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Oct 22, 2014
thoughts on the Jerusalem Chief Rabbinate race
thoughts on the chief rabbinate of Jerusalem elections:
- Rav Moshe Chaim Lau has now lost two chief rabbinate races in just a few months. It is clear the only reason he was imported to the Jerusalem race was because of his family name giving him a chance to win. Jerusalem has plenty of qualified rabbis.
- to continue that thought, with Rav Lau having now lost two chief rabbi races, will he be marked as a "loser" and end up with no further opportunities? Will his family connections prevent that? Is he "big" enough for this to not happen? Peres was branded a "loser", but that did not prevent him from running and eventually winning...
- Rav Shlesinger saved himself the loss by pulling out, though that situation was dirty. UTJ should have backed him instead of Lau considering his loyalty to UTJ leadership, his standing in the Jerusalem rabbinate, and his many years of experience and reputation. All this makes the original point clear to me that Rabbi Lau was only brought in because of his name. Perhaps all this was maneuvered in order to save Rav Shlesinger's reputation.
- the entire method of rabbinic elections needs to be somehow reformed. It is too political, too dirty, and that is not how rabbinics should be determined.
- the Sefardi situation is just strange, with Shas and Rav Amar's alternating cold and hot relationship.
- may the winners serve Jerusalem, Israel and the Jewish people with honor and dignity.
- Rav Moshe Chaim Lau has now lost two chief rabbinate races in just a few months. It is clear the only reason he was imported to the Jerusalem race was because of his family name giving him a chance to win. Jerusalem has plenty of qualified rabbis.
- to continue that thought, with Rav Lau having now lost two chief rabbi races, will he be marked as a "loser" and end up with no further opportunities? Will his family connections prevent that? Is he "big" enough for this to not happen? Peres was branded a "loser", but that did not prevent him from running and eventually winning...
- Rav Shlesinger saved himself the loss by pulling out, though that situation was dirty. UTJ should have backed him instead of Lau considering his loyalty to UTJ leadership, his standing in the Jerusalem rabbinate, and his many years of experience and reputation. All this makes the original point clear to me that Rabbi Lau was only brought in because of his name. Perhaps all this was maneuvered in order to save Rav Shlesinger's reputation.
- the entire method of rabbinic elections needs to be somehow reformed. It is too political, too dirty, and that is not how rabbinics should be determined.
- the Sefardi situation is just strange, with Shas and Rav Amar's alternating cold and hot relationship.
- may the winners serve Jerusalem, Israel and the Jewish people with honor and dignity.
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Labels:
Chief Rabbinate,
Jerusalem
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If you started, then go all the way. Rav Shmuel was also caught up in two rabbincal elections and was both times abandoned by the dati-leumi party which he himself pushed and supported during the elections.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure why Rav Shlesinger has a chip with the party. The party has no opinion and is supposed to do daat Torah. The Bayit Hayehudi on the other hand does not have any obligation to rabbis (rachmana leitlan) so for them it is all political and deals.
As for the format of the elections, everything is politics. The Sanhedrin was not politics?
I think in our fairly tale version of memories and impressions of the sanhedrin, we think of them as not having been political but of pure motives and only the truly best were selected. sort of like how we remember the religious level of pre-war europe, the jews of the temple period, or even just romanticizing the days of our childhood or of the old country (wherever that was)
DeleteFor sure, but at the end of the day, politics is not new under the sun and even if the decision is made by rabbis, then bad and good intentions are involved. i would assume though that at certain times, some ruach hakodesh was in play so that there was no doubt, perhaps even in recent times of the 20th century, which rabbi would be supported, but I am too young to remember.
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