“The Knesset may not decide anything that has to do with Halacha without the approval of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel and it is important that this is understood regarding coalition agreements of one type or another” exclaimed Rabbi Chaim Druckman Shlita, a prominent dati leumi posek.
Rav Druckman, who heads the Bnei Akiva educational network, explained that matters of Halacha approved by Knesset without approval from a Halachic source, in this case the Chief Rabbinate of Israel “are a joke, have no authority and are not worth the paper they are written on”. The rav stressed the significance of this and that coalition members understand they cannot pass Halachic laws independent of the Chief Rabbinate.
The rav continued by stating it is most serious if anyone in Knesset feels he can pass legislation dealing with Halacha and that said legislation will compel anyone to accept it from a Halachic perspective.
“It is important to stress we are dealing with defrauding the convert in a serious fashion by making them believe their conversion is Halachically acceptable when in fact they will not be viewed as Jews” the rav added, clearly directing his comments to MK (The Movement) Elazar Stern, with the latter pushing his own version of liberal Halacha to simplify the giyur process in Israel.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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4 Responses
The Israelis think otherwise. Under the zionist laws, all halachos are subject to revision by acts of the legislature, and the function of the “Chief Rabbinate” is to carry out the wishes of the Kenesset.
If he believes that Torah is more important than the democratically elected legislature of the zionist state – that he is a hareidi who just doesn’t realize it.
As if Chilonim in Kenesset like Netanyahu, Livni, Lapid, Lipman, Piron, Bennett, Herzog or Zahava Gal-On really care what Rabbi Druckman has to say. They’ll all do what they want regardless.
Halacha is absolute, the oral tradition of the word of G-d passed on from father to son and from teacher to pupil.
Any opinion trying to change it is ourside the pale of Torah Judaism and irrelevant to Halacha.
nathan der weise— So it seems that both you and Rabbi Druckman are hareidi.