HaGaon HaRav David Yosef Shlita, a member of the Shas Moetzas Gedolei Torah, spoke out ahead of the Knesset’s first vote on the new draft law on Monday morning, 19 Tammuz, hours before the Knesset would vote on the law.
Simultaneously, there was an atzeres tefilla scheduled at the tziyun of Maran HaGaon HaRav Ovadia Yosef ZT”L in Jerusalem’s Sanhedria Cemetery, scheduled by rabbonim opposing the draft law.
In his weekly shiur in the Yechavei Daas Beis Medrash on Monday night, Rav Yosef criticized rabbonim against the draft law, albeit hinting to this and not expressing his criticism outright regarding the specific vote. He stated that in order for rabbonim to rule in public matters, they must first read the material entirely and become familiar with it.
The rav stated, “Some of the rabbonim speak one way regarding the draft law while others speak another way. Who among those ruling this way or that way have heard all the sides? One who has heard all of the sides can explain and say the law is a good one or not but one who has not heard all the sides does not have the possibility to rule in such a crucial question. Such persons have to sit solemnly and listen to all sides”.
The rav added that in such a pubic matter, one must listen to all sides in depth. He quotes Teshuva Yabia Omer volume 4, the longest teshuvah written in the sefer, dealing with a dud shemesh (hot water tank) on Shabbos. He explains one who does not understand the technology surrounding the workings of a dud shemesh cannot rule in the matter and this is so in all matters of halacha.
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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2 Responses
If people remember, R Neuwirth changed his psak on the dud shemesh from chama (mutar) to tol’dos chama (asur midd’Rabbanan) to get R Moshe’s haskama, telling people not to pasken from the older edition. I believe R Ovadia matired, considering it a p’sik reisha d’lo nicha leih on a d’Rabbanan (could even be g’rama on top of that), but preferred to turn off the berez to prevent cold water from coming in, as warm water leaves.
why do you think he was saying against one side he was just saying you need to hear both sides
(in fact the chavrei knesset deri and others went to the leaders of the opposition (Rav Tzadka and others) to try and convince them so they heard both sides it was actually the oppositions askanim who werent alowed in to the rabbonim of the chavrei knesset)