Rabbi Dr. Ratzon Arussi, Chief Rabbi of Kiryat Ono and a member of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel Council spoke with the dati leumi Kippa website about Knesset involvement in religious legislation.

The rav, who is also a certified dayan and holds a doctorate in law, feels the Knesset is out of its playing field by its involvement in legislation pertaining to matters of halacha. He spoke to Kippa following the Knesset vote approving the bill in its first reading that will result in only one Chief Rabbi of Israel instead of two. He feels the Chief Rabbinate and rabbonim “should not be subject to the legislature just as the court is not. While everyone is ultimately subject to the law, do not emphasize it in predatory” stated the rav.

“We need to examine the issue of multi-ethnic leaders from the social and practical aspects,” says Rabbi Arussi. “On a social level, we are very advanced towards the phenomenon of one rabbi for everyone can be seen in many cities, and the gaps in the direction of a one ethnicity (Ashkenazi or Sephardi) or another can be resolved.”

“However,” he says, “This is not true at the national level as he explains the chief rabbi and head of the Chief Rabbinate Council have more than enough work and two rabbis are needed not because of social needs, but because of the practical responsibilities of their positions. He adds a chief rabbi will also serve as av beis din of the Supreme Rabbinical Court and each system needs a head as is seen in the secular judicial court system.

“Each system should vertex and you cannot eliminate the job in the name of one principle or another. On a practical level two rabbis are necessary. ”

Rabbi Arussi was angry over the Knesset’s involvement in matters pertaining to the chief rabbis, which he believes should be handled by rabbonim. He rejects the “activist approach” exhibited by MKs today, which he fears will result in the Chief Rabbinate being neutralized and becoming a rubber stamp instead of an independent organ.

He concludes with a warning, that while over recent years the gaps between Ashkenazim and Sephardim has been diminished or eliminated in some areas, eliminating the post of one of the chief rabbis will have the opposite effect. He warns against being “reckless” which may result in the gaps between the camps widening.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)