Hagon Rav Shmuel Halevi Wosner Shlita, paid a visit to Hagon Chacham Ovadia Yosef today, at his home on Rechov HaKablan in Har Nof, Yerushalayim.
The visit, which lasted approximately 30 minutes, took place after many years of the two Poskei Hador not having the chance to meet with each other.
The conversation of the meeting involved the recent controversial issue of the IDF conversion, and the two senior Poskim spent the meeting discussing the Halachos of Geiyrus.
Following a Psak Halacha by Chacham Ovadia approving 4,500 conversions conducted by the IDF, leading Gedolim – including the Eida Chareidis – came out in strong opposition. A letter of Gedolim had signed a letter of protest against the Psak halacha (although refrained from mentioning Chacham Ovadia’s name). It escalated to the point that today (Wednesday) had originally been scheduled as a day of protest, and a massive Hafgana had been planned. Those plans changed this past Sunday, when a high-profile visit of Sephardic Rabbonim, along with Shas Minister Eli Yishai, were sent by Chacham Ovadia to the homes of the Gavad Eida Chareidis, and Maran Hagon Rav Eliyashiv Shlita.
At those meetings a compromise was made between the Gedolim.
According to the compromise – brokered by former Shas Chairman Aryeh Deri – Chacham Yosef added a restriction to his ruling, stating that a convert who did not really intend on adopting a religious lifestyle while undergoing the conversion process would not be recognized as a Jew.
According to reports, Rav Wosner had spoken on the phone this past Friday with Chacham Ovadia, and had arranged today’s meeting.
At the meeting, the two Poskim exchanged their latest Seforim with each other. Before parting, Rav Wosner reportedly asked Chacham Ovadia for his mothers name, so he can be Mispallel for his well being. The two Poskim said they would try and meet each other again in the near future.
(Dov Gordon – YWN Israel)
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6 Responses
Maybe now moshiah can come.
gabs911 its not as rare as you think.you should just know that these two rabonim have always respected each other highly, and speak on the phone more often than they meet in person. rav ovadia always sends a copy of his newest sefer to rav vozner and rav vosner quotes rav ovadia in his sefer many times (sheivet haleivi)
#2 – will you please accord the Rav Shlita the due Kovod that he deserves by spelling his name correctly. It is Wosner not Vozner. I should know, I am a near korov.
Hendoner, I don’t know about London, but in our circles he’s called Rav Vozner, with a V.
Besides, another piece of advice: don’t take it too much to heart when someone misspells a name; it can raise your blood pressure which in turn can lead to many different bad things…
That is well appreciated hendoner. However in E”Y he and his son are known as Rav Vosner as W is not pronounceable in Hebrew and I believe also not in European languages, which then name comes from.
Do we CARE how Rav Wosner Vosner spells his name?!?! Gevald! Its a transliteration of yiddish or hebrew anyway. Dont you have anything better to be upset at?? You must be really really bored!