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Rabbi Shalom Dov Wolpo, also Sholom Ber Wolpe, (born 1948) is a messianic Chabad-Lubavitch rabbi and political activist in Israel. He has written more than forty books in Hebrew, some of which deal with the position of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, Lubavitcher Rebbe, as the Jewish messiah. He set up the Chabad Yeshiva in Kiryat Gat where he is currently the dean or Rosh Yeshiva. He has become associated in recent years with right-wing political causes, and has set up a campaign group - SOS Israel - an organisation that runs press and postering campaigns for shleimus ha'aretz.

Chabad messianism

Rabbi Wolpo is viewed as one of the leaders of the movement to get the Lubavitcher Rebbe to accept the mantle as the messiah. he became one of the first Chabad adherents to openly describe the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson as the Messiah, In 1984 he wrote a book proclaiming the Rebbe as Moshiach. but after a sicho (talk) by Rabbi Schneerson in witch he said that “such a book can cause hundreds of Jews to stop learning Chassidus, and oppose the Baal Shem Tov and his teachings." he did not publish the book, however in 1990 when rabbi Schneerson started openly Endorsing the proclamation "long live our Rebbe king moshiach forever", rabbi wolpo asked the Rebbe if perhaps now is the right time to publish the book, the rebbes answered “after having it edited by three friends then he may publish it,” the book was then edited and published in 1990

In an interview with Israeli Channel 2 evening news in March 1994, he told an interviewer that Rabbi Schneerson's place as the Messiah and the fact of his "eternal life" was "as secure as the rising of the sun in the morning."

He wrote a number of critical books as a commentary on the writing of Rabbi Eliezer Schach, leader of Lithuanian Haredim - a prominent defamer of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement and of Rabbi Schneerson himself - under the title Yedaber Shalom.

Politics

In 1979, on the instructions of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, he published his first book Da'at Torah a polemic against returning lands captured by Israel. He was active in the protests that surrounded the evacuation of Yamit as per the Rebbe's instructions to him, and in 1982 published the book Shalom shalom Ve'ain Shalom that argued that peace with the Arab World was impossible.

Gaza disengagement

He was active in the protest movement in 2005 that fought the disengagement from Gaza. Following the failure of that campaign he organized a rabbinical conference entitled "We shall never forget and we shall never forgive". After the Second Lebanon War Wolpo organized a publicity campaign with the slogan "we told you so" that distributed over a million brochures. He was also responsible for a poster campaign promising that those responsible for Israel's actions during the war would be "punished from heaven".

In January 2006 he wrote a letter to Olmert warning him that if he ever gave up even "an tiny parcel" of the Land of Israel he would suffer from a bitter fate. The letter noted that Rabbi Schneerson had warned that he would personally fight with all his powers against any Prime Minister who gave up Israeli territory or backpedaled over settlements. He told the press that Ariel Sharon had brought about a "new holocaust" with the Gaza disengagement, and that he had gladly "collaborated with the Nazis of today." He ruled that assisting in the evacuation of the Gaza settlement was as bad as violating the Jewish Sabbath. He called for Olmert to be "brought to trial and punished."

Following the disengagement he published a book entitled "Between light and dark" in which he showed that Rabbi Schneerson was right about rejecting Zionism which claims it is the "beginning of the redemption".

SOS Israel

He is the founder of the organization Ha'Matteh L'Hatzolat Ha'Am V'Ha'Aretz - SOS Israel - a grassroots action group that unites a broad spectrum of the religious right in Israel behind extensive poster campaigns and mass protests against giving parts of the Holy Land away to Israel's enemies.

Another campaign run by his organization under the slogan "there is judgment and there is a Judge" (referring to G-d), has generated considerable controversy in the Israeli press in March 2007. One radio host, Natan Zahavi, denounced Wolpo on the radio in obscene terms and the Israeli Broadcasting Authority is currently investigating.

He has recently released a film under the SOS Israel name entitled "there is judgement and there is a judge" which shows how all the political leaders that had a hand in the Gaza disengagement have suffered as a result, for example Sharon suffered a stroke; former Chief of Staff Dan Halutz and Police Chief Moshe Karadi were forced to resign; President Moshe Katsav, former Minister Chaim Ramon and MK Tzachi Hanegbi have been involved in criminal affairs; and Yonatan Bassi, head of the Disengagement Administration, had to leave his kibbutz after being accused of collaborating in driving settlers out of their homes. The film maintains that this is God's retribution. The film includes footage of Rabbi Schneerson declaring that making peace with the Arabs will lead to disaster and telling Katzav that "it would lead to the opposite of peace. Maariv reports that two million copies of the film are to be distributed, and the film is to be made available for download online.

Recent activities

In a halachic ruling, Wolpo ruled that it was forbidden to teach children from Israeli education ministry approved textbooks that show maps of Israel with Green Line marked, as this was an attack on West Bank settlers. He told Maariv that Israeli education minister Yuli Tamir should "recall what happened to Ariel Sharon" before she attacked the settlement movement.

In February 2007, Wolpo appealed a decision that a political campaign under the slogan "if anyone comes to remove me from my home, I will chop off their hands" amounted to incitement to violence, since retired Supreme Court Justice Mishael Cheshin vowed to defend the Supreme Court, which he said was dear to him, with all his strength, saying, "If someone raises a hand against my house, I will cut it off," and he wasn't accused of anything. The slogan was meant to protest the removal of Jewish settlers from their West Bank homes.

Wolpo arranged an elaborate award ceremony for Sergeant Hananel Dayan (son of Yosef Dayan), who was disciplined for refusing to shake the hand of Israeli Chief of Staff Dan Halutz. The soldier was protesting the evacuation of his grandparents from their Gaza home in 2005.

In 2006 Wolpo defended Rabbi David Drukman, chief rabbi of Kiryat Motzkin, over charges that he had abused his position as a state employee to incite violence. Wolpe said: "Rabbi Drukman will go down in history as someone who stood up to a vile government fearlessly."

During the 2006 Second Lebanon War he told the local Kiryat Gat weekly that "..Olmert has declared war against G-d and against his Torah" and that he should be brought to justice. He added that the war should continue "until the enemy has been totally eradicated."

In 2006 offered a free copy of one of his book "from light to darkness" to anyone that pledged to refrain from celebrating Independence Day.

In 2007, he told a conference in Jerusalem that "the remedy for the disengagement is to understand that the State of Israel is a terrible thing. We should not bless or praise the state that was founded by criminals and heretics like Herzl."

Bibliography

Wolpo has published over 40 books in Hebrew. These include:

• Daat Torah Be'inyanei HaMatzav B'Eretz HaKodesh - polemic against territorial concessions.
• Shalom Shalom V'Ein Shalom - proves that everything the Rebbe said, based on Torah sources, about Israel, came true
• Gedolei Yisrael Al Hachzoras Shtachim - Torah leaders on the subject of surrendering parts of The Holy Land
• Yechi HaMelech - polemic arguing that Rabbi Schneerson is the Messiah.
• Yechi HaMelech HaMoshiach - explanation of the legal ruling declaring Rabbi Schneerson to be the Messiah.
• Yedaber Shalom - a series of books disputing the works of Rabbi Eliezer Schach.
• Ki Hem Chayenu - 770 Jewish Ideas - educational textbook (Israeli Education Ministry).
• Shemen Sasson MeChavreicha - (Three vol.) anthology of Torah leaders and their connection with the Lubavitcher Rebbe.
• Leket Shikchat HaPeah - halachic exegesis on the wearing of wigs by Jewish women.
• Yakum Se'are Lidmama - more on women's wigs.
• Bein Ohr Lechoshech - the bankruptcy of the State of Israel, how it is not "aschalta di'ge'ula" (the beginning of the redemption)

Citations

1. Or any number of combinations of these names, when transliterated into English.
2. The Revelation of Melech HaMashiach (King Messiah), "Yechi HaMelech", Sholom Ber Wolpo, "The Committee for Fulfilling the Rebbe's Directives"
3. The Lubavticher Rebbe v. Ehud Olmert, MSN Israel News (Hebrew), Idan Yosef, January 16, 2006
4. ^ Right-wing Rabbis issued warnings, The Forward, January 20, 2006
5. Rabbis: Disengagement is as bad as violating the Sabbath, Noam Shravit, MSN Israel, January 16, 2005
6. The hard-line opponents of disengagement, Leslie Susser, Jerusalem Report, March 21, 2005
7. Chabad rabbi: Disengage from state, Matthew Wagner, Jerusalem Post, November 20, 2005
8. SOS Israel against Natan Zahavi, Arutz Sheva (Hebrew), 28 March 2007
9. "Suspend Zahavi immediately", Meirav Kristal, Yediot Aharonot, March 11, 2007
10. Censure steps against Natan Zahavi, Meirav Kristal, Yediot Aharonot, (Hebrew) March 20, 2007
11. The Rabbis against Zahavi, Yigal Gaoni, Globes, March 14, 2007
12. ^ Live on Film, Maariv, March 22, 2007
13. New Halachic ruling, Akiva Eldar, Haaretz (Hebrew), May 12, 2006
14. "Yuli Tamir should remember what happened to Ariel Sharon, Maariv, May 12, 2006
15. Appeal to Mazuz: Allow threats of hand amputation against settlement evacuators, Yuval Yoaz, Haaretz, February 8, 2007
16. The grandson who neither forgave nor forgot, Hagai Hoberman, HaTzofe, May 5, 2006
17. Rabbi Drukman in court hearing, Arutz Sheva, July 6, 2006
19. We must celebrate Yom HaAtzmaut, Hodia Crish Chazoni, Makor Rishon May 15, 2006
20. Thousands of delegates promise: "We shall not forgive", Dikla Gal-Ed, Makor Rishon, March 14, 2007

External links

• English language website of SOS Israel, religious right-wing campaign group founded by Wolpo.
• "There is law, and there is a judge" the movie
• Hebrew wikipedia's article on SOS Israel (Hebrew)

• Chabad-Lubavitch rabbis
• Israeli rabbis
• Israeli activists
• 1948 births
• Living people