Slifkin Launches Book, Discusses Ban,Elliot Resnick, <i>Jewish Press Staff Reporter</i>

"Truth and peace you shall love."

With this quote from Zechariah, Rabbi Tzvi Hersh Weinreb, executive vice president of the Orthodox Union, opened his lecture at the official launching of Rabbi Natan Slifkin's new book, The Challenge of Creation.

The book launch took place at the Young Israel of Kew Gardens Hills last Tuesday, where 120 people gathered to hear Rabbis Slifkin, Weinreb and Gil Student (the book's distributor) discuss the controversial book. An earlier and smaller version of the book, along with two others by Slifkin, was banned by 24 rabbis, including Rav Yosef Shalom Elyashiv and Rabbi Matisyahu Solomon, in January 2005.

Slifkin spoke about the ban the following night at the Young Israel of Teaneck to a crowd of about 60.

The rabbis' ban had attacked the books, which grapple with evolution, the age of the universe and strange scientific assertions in the Talmud, as being "full of heresy."

However, Weinreb said Slifkin's new book is very necessary for ba'alei teshuvah, alienated youth and people engaged with the secular world. "It answers questions that many people have that are not answered anywhere else," he told The Jewish Press.

"That was the most frustrating part," agreed Slifkin, in his talk in Kew Gardens Hills. "Those banning my books were not providing alternative solutions to the problems that physical reality raises."

Both Weinreb and Student were careful to say that their support of the book is not a "war against great rabbis."

"There are many rabbanim and roshei yeshiva who disagree and want the book available for their communities," Student said. "Ask your rabbi. If he approves of the book, feel free to buy it; if he doesn't, don't buy it."

In his speech, Student noted that rabbis such as Rambam, Rav Samson Raphael Hirsch, and Rav Isaac Herzog (Rav Elyashiv's rebbe, said Student) all adopted similar approaches as those presented by Slifkin. He quoted the great halachic decider, Rabbi Chaim Ozer Grodzinski, as saying that in non-halachic matters, local rabbis should decide what is best for their communities.

Trying to play it safe this time around, Slifkin added a warning in the beginning of the new book. He proclaimed it to be only for those who struggle with various problems that scientific findings and theories present. All others, it reads, "are advised not to read [the book]." Slifkin also hopes the picture of the tyrannosaurus rex - not another dinosaur like the apikorosaurus, he quipped - on the front cover will discourage all those who are afraid of the questions dinosaurs raise from reading the book, he told the crowd.

Slifkin thinks it highly unlikely his new book will be banned. The majority of the 24 rabbis, he said in Teaneck, did not believe his books contained actual heresy. Indeed, he said Rav Elyashiv was surprised recently when he saw the words "complete heresy" on the text of the ban, as apparently he had signed a less harsh ban which "zealots," as Slifkin calls them, "revised" after they had obtained his signature. Rather, these rabbis simply felt the material in his books was harmful for their communities. According to Slifkin, Rav Elyashiv was even heard to say that Slifkin's books can be used for outreach purposes.

The ban, however, limits Slifkin's access to ultra-Orthodox communities. "It is upsetting. I know there are people in those communities who benefited a lot from what I wrote, so it's a shame I'm not going to be able to get to those people now," he told The Jewish Press.

Although Slifkin spoke for more than 45 minutes in Teaneck, his address in Kew Gardens Hills was less than 15, which disappointed some. "I would have liked to hear more of him," said local resident Dr. Roberta Farber. Nonetheless, she agreed with the speakers' message. "I think you have to take science seriously."

The two lectures were part of a lecture tour for Slifkin. He is filming a documentary on Torah and animals next month in California, where he is also visiting family. He returns to his home in Ramat Beit Shemesh, Israel at the end of the summer.

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Slifkin Launches Book, Discusses Ban , Elliot Resnick, <i>Jewish Press Staff Reporter</i>