh was born in St. Louis, Missouri in 1944. His father held a PhD. in education and consulted for various Jewish organizations.
While living in Philadelphia, he met a descendant of the Nadvorna Chassidic dynasty and at the age of 14 became a baal teshuva. He attended the University of Chicago double majoring in mathematics and philosophy. Upon completing his degrees he moved to New York City and there completed a Masters in Mathematics at the Belfer Graduate School of Yeshiva University. At the age of 22, he decided to devote himself entirely to Torah study.
In 1965 he immigrated to Israel and learned in the Yeshivah of Kamenitz in Jerusalem. He spent 1966 through 1967 (including the Six Day War) learning in the Slonim shul in Tiberias. After the Six Day War, Ginsburgh returned to Jerusalem, and there, along with his future father-in-law, Rabbi Moshe Segal, was one of the first to move into the Jewish quarter. At that time he came to study writings of the Chabad school of Chassidus in depth. That year he visited the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, and remained there for several months. When he returned to Israel he married, and began to teach Talmud, Shulchan Aruch, and Chassidut to a group of students in Jerusalem.
1983 to 1988: The Shuva Yisra'el Yeshivah
In 1983 he was asked by the well-known Chabad Rabbi and Jerusalem philanthropist Yosef Eliyahu Deutsch to serve as the head of the Shuva Yisra'el Yeshivah on Yo'el Street. Rabbi Ginsburgh gave almost daily classes there in a wide variety of subjects, from the exoteric to the esoteric parts of the Torah. Many of these classes were taped and form a lion's share of the huge 15,000 lecture archive of his classes.
1988 to 2001: The Od Yosef Chai Yeshivah
Until the retreat of the IDF from the Tomb of Joseph in Shechem during the Al-Aqsa Intifada (2001), he served as the Rosh Yeshivah of the Od Yosef Chai Yeshivah in Shechem and as the head of a Kollel in the ancient Shalom al Yisrael synagogue in Jericho.
He lives with his family in Kfar Chabad, Israel and delivers classes throughout Israel, the United States and most recently France. He devotes most of his time and resources to writing and publishing original works on Kabbalah and Chassidut that discuss a range of topics, from commentaries on the Chumash to the relationship between Torah and science. These books are published by Gal Einai, his organization, whose name is taken from Psalms 119:18.
He has published over 70 volumes of original work in Hebrew and another 13 in English. He is widely recognized as a unique and innovative voice in Orthodox Jewry today, especially in the areas of the interface between Torah, Judaism, and science, and the political future of Israel.
Influence
His students come from a wide range of disciplines and include prominent Rabbis and scientists alike. Among his students are:
- Rabbi Yehoshua Shapira, the Rosh Yeshivah of Yeshivat Ramat Gan
- Rabbi Shalom Arush, Head of the Chut shel Chesed Yeshivah and Institute
- Rabbi Yitzhak Shapira of Yitzhar.
Method and philosophy
Ginsburgh's knowledge of Kabbalah, the esoteric tradition in Judaism, and Chassidut, together with his talent as a number theorist have led to the creation of a highly inspired and inspiring form of Torah scholarship.
Aside from his wide use of mathematical relationships (gematria) as a source for inspiration, his trademark is his use of Kabbalistic and Chassidic models to organize varying and differing opinions in any topic that he scrutinizes. Following the teachings of Rabbi Isaac Luria (the Arizal), he calls this integrative method: making a partsuf.
On the political front, Ginsburgh is an advocate for the reinstitution of Jewish monarchy in the Land of Israel as an alternative to the current model of parliamentary democracy.
Controversy
The Israeli newspaper Haaretz has called Ginsburg "a well known radical on his views on Israel Arab public", referencing his "prosecution in the past for incitement to racism after having published a book insisting that there is no place for Arabs in the state of Israel".
In 1989, Ginsburg was quoted in New York Times his views concerning recent attacks against Palestinians and the rise of racism in Israel:
Rabbi Yitzhak Ginsburg had offered biblical justification for the view that the spilling of non-Jewish blood was a lesser offense than the spilling of Jewish blood. Any trial based on the assumption that Jews and goyim are equal is a total travesty of justice, he said.
In 1994, Ginsburgh received much publicity on account of an article "Baruch Hagever" in which he praised Baruch Goldstein who had massacred 29 Arab worshippers at the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron. Rabbi Ginsburgh wrote that it is possible to view Baruch Goldstein's act as following five Halachic principles, namely "sanctification of God's name", "saving life" (referring to testimonies that he had allegedly received regarding a planned Arab massacre of Jews), "revenge", "eradication of the seed of Amalek" and "war". In a rabbinical responsa published in 1995, Ginsburgh stated that:
It is forbidden to kill a non-Jew who is not making war against us.
In his 2007 book "Kabbablah and Meditation for the Nations" Ginsburgh writes:
Ours is the first generation in modern times to understand the truly universal human condition and to seek to bring all peoples of the earth together in peace and harmony. We are the first generation to truly understand that we are faced with the challenge of either inhabiting our planet harmoniously or not inhabiting it at all. Filling our future is the fundamentalism that threatens to pit one religion against another. But, our different relationships and understandings of G-d should not be the reason for conflict but the source of goodwill in building our relationships with one another and our ability to understand others.
Works in English
- The Hebrew Letters: Channels of Creative Consciousness (1995, Hardcover, 501pp.)
- The Mystery of Marriage: How to Find Love and Happiness in Married Life (1999, Hardcover, 499pp.)
- Awakening the Spark Within: Five Dynamics of Leadership That Can Change the World (2001, Hardcover, 200pp.)
- Transforming Darkness Into Light: Kabbalah and Psychology (2002, Hardcover, 192pp.)
- Rectifying the State of Israel: A Political Platform Based on Kabbalah (2002, Hardcover, 230pp.)
- Living In Divine Space: Kabbalah and Meditation (2003, Hardcover, 288pp.)
- Body, Mind, Soul: Kabbalah on Human Physiology, Disease and Healing (2004, Hardcover, 341pp.)
- Consciousness & Choice: Finding Your Soulmate (2004, Hardcover, 283pp.)
- The Art of Education: Integrating Ever-New Horizons (2005, Hardcover, 303pp.)
- What You Need to Know About Kabbalah (2006, Hardcover, 190pp.)
- Kabbalah and Meditation for the Nations (2007, Hardcover 200pp.)
- Anatomy of the Soul (2008, Hardcover 144pp.)
- A Sense of the Supernatural: Interpretation of Dreams and Paranormal Experiences (2008, Hardcover 207pp.)
Works in Hebrew
- Adamah Shamayim Tehom, 5759 (1999, Hardcover, 374 pp.)
- Ahava, 5771 (2010, Hardcover, 264pp.)
- Al Yisrael Ga’avato, 5759 (1999, Hardcover, pp.392)
- Ani L’Dodi, 5758 (1998, Hardcover, 188 pp.)
- Anochi V’HaYeladim, 5759 (1999, Hardcover, 126 pp.)
- B’Ita Achisheina, 5763 (2003, Hardcover, 372 pp.)
- Brit Hanisuin, 5757 (1997, Hardcover, 142 pp.)
- Chasdei David HaNe’emanim, 5764 (2004 , Hardcover, 500-600 pp. ea. 5 Vols.)
- Chatan Im Kallah, 5765 (2005, Hardcover, 354 pp.)
- Einayich Breichot B’Cheshbon, 5771 (2010, Hardcover, 288pp.)
- Eisa Einai, 5758 (1998, Hardcover, 412 pp.)
- El Olam Hakabala, 5768 (2008, Hardcover, 280 pp.)
- Emunah v’Muda’ut, 5759 (1999, Hardcover, 324 pp.)
- Guf Nefesh V’Neshama, 5767 (2007, Hardcover, 306 pp.)
- HaNefesh, 5767 (2007, Hardcover, 424 pp.)
- HaTeva HaYehudi, 5765 (2005, Hardcover, 250 pp.)
- Herkavta Enosh L’Rosheinu, 5744 (1984, Hardcover, 78pp.)
- K’Matmonim Techapsena, 5768 (2008, Hardcover, 220 pp. ea. 2 Vols.)
- Klal Gadol B’Torah, 5759 (1999, Hardcover, 202 pp.)
- Kumi Ori, 5766 (2006, Hardcover, 274 pp.)
- Lahafoch Et Hachoshech L’or, 5764 (2004, Hardcover, 204 pp.)
- Lechiyot B’Merchav HaEloki, 5767 (2007, Hardcover, 210 pp.)
- Lechiyot Im HaZman – Breishit, Shemot, 5770 (2010, Hardcover,~300 pp. ea 2 Vols.)
- Lev Ladaat, 5750 (1990, Hardcover, 230 pp.)
- Maamarei HaRebbe MiLubavitch, 5769 (2009, Hardcover, 174 pp.)
- Maayan Ganim – Parshat HaShavua, 5762 (2002, Hardcover,~220 pp. ea. 4 Vols.)
- Machol HaKramim, 5767 (2007, Hardcover, 166 pp.)
- Malchut Yisrael, 5756 (2006, Hardcover, 1244 pp. 3 Vols.)
- Melech B’Yofyo, 5766 (2006, Hardcover, 248 pp.)
- Mevo L’Kabbalat HaAriza”l, 5766 (2006, Hardcover, 330 pp.)
- Mivchar Shiurei Hitbonnenut, 5768 (2008, Hardcover, ~ 250 pp. ea. 9 Vols.)
- Mudaut Tivit, 5759 (1999, Hardcover, 192 pp.)
- Nefesh Briah, 5764 (2004, Softcover, 140 pp.)
- Or Yisrael, 5766 (2006, Hardcover, 768 pp.)
- Otiot Lashon HaKodesh, 5769 (2009, Hardcover, 480 pp.)
- Otzar HaNefesh, 5770 (2010, Softcover, 254 pp. ea. 2 Vols.)
- Panim El Panim, 5760 (2000, Hardcover, 312 pp.)
- Rucho Shel Mashiach, 5764 (2004, Hardcover, 440 pp.)
- Sha’arei Ahava V’Ratzon, 5756 (1996, Hardcover, 278 pp.)
- Shechinah Beinehem, 5752 (1992, Hardcover, 208 pp.)
- Shiurim B’Sefer Sod Hashem Lirei’av, 5771 (2010, Hardcover, 420 pp.)
- Shlosha Ketarim, 5770 (2010, Hardcover, 440 pp.)
- Sod Hashem Lirei’av, 5745 (1985, Hardcover, 572pp.)
- Teshuvat HaShana, 5757 (1997, Hardcover, 316 pp.)
- Tikkun HaMedinah,5765 (2005, Hardcover, 196 pp.)
- Tom V’Daat, 5764 (2004 , Hardcover, 418 pp.)
- Tzav HaSha’ah – Tipul Shoresh, 5761 (2001, Softcover, 162 pp.)
- U’Mimena Yivashea, 5766 (2006, Hardcover, 146 pp.)
- Yayin Mesameach, 5764 (2004 , Hardcover, ~160 pp. ea. 5 Vols.)
- Yayin Yitzchak, 5770 (2010, Hardcover, 476pp.)
References
- Short biography of the author, inside of Ginsburgh's books
- Biography appearing in his books.
- Matthew Wagner, "Book advocating killing gentiles who endanger Jews is hard to come by", Jerusalem Post, 11 November 2009
- Levinson, Chaim "Police detain second Rabbi in connection to book condoning murder", Haaretz, 7/29/10 accessed: 7/29/10
- Cowell, Alan, "An Israeli Mayor Under Scrutiny" Published July 6, 1989. Link:http://www.nytimes.com/1989/06/06/world/an-israeli-mayor-is-under-scrutiny.html?scp=1&sq=Yitzhak&st=nyt
- The title of the article literally means "Blessed is the man," (from Jeremiah 17:7). A version of the article later appeared as a chapter in a book, also called "Baruch Hagever" (1995), edited anonymously by Michael ben Horin (Ehud Sprinzak, Brother against Brother, p259).
- Motti Inbari, Jewish Fundamentalism and the Temple Mount: Who Will Build the Third Temple? (State University of New York Press, 2009), p132.
- Don Seeman, Violence, ethics, and divine honor in modern Jewish thought, Journal of the American Academy of Religion, Vol. 73 (2005), 1015-1048.
- Kuntres Baruch Hagever. p.11, footnote 3
- Kuntres Baruch Hagever, Introduction, p.3
- Text of Israeli Supreme Court decision given on 3/28/96
- "Kabbalah and Meditation for the Nations" ISBN: 9645-7146-127
External links
- Gal Einai website (English) - www.inner.org
- Gal Einai website (Hebrew)
- Gal Einai website (Russian)
- Rabbi Ginsburgh's Torah Teachings (Hebrew)
- Rabbi Ginsburgh's Torah Teachings Videos (Hebrew)
- Rabbi Ginsburgh's Torah Teachings Videos (English)
- Rabbi Ginsburgh's Short Teachings on Twitter