Justice Minister Tzipi Livni announced that rabbonim are not above the law, referring specifically to Ramat Gan Chief Rabbi HaGaon HaRav Yaakov Ariel Shlita. Rav Ariel announced that one may not rent one’s apartment to members of the to’eva community. The minister feels this is a discriminatory statement and Israel’s penal law does not tolerate discrimination and one may face imprisonment of up to six months.
Rav Ariel is quoted giving a psak that if one person wishes to rent one may rent a home but if a to’eva couple wishes to rent the home one may not close on such a deal.
Livni announced she told her staff to check the current law to determine if it must be amended to address today’s realities. Today the law does not address discrimination vis-à-vis land.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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20 Responses
Were it actually asur, no Jew in New York could be a landlord.
If the zionist law prohibits anyone and everyone from maintaining a Torah lifestyle, why should rabbanim be exempt? Can they refuse to rent to people who eat cheesburgers and ham sandwiches? Can they refuse to eat to people who watch television on Shabbos?
The truth is its not discrimination. Because if they rent to one its ok. So its not discrimination. Mrs. Livini pick a vicrotiable fight.
Waiting to hear all the Zionist come to her defense.
And neither are her racist laws above the law or bias towards ARABS above the law
Livni is correct. Harav Ariel Shlita is not above the law. But since Harav Ariel did not break any laws, there is no problem here.
Real estate, as opposed to a store, is private property and the owners have the right to sell or rent their property to whoever they want. A store is different, as it is open to the public, so you can’t discriminate who you sell to.
And although Harav Ariel is chief rabbi of Ramat Gan, he is also a very big posek in Israel, and the question was asked on a web site with no connection to Ramat Gan. Had Harav Ariel posted a notice in the name of Rabbanut Ramat Gan, he would have stepped the line, but this is not the case here.
The Zionists don’t understand that while the Rabbi may not be above their invented laws, the Torah which he discusses is, indeed, above their laws.
So if a respected Rabbi claims that al pi halacha it is forbidden then the Zionists will just have to manage without enforcing their invented laws, in that case.
As the Chazon Ish told DBG, the empty wagon (of Zionism) must yield to the full wagon (of, lihavdil, Torah).
As long as she agrees that she’s not above halacha…
Hey all of you guys, Harav Ariel Shlit”a is Zionist. And Religious Zionists don’t like Livni and pretty much disagree with everything she says.
You people have to get it out of your head that Zionism means “we love every government official”. I couldn’t care less about Hertzl or Ben Gurion.
Harav Tzvi Yehuda Kook zt”l said it the best. We need to say Hallel on the Medina (State), and Kinnot on the Memshalah(government).
charliehall : I don’t believe he was talking about large commercial apartment buildings, but of situations such as private individuals renting about space in small buildings they live in. Under American law, there is an exception to the anti-discrimination law. The bottom line, is can Orthodox Jews choose to live in communities with other Orthodox Jews.
More rabbonim should be outspoken on these and other issues
HaKatan says:
May 16, 2014 at 2:35 am
The Zionists don’t understand that while the Rabbi may not be above their invented laws, the Torah which he discusses is, indeed, above their laws.
So if a respected Rabbi claims that al pi halacha it is forbidden then the Zionists will just have to manage without enforcing their invented laws, in that case.
since many times halacha is paskind differently by different rebbies it is invented too.
If religious people will be exempt from the law how far do we go? IF a NK guy has a place and does not want to rent to an IDF member would that be ok?
And what about other religious figure from other religions? would they have a right also to go against the secular law?
ThinkingCap:
Like what?
“Real estate, as opposed to a store, is private property and the owners have the right to sell or rent their property to whoever they want.”
Not true in America. But see below:
“Under American law, there is an exception to the anti-discrimination law. ”
There is indeed an exception under federal law for property owners who rent four or fewer units. However, local laws in some places do not have such an exception; I know for example that in California there is no such exception. If you are a landlord and a gay couple wants to rent from you you can’t turn him down because they are gay. And there is no small unit exception for purchasing residential property.
“The bottom line, is can Orthodox Jews choose to live in communities with other Orthodox Jews.”
Yes, and these discrimination laws protect us from bigoted landlords who would like to freeze us out.
Rav Ariel is a very respected posek; chas v’shalom he not be entitled to pasken a shilah! If he is your rav, you can’t be a landlord in much of the US. (I don’t know what Israel’s antidiscrimination laws say.)
For all those waiting for the “Zionist response” it is right there. Rav Ariel is a Zionist. And Tzipi Livni does not speak for us.
Charlie,
As is typical, you are changing what you said. You said NY then you went clear across the continent to California. How typical.
Shreadready,
What are you blithering about?
The only thing that seems clear is that you feel there is no need to follow Halacha.
Not surprising. Not something that has not long been evident.
charliehall brengt a raaya fun california er brengt a raaya