[VIDEO IN EXTENDED ARTICLE]
Chief Rabbi of Efrat Rabbi Shlomo Riskin (who has previously referred to “J” as a “model Rabbi”, and called him “Rabbi J”) was interviewed on Galei Yisrael Radio following comments by Rishon L’Tzion Rabbi Yitzchak Yosef. Rav Yosef mentioned that rabbonim who are concerned about the new conversion law are particularly worried about liberal rabbonim like Rabbi David Stav and Rabbi Shlomo Riskin.
Chareidi advocate attorney Dov Halbertal told Galei Yisrael there are many concerns about rabbonim like Rabbi Riskin and the new law.
Galei Yisrael:
Are you pleased with the law. Permit me to jump right into the heart of the matter. Attorney Dov Halbertal is here and he is most concerned.
Dov Halbertal:
They are going to bring in tens of thousands of goyim into Israel. Learn from Hillel. We are not supposed to accept every person who announces he wishes to convert. All Gedolei Hador in our generation and leading rabbonim in the dati leumi community are concerned.
Rabbi Riskin:
I accept the command to Love the Convert. I do not understand what the concerns are. For one thing, no one has spoken with me or bothered to ask what I think and what I believe.
I think that to date, the Chief Rabbinate has not known how to accept one that wishes to convert with open arms and love as we should.
Yes, I am pleased with the passage of the law, which I think is a good thing. I have converted many people in the past and I am a person of the Shulchan Aruch, which guides me through life. The conversions were done in strict adherence to halacha. In some cases the process took 3.5 years, studying in my yeshiva, but they would not accept them until I intervened. There was no specific reason other than they did not wish to accept them.
Here is an example, a female from Kibbutz Yifat. The father was a Jew and the mother a non-Jew. She converted in a kibbutz and she accepted a Torah lifestyle and was Shomeres Shabbos. She came to the Chief Rabbinate but they would not accept her for giyur because she lived in Kibbutz Yifat and no matter what she said, they would not accept her. She said please come to my home and see everything is mehadrin and total separation between meat and dairy.
This is exactly the problem that screams to the Heavens. How do they have the chutzpah to say my converts will not be in line with halacha.
Halbertal:
No just you but Rav Stav and others too. If Lapid and Livni are willing to rely on you what kind of sign is this for us?
Rabbi Riskin:
What is wrong with that if it is done in accordance with halacha. How can you make such statements? The problem is you, the chareidim, simply do not want them. Rabbi Riskin, they say you and Rabbi Stav are not strict enough.
Dov Halbertal:
Very nice – you speak of love instead of halacha. They are liberal. The loving of the ger is after conversion, not before.
Galei Yisrael:
Maybe it is time to call it what it is – to stop being afraid of the chareidim who are afraid of losing their livelihood, their monopoly on conversion. You (chareidim) are simply harming the many who wish to join Am Yisrael. These giyorim will be approved by the Chief Rabbinate of Israel.
Perhaps you, Rav Stav, are not frum enough for them?
Rabbi Riskin:
This is exactly the problem. There is also the halachic matter of ‘zera yisrael’ and we are commanded to bring them closer. This is a halachic matter, to bring them closer. Look at Rav Saadia Gaon and others.
Galei Yisrael:
Rabbi Riskin, I think it is time to put them in their place, those afraid of losing their livelihood.
Dov Halbertal:
What are you talking about? Some of my students in the IDF conversion program are totally secular, 100% secular, tell me they are converting through the IDF. How can you explain this? Are these the converts you are talking about? Rav Elyashiv said they are like chametz on Pesach.
Rabbi Riskin:
Permit me to tell you something and you must understand this. Since the very beginning, even in the time of the Sanhedrin, there were different batei din for giyur, including Beis Hillel and Beis Shammai and they were both acceptable. I must say most of them do adhere to mitzvos.
Understand giyur does not have to be with a guarantee to Orthodoxy or that way of life. No one says this.
Halbertal:
What are you talking about? Did we hear what he just said. Reform and Conservative is legitimate giyur?
Rabbi Riskin:
Absolutely not! No! No!
But there is a difference between that and one who does not know ‘Al HaMichya’ by heart and they did not want to convert her. They are working and remain committed and sincere.
However even after they learn, if they do not keep mitzvos, and are sincere regarding kabolas mitzvos.
With all my experience I add they will be closer and serious, more so than many others for they believe in and follow Torah. Even if they do not keep all the mitzvos all Gedolei Yisrael including Rav Chaim Ozer and Rav Moshe Feinstein stated they are Jews and this cannot be disputed.
Halbertal:
That is because the giyur was in line with halacha but here that will not be the case, it will not be in line with halacha. Halacha does not want converts!
Galei Yisrael:
So you hear, they don’t want them. Simple as that. Jews do not want other to convert. How do we respond to this?
Rabbi Riskin:
This is contrary to halacha over the generations.
The chareidim are the biggest Reform in many areas, including induction into the IDF. There is not a single Gemara that rules talmid torah protects against ‘inyanei nefoshos’. We cannot say there is only one way to convert and all others are unacceptable. This is Catholicism.
Halberstam:
So Rav Moshe was Reform? I read Igros Moshe and his seforim and you are going to attempt to tell me this is what he held?
Rabbi Riskin:
The government took a courageous step towards achdus Yisrael, a step that will prevent breaking into two nation, Jews and Israelis. I hope the Chief Rabbinate of Israel will understand that we, the municipal rabbis, are totally committed to halacha.
Remainder is cut off.
WATCH THE VIDEO BELOW OF RABBI RISKIN DISCUSSING CHRISTIANITY – WHICH MANY MIGHT FIND SHOCKING:
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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17 Responses
Mr. Riskin is the “rabbi” who promotes “Rabbi Yushke” (sic). Riskin said (easily available on video) that “it’s critical that we resurrect G-d in this generation.”
Many years ago I looked up to Rabbi Riskin. After all, he took a conservative congregation and turned it into an orthodox congregation. However, I fear that Rabbi Riskin has walked too close to the edge and fallen off. Rav Soloveitchik would never have condoned what Rabbi Riskin says in this video. The Rav was against even talking to conservative or reform Jews about religious matters. I think I understand what Rabbi Riskin is trying to say, but boy did he pick a bad way to say it. Of course, in this generation, where everything is on appearances, there is a problem. If someone switches off a light on Shabbos accidentally, and then immediately turns it back on and looks around to see if anyone saw, there is a problem; of course G-d saw. But how you say there is a lack of awareness of G-d is also crucial if you want ANYONE to listen to you. I would not be surprised on the basis of this video if, had the Rav still been vigorous, there had not been a move to revoke his semicha. There are some things you just can’t say. I think Rabbi Riskin needs to hire a publicist to edit what he says.
He has a point. We ARE innovative in many ways.
Around 30 years ago Riskin published a piece stating that Avrohom Avinu failed the Nisayon of the Akeidah. He painted a picture of the “conversation” between Avrohom Avinu and Sarah Imanu prior to Avrohom going out to do the Akeidah as a couple fighting and not having Shalom Bayis.
He basically said that they fought about whether or not Yitzchok should be taken as an Olah, and when Avrohom chose to go, Sarah told him I’m leaving you. With this he tries to answer why after the Akeidah, Sarah was nifteres and that she had moved out and was living somewhere else because of the “fight”.
What an apikoros. The Avos were way above our comprehension and to place them in such a situation is simply wrong.
You might be standing ‘totally committed to halacha’, but on a rotten foundation.
what will happen is that a whole segment of yidden will no longer accept these conversions and any “achdut”and “love” he is trying t create will be more than negated.
while he quotes hillel and shammai, the gemara is clear that they while members from beis hillel would marry those of beis shammai, they would notify each other of situations where one would disagree halachically. Is he willing to do that? will he make notations on his conversion certificates that convert X is unacceptable according to certain rabbonim, dont marry them?
this was a horrendous debate. they took a person who doesnt seem to know halacha only to quote those who do and put him against someone who for all his flaws knows stuff. if they actually wanted to see why chareidim dislike the draft law they should have gotten someone who can say why. he also failed to challenge rabbi riskin on proof for any of his sources. overall a waste of time
There was a joke going around when rabbi Riskin went to start Efrat. Efrat roshei teivos: Everyone For Riskin Above Torah.
What I am about to reveal is not Lashon Horah being that he himself published the following in a book he wrote. You can look up the din on Lashon HaRah about stating something that is already public knowledge (through published material) and also look up in his book this story or ask him directly. My intentions for revealing this is to inform everybody to stay far away from this sinner!
“Rabbi” Riskin writes that he once told one of his daughters (under age) to be Mechalel Shabbos and draw because she so desired to. His rational was that she had a burning desire to draw even on Shabbos and besides, according to the letter of the law she was not obligated to keep Shabbos being that she was a minor. He then justifies himself by stating that this child turned out to be his most religious child.
I KID YOU NOT!!!
I have not deviated from what he said in the least! Go ask him!
I remember thinking to myself at the time how spiritually weak this man is. He’s so afraid that his kids would reject his belief that the Torah is true that he has too “bend” the rules in order to appease them!
VERY VERY SPIRITUALLY WEAK PERSON!!! STAY AWAY FROM HIM AND REJECT ANYTHING HE SAYS!!!
Rabbi Riskin proudly calls himself Orthodox? Perhaps Greek Orthodox! How dare he claim that Christianity and Judaism BOTH gave the world the concept of perfection through a Mashiach ? Excuse the expression… HOGWASH!The Jews– and ONLY the Jews– made that contribution to civilization as it was revealed to us at Sinai. The Christians stole it and — just like the pagans — deified the person they claimed was that Mashiach. And did Rabbi Riskin forget that the early Christians conveniently knew the apostle who allegedly betrayed their god-messiah by his name of Judas…..thereby forever connecting Jews with betrayal. Rabbi Riskin..shame!!!
This will be the first and hopefully the last time i write a comment.
How dare Yeshiva world news put a video of a so called Rabbi saying Total straight out Apikorsos, I Was so surprised that you put a article like that, but then to put a video like that, wow who over looks what goes on? to put a video like that saying what he is saying- SHAME ON YOU!!!
He is obviously an apikores and a nut job. J was choteh umachtee and the whole description of his “c” is wrong. He is presently judged with “tzoah rosachas”, see Gittin 57a.
Make sure this rabbi doesn’t touch your wine before you cook it.
If the Rabbinate doesn’t like certain municipal Rabbis then replace them. Ariel Sharon was the one who centralized the conversion apparatus in Israel, hoping to make it easier for more conversions to all the Russians they shipped in. Now that it’s being decentralized as before, it’s a problem?
#2
Even back in “his good days” Rabbi Riskin was a fraud. “After all, he took a conservative congregation and turned it into an orthodox congregation.”
Rav Soloveitchik was asked to speak to the abovementioned congregation.
He walked in took in the mechitzah,turned around and walked out.
The congregants approacched hin and queried “But rabbi Riskin told us he had spoken to you about the mechitzah”
The reply:He did.and I told him no
I told him
Sick!
Let him at least cut to the chase!
Since We ought to love everybody,so let us declare everyone in the world
-all the more so the palestinians whose DNA is 90% jewish-
jewish!
Coming from de fella who wrote that Chava was really right for eating from the Eitz Ha’daas,
and who has defended every apikorus of the the past few decades
should anyone be a bit surprised?
L.S. – I’m happy that that video was posted. I never knew how much of an oisvorf Riskin is. Now I know….
That was one of the best videos posted here, imho.