No, Rabbi Boteach, the death penalty is barbarian, and hate is idolatry and dumb – The Times of Israel

About Anger, Hate, Revenge, and Capital Punishment

Ive written against the death penalty over and over again, both from the perspective of Jewish Law and from a psychological perspective. I hate to repeat myself, but I must address the subject, now one of Americas most famous rabbis has raised the issue and has written a book on Kosher Hate.

In short: hes almost completely mistaken.

Rabbi Boteach started out very nicely outside of the box. Being Gay was not against the Torahhow could what you ARE be a sin? He did suggest that Gay-Jewish men should marry Jewish women because they will make such nice husbands and fathers, and otherwise, so many Jewish women would numerically be forced to stay single, but hey, no one is perfect.

He stressed that sex is a positive thing in Judaism, and charmed many Gentiles, even on television, with the wisdom of the Sages and the Rabbis about sex and about relationships. He did a lot of good work. Past tense.

His friend Michael Jackson, suspected (and then confirmed) as a serial pedophile, he advised marrying a woman. He never apologized for that.

Lately, hes really on a slippery slope. He started an election campaign as a Republican. He wasnt elected but, in the process, wrote a lot of unwarranted apologetics for right-wing political deceit. He did write that the GOP should rid itself of its anti-sexuality campaigns: anti-abortion, anti-Gay, anti-marriage equality, etc. It would just go downhill from there.

Boteach chose to debate Evangelicals. I warned that he would lose doing so, and so would all Jews. He went anyway. He flattered them and got nowhere. He didnt castigate them, in the stern fashion that Christians got used to over the ages, about Antisemitism in the churches, and their missionary assault and dreams on the Jews, etc. He had to be lovely.

He wrote a book Kosher Jesus. It has a 15-chapter section: Why the Jews Cannot Accept Jesus, instead of: Why Jews Have no Need for Jesus.

It didnt stop there. He then started campaigning against the fake turning the other cheek and loving ones enemy. He was right that that advice was unfit for humans and that the Christian bloodbath through the ages proved that. But, that doesnt mean that hating is holy and anger is redemptive.

Yes, there is a place for anger and hatein therapy. But, funerals of Jewish-Israeli victims of local Antisemitism are so uplifting because people cry, praise the murdered, and praise G^d. While, funerals of (would-be) terrorists are often marred by screams and threats of hatred and revenge. If one needs to die, its so much better to die a victim than a victimizer. Its so easy and primitive to hate, so elevated and elevating to focus on life.

The good rabbi didnt stop there. Today, he wrote he wants the death penalty for terrorists who murdered Jews in Israel, claiming that is Jewish.

Hes so off the derech (Jewish way). First of all, this is assimilation to the worst of the culture surrounding him. One of the ways the US is backward (besides a lack of universal health care) is capital punishment. All of the trial, incarceration (often for decades), and execution procedures are nothing Jewish Law could agree with. Its plain, stupid, hate-filled revenge and cruelty. Trying to prove the value of human life by killing humans.

On a side note, why does he reserve the word innocent for Jews? Are there no innocent Muslims? He sees The conflicting value systems of the two opposing camps. That is so reminiscent of Christian Dualism (not Monotheism): Evil against Good. The Talmud explains: Theres no sinning but in an attack of folly. Had you thought about it some longer, youd not have done it. There are no inherently evil people. If their nature was bad, theyd be innocent. His anger betrays he thinks they do have free will.

This is on top of Christians saying for 2,000 years that they have God and the Testament of love and Jews have the Testament and God of hatred. International press agencies always call Israels deterrence: revenge.

No terrorist who takes that many lives should be permitted to live. Does He still believe in G^d? Why do we say: May G^d revenge their blood?

He is right that Judaism allows for some revenge and feeling of vengeance but only in very limited fashion (compare the avenger of blood). So, we can find Hebrew Bible verses and Rabbinic comments about revenge, but they pale in comparison to G^ds Advice to forgo this. They were highlighted by father and son Kahane, may G^d revenge their blood. But they almost became a caricature when ignoring the multitude of texts preaching peace.

The summary of the Hebrew Bible is: Dont do unto others which you dont want others to do to you. All the Rabbis agree that An eye for an eye means we must financially compensate, not permission to take revenge.

When we must hurt of stop others, doing so angerly makes it a very grave sin (Jacob protecting Dinah against Esav, Shimon and Levi in Shechem, Shimon and Joseph). Not everyone is as calm and holy as Phinehas.Life in jail stands for: unacceptable deeds AND one can always repent.

The Talmud says that a Rabbinic Court that awards the death penalty more than once in 7 years is a bunch of murderers. Some say: once in 70 years! Here, we sometimes have multiple antisemitic murderers per day.

Besides that, research shows that the death penalty doesnt deter. Plus, in this case, its especially meaningless. These Jew-hating Muslims are not afraid to die. What use is to kill or promise to kill them? House demolitions and withdrawing entry permits of close family somewhat seem to work.

And, is he willing to kill them, or is the dirty work for someone else?

His rationalization for his revenge is that mass murderers who rot in jail could become bargaining chips for hostage-takers. Too easy! Does the rabbi have a donor card to facilitate becoming an organ donor after death? He could add another one, that he doesnt want to be exchanged for any murderer and the like if taken captive. I have. Jonathan Pollard did.

He must do some serious soul searching, including asking his best friends how he got into this assimilated mess. And, consult a real therapist.

But possibly the worst thing he wrote today was about others like Eichmann. You got to be kidding. He must ask forgiveness for this false Holocaust comparison. Even Arafat could not stand in the shadow of Eichmann.

But, I cant recall he ever said he was wrong, Im not holding my breath. Sad. Let him prove me wrong. Reb Shlomo always said: You never know.

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No, Rabbi Boteach, the death penalty is barbarian, and hate is idolatry and dumb - The Times of Israel