“Rabbonim rely on special Siyata Dishmaya. Rabbonim do not coronate other rabbonim, nor does the media or others. Rabbonim whose piskei Halacha are followed by more and more of the people and its rabbonim by default become the leaders. The leader of the generation is not subject to coronation but the tzibur makes this decision. When the tzibur in Eretz Yisrael decided to follow Maran ZT”L, my father-in-law, he became who he was due to his greatness, not because of a coronation and not because of the media” stated Rabbi Aaron Butbul, a son-in-law of Maran HaGaon HaRav Ovadia Yosef ZT”L .
Rav Butbul’s made his remarks in a public forum less than two weeks after the announcement naming HaGaon HaRav Shalom Cohen as the new head of the Shas Moetzas Gedolei Yisrael. In the eyes of most, the appointment was nothing more than a power play by Shas’ Aryeh Deri, who continues efforts to surround himself with supports towards thwarting the opposition from the Eli Yishai camp.
Rav Butbul spoke out harshly against the appointment, exclaiming the tzibur is the only body that may decide who is the leader and this is based on the fact a rav enjoys the Siyata Dishmaya to reach such a level and have a growing number of people follow his word.
In response to Rabbi Butbul’s words, HaGaon HaRav David Yosef stated that the Moetzas Gedolei Yisrael voted unanimously to appoint Rav Cohen, adding this is what his late father would have wanted.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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8 Responses
But the State of Israel was founded, and is run by, Europeans with very “state” oriented ideas, and therefore want to have “official” rabbis and official state-sanctioned everything. If Israel had been founded by Americans, the democratic (small “d”) and republican (small “r”) traditions would have led to a less centralized, less bureaucratic, more anarchistical andfreeer religious establishment (such as exists in America).
“In the eyes of most, the appointment was nothing more than a power play by Shas’ Aryeh Deri, who continues efforts to surround himself with supports towards thwarting the opposition from the Eli Yishai camp.”
What kind of hogwash (and moetzi shaim ra) is this?! R’ Shalom Cohen has always been a leading Rabbinic figure in Shas’ Moetzes, and he was appointed as its head by all of its members and with the full support of all of R’ Ovadiya’s sons (as this article itself goes on to mention).
HaGaon HaRav Shalom Cohen shlit”a is the most ideologically and halachically closest to the shittas and positions of Chacham Ovadia Yosef zt”l.
EVERY THING SAID HERE IS IRRELEVANT
the whole subject was based on a radio recording on radio kol barama in israel and if you listen to the recording (as i did ) you will see this whole article ( and the one on kikar hashabbat.com is taken out of context completely, he doesnt mention Harav Shalom Cohen by name and is talking about the general subject of how gedolei yisroel and how they become gedoley yisroel.
#4 You’re right Kikar Shabbat wrote:
הרב בוטבול מבהיר: מינוי הגר”ש כהן – נכון ומתבקש
It’s just that YWN and likewise many of their anti-charedi talkbackers don’t seem to be too pleased with the appointment of this great person Rav Shalom Cohen shlit”a.
Wrong… Rav Amar is closer in shittot to Chachom Yosef ztl
#4 – you are right, he doesn’t mention Maran HaRav Shlomo Cohen by name butit is no coincidence that he spoke when he did and everyone knows who he was talking about. You can be naive if you like but don’t expect the same naivety of others.
There are two separate issues. If you are saying that Harav Cohen is now the posek for the “Shas crowd”, that is up to the people (each individual) to decide whether they want to listen to his Psak or if they would rather follow someone else (Harav Amar Shlit”a, Harav Shmuel Eliyah Shlita, etc). Voting him in doesn’t really do much in that respect other than give him a little more legitimacy than someone else.
The other issue is the Moetzet Gedolei Yisrael of Shas is the body from which influences their political decisions. As it is their party, Shas can appoint whoever they want, and this appointment is definitely political in nature. This doesn’t mean that Harav Cohen is unworthy, but as he was voted into the position, this is definitely a political appointment.
The appointment of Harav Cohen will definitely distance voters, as the core Shas voters are mostly traditional and Dati Leumi voters, and not Sefaradi Haredim. Based on Harav Cohen’s previous comments and the fact that the criminal Deri is heading Shas instead of Eli Yishai, Shas will definitely fall in the next elections.