Sephardic Chief Rabbi has come out in an effort to change the course of events regarding the recent decision by the Rabbinical Supreme Court [reported HERE on YWN] in an Ashdod conversion case and other conversions carried out under the auspices of Rav Chaim Druckman.
According to reports, the chief rabbi met with National Religious Party MK Zevulun Orlev, telling him the dayanim who ruled on Rav Druckman’s conversions should not have, calling their ruling “underhanded opportunism”.
It should be noted that Rav Amar is considered to be a renowned posek, a well-respected rabbinical authority accepted by the chareidi community.
According to Orlev, the rabbi promised to work towards overturning the Rabbinical Supreme Court’s decision, which supports a statement released by Rav Amar in which he indicated he does not plan to accept the ruling that would have widespread ramifications for all converts who were declared Jews by Rav Druckman’s institution.
As a result of the growing political storm surrounding the issue, the Knesset Public Relations Committee convened in a session to address the matter. MK (Degel HaTorah) Rabbi Moshe Gafne blasted the committee members, telling them that rabbinical scholars, dayanim, rendered a decision based on Torah Law and therefore, they have no right to second guess their ruling. Rav Gafne added if they wish to change the halachic ruling, they should change the law to read conversion should not be carried out in accordance to Jewish Law and then it will be clear. For as long as conversions must comply with law he explained, the ruling of the Rabbinical Supreme Court must be honored.
MK (Yisrael Beitenu) David Rotem stated the dayanim who signed off on the decision did not even convene in a formal session.
Attorney Gilad Kariv of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism is planning to file an appeal with the High Court of Justice against the Rabbinical Supreme Court, a move that received the endorsement of MK (Yisrael Beitenu) Sophia Landver, who chairs the Knesset committee.
Following is Rav Druckman’s explanation of events. He explained his position on Radio Kol Chai on Monday night.
Rav Atia, the dayan in the original case in Ashdod never asked me or spoke to me regarding any details of the case. How can a rabbinical court rule on a matter without hearing one side which is extremely relevant to the matter? The same holds true regarding Rav Sherman, one of the rabbis on the Rabbinical Supreme Court. Only two weeks later, after the fact, I was requested to appear before the Supreme Rabbinical Court at which time I explained they are no longer permitted to hear the case since they already ruled in the matter. I asked them to pass the case to three new dayanim and I will appear. I turned to Rav Shlomo Amar in a letter, which prompted instructions from Rav Amar to the three dayanim not to rule in the matter any longer, not even a single session. At that time they released the 47-page ruling.
……Regarding claims that some of the converts approved by Rav Druckman are not Shomer Mitzvot, he stated there is nothing to discuss – stressing there is no such thing that someone being converted did not accept upon himself a Torah way of life.
……Rav Sherman wrote that a certain rabbi stated about me certain things as they were written on the Internet. I do not look at the Internet and I do not know what kind of dayan this can be that he bases portions of his ruling from the Internet.
…….They were in contempt of Rav Amar, who instructed them to cease from dealing with the matter, which they did not do. They ignored Rav Amar’s instructions.
I am also pained that as a result of this, I believe the Rabbinical Supreme Court was compromised and this is truly very painful.
(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)
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8 Responses
As a ger, by Harav Fienstein, shlita of the MTJ Yeshiva, I find this ruling to be devisive, and disrespectable. To be a Jew is not easy. For the love of Hashem we are apart of Klal Israel. If a ger does an overa, or breaks a Shabbat, that person is still a Jew. Look at Elliot Spitzer, although he messed up severly, he is still a Jew. So much so for a ger who has accepted the yoke of Hashem. Support us, do not malign us.
Hopefully this matter can be resolved quickly and without further pain to the geirim in question and klal yisrael. This type of political maneuvering by certain “Rabbis” only divides klal yisrael and further reduces the observance of Torah and the stature of Batei Din.
What a mess.
Any body hear anything from Rav Metzker the Ashkenaz chief Rabbi?
the chassidishe procedure is to “overlook” such inconsistencies (as per the divrei chaim; and no one will argue with the divrei chaim, even though he said all gitten from amnerica are suspect).
and other sources (such as all those in america, and elsewhere in golus) also “overlook” these inconsistencies. but some rabbonim (in the interests of “power”) claim to involve certain “gedolim” against gerim (in general) so that everyone comes out against gerim. its all rebbishe (and i mean yeshivish, not chassidish) politics.
this is simply an internal politics power play by some “charedi” rabbonim over others, in matters of “power” and “who will control”.
#4 — due to other “political” considerations (not related to the above), rav metzger does not mix (mish) in bet din matters, unless he is on the bet din.
and by the way to #1 — it seems there is a questions about spitzer’s jewishness himself (is his mother a jew? eliot, i mean. his daughters / wife of course not. they are southern baptists from birth).
urbmase (#1),
nobody claims that if a ger authentically accepts the mitzvos, but once in a while does an aveirah, that (s)he is not a jew. Of course (s)he is. Nobody is perfect.
The issue is with geirim who officially accept to live a lifestyle according to the torah but then live as totally secular jews. The problem is that if their lifestyle proves that they were never sincere in their acceptance of the mitzvos, then their original geirus was a phony fraud.
That in no way diminishes the status of an authentic ger such as yourself. (If HaRav Dovid Feinstein shlita was megayer you, I don’t think anyone in their right mind would question the validity of the geirus).
the sherman psak against r’ druckman is just another symptom of the machla, where words of a gadol(RYSE) are used to justify annihilation a segment of klal yisroel. especially if r’amar disagrees. a former tzahal member, sherman is not worthy as a judge. the Torah is maid that “shochad makes the pikchim blind”
1. the ISRAEL RABBINAT court leader was sherman, a former israeli soldier.
2. he paskened because he was either following direct order or trying to pleass RYSE, which makes his decision invalid, and him too.
3. his logic makes R’ Goren mamzerim pesak 100% correct, thus he is going against his godol.
4. he is a mechayiv bnafsho paskening in front and against his rebbies shitos and clear psak that the gerus was good
5. obviously then this whole is a megillacutie pandering to the masses and needs no response, he might as well pasken that .. is moshiach.
the “so called charedi olam” that was against the rabbanut[ brisk, c”i, etc, are now CONTROLLING the rabbanute.
doesnt anyone see the false haskofot of these tzaddikim gaonei hador who go against all they clainmed in the past to make machlokes nad hefker petriske in am kaddosh vnivchar.