Shas was no partner in the Gush Katif expulsion which many say weakened Israel and was handed a defeat by Hizballah last summer. Instead of training its soldiers against Hizballah it used them to expel brothers. As far as your son Yonathan surely he was righteous and ge fell to protect Israel. It is not his fault that you misled with your reform garbage. So much time of your life is spent in fighting Hashem and his Mitzvot. Hashem gave us his Torah and no one can water down his Mitzvot. Remember there is reward and punishment. Repent at least before Riosh Hashana and Yom Kipur. To everyone Lshana Tova.

THANKS.

No, the fault does not lie with the "secular Jewish majority," as Mr. Boyden writes, but with those who jumped at the chance to defame a Torah giant, R. Yosef Ovadia, and at Ynetnews and its parent for their usual sloppy reporting. To the latter's faint credit, a subsequent article noted that the Rabbi had been referring to soldiers in times of the Writings -- Torah Rabbis usually draw on the parahsa of the week and not on current commentaries -- and that he ended his lesson with a prayer for the soldiers of the IDF. Now, why didn't the first account reference his actual talk, rather than wrest a part of it out of context? And it should be well known that the average Sephardi in Israel serves in the IDF.

They threw another juicy bone for those who drool like dogs. Only in Israel, only in this "advanced and enlightened" secular zionistic culture can such disrespect be paid to one of today's greatest Talmudic scholars and poskim. Never in our history have we seen such brutal expressions of hatred toward our spiritual leaders by our own people. Has Ynet ever reported on a chidush (original Torah incite) of the Rabbi? How come they edit out all their video footage and only release a snip of the most controversial statement he made? Doesn't anyone have the intellegence to understand the agenda here? Or maybe most people do see the contrived witch-hunts against the Rabbis, but they feel very comfortable about it, as it assuages their guilt for not keeping mitzvot and it serve as a convenient tool to release onself from the ohl of Torah, from the obligations that formed us into a Nation. To understand the modern birth of this phenomenon watch this most important video: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1459280916999356707&q=Zionism+and+Herzl&total=28&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=0

that if we keep the mitzvot G-d will protect us, and if we do not, we will be exposed to all kinds of disasters. Perhaps he should just lie like the politicians? Sorry, but you just gotta learn to live with it. Live with it!

Shas is (unfortunately) part of the goverment, they are a big party with a lot of followers. And as such, they will always hold the goverment (and hence the whole nation) by the b*lls. The only one who could resolve this and reduce their power is a strong leader, the way l see it. P.S. Great article, says it all. No better way to say it.

Rabbis like Ovadiah twist logic and fact to suit their own agendas. If his statements were so pure and holy, let's see him explain why proportionately more Orthodox Jews died in the Holocaust then secular and Reform Jews. Judaism, just like Christianity and Islam, have state sponsored sects that are moving deeply into extremism. Bravo to Rabbi Boyden on his courage in stating the truth

Saying "your child's death was his own fault, because..." is not something that is easy for bereaved parents to hear, don't you think? Yosef could definitely be more sensitive to people who lost their most precious of all, like the author said.

You are one of those people who do get it. You don't want to get it. Why do you become one of those pathetic hasidim? You like Paul are a fool who does not understand our objection. You come up with new concepts and take your world view from them. Therefore you can not see that the Torah is against you. Everyday three times a day we beg of God to utterly wipe your face off the earth along with the notz'rim and the hasidim and the Roman Empire. But our sins are great. We desigrate the Shabbat and God has given us the silent treatment. But we will continue to beg of the holy one to listen to our prays. Blessed are you who hears prays.

Have anyone of you actually heard what the Rabbi said or are all of you just depending on Ynet/Haaretz's reports? Those who believe this garbage are fools.

Secularize Israel...The country will become "modern", and garbage such as the man with the shades and the funny little hat will loose their grip on their fans. The only reason why Shas is Shas, is because of the Israeli consitution. We are not very far from religious dictatorship, just like in our neighbor's countries. Change the consitution, have a secular government and then things will change...But , yes, I agree, it take courage and determination to do just that !

This article and that war have nothing to do with Gaza, a hellhole most of us are happy to be out of. It's too bad the moochers that this country subsidized and are continuing to receive huge payments have to go out and look for work instead of getting handouts from the local councils.

...."Those who jumped at the chance to defame a Torah giant, R. Yosef Ovadia..." This Torah "giant"...had once done the same lecture about the 6 millions victims of Hitler. Ovadia...a Torah giant ...only for the Liliputians....He his officialy referring to the times of Writing...like a story teller.... Inadequat and Shameless "guide"

As a Reform "Rabbi." who distorts the words of the Torah and misleads the ignorant among the Jewish People, you have no one but yourself to blame for the death of your son. As the Torah states:"The sons will be punished for the sins of the fathers!"

or you can toss around hackneyed expressions such as "liberal" or "left wing," all you like. But It doesn't matter who you are, whether you are a torah scholar or not, if you say disgusting, insensitive things out of your own mouth, if you take positions in support of a morally bankrupt government, if you speak of a torah-based Judaism that is divorced from concepts of ethics, then you are not entitled to respect. Rather, you earn the scorn that this man receives.

& you call yourself a rabbi!! while spewing hatred against another jew , while maintaining a holier than thou attitude yourself!! your problem is that you are too uneducated yourself in judaism to fully comprehend what rabbi yosef is saying, and let your personal agenda cloud your thinking, while being distracted by your own personal emotions. Rabbi Yosef cares deeply about every jewish soul in the world. you are the unworthy one here choose you words carefully before attempting to incite hatred against a fellow jew in the public forum

You are not a Rabbi. You are one of the reasons the Jewish people face tribulations. It is your hatred of Torah that brings death upon Jews. Go back to the US where you belong.

...for Rabbi Yosef to issue "clarifications" or to explain that he was misquoted. For someone so erudite, Rabbi Yosef is a remarkably lousy communicator.

Rev. Boyden: I grieve for the loss of your dear son, Yonatan z"l, but the anguish of his loss does NOT excuse your hatefu lashon hara against an Adam Gadol. Rav Yosef's care and compassion for ALL IDF soldiers is known by all...or rather those who care to know the truth. I have no doubt that you did not hear his entire drasha and jumped (as did so many others) at a portion of his address, wrenched out of context for quite nefarious purposes. It only serves to demonstrate why (among so MANY other reasons) the honored title of "Rabbi" and Reform is a solid non sequitur. Perhaps, as your son, you are a tinok sh'nishba. But, whereas your son is now in the world of truth, you are still mired in a world of sheker. As so many Reform Reverends, (I'll grant you that title as you probably have some form of ordination equivilant to gentile clergy), your diatribe is symptomatic of the frightful knowlege that your movement is, at long last, beginning to die in a paroxysm of assimilation and intermarriage. I have been reading that many Reform youths, who are not buying the empty shell that is the Reform package, are beginning to become baalei t'shuva, Baruch Hashem! Rev. Boyden, you still have the opportunity to do the same. You'll make your son proud.

I found the following on Wikipedea. I would appear you are correct, Rabbi Yosef rightly opposed the Gaza expulsions. This is to his credit and I stand corrected for thinking otherwise. On the other hand, in the name of "piquach nefesh," the rabbi supports giving Jewish land to our enemies. In the name of piquach nefesh he supported the murderous Oslo accords with mass-murderer Yasser Arafat. This is unconscionable, immoral and outrageous Harry! A few weeks back, Rabbi Yosef urged Shas MKs to vote Shimon Peres president of the state of Israel. Peres is the architect of the murderous Oslo accords. He is responsible for the murders and maimings of thousands of Jews! What gives? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ovadia_Yosef#Position_on_the_Israeli-Palestinian_Conflict ".....Yosef, using an argument first articulated by the late American rabbinical leader Joseph Soloveitchik, claims that the Arab-Israeli conflict endangers Jewish lives, thereby meeting the above criteria and overruling the priority of commandments pertaining to settling the land of Israel. [8] Therefore, Israel is permitted, even obligated if saving lives is a definitive outcome, to both make serious efforts to reach a peace settlement as well as make arrangements to properly protect its citizens. Rabbi Yosef first applied the pikuach nefesh argument to Israel's conflicts with its neighbors in 1979, when he ruled that it granted Israel authority to return the Sinai Peninsula to Egypt (though many suspected the ruling was also motivated by Rabbi Yosef's desire to oppose his Ashkenazi colleague, Rabbi Shlomo Goren). [11] Using this predecence, Rabbi Yosef supported the Oslo Accords in the 1990s and instructed Shas to join Yitzhak Rabin's government coalition, and later Ehud Barak's, as well. However, as Oslo stalled and relations between Israelis and Palestinians began to deteriorate, and particularly following the outbreak of the Al-Aqsa Intifada, Yosef reversed himself and the party pulled "rightward", supporting the Likud. In 2005, Rabbi Yosef repeatedly condemned the Gaza Disengagement. He argued that he was opposed to any unilateral action that occurred outside the framework of a peace agreement. Rabbi Yosef again cited the principle of pikuach nefesh, saying that empowering the Palestinians without a commitment to end terror would result in threatening Jewish lives, particularly in areas near Gaza in range of Qassam rocket attacks. [12] In contrast to some of his rabbinical colleagues, such as Rabbi Yosef Shalom Eliashiv, Yosef refused to entertain the idea of holding a referendum on the disengagement, and instructed his MKs to vote against the plan when it came up in the Knesset. Yosef still maintains that pikuach nefesh applies to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and supports negotiations with the Palestinians, but no longer appears totally convinced that diplomacy with the present leadership can necessarily end the violence. Some media analysts have suggested that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert may be able to convince the rabbi to sign on to further unilateral actions by the government if concerted efforts toward negotiation fail. [13]

The Left wing Media is always looking for something to scream about. Taking the Rabbi's words out of contexts is nothing new. The Bible is very clear that when fighting G-d's battle a solders is protected when he is careful with the laws. Just open your eyes and you will see all kinds of miracles. As an American General once said we don't teach the six-day war because we cannot teach miracles. They saw it, but the elite cannot.

it might seem nice to speak softly and not jolt anyone too much, but historically that has not been the role of rabbis. as an example, i recall a story in talmud berochos in which a rabbi tells a grieving widow of a torah scholar how righteous god was in killing him because of a relatively minor offense he had committed. speaking softly is for politicians, not for rabbis

A rabbi I can get into bed with. NOT LITERALLY!!!!

Don't ever have the audacity of calling yourself a Rabbi . You are a wicked person who slaps G-d in his face time after time again. You do not beileve in G-d and i don't know why your son fought in the war if Israel holds nothing special to you Reform not jewish barbarians

The so called "rabbi" Ovadia is clearly a deranged old fart

All those who died, were the "reincarnation of sinner souls"... You see, just like the soldiers killed in wars, it was, of course, their own fault. The distibguished rabbi has an explanation to everything, no problemo.

Let's stick to facts no personal thoughts or feelings to influence actual events. I have just returned from being in Israel for 1 1/2 years and have this to report about Shas after examining their activities amongst others on my sabbatical. Shas voted for the expulsion of Jews from their homes in settlements thus giving the land of Israel to its enemies and getting only more terror in return (Fact) Rabbi Ovadia Yusef is only too well known for his low level use of the Hebrew language in his abusive and cursive talk about none observing secular Jews, he singles out everyone who is not Sfaradi (Oriental) like he is. (Fact) In addition Rabbi Ovadia Yusef and his disciples in the Shas political party have said and done nothing to assist the cancer victims who have no life saving medication cause of the Israeli governments heartless corruption, he has done nothing for the elderly and handicapped in Israel either that lay suffering. Rabbi Ovadia Yusef also sits quiet while Israel has kidnapped soldiers still in enemy hands! If that isn't enough Shas also sits quiet while Jews are bombed daily in Israel's south and north. Want more ok here's a goodie for you. Rabbi Ovadia Yusef = Shas party also has only nasty to say about the disabled / dead IDF veterans and fighting soldiers in Israel's fight for survival. It is my factual opinion that Shas is a corrupt political party that stays quiet when the money is good, it also keeps their Sfaradi community lacking so they have a flag to wave at election time. People in Israel are afraid to say much about Rabbi Ovadia Yusef for they feel they will be cursed by G-D as though Shas had a monopoly on our father who art in heaven. Rabbi Ovadia Yusef is only meat and blood like us all, he is very learned in Torah and the Zohar but as it is written in Scripture "wealth and position blind even the holiest of men." So call a spade a spade and get real. I stopped donating my hard earned money to Israel after all the corruption i had seen while i was there.

Ovadia Yosef in common with many Israelis is bigotted in his view and that bigotry stems from his refusal in common with many orthodox Jews - Ashkenazi as well as Sephardi - to see Progressive Judaism as a real strand of Judaism. To have banned Boyden from reciting kaddish in memory of his son who died in the service of this country because he is a progressive Rabbi was the height of bigotry. His son was after all a Progressive Jew too. It was all right for him to make the ultimate sacrifice, why wasn't it all right for his father to pray for his memory but temporarily have to renounce the Judaism he professes?