The Rabbinical Council of America (RCA) is standing by Rabbi
David Stav and slamming Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, who called him "evil."
In a letter published Monday night, the organization's
leaders, on behalf of more than 1,000 members, expressed their "encouragement
and support" for the moderate chief rabbi candidate, while harshly
criticizing Shas' spiritual leader for lashing out at him during his weekly
sermon on Saturday night.
"We trembled upon hearing the terrible things Rabbi
Ovadia Yosef said in regards to his honor," RCA President Shmuel Goldin
and Vice President Leonard Matanky wrote in Hebrew to Rabbi Stav, "and also
when we heard of the events in Bnei Brak at the wedding of the daughter of
Rabbi Rabinowitz," referring to a verbal and physical assault on Stav by
ultra-Orthodox teens Sunday evening.
This is the most significant support Stav has received so
far following the attacks against him, as the RCA is the largest organization
of Orthodox rabbis in America.
'Woe to his rabbi who taught him Torah'
The letter praised Rabbi Stav, quoting Chazal (our Sages of
Blessed Memory): "Look at how pleasant his ways are, how proper his deeds
are."
Yet in regards to Rabbi Yosef, the US rabbis quoted
contradicting statements: "Is this Torah and are these its scholars? Woe
to so-and-so who learned Torah, woe to his father who taught him Torah, woe to
his rabbi who taught him Torah. So-and-so who learned Torah—look at how
destructive his deeds are, and how ugly his ways are."
They concluded by telling Stav that they were grateful for
everything he had done "for the good of all the people of Israel, the Land
of Israel and the State of Israel." They said they expected to work with
him for many years "to expand and glorify the Torah, and to bring hearts
closer to our Father in Heaven."
During his weekly sermon on Saturday night, Rabbi Yosef said
that Stav, chairman of the national-religious rabbinical association Tzohar,
was "an evil man" and that appointing him to the Chief Rabbinate was
like bringing idolatry into the Temple.
"I don't know Stav, I don't know this man, I haven't
seen him, but all his friends the National Religious Party leaders come to me
and say: 'Beware, this man is a danger to Judaism…' People in his party
testified that this man is a danger to Judaism, a danger to the Rabbinate, a
danger to Torah – and I should keep silent? They want to make him a chief rabbi?
This man unworthy of anything! Can they do such a thing?"
The Tzohar rabbinical association issued a statement a harsh
statement in response, referring to Rabbi Yosef's remarks as
"incitement" and calling on him to "repent and ask for
forgiveness after humiliating a person in public."
Prominent religious-Zionist Rabbi Chaim Druckman told Ynet
that Rabbi Yosef had gone too far and that he was "extremely shocked by
the blatant remarks" against Rabbi Stav.
Attack during wedding
The battle against Rabbi Stav escalated on Sunday evening
when he was attacked during the wedding of Western Wall Rabbi Shmuel
Rabinowitz's daughter.
Rabbi Stav arrived at the wedding and was even seated on the
dignitaries' stage alongside other rabbis, but when he got up to join the
dancing circle, several haredi teens tried to get him to trip and kept swearing
at him, calling him "evil" and "abomination."
When he turned to leave the banquet hall they continued to
harass him, shoving him and splashing water.
Yisrael Beiteinu Chairman Avigdor Lieberman, whose faction
announced its support for Rabbi Stav as chief rabbi, said in response to the
attack: "We expect a spiritual leadership, regardless of its outlook, to
condemn decisively – and certainly not encourage – harm caused to a another
religious leader."
According to Lieberman, "It's a shame that as part of a
political race, and certainly for the position of chief rabbi, there are those
leading the public to such dark corners. The Torah has 70 faces, and not a
single one of them is of violence and incitement by one rabbi against another
rabbi."
No comments:
Post a Comment