State Closes Case Against Authors of ‘Toras HaMelech’

(Tuesday, May 29th, 2012)

Despite their best effort, the Reform Movement and others trying to imprison Rabbi Yosef Elitzur and Rabbi Yitzchak Shapira, the authors of Toras HaMelech, State Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein has closed the case.

Allegations against the rabbonim included the sefer violates Israeli law prohibiting incitement to violence, racism and related issues. The sefer, as explained by the rabbonim, addresses halacha as explained by the Rambam in a hypothetical and academic torah atmosphere, and as the book’s introduction says, was never intended to be a manual for assault against anyone, including Arabs, as alleged by the Israeli left.

Weinstein stated that after reviewing the sefer it is difficult for him to accept contentions that the book was written to incite violence or racism, and it simply explains religious views and must be permitted under the state’s value of freedom of religion. The attorney general also feels that the book in no way calls for violence against any sector of society.

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13 Comments

  1. The Chassidishe Gatesheader says:

    1) Torat HaMelech, not Toras HaMelech. Please don’t give the impression the frum world has anything to do with this.
    2) Rabbanim, not rabbonim. Per above.

  2. ny100k says:

    Of course after the fact. Why were the Rabbanim even arrested? It was obvious from the beginning that there was no intention to incite.

  3. AhavasChinam says:

    #1- I’m from the frum world- hilchos Melachim from the rambam expanded upon- I doubt you have problems with achronim who state their views…please don’t include me in ur frum world.

  4. Chaim Yankel says:

    #1 Thank you!
    #3 The Ta”anach also was misused by many groups out there to give false interpretations. Today there are various sectors who are doing the same thing to our Torah Shebeal Peh to give support to an ideology that is not Torah based: Zionism!

  5. uneeq says:

    @chassidishracist So according to you, all sfardim are not frum. Nor are their rabbanim. Unless by your thoughtless logic they’re not frum rather charedi.

    I hope your mindless motzi shem ra gets deleted by the mods immediately.

  6. YW fan says:

    #1 said “Rabbanim, not rabbonim. Per above” Yesh V’yesh. people spell it differently!

  7. zionflag says:

    #1 Your view is primarily yours.

  8. TorasMosheEmess says:

    #1

    Perhaps you are unaware that there are variations in pronunciation of certain letters (and vowels) within the frum world.

    For example, Ashkenazim pronounce a Tav without a dagesh as an “S,” where as Sephardim (as well as those in the non-frum world)) pronounce it as a “T.” Similarly there is a difference in pronunciation of a kametz (as an “o” or an “a” respectively)

    Therefore, from the standpoint of the frum Ashkenazi world, “Toras” and “rabbonim” are 100% correct

  9. akuperma says:

    1. How to pronounce Kametz and Saf are not indicative of frumkeit. Most Jewish socialists spoke with a southeastern European accent, and most Sefardi Hareidim speak Sefardi.

    2. In the USA, we decided in the 19th century that expressing politically unacceptable ideas was protected speech. The Israelis should be congratulated on having evolved to the Victorian era. If someone is really fussy about having civil rights, the Middle East is really a very bad place (considering Israel is the most free country in the middle east).

  10. dovid2 says:

    Comment #1 is that of a shote.

  11. Milhouse says:

    Akuperma, Israel has long ago “evolved” past the Victorian era — all the way to the era of Schenck and the Palmerston raids. This decision doesn’t change that; it’s an ad hoc decision about one case, and doesn’t do anything to remove the chilling effect the investigation has had on any similar expression. Israel remains one of the few places where teaching Torah can be against the law.

  12. Milhouse says:

    #1, what kind of “frum world” doesn’t believe in the explicit halochos discussed in this sefer? This must be a new use of the word “frum”; maybe it means “frum Reform”. When will you realise that the Poritz died long ago, and you are dancing Mah-Yofis entirely out of habit? When will you stop denying parts of the Torah that were preserved throughout the times of persecution, by word of mouth if not in print?

  13. Chaim Yankel says:

    Milhouse,
    No one here was dancing Mah-Yofis to any poritz. The Gzeiro of Golus is from Hashem and pretending that we have a Jewish Melucha in our time is not just “dancing out of habit” as you call it, but is a crazy ecstatic dance around the Modern day Eigel: the Zionist State.
    If you want to know a little more about what the existentional meaning of Klall Yisroel in Golus (which you seem to have absolutely no idea about) you are welcome to take a look for starters at Maharl Netzach Yisroel Chapter 24.

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