Does the Government of Israel have the Authority of a King?

כ"ג לחודש העשירי תשע"ד

FRIDAY IN SHDEMA WITH RABBI BARUCH EFRATI

Rabbi Baruch Efrati

This coming Friday December 27th we will, please G-d, go to Shdema to hear a Shiur (in Hebrew) at 9:00am, by Rabbi Baruch Efrati, Rabbi of the Zayit Raanana congregation in Efrat, chair of “Derech Emuna Rabbis”, an organization of Rabbis looking to strengthen Torah in Israeli society. We wish Rabbi Efrati good luck in his new and important position.

*The Shiur can be translated into English if people register for translation.*

*Rabbi Efrati will speak about the question: Does the Government of Israel have the Authority of a King According to Halacha?*

*Shdema* is a military base located between Har Homa and Tekoa.

Shdema is accessible by private vehicles.

*Organized rides will be provided based on preregistration.*

*Women in Green*.* and the Committee for a Jewish Shdema*

Be partners. Donate to help us continue in our daily activities to safeguard the Land of Israel:

http://www.razoo.com/story/Women-In-Green

For information and registration:

www.womeningreen.org

Esser Agaroth (2¢): 
I would be interested to hear what Rabbi Efrati says. He would not be the first to speak on this issue, and I would assume that he will not be the last.

I believe that overall, Women In Green is a good organization, and its head Nadia Matar has certainly put herself through the ringer for the sake of Jewish sovereignty over the Land.

Rabbi Efrati's recent comments regarding the role of women certainly did not deter "Women In Green," nor cause them to rescind their invitation to him to address their members and supporters. Food for thought.

But, I digress...

Rabbi Meir Kahane hy"d was know to quote the following halakha (Jewish Law) on more than one occasion:

רמב"ם: הל' מלכים ומלחמות ג,י [ט]....ואין צריך לומר אם גזר המלך לבטל מצוה, שאין שומעין לו.

Ramba"m: Laws of Kings and Wars 3:10 [9]...and one does not need to say that the king who decrees the cancellation of a misswah (Torah commandment), that one does not pay attention to him.

Rabbi Meir Kahane hy"d

No wonder why Rabbi Kahane was not terribly popular with Israeli Government officials, including self-identified right-wing and religious, Israeli Government officials.

I have heard rabbis say that the Israel Government is likened to a king. I have heard rabbis say that the Israel Government is like the temporary stand-in for a king.

But, anyway you slice it, the above halakhah addresses very clearly the stiroth (conflicts) which exist between halakhah and Israeli law, conflicts which seem to increase in number almost every time the government passes a new law.

Sure. There are rabbis out there who hem and haw, and try to tell us that we cannot really understand something as delicate and complicated as such issues can be in this day and age.

These rabbis are the "mamlakhtim," the undying State loyalists.

Well, guess what. I don't have to understand these "delicate and complicated issues."

The Ramba"m has already done that for me.

So, when the Israeli Government decrees that its soldiers or its citizens ignore, or even violate a misswah, or force us to stand idly by while others do so, such as kicking Jews out of their homes and off their lands, and hand them over to hostile enemies, then it should be a no-brainer.

Should be.