Deputy Defense Minister (Bayit Yehudi) Rabbi Eli Ben-Dahan, who in the previous administration served as Deputy Minister of Religious Services, comments on the ongoing events pertaining to Efrat Chief Rabbi Shlomo Riskin. There are reports the Chief Rabbinate of Israel wishes to compel Rabbi Riskin to retire now that he is 75-years-old. Supporters of Rabbi Riskin opine the move is not because of his age but an excuse for those wishing to rid themselves of Rabbi Riskin to do so because of his liberal hashkafa.
Rabbi Ben-Dahan rejects allegations that he has not stood at Rabbi Riskin’s side. Ben-Dahan explains extending Rabbi Riskin’s tenure is simply a technical matter and if the Chief Rabbinate Council determines that Riskin is healthy and still conducting the duties of his post, they may extend his tenure despite his age.
Ben-Dahan, who was director-general of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel for many years, explains the Chief Rabbinate Council does not consider if a rav is machmir or meikel and if the council has a problem regarding the conduct of a specific rabbi, that rabbi is summoned to a disciplinary meeting where the matters are addressed. Ben-Dahan rejects allegations that now that Rabbi Riskin seeks to extend his tenure the council has decided to debate Riskin’s hashkafa.
Ben-Dahan directs his comments to the statements released by Efrat Mayor Oded Ravivi and his city council. Ben-Dahan expresses his displeasure with the remarks released, explaining the State and its laws must be adhered to and here the issue at hand is retirement age, the rabbi’s state of health and ability to continue carrying out his duties, nothing else. He stresses the appointed rabbonim can only be appointed by the official system and any other appointment or vote is invalid. This is in response to statements by Ravivi that if another rabbi is appointed by the system, Efrat and the city council will continue to view Riskin as the city’s rav.
Ben-Dahan is confident that this will not occur but adds if it does, Rabbi Riskin would no longer have authority to perform a chupah head the Efrat Rabbinate hashgacha.
YWN notes that Chief Rabbi of Efrat Rabbi Shlomo Riskin has previously referred to “J” as a “model Rabbi”, and called him “Rabbi J”. [VIDEO IS BELOW]
Some excerpts of the 5 minute video:
Shalom to all. My name is Shlomo Riskin. I am the Chief rabbi of the City of Efrat…..I am an Orthodox Rabbi…and an Orthodox Rabbi who is very profoundly interested in religion in general, in Christianity, and especially in the persona of Jesus in particular….I was truly fascinated by the personality of Jesus, whom to myself I have always referred to as “Rabbi Jesus”….because I think he is indeed a “model Rabbi” in many counts…and he lived the life of a Jewish Rabbi in Israel in a very critical time in our history…..I have constantly come back to the study of his personality and his teachings which are very strongly rooted in Talmudic teachings…..”
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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7 Responses
Why do I seem to liken this issue wuth the non-black NAACP leader in Spokane. The question was is she black?
Here the question is, is Riskin a rabbi?
Theanswer to both questions is an emphatic “NO.”
Unfortunately he is but his own pr has gone to his head. He’s the new J as. Model rabbi
Please cite any example where the CR denied a community rabbi continued tenure in his position past age 75. Rabbi Shear Yashuv Cohen remained Chief Rabbi of Haifa well into his 80s. There is no question that Rabbi Riskin is healthy — he looks about 20 years younger than he actually is.
This is the same “Rabbi” who once stood up at an NCSY shabbaton and explained to the attendees why we should combat Jews For J and why Xtianity is avodah zara.
He is definitely a Rabbi. He got semicha. I do not agree with his positions; I think he got out so far to the left that he fell off the edge; he is perhaps suffering from a mental disease, or more probably simply speaking the words his financial backers want to hear him say. However, he is still a Rabbi, just one who has gone astray, and we may be forbidden to listen to him.
Esmith92000: that such an unintelligent thing to say if he’s gone astray and fell off a cliff like you say then he’s not a rabbi anymore. It’s not the same thing as a Jew who goes off and stays a Jew. A rabbi that goes off is no longer a rabbi because a rabbi means a leader who represents Hashem which he definitely doesn’t.
To the commenters above , excepting Charlie Hall,
I am very disappointed in all of you yeshiva boys. Your criticisms are pathetic, adolescent-level, amateur at best.Where did you learn Rabbi Bashing? Certainly not in a geshmake yeshiva in Eretz Yisroel, where they have the killer instinct.C’mon girls,the future of yiddishkeit is at stake! Here in Eretz Hakoidesh we know how to rip those Zionist Modern Rabbis to shreds. You guys are Yeshiva Ketana wimps.