Despite an outcry from many prominent rabbonim, MK (The Movement) Elazar Stern is not apologizing for his disrespectful remarks concerning Tzfas Chief Sephardi Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu Shlita. Among the rabbonim commenting was Rishon L’Tzion Rabbi Yitzchak Yosef Shlita, who admonished Stern for his disrespectful tone towards a talmid chacham. Rabbi Yosef made his remarks during a shiur.
Stern told Galei Yisrael Radio that “if you wish to refer to him as rabbi fine, but I will not. Shmulik is involved in politics; he is racist and does not deserve to be called rabbi. He is a Gemara student…”
Leading rabbonim in the dati leumi community expressed shock and anger over Stern’s remarks.
In his response to Galei Yisrael, Rabbi Eliyahu stated “This morning in shul I davened for him…He did not slander me and I am not offended. He insulted 300 rabbonim who signed a petition declaring one may not listen to his words.”
Rabbi Eliyahu added that it is not him as an individual but regarding his Giyur Bill, 300 rabbonim are speaking out against him. One cannot say all the rabbis are wrong and only Stern is correct. “Where is this awful speech come from” he added.
Rabbi Eliyahu feels regarding the giyur controversy dialogue is required to find a mutually acceptable solution, one that the rabbis feel does not jeopardize halacha. He stated that if one speaks out as Stern does there is no hope of dialogue or agreement.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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13 Responses
even if r’ eliyahu is a “gemara student” he’s still better than an am haaretz like stern
Rabbi Shalom Gold,
Rabbi Emeritus of Y.I. of Har Nof, learned at NIRC in the 60s and then led the NIRC Toronto branch for a few years before moving to Israel
told me personally over six years ago,
that Elazar Stern is an unqualified “Rasha merusha”.’
Maybe we ought to throw in the towel. We’ll make a list of all the people in our communities, and then from now on, if you want to marry someone, you’ll check it against the list, or require evidence that they don’t come from one of these geiruses, or from a divorce without a kosher get
Then the onus will be on Isrealis to invent somehow to define still themselves as part of the jewish people
(HOWEVER some will attempt to deny it,the world still uses the ultra orthodox as the gold standard)
And that is one reason why mashiach is not here yet. When you read something like this and you see the mockery and disrespect to Torah and it’s Talmidei Chachamim. Mamash a busha.
The gold standard? The only standard. For 3,000 there was only one Judaism. There were always those who chose to do less or more than the letter of the law. Those who chose to do more, were called by various names; pious, righteous, tzadikim, chasiddim, etc. Those who chose to do less were also called by various names; sinners, wicked, reform, conservative, resha’im, etc. The standard was always the Shulchan Aruch though.
I don’t recall these rabbonim calling on Rav Ovadia Yosef, Z’tl, to apologize for inappropriate remarks and personal attacks he frequently made about those he disagreed with. Thats just the nature of politics in EY where the lines between politicians and rabbonim are blurred and the rhetoric routinely gets very personal.
Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu is truly a Great Rabbi who loves every single Jew.
He has made many visits to Jonathan Pollard
Dear Chevra – I hate to say this, but we have to look to where he learned this inappropriate behavior from. Did we not insult Rav Drukman months ago by removing him of his title over a statement he made. We may totally disagree with Rav Drukman and had the rights to vehemently come out against him, but his status as a Rav was not in our hands to remove. Perhaps the Gedolim have that koach, but not us. We have to keep consistency and this is not consistent.
If Stern gave “himself” the title ‘rabbi’ knowing that he’s nothing but an haaretz, he wouldn’t put Rav Shmuel Eliyahu shlit”a on the same am haaretz level? Stern is well aware of the difference of heaven and earth between him and Rav Eliyahu, “the Gemara student” as he referred to him, and surely would rather title him with Morei Morenu Harav.
A “Gemora” student? How wonderful! Torah is supposed to be the main occupation of Am Yisrael. Our sons, sons-in-law and grandsons are all learning Gemora from morning till night.
Comments #3 and 4-You are right- we will have to come up with a world-wide “sefer yichusim”. It should have been done decades ago, now it is so complicated that it seems almost impossible.
In the U.S the intermarriage rate is so high and many people themselves don’t even know that they are Jewish. It’s a worldwide problem. Add to this the phony conversions, the divorces without a get, the ensuing mamzer problem…where does one begin? And it’s going on for generations already.
H-shem yeracheim aleinu
Why does everyone have to be so extreme? We are all children of HaShem and it gives a father much distress to see his children fighting so bitterly and dishonorably.
Respect the other, show him respect and maybe, maybe, he will show respect back but for certain, HaShem will be gladden that His children act nicely…
1) It is neither politics nor inappropriate when one of the Gedolei ha’Dor makes a comment about something or someone.
2) And even if “inappropriate” is a possibility, “im ra’ah talmid chochom she’chata ba’lielah, al t’harhair achrav ba’yom. . . b’emes asah teshuva.”