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Nov 11, 2013
Law proposal coming to allow for only one Chief Rabbi
A few months back, when the elections for the Chief Rabbinate were getting underway, Minister of Religious Affairs Naftali Bennet said that he is in favor of changing the system of the Chief Rabbinate from two Chief Rabbis to one. He said then that he would work towards that goal, but only after the current election, so as not to change the rules in the middle of the game.
The rabbinate elections are behind us, and Bennet is keeping his word. Bennet and Justice Minister Tzippi Livni are working together, along with Deputy Minister Rav Eli Ben Dahan, have gotten together and submitted a plan to amend the current law. (They submitted what is called a "tazkir chok", which is a preparatory submission for the eventual law proposal)
The details of the proposal can be seen in the document submitted, but the part relevant to us is that they say just as there is one prime minister, one president, one Supreme Court president, one Chief of Staff, etc., so the time has also come for one Chief Rabbi for one nation..
(source: Ynet and Walla)
Both Bennet and Livni posted to their Facebook pages about this. I think it is a great idea that is way past overdue.
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I think it's a terrible idea until Mashiah comes.
ReplyDeleteIt simply won't work and instead of uniting people will cause further Pirud among people.
please explain why you think it will not work and just cause more pirud
DeleteBTW, I have an idea that perhaps they should move to a rotation arrangement. Only 1 chief rabbi, but cut the term to a 5 year term. And, alternate each 5 year term between sefardi and ashkenazi
Delete1) The Rishon Letzion title has existed way before the state did. So why should the state trump the title? Aderaba! The title should continue to exist as it always did. Making an Ashkenazi the Rishon Letzion would be laughed at. And getting rid of an Ashkenazic chief rabbi position would not be fair for the very large Ashkenazic community.
Delete2) Sepharadim need to have their own leader. If not, they will feel like it's just one more example of the Ashkenazim taking over their lives. Even a 5-year rotational period is too long without a Sephardic rabbinical leader. And again, to make the leader always Sepharadi is not right either.
3) Any change in the status quo will just lead to protests against the Ashkenazic establishment and is simply a bad idea.
I hear but dont understand one thing. Whats the significance of the rishon ltzion title that it must continue to be used, and that an ashkenazi cant use it, and that it must be constant (rather than being whenever the chief rabbi is sefardi the title is used and when not, not)?
DeleteWhats the significance of the rishon ltzion title that it must continue to be used
DeleteIn the words of Tevya, "Tradition! Tradition!" There is much history to the title. It's like asking, "What's the significance of the Reish Galuta title in Bavel?" The title is historically important, and its abolishment would be a very sad day in history.
and that an ashkenazi cant use it
Because there is too wide of a cultural and halachic disparity between the two groups. As my father and others say many times: Unity need not mean uniformity.
and that it must be constant (rather than being whenever the chief rabbi is sefardi the title is used and when not, not)
As I explained, the title of Rishon Letzion has always existed since its establishment and any break in its use would be historically upsetting - even for the sake of so-called "Achdus".
and the title can only be used by a chief rabbi? they cant give the rishon ltzion title to a great sefardi rav who is not chief rabbi?
DeleteHistorically, and by definition, the Rishon Letzion is given to the chief rabbi.
ReplyDeleteAfter 1983, it was given to someone who is - or at one point was - the chief rabbi.
WOW! a kiddush Hashem
ReplyDeletehttp://thepartialview.blogspot.com/2013/11/rebbe-goes-public-with-story-that-makes.html
I'm also against this idea that merely diminishes the rabanut instead of making it more prestigious.
ReplyDeleteThe Xians have one pope, there is no reason why we have to have 'one' chief (until Mashiach comes), so davka, we should keep two to show that we are more pluralistic and tolerant of the different traditions.
We have the dumb law (made specifically for Rav Ovadia Yosef) preventing someone over 70 from running for the position (even though there is no limit on any other leadership position). While it is possible that someone young will know halachot of all the traditions, we can also assume that unless this rav is some gaon, he will not be fully immersed in the other minhagim enough to be a posek without needing to consult with others.
We definitely know that this will backfire on the dati-leumi and non-religious Bennet and Livni think they are representing and they risk having only one Haredi rabbi take the position each time (vis a vis my claim that these two want to reduce the stature of the position even further).
Anything religious that is related to Bennet and Livni must certainly be suspicious.
This says a lot:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xL-SoSwWCkA