Tzfas Chief Rabbi HaGaon HaRav Shmuel Eliyahu Shlita was among the prominent dati leumi rabbonim taking part in the Million Man Atzeres. The rav spoke with Moti Lavi on Kol Berama Radio the following morning, Monday, 1 Adar II 5774, stating he was moved by the magnitude of the tefilla event. He told Lavi that when the tzibur began reciting “Shema Yisrael” he was thinking of the words of the Gra regarding the ousting of the Sitra Achra when it is recited among ‘shishim ribo’ and the significance of being a part of such a forum.
Commenting on reports from the dati leumi tzibur that most opted not to attend, Rav Eliyahu stated that many flagship dati leumi yeshivos were actually in attendance, including Merkaz HaRav, Har HaMor, Yeshivat HaKotel and others. He added Kerem B’Yavneh and Ramat Gan were on their way to participate and buses had arrived to transport rabbonim and talmidim, but after the insult against Rabbi Druckman Shlita on that morning by Yated Neeman, they canceled. The rav said hundreds canceled their planned participation due to the insult against Rav Druckman in Yated.
Rabbi Eliyahu was asked to comment on remarks released by prominent dati leumi rav Rabbi Rafi Feuerstein, who is a senior rav in Tzohar Rabbonim. Rabbi Feuerstein basically stated Rabbi Eliyahu took a step towards being out of the dati leumi community by taking part in the atzeres. Rabbi Eliyahu expressed a hope that Rabbi Feuerstein will see fit to apologize.
Rabbi Eliyahu added HaGaon HaRav Shlomo Aviner Shlita also participated as did “many other rabbonim”. He explained that for him personally, he wanted to be a part of this massive tefilla event and a part of those crying out to HKBH against efforts to compromise Torah in Israel.
Kol Berama: Is this marking a possible ideological split in the dati leumi community, between the religious left and right?
Rabbi Eliyahu:
I think the tzibur in all communities is varied, and we are no exception. There are always voices seeking to unite and those trying to divide and we must seek to be among those seeking to unite.
The Kikar Shabbat website is blamed for some of the dati leumi rabbonim not taking part for referring to Rabbi Aviner as “hey Aviner” and Yated on the morning of the event referred to Rabbi Druckman as “Druckman”. Other rabbonim from the dati leumi community did not plan to attend, such as Rabbi Dr. Yuval Sherlow who explained that while he remains opposed to the current new draft law, attending the atzeres would contradict his hashkafa for he feels serving in the IDF is a privilege and a mitzvah. Rabbonim affiliated with Rabbanei Beit Hillel and Tzohar were among those who decided not to attend.
YWN-ISRAEL adds that Yated was responding to an interview conducted by Rabbi Chaim Druckman Shlita on motzei Shabbos, the night before the atzeres, in which he prohibited his followers to attend. Rabbi Druckman spoke out in harsh uncertain terms against the atzeres and instructed his tzibur not to attend. Yated responded as it did.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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7 Responses
Druckman is the guy responsible for making false conversions out of Russian goyim.
just to clarify things, aviner (i didnt call him rabbi) wrote an article in yediot acharonot that he went to the atzeres in order to daven that the charedim will join the army on there own will
A clear act of the sattan. The sattan could not allow for so much unity- it would have brought the geula. And we blew it and fell for it again.
Putting politics aside, I don’t feel that the Dati-Leumi that refrained from coming because of the the slight to Rav Drukman, did the right thing. I understand their anger and an apology was warranted.
However, a couple of things.
1) Yated Neeman does not speak for the entire Chareidi community. There are plenty of Litvish as well as Chassidish Yidden that are strongly apposed to that paper.
By not participating it was like stating that the entire Chareidi population is guilty for the insult that Yated did. That’s insulting! Perhaps those that didn’t come should apologize as well for insinuating that we agreed to the slight to Rav Drukman’s Kovod.
2) I understand why Rav Drukman requested his followers not go to the Atzeres (not that I agree). However, it is an incredible chutzpa for those that did not partake to disparage or worse, to threaten, those Dati-Leumi Rabbonim/Talmidim that did.
You should know that there was tremendous Achdus between everyone that was there and those Talmidi Hesder Yeshivas that were there were just as much part of the Atzeres as anyone else. I davened very close to a group of Hesder bachrim and I can tell you that their earnest prayers were just as intense as everybody else. They understood that the Hesder Yeshivas are also in danger.
I hope that in the future other Dati-Leumi Rabbonim will join us in our fight to save Torah.
i agree with whoru
i do not condone the YWN justifying one side or any rhetoric.
achdus is paramount like rav eliyahu says
One other point. Did anyone ask any of the Chareidi Gedolim that were to attend if they backed Yated’s decision to slight Rav Drukman?
Many people at the Tefilla Rally davened for various yeshuos …. So strip them of their titles, little one!