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About 1,100 civil service rabbonim, roshei yeshivos and heads of kehillos from around Israel took part in a kenos in the Jerusalem Convention Center on Monday 7 Teves. The Chief Rabbis of Israel, Rishon L’Tzion HaGaon HaRav Yitzchak Yosef Shlita and Chief Rabbi Dovid Lau Shlita attended as well. They rabbonim addressed issues including the Jewish identity of the State of Israel.

Rabbi Yosef expressed his hope that the incoming administration will have a measure of Yiras Shomayim and that it will eradicate the controversial religion and state laws passed by the “malicious outgoing administration”. He spoke of his numerous meetings on the matter with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Rabbi Lau, addressing giyur for example. He explained the prime minister stated he lacked the power to change the worrisome reality due to the makeup of the coalition.

He expressed a hope that the new administration will be “MeKadesh Shem Shomayim” and that he as a chief rabbi may not speak about matters of politics.

Among the rabbonim participating in the kenos were Rabbi Eliyahu Bakshi-Doron Shlita, Rabbi Avigdor Nebenzahl Shlita, Rabbi Shimon Biton Shlita (Rav of Hadera), Rabbi Moshe Havlin Shlita (Rav of Kiryat Gat), Rabbi Menachem Bernstein Shlita, Rabbi Prof. Yigal Shafran Shlita, Rabbi Shlomo Aviner Shlita, Rabbi Yehoshua Shapira Shlita, Rabbi Moshe Hager Shlita, Rabbi Elyakim Levanon Shlita, Rabbi Chaim Gantz Shlita, Rabbi Micha Halevy Shlita, Rabbi David Chai HaCohen Shlita and Rabbi Dov Begun Shlita.

Rabbi David Lau spoke of the unique responsibility to prevent compromising kovod Shomayim in Eretz Yisrael, speaking of the difficult last two years and the new period that will follow elections. He spoke about how some of the rabbonim present spoke to him about agunos, and how he hopes the Ministry of Justice and Finance Ministry will clear the way to appoint new dayanim to clear up the backlog in the nation’s rabbinical court system. Rav Lau stated that while the number of justices serving in the civil courts has increase over the years by 600%, the number of dayanim has not increased at all.

“The reality is a difficult one. I have turned to the prime minister and told him ‘You have an attorney general and we are the advisors on Jewish affairs. We will give you an expert opinion on each law that comes to the ministerial committee. How can such a matter even be considered that a woman receives a donation without even consulting with her husband” explained the rav as one of the many issues being addressed. Rav Lau lauded the actions of the Puah Institute which operates in line with daas torah and there are politicians against their actions and there is no one to speak to.

Rabbi Eliyahu Bakshi-Doron Shlita explained the state has no right to exist without Torah and this must be understood. He called from removing religious matters from the hands of politicians.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)