Rabbi Calls Constituents "Whore" And Wonders Why People Are Upset

Not all rabbis are the right fit for any given community. Just because a rabbi might be great, does not mean his style fits a specific community.

Mynet is reporting on the rabbi of a community, and I don't know him but I am even willing to say he is a leading rabbi, a great rabbi, and this still applies to him, who seems to use fire and brimstone tactics in his oratorical repertoire.

This rabbi, the rabbi of a traditional/religious moshav, has upset some of the people in his flock. Truth is, it is nothing unusual. Nobody, even, or especially, rabbis, will be liked all the time by all the people. I would even venture to say that if he would be liked all the time by all the people, there is probably something wrong. Some like him and his style, while others do not.

Some of the residents of Moshav Zerachya are complaining about the rabbi of the moshav, Rav Avidan. They say that in his speeches he often does not delve into Torah teaching per se, words and lessons from the parsha for example. Rather, he uses his speeches to exhort the community, and he uses very harsh expressions. For example, he was talking about dressing appropriately and said that a woman who wears a t-shirt is a zonah, a harlot.

Many were shocked when he said that, especially those who wear t-shirts in their homes. Even more shocking is that he says things like that regularly, it seems, despite there being children and young adults in the shul at the time. They are complaining that his abrasive style is harming the community, insulting to [some of] the members, and inappropriate in general when said where, when and how they are said.

When I read the article, I did not get the shock that they expected, oy the rabbi is so wrong to say that, so unforgiving, so not understanding of his local people, etc. I did not see that. I see nothing wrong, per se, with a rabbi exhorting his community to be better, to improve in various ways that he sees need improvement.

On the other hand, not every rabbis is right for any specific community. Maybe this community needs less rhetoric, less fire and brimstone and more kind words and pleasant persuasion. Other communities appreciate the fire and brimstone more. If he is frequently upsetting a large portion (and I do not know if it is a majority of, or just a number of  people but not a majority) of his community with his style, perhaps the community needs to find a rabbi better suited to their style.