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May 7, 2013
Bennet does not listen to rabbonim
So, one of the big news items of the day is that Rav Dov Lior has accused Naftali Bennet of not listening to the rabbonim.
The specific claim is that Bennet is working to advance the candidacy of Rav Dovid Stav for Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi, rather than support the deal with Shas that would promote Rav Ariel for Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi. Supposedly Rav Lior has every intention to fight Bennet on this and against the possibility of expanding the election board as doing so might end up including inappropriate people on the board.
Putting aside for a moment the discussion of this being a conflict between Tekuma and Mafdal, and it might indicate the beginning of a split.... there really is nothing new here.
Habayit HaYehudi, as much as their predecessors in the form fo the Mafdal, have never claimed they listen to rabbonim. As a matter of fact, they have claimed exactly the opposite - that they specifically do not listen to the rabbonim. They have said time and again that they do ask for advice from their rabbonim, they take counsel with the rabbonim, but they have no obligation to follow any advice given./ It is advice, and sometimes they might follow it, and other times they might not.
I do not know if Rav Lior expected Habayit Hayehudi to suddenly change its stripes, but there is really nothing new about this. Bennet does not listen to rabbonim. That is true. He never claimed to.
The specific claim is that Bennet is working to advance the candidacy of Rav Dovid Stav for Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi, rather than support the deal with Shas that would promote Rav Ariel for Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi. Supposedly Rav Lior has every intention to fight Bennet on this and against the possibility of expanding the election board as doing so might end up including inappropriate people on the board.
Putting aside for a moment the discussion of this being a conflict between Tekuma and Mafdal, and it might indicate the beginning of a split.... there really is nothing new here.
Habayit HaYehudi, as much as their predecessors in the form fo the Mafdal, have never claimed they listen to rabbonim. As a matter of fact, they have claimed exactly the opposite - that they specifically do not listen to the rabbonim. They have said time and again that they do ask for advice from their rabbonim, they take counsel with the rabbonim, but they have no obligation to follow any advice given./ It is advice, and sometimes they might follow it, and other times they might not.
I do not know if Rav Lior expected Habayit Hayehudi to suddenly change its stripes, but there is really nothing new about this. Bennet does not listen to rabbonim. That is true. He never claimed to.
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Surely Bennet is listening to a rav... Rav Stav?
ReplyDeleteIts not as clear cut as you make it. The Mafdal was always split on the issue of whether it must listen to Rabbanim or not. Many of the past leaders did, some didn't, and some were somewhere in the middle.
ReplyDeleteBennet is somewhat unusual in stating publicly that he will only consult with rabbis, however it still remained to be seen whether he feels obligated (religiously or politically) to do so.
And of course there is always the question..which rabbonim you choose to listen to. Harav Lior seems surprised it isn't him..
Harav Ronsky is often seen beside Bennett, and the 2 are speaking everyday (as they said explicitly a couple of time).
ReplyDeleteThis whole thing looks more like the last cry of the rabbanim chardalim which got used to dictate their policy for the last 15 years.
Until now, Rav Lior had direct influences on the political scene.
If Yahudut HaTorah and Shas are providing an example of how political parties that listen to "the rabbis" operate, I think Bennett and Beit Yehudi are far better off not listening to "the rabbis." But in any case perhaps he is listening to a "rabbi", as Rabbi Slifkin notes above, rather than "the" rabbis - although I'm not sure why Rav Lior would warrant "the" any more than Rav Stav or any other rabbi or group of rabbis.
ReplyDelete