Dec 20, 2012
For Whom Rav Amnon Yitzchak Won't Vote
There is always interesting things happening in the various political parties come election time, but that is especially true in regards to the more colorful parties, like Koach L'Hashpia, Rav Amnon Yitzchak's party.
Besides for some of his recent statements of what they plan to do, such as legislate bread to be priced at 1 shekel, and raising the speed limit to 140 kmph, even greater is his most recent admission - he himself is not going to vote for his own party.
Obviously he is not running for a Knesset seat, but will be directing the party both spiritually and in the decision making, much the way Rav Ovadiah Yosef leads SHAS. So, not voting for the party is not directly not voting for himself, but it still seems pretty strange.
Why won't Rav Amnon Yitzchak be voting for the party he founded and leads? Because Rav Amnon Yitzchak is very extreme in his vews regarding the State of Israel. He is very close to Satmar in his views. He believes the secular State is passul and one cannot vote in the elections.
So, what about running a political party and participating in the democratic process of governance?
He has no problem with that, because while he himself does not vote, he does not have a problem asking people who do vote to vote for him, and he has no problem saying he wants to help, via the government, those people who need his help.
As a matter of fact, he explains that the reason Rav Shteinman supported his opening this new party is because he has a public, outside of the haredi public, that wants to vote for him. It is a mitzvah to get those votes - better they should vote for Rav Yitzchak's party than for who they would have voted for. This approach fits in very well with his approach on voting - he himself won't but he is there to help those who will that at least they should do it right and get helped.
(sources: Kikar and Srugim)
Besides for some of his recent statements of what they plan to do, such as legislate bread to be priced at 1 shekel, and raising the speed limit to 140 kmph, even greater is his most recent admission - he himself is not going to vote for his own party.
Why won't Rav Amnon Yitzchak be voting for the party he founded and leads? Because Rav Amnon Yitzchak is very extreme in his vews regarding the State of Israel. He is very close to Satmar in his views. He believes the secular State is passul and one cannot vote in the elections.
So, what about running a political party and participating in the democratic process of governance?
He has no problem with that, because while he himself does not vote, he does not have a problem asking people who do vote to vote for him, and he has no problem saying he wants to help, via the government, those people who need his help.
As a matter of fact, he explains that the reason Rav Shteinman supported his opening this new party is because he has a public, outside of the haredi public, that wants to vote for him. It is a mitzvah to get those votes - better they should vote for Rav Yitzchak's party than for who they would have voted for. This approach fits in very well with his approach on voting - he himself won't but he is there to help those who will that at least they should do it right and get helped.
(sources: Kikar and Srugim)
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Rav Amnon Yitzchak has publicly failed as a Jewish leader. When he was caught on camera with an iPhone after publicly calling for people to avoid such things at all costs, his reaction - as stated on his website - was along the lines of, "How dare anyone question Rav Yitzchak - we all know what happens to those who slander the rabbis, etc. He had permission from a gadol hador to use the iPhone for the sake of kiruv!" This stands in stark contrast to the Gemara in Yoma 86a, where Rav states that chilul Hashem is when a leader does something perfectly fine that nonetheless looks wrong. Thus, even if Rabbi Yitzchak had full Halachic sanction to use the iPhone, his apparent hypocrisy demands an apology a la the Gemara in Yoma. Instead, we were treated to a public bashing of anyone who raised the issue.
ReplyDeleteMoreover, his website had a link to a different Rabbi Amnon Yitzchak site, which contained a video comparing Amnon Yitzchak favorably to people in Tanach, including Moshe Rabbeinu! Moreover, the video quoted the Gemara in Taanit which states that the key to Techiat HaMeitim is exclusively G-d's, and was not given to human beings; the video then states that the author of that statement obviously never met Rabbi Yitzchak(!).
By acting hypocritically and refusing to apologize (and, in fact, castigating those who question him), and by allowing his supporters to portray him as a character as great as the greatest Jews in Tanach and greater than the amoraim in the Gemara, Rabbi Yitzchak has forfeited any right to lead.
Caveat emptor...