Rabbi David Stav, who heads the Tzohar Rabbonim organization spoke with Galei Yisrael on Thursday morning, 4 Kislev 5774. The rav was asked to address reports that Rabbi Avraham Yosef tried to revoke his status as a dayan during a recent meeting of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel Council.
Rabbi Stav stated that we should disqualify the council’s ability to certify dayanim. “This is a body that does not understand what it means to be a dayan and there is not a single member certified as a dayan” the rav added. He did credit the council for deciding to reject Rabbi Yosef’s position but lamented that none of the rabbonim on the council took the exams to be certified as dayanim yet they have the right to decide who is a dayan and who is not. He called Rabbi Yosef’s effort “ridiculous and pathetic”.
Rabbi Stav was then asked to comment on the Knesset’s recent passing of the liberalized marriage registration law. He explained that this is what Tzohar is about and this is what he planned for the Chief Rabbinate but now, it was accomplished by Knesset instead of the Rabbanut.
When asked about the civil marriage bill sponsored by Yesh Atid, Rabbi Stav expressed his opposition. He calls that bill “a stab in the back to the Tzohar and giyur bills” explaining Tzohar feels by being more accommodating, more Jews will be willing to get married with the Rabbanut and do things in accordance with Halacha and not as the situation is today. “I really hope that law does not pass and if it does, we will have to be even better so people will still come to us.”
And finally, the rav was asked why he declined to sign a petition on behalf of Rabbi Dov Lior Shlita. The petition is to defend the honor of the rav after he was attacked by MK Elazar Stern who accused him of not accepting Jews from Ethiopian lineage. Many felt that Stern’s comments were way out of order and an apology to the leading posek is in order.
Rav Stav explained that he consulted with a rav who signed the petition in an effort to learn details but the rav did not have information. He feels the petition is “somewhat cheap”, explaining that while it does reflect the protest of the rabbonim but when it comes to matters of Halacha it is cheap. He admits that he was asked to sign but he was unwilling to, explaining every time one speaks out harshly against rabbonim a petition is not required.
“I do not recall a petition when Rabbi Elyakim Levanon spoke out harshly against me on Galei Yisrael and when he spoke did they run to sign a petition on my behalf? Regarding petitions, they are more political than L’Shem Shomayim and those wishing to settle accounts with Stern started the petition. And there are those who wish to strengthen Rav Lior, whom I really admire and respect and I hope he never said that which was attributed to him [by Stern]”.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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3 Responses
Before anyone dismisses tzohars efforts! it’s important to understand the facts on the ground.
The rabbanut has some real issues. Chiloni friends and coworkers put up with insane beaurocracy to get married al pi Halacha. This has driven many of them to seek civil unions in Europe or the US rather than get married hallachikly. However, these same people swear by Tzohar. They love the Tzohar rabbanim and push people to consider Tzohar rather than civil unions.
Imagine you had to go to the DMV for every step of your wedding. It would be insanity.
There is a real need for reform here. If we can work with the people to make the rabbanut more friendly to work with, there wouldn’t be the same calls for civil unions we see today.
#1 In agreement, reforms are necessary and enough years of stonewalling has expired.
Chutzpah to even suggest to absolve Rav Stav of his dayunus status, it should be known that it is a serious, difficult and lengthy process of learning to gain Dayunus in Israel. Rav Elyashuv and Rav Ovadia Yosef were some of the few who earned that title. BTW the chief rabbi of Cholon does not have dayunus status and that was one of the reasons he could NOT run for chief rabbi (just a hint to what is really happening here!)
#2- Actually, the minimum requirement for being considered for Chief Rabbi of Israel is to either (a) be the Chief Rabbi of a city, or (b) be musmach for dayanut. That is how harav Lau and harav Metzger before him were able to become Chief Rabbis even though neither is musmach for dayanut (although in the past, before the charedi political establishment took control of the Chief Rabbinate, all chief rabbis had been prominent dayanim). As harav Avraham Yosef is the Chief Rabbi of a city he too could have been considered for the position of Chief Rabbi of Israel – and, in fact, he was nominated for that position by his father zt”l. It was only after publication of the fact that he was under investigation for criminal activities that his nomination was withdrawn and that his brother, harav Yitzchak Yosef, was nominated in his stead.