Rishon L’Tzion HaGaon HaRav Yitzchak Yosef has spoken out about secular justices during a shiur. The rav stated that they are “pasul for Eidus and without a doubt, to hand down verdicts in cases”.

During the Wednesday night the eve of 6 Nissan shiur the rav addressed those who take matters to the secular courts to be adjudicated, which he refers to as “The courts of the chilonim, the secular justices who are mechalel Shabbos, who are invalid as witnesses and to render judgement”.

Additionally, portions of a shiur given by the rav in the Yazdim Shul have stirred some recent controversy. He was learning the sugya of ‘mishane briyos’ (משנה בריות) and the brachos we make on Birchal Ilanos

Rabbi Yosef explained that when one sees a ‘strange creation’ one makes a bracha, as one does when one sees a ‘kushi’ (כושי) but explained regarding the latter, as his later father taught him, only when the parents are both white and the child comes out black. “One does not make a bracha for every kushi” explained the rav, adding, “one walks in the United Sates, one sees a kushi every five minutes”.

The Anti-Defamation League slammed Rav Yosef on Tuesday, claiming he likened black people born from white parents to “monkeys” during his Drasha.

“Racially charged comment made by Israeli Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef, comparing people of color to “monkeys”, is utterly unacceptable,” the Jewish civil rights organization posted in a tweet.

In response, the rabbi’s office said that he was merely citing the Gemara, which states that the same Bracha is recited upon seeing an elephant, a monkey or an ape.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)