With the Chief Rabbinate Council set to meet Rabbi Shlomo Riskin towards making a decision regarding his possible forced retirement, Tzohar Rabbonim founder Rabbi Rafi Feuerstein comments on the matter.
Rabbi Feuerstein spoke with Srugim News about the matter of moving a rav from his post. Rabbi Feuerstein explained “I am most concerned” as he feels “The Chief Rabbinate has become the representative of only one sector”, referring to the chareidim. He feels “this is particularly worrisome because they don’t participate in the responsibilities of the nation including IDF service and the economy. It is an important tzibur and I want to give a chizuk but it is totally unacceptable for it to intervene in areas that this tzibur does not understand. It does not live with the dati leumi tzibur. This tzibur lives alone but claims to represent the religion of the State of Israel for all sectors including sectors it does not identify with or understand”.
Feuerstein believes that if Rabbi Riskin is disqualified because of his hashkafa “tomorrow ploni will be disqualified for saying Hallel on Independence Day or for supporting heter mechira. We know they disqualified Rabbi Yaakov Ariel because he supports heter mechira. This is unacceptable. If you wish to be a partner in shaping the Jewish identity of the nation, then you must accept the consensus opinion upon yourselves. It is your right to me machmir in any area you wish, but you cannot take over all the kehillos. Be machmir amongst yourselves but do not force this hashkafa on the general public. Today it is his position (Rabbi Riskin) regarding giyur. Tomorrow it’s Hallel on Independence Day and in a number of years you will disqualify others because of heter mechira”.
Rabbi Feuerstein is critical of the appointment of dayanim and civil services rabbis heading cities by Shas, explaining Shas simply takes care of giving its own jobs and this is a Chilul Hashem. “This minority, which I have enormous respect for, cannot overrun the system. They appoint dayanim to provide jobs rather than appointing the most suitable candidates. The same holds true for rabbinical appointments. They should check who they are appointing. It is not about providing jobs and this is a Chilul Hashem. This is a Chilul Hashem for they leave the tzibur with the feeling that Yiddishkheit is about power and not spiritual”.
Rabbi Feuerstein explains he and his colleagues are in favor of the Chief Rabbinate and he clarifies “If we do not pull together we will have to act. We of Tzohar Rabbonim are very in favor of the Chief Rabbinate. We are the students of Rav Kook but we feel we are approaching a red line, an encounter between Yiddishkheit and state agencies and this is causing a Chilul Hashem. They are proving that such an encounter is dangerous. I hope they come to their senses because otherwise we will have to consider our actions”.
The rabbi added he is not intending to sound harsh but it is not just Tzohar Rabbonim and they feel the Chief Rabbinate is “shooting itself in the foot” by its actions.
YWN notes that Chief Rabbi of Efrat Rabbi Shlomo Riskin has previously referred to “J” as a “model Rabbi”, and called him “Rabbi J”. [VIDEO IS BELOW]
Some excerpts of the 5 minute video:
Shalom to all. My name is Shlomo Riskin. I am the Chief rabbi of the City of Efrat…..I am an Orthodox Rabbi…and an Orthodox Rabbi who is very profoundly interested in religion in general, in Christianity, and especially in the persona of Jesus in particular….I was truly fascinated by the personality of Jesus, whom to myself I have always referred to as “Rabbi Jesus”….because I think he is indeed a “model Rabbi” in many counts…and he lived the life of a Jewish Rabbi in Israel in a very critical time in our history…..I have constantly come back to the study of his personality and his teachings which are very strongly rooted in Talmudic teachings…..”
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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19 Responses
I don’t know how this man can call himself an “orthodox Rabbi”!! If he refers to Yashka YMS”V as a “Rabbi” he is an APIKORES!!!
afar lipumey!
Rav Riskin, shlita, is among the most admired and respected frum rubbunim in eretz yisroel today. Those ignorant and jealous political hacks in the office of the chief Rabbunus who seek to take away his position will suffer the same fate as history has always accorded those who try to silence the true voices of yiddeshkeit.
Another wonderful example of where the Tzohar guys stand.
They’re willing to sell their Yidishkeit for the big worry of Hallel on Yom Haatzmaut.
Of course it’s a nutty comparison. Hallel was a view held by some Rabbonim in the last generation, but this fellow is breaking old fences in Hichos Shabbos, “J”, etc…
You’re not an orthodox rabbi or a rabbi to begin with. You’re a misguided spiritually sick Jew.
R Feuerstein is either being very dishonest or he knows nothing about riskin in which case he would not be too happy to have his people equated to him.
This is very out of character of me, but I must speak pretty harsh in this case.
How stupid can you be, Rabbi Feuerstein?! Rabbi Riskin is at risk of losing his position on a technicality, not blatant discrimination like you’d want people to believe!
Granted, I’ll agree with you that the reason they are not letting an oversight be overlooked in this case is because they dislike him. However, there is good cause for this. Besides his idiotic Rabbi “J” statement, he has a lot of treif hashkafot that even Mizrachi Rabbanim will agree cross the line.
To extend their forced resignation over to not permitting Zionistic views is not only a ridiculous stretch, it’s propaganda at it’s best. It also shows how much “Sinat Chinam” this excuse for a Rabbi (I.E. Rafi Feuerstein) has for other Jews that do not conform to his views and life style. SHAME ON HIM!
Just to put the nail in the coffin, keep in mind that the Chief Rabbinate is on the Zionist government’s payroll. Do you REALLY think that a ZIONIST government is going to allow a Rabbi to be fired because he’s a Zionist?! REALLY?!?!? STOP CRYING WOLF rabbi feuerstein!!!!!
To summarize, Rabbi Riskin’s “possible” forced retirement is his own fault! He knew the law and the deadline to submit a request for extension and he did not abide by it. Did he feel he was somehow above the law?! In any other government department they will not take “I forgot” as an excuse, so why are we looking to make exceptions here?!
Calling a Spade a Spade!
– Softwords (usually)
does he really mean to say that having a tora perspective shouldn’t be a requirement. perhaps he also holds that it’s okay to call a gay community Orthodox even if they’re in direct violation of the law
Rabbi Feuerstein: There is a very big difference between reciting Hallel on ה׳ אייר, holding of the היתר מכירה, and the stuff that Rabbi Riskin says. He is an אפיקורס. If you can’t see the difference, you have missed the boat. I seriously doubt that Rav Kook would have defended Rabbi Riskin. And to include Rav Kook’s name in this argument is also disrespectful to Rav Kook.
For yeshiva world, not to mention that this was for a christian audience ,is not very honest.all the best
Moderator’s Note: And if it was in fact for a Christian audience?
if the moderator is so convinced there is an issue here why not write a letter to JPost which a few times airs ews regarding the issue with Rabbi Riskin but all the letters are from those supporting him. Nomention any where was regarding Jesis.
…then you mucmmust accept the consensus of the people!!!”
Blasphemous!
אפיקורסות!
The chief rabbinate is upholding the value and spirit of the עם הנבחר and all that it holds sacred and you people just see it as an evolving religion and that you can shape it any which you wish!
Do that with your Shabbos bread and your holiday lunch parties! Don’t “tcheppeh” with our haliger yiddishkite!
Riskin did that all the years! He is not a spokesman for yiddishkite! He can make up his own new religion if he wants just as mormon did and Mohammed before him He can take his followers with but yiddishkite it is not!
I am confused. Doesn’t the Chief Rabbinate advocate both the heter mechirah and the saying of Hallel on Independence Day?
👿👹, I can’t believe this is true! Either there is a “photoshop” like program for videos or this guy seriously lost it !!!!!
Ya, sure!
And Cinderella is a model rebetzin!
#3 Gadolhadorah – I’m not sure if your ego is just seriously over inflated or if your ignorance so highly surpasses your arrogance. Regardless, you are making statements that are so blatantly incorrect that it’s hard not to believe that you are just being sarcastic.
I do think it is worthy of note the message in the video was to a Christian audience. However, I think its obvious missionaries may use it in their efforts (as J4J use alleged Jews in their ads) or any Jews in the audience may get a wrong message. Also Truth shouldn’t change based on audience.
GDOLHADOR- Phew!!! close call….. if he would have called j a model g-d he wouldve really been chyav misah. I guess he’ll have to settle for Malkus,and being a bonifide apikores, kofer, and Mokir Shem Elilim….. (not sure about the “frum” part though…..)
riskind is YAYSHOO YSV on both