Rabbi David Stav does not require introduction as he became well known in his failed bid to become the Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Israel. Rabbi Stav and his Tzohar Rabbonim organization have been working for about two decades to reach out to a large tzibur of non-religious Israeli, continuing to do so today. Rav Stav’s yearning to relax the systems pertaining to state giyur and marriage are the target of much criticism among gedolei hador shlita.
When questioned regarding the Million Man Atzeres by Galei Tzahal (Army Radio), Rabbi Stav told Razi Barkai he cannot accept statements seeking to equate the State of Israel with dark regimes and periods in the history of the Jewish People that many would prefer to forget.
Rabbi Stav:
How can one be a part of an atzeres that speaks of the State of Israel rebelling against Hashem? The gathering says its manifest is against the IDF and the state.
I feel that the criminal sanctions are a mistake and have and continue to say so, and I feel the pain of the chareidim but the rhetoric must stop, comparisons to Chanukah and Antiochus, are a Chilul Hashem. I can understand pain but when an entire atzeres is committed to saying the State of Israel is shmad, how can I participate?
Were you impressed by the numbers?
I do not need this. I know that we all, secular too, must direct ourselves to a life of Torah, especially after WWI, like Ponevezh and Mir and I am not being cynical – I truly mean it. Look at the midos and how they conducted themselves. There is much to respect and emulate, as one who knows from growing up there but how can an entire sector decide it is not obligated to serve and work? One can disagree with Shaked and the law but we cannot do as one pleases.
Any rhetoric that compares the State of Israel to the dark years that we prefer to forget is unacceptable.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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13 Responses
Then the State of Israel should stop imitating antgi-semitic goyim and not even consider closing down yeshivos and drafting people who prefer to learn. And that doesn’t even address those who don’t hold by the zionist interpretation of halacha which holds that there is a mitzva to conquer the Arabs (who in the past said “I’m too busy learning” rather being insulting and telling the IDF they weren’t serving because “you are an apikores, a thief and a murderer”).
Thank you ה׳ that this guy is not the chief rabbi of israel
I’m with this man.
Its worse than the dark ages. At least there were no same gender marriage as the secular now are advocating.
And I suppose the Chashmonayim should not have battled with the misyavnim either?
Rav Elchonon’s holy words ring loud and clear here:
Zionism is A”Z; “Religious Zionism” is religion mixed with A”Z.
Others said things like the State of Israel is the greatest triumph of the Satan since the maaseh eigel.
So this man has a very interesting definition of both reality and Chilul Hashem.
He actually stated that “comparisons to Chanukah and Antiochus are a Chilul Hashem” when this is exactly what the Zionists admit they want to do to Chareidim and what any observer of history knows that the Zionists have actively done for decades: to change Jews into goy Israelis, which is very much “lihashkicham Torasecha uliHaaviram meChukei ritzonecha”.
With all due respect (although bimakom chilul Hashem ain cholkim kavod…), he is also simply denying reality (and arguing with Rav Chaim and many others) by denying that the State of Israel is shmad.
Anyone who follows even half the news stories coming out of Israel could tell you that the State is all about shmad, just as Rav Chaim knew and said way before 1948.
Just the forced Kol Isha issue in the IDF is more than enough and that’s not even the tip of the proverbial iceberg.
Everyone knows that the Zionists have inflicted mass shmad on the Yemenites and other Sefardim, not to mention the entire Israeli culture and the IDF. And it was “R”Z” that gave the Zionists the necessary cover to continue to perpetrate the Yaldei Tehran atrocities in E”Y. How unbelievable.
“Any rhetoric that compares the State of Israel to the dark years that we prefer to forget is unacceptable.”
This, I believe, is the root of the belief system of the D”L. For some reason they can’t fathom that a Jewish government can be so destructive towards Judaism. It would benefit them to read the last chapter of Even Shlaima by the Gra.
The other shocker is that he is defending his secular Zionist compatriots who still mercilessly refuse to allow the chareidim to work and earn a living as they would in any civilized country, unless the Chareidim first submit to some form of shmad/government service. And the Chareidim preceded the Zionists in E”Y and didn’t want the Zionists to inflict the terrible damage that they have, Hashem Yiracheim.
How sad for “Religious Zionism” that such a prominent representative of their faith wrote these things. But, on a positive note, it was indeed heartening to read that hundreds of “Religious Zionists” as well as some IDF soldiers did attend this atzeres tefillah.
Why does YWN continue to dish out inappropriate titles to such traitors and imposters as David Stav. ENOUGH. There’s is nothing truly rabbinic about one who in his infantile thinking brazenly goes against the leaders of the generation “the einie haeida” and toras moshe. Let him take off his kipa and show his true face once and for all!!
3, simcha,
How can a “Jewish State” that is contrary to Halacha not be “shmad”,
can you explain that please?
All you guys who think the DL have some kind of religious Rebbinic system are being very very naive. – It’s a real “free for all”.
From day 1 they never listened to Rav Kook. He said that one who is capable of learning in full time Yeshiva SHOULD NOT go to Hesder Yeshiva, but the politicians in that camp say and do what they want. they don’t ask the Rabbonim on everything what and how to do, but after the fact the Rabbonim are compelled to make public statements. Come ‘on, you see they don’t have a Moetzes that dictates to the politicians, and Bennet got a big chunk of their vote while there was a total mess in what the Rabbonim had to say about it.
– It’s not a Torah system. It’s a modern system with yeshiva flavor in the background. The Rabbonim themselves are very very confused, and I don’t blame them – it’s not an easy fit – or any fit – to be loyal to a democratic state and to the Torah at the same time and be religious about it!
You have to be really naive to think that the senior among a modern orthodox system, that is always very confused, is got to be equal to the senior among us. You have to be really naive not to understand how it’s a total chutzpah for Drukman to say that Rav Chaim Kanievsky doesn’t know how to read a Ramba”m and that it’s a chilul Hashem to go. The Tzohar “Rabbonim” can yell all they want, but the facts are – age and a smicha paper does’t equal you to the great.
and this Druckman is theone who said Rav Elyashiv is wrong about asking for a sincere Kabolas Mitzvos for conversion, and a major percentage of his ‘converts’ were found after a year not observant, and at that time they were still yelling how we are not respectful enough as we express our feelings about such outrageous foundlings…
and this guy now is ok with Hsder yeshivos serving only 17 months, while a chareidi has to serve 36…
Wake up and smell it. These “robbonim’ do not have a system, and they don’t really know what they hold themselves. Anyone can take them down in a basic Torah debate.
– See more at: http://www.theyeshivaworld.com/news/headlines-breaking-stories/217198/chutzpah-rabbi-feuerstein-says-psak-from-gedolei-hador-is-flawed.html#comment-474832
Rav Ovadia Yosef ZT”L said Mr. Stav is a rasha.