Tzfas Chief Sephardi Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu refuses to do the popular thing and retract his psak Halacha forbidding one from selling homes in Tzfas to Arabs. In an interview with Channel10 News chareidi affairs correspondent Avishai Ben-Chaim, the rav was asked to expound on his psak regarding the sale or rental of homes in the city to non-Jews.
Rabbi Eliyahu explained “It is Halacha, not my opinion. I do not make up Halacha. This is what it is. One may not sell land to a non-Jew.” He added that regarding a rental, there are options such as renting a home to a ‘ger toshav’, one who accepts the authority of the Jewish nation.
Channel 10:
What is Rabbi Stav’s position on this?
Rabbi Eliyahu:
I asked him and he responded that it is prohibited.
It is reported that the rabbi’s aides entered the room and interrupted the interview at this point.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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6 Responses
I really hope rav Eliyahu wins for he does not bend on halacha even when he may suffer for it. He also has zchus avos rav mordchai eliyahu zt”l a great gaon and tzadik who do allot for am yisrael
Not that he needs a haskama, but it is a mefurashe gemara in AZ, and rov rishonim hold it applies to any non-jew.
Rav Eliyahu is my kind of Rabbi, just like his father zt”l. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Only with such tzaddikim who do not compromise on halachah can the existence of yiddishkeit last.
I hope Rav Eliyahu is successful – a Gadol B’Torah who is beholden to nobody but HKB”H. Unfortunately, I think he has a very slim chance of winning – a real shame.
an Israeli Yid
Thank G-D for real Rabbanim like HaRav Eliyahu shlitta.
He has my vote, for all that is worth.