Former mazkir (general secretary) of Bnei Akiva Israel and long-time member of Kibbutz Tirat Tzvi, Professor Amnon Shapiro passed away in March aged 88. In what was his final interview, Shapiro made some heartfelt comments:
“I grew up in Bnei Akiva, and today, I feel like I am fighting alone against the whole world. Shmuel Chaim Landau, the founder of the Mizrachi in 1922 coined a very important phrase – he talked about the ‘Holy Rebellion.’ Not a rebellion against the Torah, but rebellion against the atrophy of the Torah. This is my fight today.” The interview appeared in the conservative religious Zionist weekly Olam Katan, days after his passing. “A Holy Rebel” would be an apposite epitaph.
Amnon Shapiro was a poster boy for Bnei Akiva and religious Zionism. Although he was born and raised in Tel Aviv, for 70 years, he lived the life of a pioneer. He was twice elected as the mazkir of Bnei Akiva Israel with the burning passion of a madrich (youth counselor) his entire life. He was a man of the book as well, a professor and the author of three books on Judaism. He was also the exemplar of Torah v’Avodah – the study of Torah applied to the real world.
What innovations has Judaism brought to the world?
In the last few weeks of his life, Shapiro released the last of his three books. The trigger for the book came from Professor Yuval Noah Harari, who made the claim that “Judaism has played a relatively minor role in the annals of our species.” (Haaretz, July 31, 2016). Shapiro sought to respond to this claim and “show him [Harari] and the rest of the world that this is nonsense and indeed just the opposite, that Judaism transformed the world.”
The book’s sub-title describes Shapiro’s view neatly – The Bible – 80 Revolutions (incomplete list). Throughout the book, Shapiro draws from classic Rabbinic and biblical sources, combined with academic scholars, to highlight multiple ideas that were first introduced in the Hebrew Bible.
By quoting from Rabbinic and academic sources in support of his thesis, he expressed his bi-lingual approach to Judaism. As such, he was faithful to its sources, but without being in constant conflict with modernity. It was no surprise then, that one of the most quoted scholars in the book is Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, the premier bi-lingual spokesperson for Judaism of our time, and a promoter of Judaism as a radical contributor to humanity.
Topics tackled include the dignity of humans and human freedom. Within this category, he dedicates a chapter to how the Hebrew Bible redefines the role of women in a patriarchal world. He does not restrict himself to the question of human dignity or human rights (which are clearly important for his thesis), and the book relates to a radical view of Man’s relation to God and the idea of human thought itself. Major communal innovations such as education for the masses, the transition to prayer from animal sacrifice, minority rights, and even a positive view of anarchy as a religious value are also examined in the book.
Radical, but not extreme
Shapiro rejected the radical atheism of Harari. Over many years, he worked hard to stand up for a form of religious belief and practice that combined the earthly matters of building the land, with a moderate, liberal interpretation of Judaism.
In March last year, Shapiro wrote a detailed critique of The Religious Zionist Party led by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. In his usual direct style, he wrote “It is impossible, in any way, to refer to The Religious Zionist Party, with its current constituent parts, as heirs to historic religious Zionism.”
Shapiro saves special criticism for Rabbi Tzvi Tau, President of Har Hamor Yeshiva, by claiming that he incorrectly interprets Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak Hacohen Kook, the leading spiritual father of religious Zionism. “The result is that his way is the complete opposite of the original idea of religious Zionism” (Arutz 7, March 9, 2022).
He demarcates specifically where his interpretation of religious Zionism is versus the version represented by Smotrich’s party that includes Otzma Yehudit and the Noam party. These include the importance of secular studies, not only for the purposes of career and employment, but because of the way it informs our religious view of the world and interpretation of the Torah itself.
He calls for a pluralistic debate between Torah leaders to generate religious responses to the challenges of the day. Whereas Shapiro wanted to see leaders from across the religious spectrum coming together for “Argument for the sake of Heaven,” he accused Rabbi Tau and his pupils of ignoring or canceling the views of all but their own.
Shapiro uses the example of the support that Rabbi Tau gave to convicted rapist and former president Moshe Katsav, and describes this as “in contradiction to the Torah stance.” Even though as religious Zionists we place immense importance on the state itself, seeing it as part of the process of redemption, Shapiro believed strongly that ultimately, this cannot be at the expense of moral values, “and as such, the great thinkers of religious Zionism expressed their Torah, anti-fascist viewpoint.”
Judaism adapts with time
In an interview following his death, Shapiro’s daughter reveals something of her father’s religious philosophy. “One of the principles of Jewish law is that it develops and adapts itself to the times and there is no need to panic in the face of substantive change” (Kibbutz MyNet, March 29).
Shapiro was a founding member of Ne’emanei Torah V’Avodah. Founded in the late 1970s, it defined itself in the following way: “Torah – the spiritual, legal, moral, eternal and holy foundation; avodah (work) – the physical, social foundation, reflecting Torah’s physical application in a dynamic and changing world, always ready for change.”
In many ways, it was founded because of a concern that religious Zionism was moving away from its roots and as such “works to create a thinking religious culture that is open and self-critical, and encourages a courageous halachic discourse that deals with the challenges of contemporary times.”
All who knew Shapiro knew that to him, the values of tolerance, equality, and justice were crucial religious values not only personally, but also underpinning our national identity.
Shapiro defended the Torah from radical atheists and extreme religious ideologues with the same gusto. By giving credence to both rabbinic and academic sources, he addressed the internal audience of his co-religionists and the external audience of those not committed to Torah or belief in God. And both were crucial to his vision for Israeli society.
He was a fanatical moderate believing that the middle path was the true path, and that radical Jewish ideas are not only needed in order to faithfully reflect the will of God in the 21st century, but also to engage the outside world, Jewish and global, in meeting the challenges of the time.
May his memory be a blessing and his legacy an inspiration.
The writer is a founding partner of Goldrock Capital and the founder of The Institute for Jewish and Zionist Research. He is a former chair of Gesher, World Bnei Akiva, and the Coalition for Haredi Employment.