After his recent Bnei Brak audience with HaGaon HaRav Chaim Kanievsky Shlita, Tzfas Sephardi Chief Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu met in secret with Rabbi Avraham Rubinstein. According to the exclusive Kikar Shabbat report, the two met on Sunday, 8 Tammuz 5773 in the mayor’s office in Bnei Brak, realizing Rubinstein is the secretary of the Degel Hatorah Moetzas Gedolei Hatorah.

It appears Rav Eliyahu, who is seeking to become the next Rishon L’Tzion, has been exerting significant efforts towards obtaining the endorsement of Gedolei Yisrael Shlita in Bnei Brak. Rav Eliyahu, a son of Rishon L’Tzion HaGaon HaRav Mordechai Eliyahu ZT”L is viewed as a member of the right-wing dati leumi camp, a respected rav posek in that tzibur.

Kikar reports that senior Degel officials have given their green light towards selecting the appropriate candidate, as the chareidi party wishes to see what it views as an appropriate rov serving as chief rabbi. The meeting also serves as a signal to Shas, perhaps a willingness by the Ashkenazi chareidi MKs to collaborate with the chareidi dati leumi camp towards selecting the correct candidate as ties between Yahadut Hatorah and Shas have been strained of late.

As he did in the meeting with Rav Kanievsky, Rav Eliyahu opted to focus on the issues of giyur and the upcoming shmitah year, 5775 and the importance of having a strong Chief Rabbinate of Israel.

Rav Eliyahu is aware that the Gedolim Shlita have yet to announce their candidate and he hopes to win over their endorsement to become the next Rishon L’Tzion.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)