After the announced coalition agreements, Tzohar Rabbonim leader Rabbi David Stav released a statement expressing concern over the future appointments of dayanim to the nation’s batei din. “The decision to transfer the chairmanship of the Committee to Appoint Dayanim to chareidi politicians should disturb us and the citizens of Israel should lose sleep over it. Israel cannot subjected to the politics or religious hashkafa to those who do not recognize the State of Israel and have disdain for Israeli society” Rabbi Stav stated.
Rabbi Stav is quite bothered by the decision to place the authority to select dayanim in the hands of Shas, explaining “we are not dealing with a power struggle for jobs or positions between groups and sectors”, citing the appointment of dayanim will determine the character of the halachic judicial system which will set the tone for Israeli life for the coming generation.
He continues, “The question is if a divorce will take a half year of drag out for 3-4 years and this will depend on the beis din and its dayanim. Will husbands be able to extort their wives or the opposite, and will one have to make monetary concessions to extract a get? This will depend greatly on the identities of the dayanim chosen and the moment control over the selection process was given to persons with extremist views, it significantly complicates placing sanctions on recalcitrant husbands or wives since the nature of the dayanim in charge does not reflect their talents and abilities, but the proximity to their ideological rigidity”.
Rabbi Stav warns that we cannot compel residents to marry in accordance to halacha and when they wish to divorce make it near to impossible, leaving thousands of women stranded. He feels the nation requires brave dayanim who are willing to rule in the spirit of Rav Herzog ZT”L, who established the batei din. “The system demands boldness and sensitivity like that of the great dayanim including Maran HaGaon HaRav Ovadia Yosef ZT”L and HaGaon HaRav Avraham Shapira ZT”L…he concluded”.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
10 Responses
Mr. Stav would be categorized as an anti-semite had his ancestoral history not been Jewish. He might think that “just” (or being “disturbed” by, as he underhandedly put it) hating Chareidim is something he could get away with, but that is not so.
its always nice hearing from someone who is unbiased and has no horse in the race
#1 let him explain it on his facebook page
chachom (using the term loosely): It seems that the “hate” is on your end. You should be the Talmid Chochom that Rav Stav is and it’s chutpah to call him “Mr.” just because you don’t like or understand where he is coming from.
Rav Stav is addressing serious issues that were created by Chareidi administrative practices that have nothing to do with Halacha.
There is an earlier story on these pages about secular Israeli’s not wanting Orthodox weddings. While I doubt it’s completely accurate, many of them are opting to get civil marriages outside the Country because of the heavy handed approach of the Chareidi Rabbanim in charge. Again, Halacha is not the issue here. It’s administrative power and money at the root of it.
In the past, secular Israeli’s wanted that anything to do with religion be authentic. This is the reason why the “who is a Jew” issue that Conservative and Reform initiated never had support in Israel.
It is the way Chareidim handle these things that are changing things for the worse. While they complain about it, they are the cause but refuse to see it.
Rav Stav understands the issues and the Halacha far greater than you and you should be ashamed to have categorized him as you did.
You don’t have to agree with someone to show them respect. You obviously deserve the level of respect you gave him.
I’ve said this before, I’ve always lived in Yeshivish communities in the States and prior to making Aliyah, it was the Chareidim I most identified with. Those two groups are not necessarily the same, though people think they are.
I was shocked by what I saw from that world in terms of attitude, politically and how poor their political skills are in dealing with people. They often cause the backlash against them by how they do things.
It’s not always what you do, but how you do it that makes the difference between success and failure.
Do wish there were DAYANIM reflecting the views of Rav Herzog and Rav Yosef!
No 61 no horse in the race are you kidding he eN for chief rabbi. He ran for KM. He had a horse it’s the Avi wise Judaism he wants This is a fight for turf
kollel faker: People’s approach to things are sometimes bewildering. I don’t share Rav Stav Hashgocho, but he is very right when it comes to the administrative nightmare that the Chareidi administrators of religious affairs created.
The truth is the truth no matter who says it and intellectual honesty demand that we acknowledge it. Just because we have a certain Hashgocho doesn’t mean that everything is done is correct and we should blindly accept it. We are not talking about Halacha here. It is the administrative issues that are in question.
BTW, Rav Stav is far from the Avi Weiss school of Judaism, he just isn’t Chareidi.
Barry you are on the mark. Check with those looking to divorce ….. The hassle, long wait, administrative back log & u will understand Rabbi Stav.
“great dayanim including… HaGaon HaRav Avraham Shapira ZT”L” Correct me if im wrong, but i recall that Rav Shapira ‘s background (b4 becomg chief rabbi)was Rosh Yeshiva Merkaz Harav and was never a rabanut “dayan”.
Any relation to Mr. Rusty Stauv