Maranan Rabbanan Gedolei Yisrael Shlita have released a kol korei instructing the tzibur to vote “Gimmel”, Yahadut HaTorah in Tuesday’s general election.
Signatures includes Rav Elyashiv Shlita, Vishnitzer Rebbe Shlita, Rav Shteinman Shlita, Belzer Rebbe Shlita, Gerrer Rebbe Shlita, Sadigura Rebbe Shlita, Rav Karelitz Shlita, Tzanzer Rebbe Shlita, Rav Kanievsky Shlita, Boiyaner Rebbe Shlita, Rav Shmuel Orbach Shlita, Moditzer Rebbe Shlita, Rav Yitzchak Sheiner Shlita, Rav Shmerler Shlita (Rosh Yeshiva Tzanz), and Rav Nosson Tzvi Finkel Shlita.
(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
26 Responses
Can you publish the actual Kol Korei or at least the full list of all the Gedolei HaDor who have come out in support?
Are there any other signatures?
Are Gedolei Yisrael saying anything about which canidate to vote for Rosh Memshala? Or perhaps not to vote for any of them?
What’s wrong with shas????
Rav Lefkowitz wrote a seperate letter in support of “Gimel” – Yahadut HaTora. A full list of all the signatures is available at לדעת נט.
whats wronk with likud
#4, there is no such thing. The leader of the biggest party (with the largest number of seats) becomes PM. It is not like the municipal elections, where one can vote separately for the city council and for the mayor.
If Kadima gets more votes, Livni becomes PM. If Likud gets more votes, Netanyahu becomes PM. IF Ra-am-Tal gets more votes, Haniyeh comes PM.
Kol Korei:
For the sake of Eretz Yisroel vote Ichud Leumi!
The only party that will properly oppose a capitulation plan..
A Yahadut haTorah rep phoned yesterday and told me that he is calling to tell people to vote for a charedi party and Shas is just as good as Gimmel. Later I was told by a friend that Shas has a better chance of getting into this government, but if the charedim don’t vote Gimmel, then yahadut haTorah may not have a chance at all.
It would be nice if the Ashkenazi and Sefardi gedolim worked together.
#3-the only people who can vote for Rosh Memshalah (Prime Minister) are the members of the parliament. Given that Livni favors drafting yeshiva students, the best hope is for a government that doesn’t need to include Kadimah or Lieberman (but needs Shas and Yahadut HaTorah).
I thought Rav Kanievsky made it clear that he would not get involved in politics in a previous post.
Slonimer Rebbe and Rachmastrivka Rebbe are conspicuously absent. Anyone know what to make of that?
This is a situation where one should bear in mind The mitzvat “Lo sahseh” of “Lo Sosur Min Hadovor…” and the drashas Chazal “afilu al yemin shehu smoil”, because as erliche yidden, we are obligated to listen to the Gedoilem even when we think otherwise, despite our personel opinions and disagreement. Yes, it is challenging.
And if you refuse to vote in the elections because it is avoda zarah (see Vayoel Moshe), then what?!
Israeli/#14,
Your facts about the Sanhedrin are correct, but it proves exactly the opposite of what you wrote! That is during the Sanhedrin’s deliberations. Once the Sanhedrin reaches a verdict, all (including the very members of that Sanhedrin that voted in the minority) must accept the Sanhedrin’s decision wholeheartedly and put aside all their own personal reservations about the decision.
I am deeply perturbed by your comparing the actions of the Gedolim to the Church.
goodyiddel/#16,
Then you would be following Daas Torah by not voting.
Kol Hakovod.
#16 – that depends on whether Israel is a “Jewish” state, or merely a non-Jewish state with many Jews in it. Certainly much of the world sees it as a piece of the Arab world that has been “gerrymandered” to give it a Jewish majority.
If the pro-Hamas Arabs can compete in the election, perhaps the anti-zionist Hareidim might consider doing so as well. On economic and social issues, they agree with both the pro-Hamas Arabs as well as most Shomer Shabbos Jews (regardless of their views on territory).
akuperma (#19),
I’m offended that you compare anti-Zionist haredim to pro-Hamas Arabs. Even though anti-Zionist haredim have despicable views, they are not the same as the murderous pro-Hamas Arabs.
akuperma/#19
You miseed goodyiddel/#16’s point. If Daas Torah tells him not to vote in any zionist elections, then that is what he must do. Not vote.
Brisk, Satmar, etc. are very clear: Do not vote. They refuse to take zionist money as well.
#14….get a rav!!
Israeli/#17,
It was you who brought up the Sanhedrin in a misleading comparison, and it was I who pointed out thay your use of the Sanhedrin was in fact pointing to the exact opposite of what you portended!
Secondly, the Rabbonim today function in many capacities that we have lost without the Sanhedrin in session.
Thirdly, who gives a hoot what the Church does or doesn’t do, or what their religious doctrine is or isn’t. We have our Torah, and the Gedolim and Rabbonim are its interpreters for us.
You had a big chutzpa to compare the Gedolim to the Church. You ought to ask them for mechila.
My last comment was intended to be addressed to Israeli/#24
“while we believe that the Sanhedrin operated with Siyata DeShemaya, we do not believe that they could not make mistakes”
Rashi: Afilu im omrim al yemin shehu smol, v’al smol shehu yemin.
Israeli/#28,
I’m sorry that the Mesorah offends your mo-dl sensibilities. Your original post was a deliberate attempt to misrepresent the deliberation proceedings of the Sanhedrin into something it is not. You literally did a vnhapoch hu, and tried to portray it as the exact opposite of reality!
Secondly, the Gedolim themselves said it is a chiyuv. (“Maranan Rabbanan Gedolei Yisrael Shlita have released a kol korei instructing the tzibur to vote “Gimmel””) So your repugnant comparison to the Church was of the Gedolim themselves. Mechila would be a wise election for you to pursue with Gedolei Yisroel.
Thirdly, I’ve never advised you what you are required to do. The Gedolim advised their adherents, and you follow you’re Rabbi, should you happen to have one. The point is, if someones Rabbonim decree something is a mandate, some midget has no right to dispute that.
And finally, you attempted to portray the Sanhedrin as an error-prone body, and that the Klal needs to evaluate their decisions. This is a gross distortion of the truth, as the Rashi I quoted made clear.
And as a postscript, IY’H when I am zoicha to live in Eretz Yisroel, I will not be a voter.
Kol Tuv
Israeli-Yid:
You have to chill a bit. So you made a mistake in how you compared it to the sanhedrin. Everyone makes mistakes in life. You shouldn’t get all offended when someone points out your mistake. You acknowledge it and move on. And you definitely shouldn’t try to defend your mistake till the end. THAT is a lack of Emes.
I’m sure you didn’t mean to intentionally compare the Rabbonim here to the Pope, Chas V’Chalila. But what you send in your first post on this thread essentially did just that. I don’t know that you need to ask the Rabbonim individually for forgiveness but you should at least post a public retraction here where you made that comment.
Its time to put more focus on the Yid, and less on the Israeli.
Dear Reb Israeli-Yid:
1: One of your above comments gave the impression (apparently unintentionally) that you felt that since the Sanhedrin can be wrong, the common man has a right to make that determination and perhaps act accordingly.
2: The Rabbonim’s decision IS binding on their kehila.
3: We are obligated to follow OUR (meaning each or own) Rabbonim/Daas Torah. Your comments seemingly makes light of this fact. This is so despite the fact that the Rabbonim, much like the Sanhedrin, are not infallible. No one is claiming otherwise.
4: The way they relate to the Rabbonim/Daas Torah is correct. That they MUST follow their Rabbonim/Daas Torah’s kol koreh, as in the story of this thread. You dismissed this fact with a comparison to, lhavdil elef havdolos, the Church.
5: Again, each of us must follow OUR Rabbonim/Daas Torah, not the next guy. Joseph didn’t claim otherwise. (Although you seem to have misread some of the comments.)
So to sum it up, you do what YOUR Rav said – vote for whichever clown you want. And those that are followers of the Gedolim listed above in this story, have been instructed by their Daas Torah that they should vote Gimmel, and therefore that is what they MUST do.
And THAT is the Emes.