Rabbi Ratzon Arussi, who heads the Chief Rabbinate of Israel Marriage Division, spoke with Kol Chai Radio host Elad Kinas during the midday news program today, 18 Cheshvan.
The interview was prompted by the decision of Minister of Religious Affairs Yaakov Margi to prevent Tzohar rabbonim from conducting a chupah.
It was then announced that Tzohar was back in business, having reached agreement with the minister.
Kol Chai (KC):
Shalom and good afternoon Rabbi Arussi. Does the Rabbinate side with the agreement reached between Minister Margi and Tzohar rabbonim?
Rabbi Arussi (RA):
I do not know of such an agreement and I do not know what it can be based on since the regulations states a rav may marry a couple providing one of the two are residents of his city. If either is not a resident of the city then the rav may not marry them. This is not a new rule but one that has been in existence for a long time.
Tzohar wishes to change this by means of Knesset legislation, seeking to create jurisdictional offices that will serve couples wishing to get married. The requirement of being a resident is important and there is logic to it. For one thing, a rav of a city has the ability to investigate the couple, to probe claims that they are both single and not married, that they are both Jewish and these are fundamental factors. From the moment that we deregulate this, how we will be able to verify if one is Jewish in accordance to Halacha.
KC:
To the best of my knowledge, the regulations today do not require one to be a resident of a city for a minimum period of time. Therefore, I can change my address to any location and a moment later file to get married in that city or municipality.
RA:
This is correct and there rules as well as exceptions, but nevertheless it is good the rules exist. At times, the rav marrying a couple will have to contend with this. In addition, once I change today’s reality, the probe into a couple’s suitability in the eyes of Halacha will be far more invasive, since as residents of a city, the rav conducts this probe in a friendly atmosphere. Moving to some type of regional system will eliminate this atmosphere.
Alternatively, I will remain friendly but I will comprise the integrity of the probe regarding a couple’s Jewishness and validating they are both Halachically single.
KC:
How is it that rabbonim from Tzohar have been marrying people for a decade and suddenly it becomes problematic? They report 20,000 couples were married by Tzohar rabbonim.
RA:
First of all, this is not the case and they only became bold recently. They claim that the Badatz Sheiris Yisrael in Bnei Brak is marrying young men who have no connection to the city. This too is unacceptable and Sheiris must comply with regulations the same as all others. We cannot enforce regulations for one sector and not the other.
KC:
So you are telling me that from now on the Chief Rabbinate of Israel is changing its policy regarding the autonomy that has been granted to the various badatzim for the chareidi community? Is the main bone of contention Tzohar’s claim if discrimination against the organization as compared to the badatzim?
RA:
There are only two badatzim to register weddings. First is the Eida Chareidis which was established before the state, and this organization generally only registers the tzibur from its community, in Yerushalayim, so there is no conflict here. The other is Sheiris Yisrael in Bnei Brak, acting as an agent of the city’s rabbanut. There are now reports that Sheiris is marrying others, those who are not residents of the city.
When the rules are enforced, they must be enforced equally but I do not believe that Tzohar would accept this, since they have a lobby in Knesset [referring to the HaBayit HaYehudi Party] working to legislate a bill into law to circumvent the current regulations.
Now we face a dilemma, not just the probe to verify one’s status, if one is Halachically Jewish, but also concerning the image of a rav in Israel. A mora d’asra; if they take from this mora d’asra the kashrus, marriages, eruv and mikvaos due to a national initiative, what will remain for this mora d’asra? That which will remain for him is to attend a memorial service on Memorial Day and address the event. Take for example Rabbi Yaakov Ariel, a Torah Giant (Referring to the Chief Rabbi of Ramat Gan). Would he agree to this, that a mora d’asra becomes a mayor, not a rav?
KC:
For example there are couples where the male learns in a yeshiva. In such a case, the rosh yeshiva marries him. While mora d’asra is indeed noble and important, isn’t the case mentioned acceptable?
RA:
Now you are shifting from the issue of mora d’asra to who is suited to perform a chupah. This is a different question.
Today, there is a committee which checks who is suited to perform chupah and kedushin, and issues permits for this to all equally, based on one set of criteria for all.
KC:
Is there a problem for Tzohar here?
RA:
Yes indeed, according to them. They want that one who is not actively a rav, and this means minimum a community rav or shul rav, but they want to permit anyone who has smicha from the Rabbanut to be able to conduct a chupah, anyone with a diploma should be permitted to conduct kedushin.
The Rabbanut says now and demands a minimum a rav kehila. They have rabbonim who are serving in the required capacity, but they claim rabbonim of the local rabbinates are punishing them and not giving them permits, even in cases when the rav meets criteria.
We tried to take a step in their direction and said if Rav Ariel is willing to accept a rav, then we will accept it based on his ruling. Regarding chupah and kedushin we have done as much as we can towards accommodating Tzohar but they are pushing and seeking to create a new reality which will compromise probes into the Jewishness of a person and in addition, sorely compromise the standing of a mora d’asra.
KC:
In Tzohar they claim the Rabbinate is out to get them, motivated politically and monetarily.
RA:
I would like to say that anything that pertains to me in my official capacity, I am willing to open the books, total transparency so it will be clear to all that no one is out to get Tzohar as claimed. I deal with everyone equally, based on across the board criteria.
They claim that rabbonim are not treating them fairly and not certifying their rabbonim and etc. they must accept their responsibility for their part too.
Just last week they launched a negative campaign against the entity Chief Rabbinate, as well as against personalities, the rabbonim. The rabbonim are accused of being distant and not in touch with reality, compelling people to travel to Cyprus to marry. We are all supposed to bring people into the fold and attacking one another does not serve this goal.
KC:
I understand rabbonim from Tzohar were not invited to the Chief Rabbinate meeting addressing this, taking place today.
RA:
I myself will not be attending either. I sent a letter explaining my position.
KC:
That is because of your own commitments and schedule but I want to understand if the Tzohar representatives were invited to the meeting.
RA:
I hear they are questioning why they were no invited. Truth be said, they insulted the rabbonim and the Rabbinate, and first of all, we need to discuss this without having to get into an argument. Perhaps later on they will be invited.
KC:
So they insulted you and therefore they are not being invited?
RA:
Not at all. This meeting needs to be held in a calm orderly atmosphere and this means only we can be there alone. If there is a need to meet with them, they will be invited later on.
This by the way is not about personal insult, but insulting the Torah. This must be addressed, how we are portrayed to the general public, the non-frum population, accusing us of destroying yiddishkheit.
KC:
So you, the Chief Rabbinate and the Ministry of Religious Affairs will enforce current regulations evenly, including Badatz Sheiris Yisrael?
RA:
Without question. The rules must be enforced equally, for if not, tomorrow they will take the case to the High Court of Justice and win.
KC:
Thank you
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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One Response
Rabbi Arussi is totally missing the point. The couples that Tzohar marries have no connection to the rav in their city. Their local rav doesn’t know them, and is in no better position to investigate their suitability to marry than a Tzohar rabbi from another city.
The state rabbinate in Israel is completely out of touch with the public, and is behaving in an entitled manner that is not in the best interests of yiddishkeit. To point this out–as Tzohar is doing–is not to insult the Torah. It is to carry the Torah to unaffiliated couples who want a religious wedding, but currently have almost no connection to their heritage.