They are upset because he participated in an event that included a Reform Rabbi, thus giving them legitimacy.
As I've said before, with the Haredi parties, the attitude is either you are with us or against us. There is no middle ground. The President of Israel is everybody's president, and not just the President of the Orthodox. He is President of the State that is for all the Jewish people, not just the Orthodox. Yet the attitude is he either thinks like us or he is against us. Either he act in the way we want, according to our worldview, or he is against us. They do not recognize the fact that he might have a different opinion, that he himself is not religious (he is traditional), that he is Preisent and has responsibilities. Either you are with us or against us.
This unnamed MK says they knew from the start that Rivlin would be trouble for the Haredim, which is why they initially supported Dalia Itzik and not Rivlin. In the second round they chose Rivlin because the other guy was worse by explicitly giving support to the Reform. And, of course, they take credit for Rivlin's victory, saying he only won because of them, as if that means he owes them, though in truth he won only because of each and every vote he got - not just the votes from one party - i.e. he won only because of the votes from the Likud as much as he only won from the votes of UTJ, and only won from the votes of Habayit Hayehudi and only won from the votes of Shas.
Personally I think there is something else that happened at the ceremony that should anger them more... let's go to the video..
Now that should embarrass us all.
I am happy the Reform rabbi made the brachot and not Rivlin, considering the ceremony was during the day and not at actual lighting time. Interestingly the rabbi modified the bracha and said "שעשה ניסים לאבותינו ולאימותינו" - He performed miracles for our fathers and our mothers in those days...
Unfortunately they do not show us the Maccabeats performance...
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From this past season's Doctor Who:
ReplyDeleteDalek: You are an enemy of the Daleks!
Missy: Of course I am. Anyone's who's not a Dalek is an enemy of the Daleks. Doesn't take much to be one.
Charedim are always upset about something or other. No big deal. I am kind of shocked that the chanukiya was lit incorrectly. You would think that with all the advisors involved, especially the overall protocol advisors, that they would get that small aspect right!
ReplyDeleteplus, this isnt Rivlins first time lighting a menora. The only thing I can think of is that he was a bit flustered by the ceremony. The pomp and circumstance. the white house. the female rabbi. the crowds.
DeleteThe explanation is quite simple... he is a descendant of R' Hillel Rivlin, a close talmid of the Gra. And as is well known, the Gra's position is that the lights are lit in the other direction.
ReplyDelete