Natan Slifkin (also Nosson Slifkin) (born 25 June 1975 in Manchester, England), also popularly known as the "Zoo Rabbi", is an ordained but non-pulpit serving Orthodox rabbi best known for his interest in zoology, science and for his books on these topics, which are controversial in the Haredi world.
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Natan Slifkin was born and raised in Manchester, United Kingdom, where he studied at a local yeshiva. He left in 1995 to continue his studies in the Medrash Shmuel yeshiva and Mir Yeshiva in Jerusalem, Israel. He was ordained at the Ohr Somayach yeshiva, and lives with his family in Ramat Beit Shemesh. Slifkin has a Master's degree in Judaic Studies from the Lander Institute in Jerusalem, and is studying for his doctorate in Judaic Studies at Bar-Ilan University.
Slifkin explores traditional rabbinic perspectives in his books and discusses how they may relate to issues of interest to modern science. Slifkin is the author of numerous books dealing with the Torah, zoology & cryptozoology. In Slifkin's approach to the reconciliation of Genesis and modern scientific theory, traditional Judaism mandates neither a literalistic approach to Biblical cosmology, nor a belief that the Talmud is always correct about scientific matters. Views similar to these were accepted by some as within the realm of Orthodox Judaism. A public debate began about Slifkin's books about the question of how literally Orthodox Judaism interprets the Torah and how much weight should be given to the scientific discussions of rabbinic sages.
Slifkin is the author of numerous books on Torah, zoology and cryptozoology:
Slifkin has a website called "Zoo Torah" and writes a blog called "Rationalist Judaism," in which he promulgates his opinions on Jewish thought. He has also published e-books on this topic. A new book, The Torah Encyclopedia of the Animal Kingdom, will be published in 2012. [2]
In 2005, a group of Haredi rabbis in Israel and the United States, including Yosef Sholom Eliashiv, Dovid Feinstein, Aharon Leib Shteinman, Chaim Pinchos Scheinberg, and Shmuel Auerbach declared a ban on Slifkin's books, so that Haredi Jews in their communities could not purchase or read his work. [3] The main objection is Slifkin's suggestion that the Talmud is mistaken on certain scientific matters and the universe is really billions of years old.[4] All of the rabbis in question belong to the Lithuanian (non-Hasidic) stream of Haredi Judaism.
The rabbis objects to two aspects of Slifkin's work: First, it objects to Slifkin's assertion that the scientific writing contained in the Talmud may not be as authoritative as the more overtly religious content, "that Chazal Hakedoshim [Holy Sages] can err chas vesholom [heaven forbid] in worldly matters." Secondly, it objects to the tone of Slifkin's work, stating that "even what is not heretical is expressed in a way only a heretic would speak."[5][6]
The ban sparked a debate, largely on the Internet which led to Slifkin's publisher, Targum Press discontinuing distribution of his books. Yashar Books, a smaller Jewish publisher, agreed to distribute them. Materials written by Slifkin were removed from the websites of influential Orthodox kiruv (Jewish outreach) organizations, such as Aish HaTorah. [7]
Moment magazine quoted an anonymous rabbi who said: “The Slifkin ban is a huge break. It’s a kind of power struggle, and those who didn’t sign the ban are outraged right now. I’m talking about rabbis with long white beards who are furious about it...He’s saying out loud what a lot of people have been talking about quietly all along. To those people, he’s a kind of figurehead."[8]
Rabbi Aharon Feldman and Rabbi Shlomo Miller wrote articles in defense of the ban, and Rabbi Moshe Meiselman gave three lectures on this topic at Toras Moshe, although Rabbi Feldman grants that, even in the opinion of Rabbi Eliashiv, Slifkin "cannot be called a heretic" even though parts of the books are, in their view, heretical, because "he did follow, at least, a minority opinion."[9] These defenses of the ban were themselves controversial, and Rabbi Slifkin posted them all on his website, together with rebuttals written by various people. Rabbi Meiselman requested that Rabbi Slifkin remove the lectures from his website, a request to which Slifkin did not acquiesce.[10]
On October 5, 2008, Slifkin published an essay entitled In Defense of My Opponents in which he acknowledges that there is a reasonable basis for a ban on his books in certain communities.[11]
