HaGaon HaRav David Yosef, the Rav of Har Nof, has been elected as the new Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Israel. He will succeed his older brother, Hagaon HaRav Yitzchak Yosef, with both brothers now following in the footsteps of their illustrious father, Chacham Ovadia Yosef zt”l.
HaRav David Yosef is a a tremendous Gaon and Talmud Chochom, having authored dozens of Seforim on Halacha, the most famous among them titled “Halacha Berurah.” Additionally, he is fluent in multiple languages, including English, and often travels the world delivering Shiurim.
Meanwhile, the election for the Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi ended in a tie, with all candidates advancing to a runoff scheduled for tonight. The results of this second round are expected to be announced after 11 p.m.
The elections come three months after the terms of the previous Rabbanim ended, marking the first time in Israeli history that the country was without Chief Rabbanim. The delay was attributed to legal disputes following petitions to the Supreme Court regarding the appointment of women as “Rabbanim,” a demand the Rabbanim had refused.
The electoral body, which usually consists of 150 members, was reduced to 140 following the Court’s decision to block the appointment of 10 representatives of the Chief Rabbanim. The current body includes 80 Rabbanim and 70 public figures such as ministers, Knesset members, mayors, and heads of religious councils.
There are five candidates vying for the position of Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi, including HaRav Kalman Bar, supported by the UTJ party, and HaRav Meir Kahane, endorsed by the Religious Zionist Rabbinical Council. Other candidates include HaRav Eliezer Igra, HaRav Moshe Chaim Lau, and HaRav Micha HaLevi, the Rav of Petach Tikvah, who has the backing of Religious Zionist chairman Betzalel Smotrich and Shas.
There were three candidates for the position of Sephardi Chief Rabbi: HaRav Dovid Yosef, who was supported by the Motetzet Chachmei HaTorah and Degel HaTorah; HaRav Shmuel Eliyahu, the Rav of Tzfas; and HaRav Michoel Amos, the acting head of the Beis Din HaGadol.
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8 Responses
Mazel Tov!
Mahbrook!
Two brothers wearing the Glimah! Wow!
What a Machat for Abba!
I hope their sister doesn’t get elected to be the Rabbanit – she is Nit a RabbaNit
Nepotism wins over ability again. Somehow, I believe there are Rabbanin not named Yosef and not so directly linked to a specific political party who were not considered due to lacking the necessary connections.
an Israeli Yid
Haaretz strikes again with his disgusting comments degrading gedolim. Only an unlearned person would say such a thing as anyone who has learnt his seforim would never say that. You’re definitely chilony.
@naki.strikes again with with “clever” name-calling rather than addressing the substance of an issue. Good going!
an Israeli Yid
bless this remarkable move…..as far as Haaretz and those of like….you lost, you will keep on losing…..we will be in throws and keep on catching….
Of course it’s nepotism and also Arye Deri, who put him in the Moatza of the Sefaradim.
Interesting that @naki and @tzedikis keep citing Haaretz as being opposed to the Shas-supported candidate because he’s supported by Shas. Haaretz and their crowd are against the existence of the role of Chief Rabbi at all – they are against religion, period. It’s a classic straw man argument – setting up an imaginary opposition argument so that they can then tear it down, rather than addressing the actual issue at hand.
Rav David Yosef is, I’m sure, quite learned – I have looked at his writings, and that’s very clear. However, he represents a particular viewpoint – both from a halachic and political standpoint – that is not necessarily the best for someone who is in what is supposed to be a non-political role as Rav haRashi. This on top of the fact that the Chareidi parties, over the last 20 years or so, have treated the Rabbanut as their political patronage machine, loading it down with party loyalists instead of those best qualified for the roles. Those who rely on the Rabbanut are generally NOT Chareidim – and having the institution loaded with those with a Chareidi Hashkafa does not enable it to fulfil its role vis-a-vis the general religious and traditional population of Israel.
That is why I don’t agree with the appointment of yet another representative of that stream of thought to the position – for the same reason I’d not support having a Chabad Rav leading the Mir. Different Hashkafa, different Halachic approach – a Rav should be appropriate for his community – and these are not. They were and are being installed due to purely political reasons – and that destroys the integrity of the institution itself.
an Israeli Yid
@anisraeliyid the reason why I call you haaretz is because just like you it’s anti charedy and pro the draft (as least everyone on the comment section is). And Ashkenazi Chief rabbis mean nothing but in the Sephardi world everyone holds of the chief abbi