Thousands were on hand motzei Shabbos Parshas Vayera 5774 in Tamir Hall to take part in the kenos chizuk attended by Gedolei Yisrael Shlita, including HaGaon HaRav Aaron Yehuda Leib Shteinman Shlita and HaGaon HaRav Chaim Kanievsky Shlita. Also present were roshei yeshivos from Ateres Yisrael Yeshiva, Chevron Yeshiva and Kol Torah to name a few.
HaGaon HaRav Yitzchok Ezrachi was among the speakers who called on the tzibur to adhere to the words of the gedolim regarding this week’s municipal elections. Rav Yosef Efrati Shlita echoed his words.
Rav Shteinman explained that when one votes one may create a Kiddush H’shem or chas v’sholom a Chilul H’shem. Rav Shteinman called on participants to understand the seriousness of the election, one that may determine the future for generations to come.
HaGaon HaRav Eliyahu Mann quoted Rav Kanievsky saying “מי לה׳ אליי” and the need for the tzibur to vote Gimmel and only Gimmel, “in all places including Yerushalayim, Bnei Brak and Kiryat Sefer. One voting for another party is playing with fire. All men and women in all locations must vote Gimmel.”
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
7 Responses
In general, it’s the Bnei Torah who are the ones going in the footsteps of Rav Eliyashiv zt”l and the Chazon Ish zt”l and many other Gedolim who were uncompromising against the chilonim.
I thought that the Bnei Torah party also has some of the biggest Gedolei Yisroel shlit”a backing it.
The Eida Charedis’ are the ones smiling now. Voting in the Israel elections has brought nothing but machlokes!
Don’t understand:
This new breakaway “Bnei Torah” party is doing exactly what Rav Shach Zataz”l did we he broke away from Agudas Israel and formed a new Degel Hatorah party!
It seems that perhaps they are the true talmidim of Rav Shach.
If the ‘Bnei Torah’ party stays in the race (which it seems as if it will)….they have given Charedim a ‘CHOICE’, this is what angers the Moetzes Hagedolim.
voting for a party other then Bnei Torah is playing with explosives !
No.1 “A Thought”, What a strange comment…. Are all the Gedolim mentioned in the article not “uncompromising against the chilonim”? Why do you think that the new Bnei Torah party is in any way more uncompromising? If there is at all any difference between the two parties (or the Gedolim leading them), it may be in the derech not in the outcome. For example, the fight against forced army service, the Bnei Torah party feel like the Eida Chareidis that we must protest now and put up a fight as much as possible already now. HaRav Steinman and the Degel party believe in quieter efforts within the various committees and private meetings etc to try to ensure a law that will allow the yeshivaleit to stay learning. If this proves impossible then to move into protests and other fights. They feel that protests now only puts the whole subject in the limelight and the chilonim are then unable to agree to anything positive because of the media spotlight on them. There is no difference in all the Gedolim’s wish to ensure anyone can sit and learn Torah, it is only on how to achieve that.
Why the Bnei Torah have set up a new party for local elections when there is no difference visible between them and Degel other than the names on the lists and the names of the Rabbonim, is a question that I cannot answer as there is no answer…..
To no.2, HaRav Shmuel Auerbach is backing the Bnei Torah party. Degel though seems to have רוב מנין ורוב בנין of our Gedolim backing them as partly mentioned in the article.