[VIDEO OF INTEREST]
Speaking to the media Rabbi Chaim Amsellem stated that he is already preparing for the next election, explaining he does not rule out any options at present providing those options include “kovod for talmidei chachamim”. He explains his days are occupied with giving shiurim and speaking engagements, meeting with people and preparing for the next election.
Rav Amsellem in his PR video explains the time has come for chareidim to step outside of a life of poverty, and there is no prohibition on learning a profession and earning a livelihood, “not in place of limud Torah, but in addition to limud”.
Rabbi Amsellem adds he has no intention of chas v’sholom closing yeshivos, quite the contrary, but points out the growing poverty among avreichim must be addressed. He cites the gedolim of both the Ashkenazim and Sephardim worked, managed grocery stores and the like, and there is no shame attached to this.
“Certainly as a chareidi Jew I oppose public transportation on Shabbos but the minority cannot rule over the majority for doing so will result in more conflict, Chilul Hashem and problems…”
The rabbis speaks of kiruv, and his past as a member of Shas, the party which he was thrown out of, hounded and disgraced “but you will never hear me said a word against Maran Rav Ovadia ZT”L or gedolei yisrael, and why was I hounded, for expressing different views”.
“One does not have to enter the IDF. There are national service options… Why are there close to 30,000 youth today, shabavnikim who hang out in the streets. Even the IDF does not want them. Anyone who does not fit the mold is ousted?”
“50% of the chareidim do not know how to do basic math or write a basic sentence in English. Why must this be so?…”
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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7 Responses
Jews have gone for years without knowing English. Absolutely no one mentioned in the Talmud knew a word of it. If you want a career within the Torah “ghetto”, English can be irrelvant (though in Israel, Arabic and Yiddish might be useful). While he talks about living in poverty, if you apply a standard based on what Jews have know traditionally through the years, and remember frum Jews don’t form their worldview from mass media, the secular world’s “poverty” seems quite middle class. If you took any frum Jew from the mid-20th century in Europe or the Muslim countries and showed them standard of living of Israeli hareidim, they might believe that meshiach had come since it would appear that the kollel people were living like kings. Those who want to “keep up with the North Tel Aviv types” generally enter career tracks that involve working with goyim and secular Jews – but frankly much can be said from avoiding hilonim. In truth, they are nasty shallow people.
Many hareidim enter professions – but its hard to do it in Israel (just like it was hard for blacks to enter professions in the USA through the mid-20th century). It isn’t unreasonable that many Jews prefer to avoid the stress of seeking a career in a hostile world.
If the Israeli were concerned about hareidim who were unemployed bums not in yeshiva, they would have a conscription policy that exempted yeshiva students.
HE IS 100 ERCENT RIGHT
With all well meaning intentions – where’s the Torah sage on your side?
He’s absolutely right! He IS a Posek in his own right.
Mr. Amsellem is no Chareidi; this supported of bus service on Shabbos in Tel Aviv is a rasha, as Chacham Ovadia Yosef declared him.
I myself learnrd in Kollel for 5 years and have spoke to many very Chashuv people about the topic of working.It seems that they all agree that one must work ,the question is when.They also tell me for some reason the situtionin Israel isnt as simple.One reason is in Israel getting a Job is dependent on army service, but going to the army is a big problem because the Army holds itself to be a higher power then G-d.
thekid – that may be true for some, but who would become the next gadol hador if SOME masmidim weren’t staying in learning beyond 5 years? Rav Elyashiv would not have become who he was if he was working half the day…!