Chief Ashkenazi Rabbi David Lau and former Rishon L’Tzion HaGaon HaRav Shlomo Moshe Amar Shlita presided over the annual Chaim C’Halacha kenos held in the Rishon L’Tzion Hesder Yeshiva on Sunday, 5 Elul 5773.
Rav Amar spoke of the issues facing the Chief Rabbinate today, the need to improve services dealing with conversion and adherence to Shabbos. He told dozens of dati leumi community rabbonim that in his view, the giyur by the state and the IDF are kosher bedi’eved in his opinion. He called for patience and tolerance by all concerned towards reaching amicable solutions to these critical issues.
Rabbi Lau thanked his host, Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Shlomo Levy for the event. Rabbi Lau explained “We must remember that while we enjoy and benefit from the day, there is always someone working. It is not simple for the competition is significant and the potential for earning high,” he stated regarding working on Shabbos. The rav questioned what Israel as the Jewish state can project to the world, citing it is not enough to SMS one another and to post status messages. “In this area we can go back [to the ways of yesteryear] and remember we have Shabbos which offers us, the Jews, an opportunity to refrain from the day-to-day activities.
Tzohar Rabbis leader Rabbi Rafi Feuerstein feels that religious coercion is not the way to bring others on board, and while there is a civil law categorizing Shabbos as the national day of rest, he does not feel it is always wise to take this approach. He does feel however that the laws pertaining to marriage and divorce must be adhered to for if not, then “we will be two nations” he pointed out.
Feuerstein feels that on a national level if there is a change in state religious services and education, then the real change will be seen by all.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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9 Responses
At least, Rabbi Lau is going out and engaging with all the state Rabbonim and connecting with them to better the system of the country’s Rabbinate. Kol hakavod.
Chief Ashkenazi? Sounds like the head of an Indian tribe 🙂
with all due respect to Rabbi Feurstein ( and I have heard him speak – he is a special person) – Israel is going to the direction of 2 nations and unfotunately – ther will probably be Megulot Yochasim here soon – as the Hefker way of life that is lived by many in “Medinat Tel Aviv” will be problomatic as people live together and have children etc and all this liberalism will have terrible ramifications as to Mamzerus etc
And I think that what he is suggesting will be seen as religious coercion as well
I wish Rav Lau much Hatzlacha in bettering the Rabbanut and making it more relevant – in a positive way – to the general Israeli population.
an Israeli Yid
#3
As far as I always understood:
There is only one way to beget a mamzer, an Eishet Ish with someone who is not her husband.
All the other combinations/ways are frowned on, may be called mamzer sometimes but strictly (halachically) speaking they aren’t a mamzer and you can marry them (if they are jewish, ie. jewish mom).
Even among the not (yet) religious in Israel those that get married are a lot less likely to “sleep around”.
Please be very careful before being motzi shem ra on am yisrael.
#4, the issue isn’t about znus (in today’s terms), it’s about women who marry, then get divorced not in accordance to halacha, then get remarried, so they are a full-fledged eishes ish, living with another man, resulting in the children being mamzeirim
“There is only one way to beget a mamzer, an Eishet Ish with someone who is not her husband.”
Well there are other ways, such as with a close relative, but those situations rarely come up. And every Jew has a chazakah of NOT being a mamzer so it is rare that any beit din could ever prove someone unequivocably of being a mamzer.
#6 – I think your comment was addressed to #3, not to me.
an Israeli Yid
#8, I think #6 was addressed to #4 not #3