Around six years ago, representatives from the National Religious Party [NRP] met with former Chief Sephardi Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu shlit"a. They ask Rav Eliyahu whether they could include women on the party's list of candidates.He said no.
When asked why they went against one of the major rabbinical figures of our time, the response was that...
We have other rabbis.
I mean if you're going to do what you want anyway, then at least don't ask a rabbi in the first place. There wasn't even any attempt, that I recall, to say that they asked him only hypothetically.
Ironically, Member of Kenesseth [MK] Gila Finkelstein (NRP), the woman in question who was elected that year, was, in my humble opinion, the best MK the party had.
How does a party call itself "religious" when they leave religion out of the equation?
It's really no wonder that Rav Eliyahu has not endorsed the Jewish Home Party (NRP redoux). He has endorsed the National Union, which even includes secular candidates. So have Rabbi Dov Lior (Hevron-Qiriyath Arba), Rabbi Zalman Melamed (Beth-El). Even another prominent Religious Zionist Rabbi Shlomo Aviner (Beth-El) has refrained from endorsing either party.
I suppose that the members of the Jewish Home Party aren't concerned, as they have "other rabbis."
Do you have a link to any articles about R' Eliyahu's meeting with NRP six years ago?
ReplyDeleteI am afraid not, albeit a valid question.
ReplyDeleteI distinctly remember the events occurring and have verified it with additional sources.
I will search for the link, though.
What's wrong with women serving in the Knesset?
ReplyDeleteMA,
ReplyDeleteI supposed I will have to address that issue one of these days.
The main point of this post was this one particular example of this parties hypocrisy.
In this issue, I would justify Jewish Home's response as Rav Eliyahu's answer is something that "en Hatzibur yachol la'amod bo" - "the community cannot/will not abide by it."
ReplyDeleteBayit Yehudi's mistake was not following Pirkei Avot's advice of "Assei Lecha Rav" - "Choose for yourself a Rav." They were shopping for a marketing ploy and it backfired.
Shy Guy,
ReplyDelete1} This inyan is not shayach here, but for the sake of argument, let's say that it is...
2} Better Rav Mordechai Eliyahu making such determinations that Zevulun Orlev or his ilk. The contrast between the two is staggering.
3} If that were the JHP's argument, why didn't they say so?
4} Bowing to pressure of the assimilated mamlachti community is NOT the same as the community not being able to stand by a ruling. Furthermore this inyan is about humroth, not standard halacha. Women are pasul for most all eiduyoth.
If they bitch and moan about not being able to eat a chicken and cheese sandwich, do we then let them? No. Then why should we allow ourselves to be influenced by Western/modern culture which convinces us that it's OK to violate this injuction?
6} They really have no business calling themselves a "religious" party.
BY, I don't think I'm any less Torah observant than the average Moish.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I do not look toward Rav Ben Eliyahu Shlitah for piskei halacha of any kind. His psak here is self-confirming to me.
Women being active community or political members is simply not assur.
This is not a chicken and cheese sandwich issue. If anything, it's a smoked salmon and cream cheese on a bagel issue. There's a direct hint therein.
B"H
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, thanks for commenting. You have livened things up around here.
No one said that you were more or less observant than anyone else. Even if I wanted to pass judgment on you, I couldn't. You're anonymous. Remember?
I certainly do not think that Rav Eliyahu, as much of a hacham that he is, is not the be all or end all. No question, though, that there is no comparison between him and that clueless Zevulun Orlev, who thinks that the role of rabbis should probably be limited to kashruth shailoth.
Halachah is involved with all aspects of our lives, including governance. This is the difference between the Torani and Mamlachti camps. The mamlachtim have no clue about this very basic concept.
No one here said that women being involved with political, and certainly commmunity life, was assur.
Why they can be in the Kenesseth? You'll have to take that up with Rav Eliyahu, at this point.
Chicken and cheese cannot even be on the same table {one which is ragil for eating a meal}, let alone eating them together. That's the hint you missed.
The Sephardi injunction of fish and dairy together is based on a copying error in the Shulhan Aruch.
Too bad, because anchovy pizza is the best.