There were rumors that Rav Ahron Feldman had backed down from his opposition to the campaign of getting frum people to vote in the World Zionist Organization elections. Supposedly, Rav Pesach Lerner had convinced Rav Shmuel Kaminetzky to back his campaign and Rav Kaminetzky had gotten the shtampel from Rav Chaim Kanievsky that this is the right thing to do in order to "save kodshey yisrael".
It turns out that Rav Feldman has retracted his retraction. In a letter penned by Rav Feldman he explains that incorrect information was presented to Rav Chaim Kanievsky and therefore his opposition is not against gedolei yisrael. He still would submit to their opinion, but only if the issue is presented properly and accurately and he still says to vote. In the meantime, he believes it is prohibited to do so and by voting one signs on to the tenets of Zionism and ignores the Torah and it remains prohibited to do so and to join with the Reform, as has been the position of the gedolim for generations.
I don't really have a solid opinion on this issue but I heard interviews with some of the people pushing the frum vote in WZO and what they said bothered me a tad, though I don't really want to side with Rabbi Feldman. Plus, what bothers me about the vote has nothign to do with what bothers Rav Feldman.
I am wary of going into someone else's house and telling them what to do. WZO is WZO - let them run it the way they want, and if you want to direct money to Israel to causes you prioritize, start your own fund and send the money to your targets. Why force WZO to do what you want? Should we all join reform synagogues and vote for them to install mechitza and get rid of microphones?
Regarding Rav Feldman's issue with Zionism and the Israeli Knesset and frum parties not being similar to voting in the WZO elections, as they take the attitude of just saving what they can but not being active participants in Zionism and the State, I think the last elections, if not one or two prior elections, shows that their stance has changed. The UTJ party campaigned actively as Zionists and shleimut haaretz. They sold themselves to potential Dati voters as being true to the land and with all the slogans of religious zionism. I don't know if Rav Feldman is aware of that, but I wonder what he would say about that change in approach, and if maybe now the two are the same. Maybe he would change his mind regarding WZO, or maybe he would pull his support for UTJ.
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First of all, RAF is not retracting a retraction. He was and is against voting for WZO. What I believe he said is that he is mevatel his daas to RCK, and will not make a public fight about the issue, but he is against voting.
ReplyDeleteRegarding whether we should go into reform shuls and tell them what to do - in essence, that is what they are doing, going to the Kosel which has been a status quo of Mechitza, and trying to use their influence to change things. They are trying to bring reform to many other areas of Eretz Yisroel, which perhaps can be stopped somewhat if there is a large percentage of participants that join a non-reform slate.
a few days ago rav feldman reversed hsi opinion after rav kaminetzky told him that he spoke with rav chaim kanievsly and rav chaim supports voting. I did not post that when it happened. I didnt find anything exciting enough about that to post. In this new letter he is retracting that retraction because now he is saying rav chaim was not presented with the correct information
DeleteEven then he said that he is personally against but will "mevatel daas" ie not challenge R. Chaim's psak
DeleteI've said for years that "da'as torah" isn't about doing what the gedolim tell you to do, it's about doing what you want to and then kevtching (or outright lying) the gedolim into your position. Here we see a blatant example of this, as Feldman goes for the old "That's not what he *really* meant/He was misled" shtick.
ReplyDeleteOf course, one wonders why one should pay any attention to someone is that unclear, uniformed, and/or easily misled, but whatever.
And yeah, they should just shut the WZO (and the JA, and the JNF) down. Everything important they do can be transferred to various ministries of the State. A pittance of people vote in the US, and many of the American seats are given automatically to groups with connections.
I am wary of going into someone else's house and telling them what to do. WZO is WZO - let them run it the way they want, and if you want to direct money to Israel to causes you prioritize, start your own fund and send the money to your targets. Why force WZO to do what you want? Should we all join reform synagogues and vote for them to install mechitza and get rid of microphones?
ReplyDeleteThe whole point is that the reform and conservative are using the WZO as a medium to infiltrate israeli culture and religious practice. The way they do it is by deciding what to do with that money. The way to stop them is by cutting off that money from with in, not setting up chareidi organizations and see who can comes out with the most money at the end of the day.
I hear. that's a good argument.
Deletethough anyway I am not sure I really believe they are willing to put their influence at risk with a public election. I am sure it is rigged somehow that the voting doesnt give anyone enough power to change the way they work. Maybe it gives others a little bit of a voice, but I doubt it gives anyone much more than that
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