(by Rabbi Yair Hoffman for the Five Towns Jewish Times)
Yesterday, I wrote an article about the history of religious Jews meeting with the pope. The article traced a number of Rishonim, Acharonim, and Gedolim of the 20th century who met with the pope. In the article, my assumption was that the Lubavitcher Rebbe’s writing against it was limited to a specific situation. The situation In which I had though that he had expressed animadversions was when an orthodox Rabbi was meeting with the pope in Manchester along with a Reform Rabbi. In that situation, Rav Erentrau had pulled out, but Lord Jacobovitz went ahead with the meeting. Indeed, he later expressed his opinion that in public Jews should present a united front.
I based my point on another sicha in which the Rebbe z”l discussed Shlomo Molcho who met with the Pope in a seemingly approving manner.
I have now been made aware that the Rebbe z”l’s opinion was that it is forbidden entirely to meet with the pope – notwithstanding the Rishonim and other Gedolei Torah who actually met him. It could be that he held it was only permitted in those situations because of pikuach nefesh, but the idea that it is Avodah Zarah to address him would not be resolved by this distinction.
In summation, I would like to retract my view on what the Lubavitcher Rebbe may have held. I regret the error, but still stand by the idea that the tradition of meeting with the pope for shtadlanus goes back throughout our history. As far as teh singing and dancing especially during sefirah – that is something that was excessive.
The author can be reached at [email protected]
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ct2-nl9x9c?rel=0]
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5 Responses
Dear Rabbi Hoffman,
Thank you for stating the truth and amending what you said earlier.
Kol hakavod for the correction. If you could state the source where the Rebbe zt”l said he holds against it, it would be even better.
The source is the above video from a sicha on 6th of Tishrei 5748. (1987). You can find it in print as well. Here you can see a transcript of the sicha, bottom of the article http://www.col.org.il/show_news.rtx?fromAdmin=yes&artID=82974#.WRH4DPrz7rE.whatsapp
Given we are living at a time that our leadership will never acknowledge an error and distort the reality we hear and see to assert “alternative facts”, Rav Hoffman’s open and timely “correction” of his original position is refreshing. Halevei we should see this candor in our political leadership on both sides of the aisle.
For the record, I think such meetings are a good idea and may ultimately save yiddeshe lives in the future in ways we never can anticipate.
Gadol HaTorah,
I think sometimes we should put aside what our hearts tell us, and listen to someone like the Rebbe, who knew Torah and the ways of the world better than anyone of his time. The Rebbe was someone who world leaders consulted with on a very frequent basis. Indeed the Rebbe received more mail bshaatoi than anyone else in the country. I think the Rebbe knew very well what he was saying, as well as any future ramifications of it.