The Chief Rabbinate of Israel has decided to authorize all rabbonim affiliated with the Rabbanei Tzohar to perform weddings. To date, permission to conduct a chupah was in the hands of a local rabbinate, and some have objected to permitting rabbis affiliated with Tzohar to do so. The Chief Rabbinate’s decision supersedes the local rabbinate, but in reality, this is not guarantee for smooth sailing in the future.
Simplifying the process, any rav affiliated with the organization simply has to prove he has valid smicha, and is familiar with performing a chupah. He must also bring backing from a recognized rav in the city or anywhere in Israel. Previously, the rav generally had to have smicha from the Chief Rabbinate or a recognized smicha from another rav, along with meeting other criteria.
Tzohar rabbonim praise the decision, explaining the previous criteria were somewhat of a Catch 22. For example, a rosh yeshiva could marry talmidim but if he was not recognized, he could not marry others. One criterion is proving that one performed kedushin previously.
Some fears include that there have been rabbonim in the past who were turning a blind eye regarding a woman going to mikve, and they were willing to permit a man to present a ring to his kallah under the chupah, something the Rabbanut does not permit, unwilling to accept changes in this age-old process. On the other hand, in some case, if the process of being married in accordance to Halacha becomes too difficult, some couples opt to travel to Cyprus and they were will not marry in accordance to Halacha, compelling a move to lighten restrictions.
Some of the Tzohar rabbonim are not naïve, and they feel the difficulties to date stem from a totally different horizon. While rabbonim are banned from asking a fee for performing a chupah, they often accept a gift, and these rabbonim simply did not want to lose business. The Tzohar rabbonim do this L’Shem Shomayim and do not accept any financial remuneration for the privilege of conducting a chupah.
One unnamed rav who serves on the Chief Rabbinate’s Rabbinical Council quoted anonymously in the daily Yisrael HaYom admits there are tensions. “The Tzohar rabbonim view themselves as an alternative to the Chief Rabbinate. Sure there are tensions between us”.
Tzohar rabbonim perform some 3,000 marriages annually, without accepting any fee. Rabbi David Stav, a hesder rosh yeshiva who also stands at the helm of Tzohar explains that his organization is simply working to make an impact and spread yiddishkheit among the Israeli masses.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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6 Responses
Though if a man and a woman arrange to do proper kedushin and huppah (with witnesses, etc.), halacha recognizes it as a valid marriage regardless of what any government employees thinks. The idea of a central state authority claiming a monopoly on conducting marriage ceremonies is a total imitation of the goyim and is based on the fact that in most European non-Jewish cults (e.g. Roman Catholic church), a marriage is only valid if performed by a “priest”. In our community, the government plays no role in creating a marital relationship – it involves the hasan and kalah (and witnesses). Attempting to impose non-Jewish marital customs on Jews merely discredits the rabbanut.
Mazel tov !!!!!!
Akuperma: CHaZa”L state clearly that only one well versed in the laws of kiddushin and gitten may officiate.
**In our community, the government plays no role in creating a marital relationship** —- Most USA Rabbanim will NOT officiate at a chuppah unless the Chosson and Kallah have already a civil government-regulated marriage license.
shuali #3 — that still has no relation to government intervention is a Jewish religious practice.
We need to bear in mind that in Eretz Yisrael today there is a true melting pot of cultures and not so small an amount of people whose status as halachichally accepted Jews is questionable; while opening the ability for more rabbanim to be mesader kiddushin (so long as they are knowledgable btiv gittin vkiddushin)is potentially a convenient solution for reaching out to people who may feel estranged by some of the Rabbanut pesonal; it is vital that the authority to determine who may be married is centralized under the Rabbanut so as to keep a uniform standard and not chalilah set up a situation which could be a bchiya ldorot.