In the recent edition of the Headlines podcast, on the topic of the religious/haredi organizations promoting people pay to vote, and to vote for religious groups who will redirect funding to more pro-Torah directions, in the upcoming WZO elections, interviewees justified their stance in interesting ways.

While one could say we need to fight them, to take advantage of an opportunity, and gadol x or y says that this is important enough of a goal that we need to change a longstanding policy of not getting involved in such organizations, that is not what they are saying. In the interview they justified their stance promoting frum voting in the WZO elections by saying they are not becomign members - just paying to vote, the ban was always on coordinating and working with clergy - Reform rabbis, and voting in WZO elections is not doing that but only dealing with laymen and lay leadership but not clergy, and the statement being signed on when voting can be understood differently than what the authors intended, in the spirit of Yaakov Avinu's white lie so to speak, so they are not lying by affirming the statement.

Rav Ahron Feldman, Rosh Yeshiva of Ner Yisrael in Baltimore and member of the Moetzes Gedolei Torah of the USA, has published a letter stating otherwise.

Rav Feldman writes that it is forbidden to declare oneself as a member of, or ascribing to a program, of an organization whose platform fails to recognize the Jewish nation is a nation which received the Torah at Mount Sinai. Such a declaration is a chilul hashem and may not be made no matter what material or spiritual benefits will thereby accrue.

that is Rav Feldman's opinion, stated as Daas Torah. It is not the decision of the full Moetzes, so I am not sure if it obligates anyone specifically (besides for Rav Feldman's talmidim). Perhaps the Moetzes should issue an official statement on such an important issue and discussion.

Despite that, Rav Feldman is a serious enough player that his opinion carries a lot of weight and needs to be addressed. I don't think people who live by the dictum of daas torah and following the gedolim can just ignore someone like Rav Feldman. I would be curious to hear their response, whether it is to change their position in accordance with Rav Feldman's opinion or to offer the guidance of another Moetzes member supporting them or to explain why they disagree.

Offhand I would think that their opinion stating that they are not becoming members by paying to vote - they do not receive member benefits (other than voting) or a membership card or any other symbol of membership in return - already preempted Rav Feldman's opinion. He says that it is forbidden to become a member of such an organization, but they say they are not becoming members. Rav Feldman adding "or ascribe to" limits their ability to say that though. it is not just membership in such an organization that would be a chilul hashem, according to Rav Feldman, but participating in their programs is also forbidden.

Another argument I can see put forth is that the statement being signed when voting is affirming one's commitment to "The Jerusalem program. The Jerusalem Program states:

Zionism, the national liberation movement of the Jewish people, brought about the establishment of the State of Israel, and views a Jewish, Zionist, democratic and secure State of Israel to be the expression of the common responsibility of the Jewish people for its continuity and future.
The Jerusalem Program's foundations of Zionism are:

• -The unity of the Jewish people, its bond to its historic homeland Eretz Yisrael, and the centrality of the State of Israel and Jerusalem, its capital, in the life of the nation;

• -Aliyah to Israel from all countries and the effective integration of all immigrants into Israeli society.

• -Strengthening Israel as a Jewish, Zionist and democratic state and shaping it as an exemplary society with a unique moral and spiritual character, marked by mutual respect for the multi-faceted Jewish people, rooted in the vision of the prophets, striving for peace and contributing to the betterment of the world.

• -Ensuring the future and the distinctiveness of the Jewish people by furthering Jewish, Hebrew and Zionist education, fostering spiritual and cultural values and teaching Hebrew as the national language;

• -Nurturing mutual Jewish responsibility, defending the rights of Jews as individuals and as a nation, representing the national Zionist interests of the Jewish people, and struggling against all manifestations of anti-Semitism;

• -Settling the country as an expression of practical Zionism.

There is a lot there about Zionism. The supporters of voting can explain that they understand that to include religious zionism which does recognize the Jewish nation as a nation that received the Torah. They would say the subject lacking in the statement, which is the point of his protest, is really included. I actually think this is more reasonable than their arguments about changing meaning of words, not becoming members, and all that stuff.

Further, many organizations do not explicitly affirm anything about the Jewish nation and the Torah, yet people become members of those organizations without any protest. Does, MDA say anything about the Torah? What about Ichud Hatzala? Those organizations deal with medical emergencies and talk about the importance of saving lives. Why would they need to say anything about the Torah? What about organizations that conduct cancer research or feeding the poor or helping people get parnassa or keeping kids off drugs or Yedidim/chaverim helping people stuck with cars that broke down whatever? As long as any given organization does not state that they do not believe in the Torah and Jewish nation having received it, I dont see why this is really a problem. If it were, frum jews would not be able to be members of, or participants in, many programs and organizations they are part of already. 

Edit: I found this after I wrote the post, so I am adding it with comments but dont have time to go over what I already wrote and possibly rewrite it..

Rav Brudny, also a member of the Moetzes, has a different opinion than Rav Feldman. See this:


I find this intriguing. He compares voting in WZO to UTJ being a participant in the Israeli government. I don't think that is a bad comparison at all. So different Moetzes members clearly have different opinions. Again, it is an issue that is possibly worth convening a meeting of the Moetzes and getting an official opinion about.