Yair Lapid vs. Israel's Chief Rabbis: Any Bets?

י"ד לחודש האחד עשר תשע"ד

ערוץ 7: שטבון ללפיד: התנצל בפני הרבנים הראשיים

"ישראל היא מדינה יהודית", הזכיר שטבון לשר האוצר בעקבות דבריו נגד הרבנים. "הם לא 'עובדי מדינה' אלא מנהיגי ציבור ופוסקי הלכה".

חזקי עזרא, י"א בשבט תשע"ד, 12/01/1

ח"כ יוני שטבון (הבית היהודי) שיגר היום (ראשון) מכתב חריף לשר האוצר יאיר לפיד בו גינה את דבריו נגד הרבנים הראשיים ודרש ממנו להתנצל.

ביום שישי האחרון תקף השר לפיד בדף הפייסבוק שלו את הרבנים הראשיים לישראל, הרב יצחק יוסף והרב דוד לאו. "הרבנים הראשיים לישראל הודיעו שהם אוסרים על בנות להתגייס לצבא, זוהי חוצפה ושערורייה לאומית", כתב לפיד.

אלא שלא בכך הסתפק שר האוצר והצהיר "אנחנו נפעל לפיטוריהם בכנסת ובממשלה ואם צריך גם במישור המשפטי", כך דברי לפיד שסיים בקביעה כי "דוד לאו ויצחק יוסף אינם ראויים עוד לכהן כרבנים ראשיים."

חבר הכנסת שטבון ראה את הדברים בחומרה ושיגר מכתב לשר לפיד. "לא יעלה על הדעת כי כך ידבר שר בישראל. זוהי שערורייה לנהוג כך בכבודה של תורה, ואני קורא לך לחזור בך ולהתנצל בפני הרבנים הראשיים."

"ישראל אינה צרפת או גרמניה, ישראל היא מדינה יהודית", הזכיר שטבון לשר האוצר. "הרבנים הראשיים בישראל אינם 'עובדי מדינה' אלא מנהיגי ציבור ופוסקי הלכה. מי שרוצה לנהוג ברבנים כעובדי מדינה, לא יעשה כן במדינה יהודית". אני קובל על הסגנון, על הבוטות ועל הזלזול בכבוד הרבנים הראשיים".

ח"כ שטבון אמר אחר הצהריים כי לפיד ומפלגתו מבקשים ''לנתק'' את הדת מהמדינה וקרא למנהיגות הציבורית והרבנית "שלא לשחק לידיהם של אלו המבקשים לטשטש את הזהות היהודית של המדינה."

Esser Agaroth (2¢) Translation:

Arutz 7: Chetboun to Lapid: Apologize in front of the Chief Rabbis
"Israel is a Jewish state," Chetboun reminded the Finance Minister [Lapid] on the tail of his words against the Rabbis. "They are not employees of the State' rather community leaders and rulers on issues of Jewish Law."

Chezki Ezra, January 12, 2014

Rabbi Yitzhaq Yosef and Rabbi David Lau
Israel's Chief Rabbis

MK Yoni Chetboun (Jewish Home) sent a harsh letter today (Sunday) to Finance Minister Yair Lapid in which he admonished his words against the Chief Rabbis and demanded that he apologize.

Yair Lapid
Finance Minister and Yesh Atid Party Chief

Last Friday Minister Lapid attacked the Chief Rabbis of Israel, Rabbi Yitzhaq Yosef and Rabbi David Lau, on his Facebook page. "The Chief Rabbis of Israel have announced that they forbid girls from enlisting in the army; This is hutzpah (gall), and a national scandal," wrote Lapid.

But that was not enough for the Minister of Finance, and so he stated, "We will work toward their dismissals in the K'nesseth and in the government, and if need be, in the legal arena", said Lapid finishing with the assertion that "David Lau  and Yitzhaq Yosef are no longer fit to serve in the positions of Chief Rabbis."

MK Yoni Chetboun
(Jewish Home)

MK Chetboun saw Lapid's words in a severe light, and sent a letter the Minister Lapid, "It is inconceivable that an Israeli minister would speak in this manner. It is scandalous to behave in such a way when it comes to respect for the Torah, and I urge you to retract your statements, and apologize to the Chief Rabbis." 

"Israel is not France or Germany, Israel is a Jewish state," Chetboun reminded the finance minister." The chief rabbis in Israel are not 'civil servants," but community leaders and authorities in Jewish Law. Whoever wants to drive treat rabbis like civil servants, should not do so in a Jewish state." My complaint is about the style, and the blatant disregard for the respect of the Chief Rabbis."

This afternoon MK Chetboun said that Lapid and his party seek to ''cut off'' the religion from the country and called for community and rabbinic leadership "not to play into the hands of those seeking to blur the Jewish identity of the state."

Esser Agaroth (2¢):

Rabbi Shai Piron, Minister of (Re-)Education
Boy, that face sure inspires confidence, doesn't it?
(Photo Credit: Yo'av Dudekevitch)

It seems that Lapid believes that deciding that the halakhah (Jewish Law) goes against Israeli Law, and then going public with it is grounds for dismissing the Chief Rabbis of Israel.

MK Chetboun, on the other hand, believes that the Chief Rabbis are independent from the Israeli Government? Whose payroll are they on? As long as they are elected by, and connected to, the State, they are anything but independent.

I wish that MK Chetboun was correct, but he is not. He is either naive, or just forgot to do his homework. He needs to realize, if has not already, that there are MANY stiroth (conflicts) between the Torah and Israeli Law, and that, like every other Jew in this Land, he will have to make up his mind as to which he is more committed to following. It will soon be impossible to follow both simultaneously.

Lapid at the Conservatives Bash, 2012
"Anyone interested in breaking the
'Orthodox monopoly' in Israel?"

On the other hand, MK Chetboun was quite right in admonishing Lapid, and he was right on the mark when it comes to Lapid's objectives, and which I already warned you about in "Lapid's Attack On Torah.". The only difference between Lapid and his father, Shinu'i Party founder Yosef "Tommy" Lapid, is that the younger seems to be more effective at communicating his message, having learned from his father's mistakes. Of course, after this latest incident, it appears that Yair Lapid be slipping.

Gee, I wonder how one of Lapid's token "rabbis" feels about this? I mean MK Dov Lipman, of course. Rabbi Shai Piron, the Minister of RE-Education is a committed mamlakhti (undying state loyalist), and is thus a lost cause.

Yair Lapid and Rabbi MK Dov Lipman

Rabbi MK Dov Lipman, on the other hand, who I previously suggested might be like one of the spies from Parashath Sh'lakh Lekha, may tow the party line when it comes to state loyalty. But, I am not so that he is willing to go as far as Piron, when it comes to decisions, which even he believes are Torah based. In other words, it will interesting to see how Lipman reacts if Lapid follows through on his threats, and has the Chief Rabbis fired because they dare to follow a higher authority that the State!

Finally, this conflict between Lapid and Chetboun begs the question, to what degree is the tension building up between the two political partners, Yesh Atid and Jewish Home? Is this just a bump on the road to a beautiful and loyal relationship? Or is it a hint of things to come?

Israeli Supreme Court Justices
with President Shimon Peres
(Photo Credit: Orel Cohen)

Speaking of bets, I'll bet that, meanwhile, the Israeli Supreme Court Justices are sitting back with some coffee, and enjoying the show. The K'nesseth and Rabbis will battle it out, and the Supreme Court will come out as the winner, and continue safely legislating from the Bench. That's safely, as in no one will be the wiser.

Of course, the one who always wins is Torah. Our stubbornness just gets in the way most of the time.