Why I Will Cautiously Accept Kanye’s Apology

Last Thursday, Ye, formerly known as (Kanye West) apologized to the Jewish people. He had a friend named DJ Akademiks post a video on X of Ye meeting with Rabbi Yoshiyahu Yosef Pinto asking for forgiveness for harming the Jewish people. He told the rabbi that he has bipolar disorder and he’s here to take responsibility for what he did. He noted that when you have this kind of mental illness it’s like having a child who messes up several rooms in the house while the parent is away. He – the part of Ye that is of sound mind – is cleaning up the mess of his child – his mental illness – and asking for forgiveness. 

The rabbi explained to Ye that Jews brought teshuva – the concept of repentance with a clean slate and returning from sin to the world. Accompanying the video on Rabbi Pinto’s X account was the following caption: “Rabbi Pinto welcomed Ye warmly, encouraged him with words of Torah and light, and praised his will to move closer to truth. Rabbi Pinto said: ‘A person is not defined by his mistakes, but by the way he chooses to correct them. This is the true strength of man: The ability to return, to learn, and to build bridges of love and peace.’ Ye came with humility to seek forgiveness and a new chapter of repentance and love among human beings. The meeting concluded with shared hope for a future of respect and unity among nations and faiths, grounded in a commitment to truth and peace. Ye and Rabbi Pinto hope to serve as an example to the world of the power of faith and reconciliation.”

In the video, Rabbi Pinto said he could see that Ye was sincere and a good man and he forgave him. Many people disagree with this approach. All over social media, people were commenting that it was too late, that the damage was too much, that the apology was not accepted. 

While I don’t have the complete list of Ye’s infractions against the Jewish people, the highlights include announcing on social media in October 2022: “I’m a bit sleepy tonight but when I wake up I’m going death con 3 On JEWISH PEOPLE. The funny thing is I actually can’t be Anti Semitic because black people are actually Jew also You guys have toyed with me and tried to black ball anyone whoever opposes your agenda.”

Then, this past May Ye released a music video titled “HEIL HITLER (HOOLIGAN VERSION)” on X, featuring Nazi imagery and the lyric “So I became a Nazi, I’m the villain,” continuing a disturbing trajectory of antisemitic behavior that includes selling swastika-themed merchandise and praising Hitler. The video, which quickly amassed over a million views, follows a brief Twitch livestream in which Ye gave a Nazi salute and shouted “Heil Hitler” before being banned within minutes for violating the platform’s guidelines. 

So why will I cautiously forgive Ye despite this egregious behavior? First off, forgiving someone and allowing yourself to be hurt by them in the future are two different things. I would not personally get close to him or advise anyone else to – because Ye does have an unstable track record. Just because we forgive someone does not mean we should risk making ourselves vulnerable to them in the future.

When a person does teshuva – the Jewish act of repenting – there is a multi-step process to get a clean slate:

1. Regret: Recognize the harm your actions have caused and feel sincere regret. 
2. Cessation: Immediately stop the wrongful behavior. 
3. Confession: Verbally acknowledge your mistake and ask for forgiveness from those you harmed and God. 
4. Commitment: Make a firm commitment to never repeat the sin in the future. This is considered the most crucial step, and it is truly demonstrated when faced with the same situation and choosing not to sin again, notes

Ye did all those things and he did it publicly so that the people he wronged – the Jewish people – could hear his apology. Teshuva is meant to be for all people, not only for the ones with better track records.

Now what is not required but would be a bonus would be for Ye to pull as much antisemitic content from the internet as possible that he contributed to. What would be an even bigger bonus would be for him to use his platform to stand up for Jews. I don’t know if he will be capable of  this.

And, what if he does it again, you ask? And to that question, let me direct you to a passage about Ishmael we read during the High Holidays – a time when Jews are asking God for forgiveness and hoping for His mercy:

God heard the cry of the boy, and a messenger of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What troubles you, Hagar? Fear not, for God has heeded the cry of the boy where he is. (Bereishis 21:17)

On the words, “where he is” Rashi offers the following commentary:

According to the actions he is now doing shall he be judged and not according to what he may do in future. Because the ministering angels laid information against him, saying, “Master of the Universe, for him whose descendants will at one time kill your children with thirst will You provide a well?” He asked them, “What is he now, righteous or wicked?” They replied to him, “Righteous.” He said to them, “According to his present deeds will I judge him.” This is the meaning of what is written: “[For God hath heard the voice of the lad ] in that condition in which he now is” (Genesis Rabbah 53:14). Where did he (Ishmael) kill Israel with thirst? When Nebuchadnezzar carried them into exile — as it is said, (Isaiah 21:13, 14) “The burden upon Arabia … O ye caravans of Dedanites, unto him that is thirsty bring ye water! etc.” When they were bringing them near the Arabians the Israelites said to their captors, “We beg of you bring us to the children of our uncle, Ishmael, who will certainly show pity to us”, as it is said, “O ye caravans of the Dedanites (דדנים)”; read not דדנים but דודים, kinsmen. — These indeed came to them bringing them salted meat and fish and water-skins inflated with air. The Israelites believed that these were full of water and when they placed them in their mouths, after having opened them, the air entered their bodies and they died (Eichah Rabbah 2:4).

What the midrash that Rashi quotes is saying is that when God heard Ishmael’s cries of dehydration, he saw him as he was then – innocent and needing salvation. Though God and his angels knew that one day Ishmael’s descendants would kill the Jewish people through thirst, it didn’t matter back when Ishmael was suffering. At that point he was innocent and couldn’t be held accountable for the future.

So even when we know that someone will sin in the future, the Jewish approach is that we judge the person for where they are now. Again – it does not mean to allow yourself or your loved ones to become endangered. Put up healthy boundaries with someone with an inconsistent track record. I will not engage with Ye personally (not that there were any opportunities to) but from afar, I will accept his apology and pray that his medications and mental health plan work effectively. Jew hatred is a mental illness. If Ye is trying to cure himself of it, I will pray for his recovery.

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