Israeli Chief Rabbinate seeks to emulate role of the Vatican
The tensions created by the ultra-Orthodox Chief Rabbinate within Israeli society have extended to the Diaspora and are now undermining relations with the Jewish state.
Ironically, this is taking place at a time when many Israelis are returning to their spiritual roots. Although Tel Aviv remains outwardly a hedonistic secular city, the secular Ashkenazi outlook that dominated Israeli society is in decline, and even setting aside haredim, Israelis today have become increasingly more traditionally inclined and religiously observant.
The past decades have witnessed the emergence of observant Jews at all senior levels of society. There has been a dramatic revolution in the Israel Defense Forces with national-religious soldiers now occupying senior positions, assuming roles in combat units parallel to what their kibbutz predecessors did in the early years of statehood. There is even a thirst for spiritual values among secular Israelis, accompanied by a major revival of the study of Jewish texts.
Yet simultaneously, there is revulsion and rage at the corruption, extortion and political leverage imposed by powerful haredi political parties and their rabbis.
Unfortunately, the ultra-Orthodox rabbis have effectively exploited their political leverage to assume control of the Chief Rabbinate, which, ironically, they themselves have always despised.
Current Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi David Lau and his Sephardi counterpart, Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef, represent the antithesis of the Chief Rabbinate created 90 years ago by Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook, who strove to unite the nation. They stand in sharp contrast to earlier occupants such as Chief Rabbis Yitzhak Herzog and Ben-Zion Meir Hai Uziel, who were great scholars, passionate Zionists, and always sought to blend Judaism with compassion and worldliness.
The current incumbents are narrow-minded bureaucrats completely dominated by the most extreme ultra-Orthodox elements who seek to impose their stringent religious interpretations upon the entire nation.
Today these rabbis are creating significant tensions throughout Israeli society by their lack of compassion and the inflexibility in which they administer issues relating to personal status. As a monopoly, they are able to wield their power and ignore the current conditions facing Jews in a modern Jewish state and instead they impose the most rigid interpretations.
Our rabbinic sages were innovative and practical. Take for example the biblical cancellation of debts in the Sabbatical year. The great rabbinic scholar, Hillel the Elder, saw the hardship that this would cause and, with his Sanhedrin, issued the famous prozbul, which circumvented the law — and which is still in place today in a modern state and enables the banking system to function. More recently, the heter mechira was instituted by our rabbis in the late 19th century as a solution in relation to shmitta — the biblical requirement that the land of Israel remain fallow every seven years — to assist the agricultural sector, including the majority of kibbutzim, that would have suffered economic hardship. These are examples of rabbinic creativity and leadership.
The late Chief Rabbi Ovadia Yosef displayed similar courage and leadership when he effectively closed the debate on immigrants from Ethiopia, deeming them to be halachically Jewish on the basis of historic grounds.
The 300,000 Russian Israelis who are the children of immigrants from mixed marriages pose fewer halachic obstacles than the Ethiopian Jews. Taking into account the history and the Soviet persecution of Judaism, there is little doubt that a courageous and learned rabbi could find halachic precedents that, at the very least, would both encourage and create means of easing the process of conversion for these grown children of Russian immigrants. They contribute toward and share in the burdens of defending the Jewish state and currently face severe problems and humiliation from Rabbis when wishing to marry.
Indeed the former revered Chief Rabbi Zion Ben Uziel actively encouraged and made minimum demands whilst promoting the conversion of children of mixed marriages whom although not halachic Jews, he regarded as a separate category from gentiles, referring to them as Zerah Yisrael – the seeds of Israel.
Regrettably, a rabbi of the stature and courage of former Chief Rabbi Uziel has yet to emerge. Indeed, the haredi inflexibility and determination to deter conversions extends to marriage and divorce with similar rigidity, bureaucratization and lack of compassion. While the moderate Tzohar rabbis are conducting halachic weddings for nonobservant couples that highlight the positive and joyful aspects of a traditional wedding, their numbers are limited and the Chief Rabbinate attempts to exclude them from officiating beyond the confines of their congregations.
The decision by Rabbis Nahum Rabinovitch, Shlomo Riskin, David Stav and others to establish an independent rabbinic court that will perform Orthodox halachic conversions and authorize more Tzohar rabbis to officiate is an attempt to rectify this. But it is being bitterly contested by the Chief Rabbinate, which is backed by the haredi political parties.
Regrettably, progress made by the previous government to bring about changes on personal issues such as conversion, marriage and divorce and integrating haredim into Israeli society were nullified by the new government, now dominated by the haredi parties.
Over the past few years, the Chief Rabbinate has sought to determine the eligibility of Orthodox rabbis outside Israel to conduct conversions and marriages, effectively extending its authority beyond Israel and attempting to assume control of all Jewish life on a global basis. Those not on their accepted list may find that the validity of the conversions or weddings at which they officiated will be rejected by Israeli rabbinical courts.
Throughout the entire period of the Exile, rabbis recognized that there were many faces to Judaism. Independent rabbinical courts were established in every community and there were frequently bitter differences in interpretation between leading rabbis and sages. No rabbi or rabbinical court could claim to be the final arbiter on religious issues.
Yet the Israeli Chief Rabbinate is seeking to alter this and impose itself as the sole arbiter of Jewish law throughout the Jewish world. In effect it is setting itself up as a Jewish Vatican – something utterly unprecedented in our history.
In the current climate, many Orthodox rabbis, fearful of being criticized as tilting to “Reform,” tend to display their piety by adopting more extreme approaches and, as a consequence, the Chief Rabbinate has succeeded in coercing some of the major Diaspora rabbinical associations to accept its hegemony.
This is heightening tensions between Israel and the Diaspora. The histrionic attacks by the Chief Rabbinate against non-Orthodox groups, climaxing with Rabbi Lau’s recent condemnation of Education Minister Naftali Bennett for visiting one of the leading American Conservative day schools, is creating an upheaval.
There are of course fundamental issues concerning the Revelation and the halachic process that will always distinguish the Orthodox from other Jewish denominations. But in the current religious climate, it is surely time to stop this internecine warfare. The greatest challenges facing Orthodoxy, both in Israel and in the Diaspora, are the secularization of Jewish life and the dramatic erosion of Jewish identity.
In this context, Conservative and Reform Judaism, despite their failure to stem intermarriage and assimilation, not only promote belief in God, but encourage their adherents to retain some Jewish traditions.
Orthodox Jews are not compromising their own outlook or observance by reaching out and encouraging non-Orthodox groups to become more traditional and observant — rather than constantly abusing them.
In addition, despite the failure of many to adequately support Israel, even in the Reform movement there are many rabbis and followers who remain passionate supporters of Israel. But the ongoing tendency of the Israeli rabbinate to delegitimize them will make Israel forfeit the support of major segments of American Jewry and provide encouragement to those post Zionist elements seeking to create a Bundist type Judaism in which Israel plays no role.
In Israel itself we should welcome the substitution of the current atheistic school education in the secular stream with the Conservative TALI curriculum, which encourages belief in God and provides children with a background of Jewish heritage.
To strengthen the Jewish religious revival that is occurring requires the dissolution or at least significant limitation of the power of the Chief Rabbinate.
The vast majority (65%) of Israelis favor dissolution. The obstacles are the dysfunctional political system and haredi retention of the balance of power in the government.
Naftali Bennett and the moderate majority of Habayit Hayehudi could well place themselves at the vanguard of bringing about change. They would be making a major contribution on behalf of religious Zionism for the well-being of the Jewish state and the entire Jewish people.
This requires a united approach by all the non-haredi parties, which has never been forthcoming on this issue. Today, with Israel-Diaspora relations at risk of a dramatic decline and the growing Israeli anger at the coercion imposed upon them, the need for reform or dissolution of the Chief Rabbinate before a crisis erupts is urgent.
Isi Leibler may be contacted at ileibler@leibler.com
Who is a Jew?
Currently the Jewish-Orthodox Rabbinical community thinks that it was anointed with olive oil by some holy spirit, it is more likely that it is inebriated from fermented spirits. Pitifully they are twirling down rapidly into a religiously fanatical black hole, from which it can’t emerge enlightened. It is self-evident that there are no supernatural beings floating in the firmament.
The Jewish-Orthodox Rabbinical community is causing a civil division and dissension amongst the Israeli and world Jewish community, which is detrimental to our very existence. A fractured nation may self-destruct, let alone defeat its enemies. It is wiser to come together and celebrate our differences, but somehow the Orthodox Rabbinical community has lost its previous wisdom.
The Rabbinical community is not the final determiner as to who is a Jew and who is not! The Christian- and Muslim-world communities don’t distinguish between Orthodox and none Orthodox Jews, in all past calamities, massacres and anti-Jewish laws all were treated equally and DNA evidence also shows that we all come from a Jewish heritage and birthright.
I must refer to the Biblical story of Ruth, the ger who didn’t come from Jewish heritage yet considered herself to be a Hebrew for she was wed to a Hebrew like Sarah, Rachel, Rebecca, and Leah, Ruth argued that she lived by and observed Jewish laws, traditions, therefore she is Jewish, and rightfully so. No conversion rituals were necessary, merely one’s declaration of loyalty and commitment to Jewish life was sufficient.
In the days of old, one was considered to be Hebrew [Jewish] if the family patriarch and his offspring were Hebrews, and accordingly if the fathers were Christian or Muslim, until the arrival of the Crusaders who raped many Hebrew and Arab women, who by paternal rules were carrying Christian children, which created a dilemma, as to how can a Jewish Mother raise a Christian child? So the rabbinate of its day concluded that since we don’t know who the father is but we do know who the mother is, and Jewish blood is running in the child’s veins, therefor the child is Jewish.
All through the millennia Jewish men married non-Jewish women and Jewish women married non-Jewish men, just like our forefathers before us in the days of old. It is high time that all Jewish denominations get together and recognize the fact that Jewish blood runs in all of us, whether we have Jewish mothers or fathers. In addition, the term “Jewish” was given to all of us by the gentile community.
Therefore today’s rabbinate and all of us must declare such persons as honorable Jews and welcome them back into the fold with outstretched arms and a loving heart and all marriages civil, reform, conservative, and Orthodox is to be mutually recognized and honored, after all a matrimonial ceremony is only a marital contract between two people.
For one thing, the Orthodox Jews treat their woman not much differently than Muslims do, maybe with a few exceptions. Orthodox Judaism came up with the statement that the world stands [depends] on three things, “On Torah, On piety and On work” yet none of the Orthodoxy contributes to the workforce in Israel, only to Torah and piety, a great excuse to avoid work.
Above all Israel didn’t choose a theocracy nor does it need one. Israel is surrounded by brutal theocracies, do we have to emulate them in any shape or form? In this instance the Orthodoxy in Israel is emulating the surrounding theocracies trying to use the democratic system to entrench itself permanently into Israeli government and politics to establish a theocracy, a deadly prospect for Israeli Democracy.
No Tikun Olam can be achieved by any theocracy which is frozen in time and stagnant, Jewish or otherwise. In fact religious fundamentalism is a detriment to Tikun Olam and enlightenment, just look at theocracies surrounding Israel that are still acting as if they are back in the middle-ages, unable to embrace modernity, empathy, compromise, and coexistence. It appears that Orthodox Judaism didn’t leap much farther ahead than other fundamentalist religions.
Bill Vidor November 23, 2015
@ CuriousAmerican:
Why does this matter to you? Chicken and turkey are also good options. I know I am not a Rabbi so far be it for me to try to explain the rationale but I will anyway.
Approx 60% of Jews do not keep kosher and you know that. There is differences of opinion on this amongst Jews and you know that too. It really is our business. But since you asked – for some Jews unless they get direct communication and explanation directly from Hashem they are not going to change their dietary laws. Simple. You can’t gentile all of us so you may as well stop trying.
Why do you assume that Jesus the Jew (never was is or will be a Christian) was not kosher? Does not every religion have it’s hypocrites? As a woman I would say ‘Go Jesus go…..give these guys crap’ and give hell to the pope and other ministers as well.
“[C]ircumvented the law.”
Sort of undercuts the rabbis’ claims to being frum. Why not allow ham and cheese sandwiches?! Keeping kosher is a hardship. Lots of expenses. Trayf pork is cheaper than kosher beef, especially when you are on a budget with lots of kids. Spam goes a long way.
If the rabbis have this authority, why not change everything else?
How can one intellectually defend keeping Kashrut when the rabbis change the laws?
I know I am Christian, but the logical absurdity of that should be evident to Jews as well.
If they are going to change laws, why not shave? Some of those unkempt beards are a hardship on viewers. Ugh!
Jesus – may his name live forever – condemned the pharisees for similar self-serving logic, and with good reason.
Yes, the Pope, and the preachers are equally absurd. I am not fond of them either.
The one halachic law which made perfect sense to me was the 7 year cancellation of debt. Everything in the bible’s economy was geared to that. Even today, you can only declare bankruptcy in the USA, once every 7 years. That came because America was founded by Christians who knew the 7 year cancellation law from the bible.
That biblical law made sense. It prevented the build up of debt. Housing prices would be cheaper if one only had six year to pay off. With housing cheaper, mortgages would be cheaper.
A good portion of one’s salary is given to debt management. Remove the debt, and then wages, prices, expenses would all drop.
You food would be cheaper, because farms and corporations would not be paying off enormous debt. Your rents would be cheaper because landlords would not be paying off outrageous debt. Manufactured goods would be cheaper because manufacturers would not be paying off outrageous debt. With less debt, wages could be less, because you could live on less. The whole economy would operate better for less.
The only one who profits by the present system are bankers, currency and stock manipulators.
In the early USA, mortgages were only for seven years or less. You did not really see severe price inflation until this idea of taking on debt took off.
Internationally, you would not have the trillion dollar debts, and the ferocious boom bust economies.
China, Brazil, Europe would not be going broke, with the USA soon to follow.
And what is the boom, bust economy? It is the inevitable result of not cleaning out debt every seven years
I am a pork with cheese eating Christian, but the seven year cancellation of debt is the one halachic law that I wish we goyim obeyed. We would
prosper by it.
According to Christian theology, Christ died on our behalf, so we do not have to keep kosher. However, the seven year Sabbath laws make great sense. Debt cancellation is good idea.
Of al the rules for the rabbis to “circumvent,” that was not one of them.