A Behind-The-Scenes Look
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Politics A Behind-the-Scenes Look LEON SAKKAL at Maran’s Political Life n order to understand how Maran received the position family who had been declared mamzerim by the rabbinical as the Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Israel, it is important to courts. The rabbis felt that Rabbi Goren’s election as Chief Ifi rst understand the system of the Chief Rabbinate and the Rabbi would undoubtedly lead to their being permitted to election process marry regular Jewish spouses. Israel has two Chief Rabbis – an Ashkenazic rabbi, The gravity of the matter triggered the involvement of commonly referred to as “Rav Harashi,” and a Sephardic rabbis who normally avoided public opposition, such as Rav rabbi, who is called the “Rishon Letziyon.” From 1964 to Shlomo Zalman Auerbach zt”l (1910-1995) and others, who 1973, Rav Isser Yehuda Unterman zt”l (1886–1976), a publicly denounced Rabbi Goren’s candidacy. Rav Elyashiv student of the great Rav Shimon Shkop and a distinguished and Rav Zolti worked tirelessly to appoint a worthy candidate scholar in his own right, served as the Ashkenazic Chief to run against Rabbi Goren, until fi nally, in coordination with Rabbi, as Hacham Yitzhak Nissim zt”l (1896–1981) led as Rav Unterman, they resolved that Rav Zolti would run for the Sephardic Chief Rabbi. the position. It soon became clear, however, that with the backing of The 1972 Elections the NRP, Rabbi Goren was guaranteed to win the election. In the campaign for the 1972 election for the Chief In desperation, Rav Zolti hurried to the Chief Rabbi of Tel Rabbinate, the Israeli social-democratic Labor Party formed Aviv, Rav Ovadia Yosef and pleaded with him to run for a coalition with the National Religious Party (NRP), which the position of Sephardic Chief Rabbi. He hoped that a represented the religious Zionist movement, in support of respected sage of Hacham Ovadia’s stature, who was loyal Rabbi Shlomo Goren’s candidacy for the position of Rav to the approach of the mainstream rabbinical leaders, would Harashi. Rabbi Goren was an acclaimed Torah scholar who provide a counterbalance to Rabbi Goren’s controversial founded and served as the fi rst head of the Military Rabbinate positions, and thus save the Chief Rabbinate from collapse. in the Israeli Defense Forces, and was a colleague of Hacham “In a situation like this,” said Rav Zolti, “there is no escape Ovadia during the latter’s tenure as the Chief Rabbi of Tel Aviv. from the Sephardic position.” Maran adamantly refused at Although Rabbi Goren attracted many, his uncompromising fi rst, but ultimately relented due to the pressure applied by personality, along with an occasionally unconventional Rav Elyashiv. approach to halachah, made him a controversial fi gure. Despite the efforts by several parties in the government, He was generally more lenient on halachic matters, and led by former Prime Minister Golda Meir, to prevent his rulings often clashed Maran’s victory, he won with the views of Israel’s the election. And on March mainstream rabbinic 15, 1973 Maran Hacham leadership. This resulted Ovadia Yosef was crowned in a good deal of strife Chief Rabbi of Israel. between Rabbi Goren and several prominent fi gures in The Shas Movement the Israeli Chief Rabbinate, In 1982, after his 10-year including Rav Yosef Shalom term as Rishon Letziyon, Elyashiv zt”l (1910–2012) Maran founded the and Rav Betzalel Zolti Mo’etzet Hachmei HaTorah zt”l (unknown–1982). (Council of Torah Sages) Remembering Hacham Ovadia Yosef zt”l Yosef Remembering Hacham Ovadia Of particular concern to along with the “Shas” the leading sages of the (Shomrei Sefarad) political time was Rabbi Goren’s party. Founding members lenient position concerning of the Council included Hacham Ovadia with offi cials from the local religious council as members of the Langer he is about to be inducted as the Chief Rabbi of Tel Aviv in 1968. HaRav Shimon Baadani 62 COMMUNITY MAGAZINE Rav Betzalel Zolti Rabbi Shalom Cohen Hacham Ovadia with Rav Yosef Shalom Elyahiv. one of the founding members of the Shas political party. The Day the Egyptian President Jewish cemetery. “Buried there were gedolei hands on his head and blessed him: ‘May you Asked Maran for a Blessing olam [great sages],”he said, “and if this have long days in your presidency.’ This was highway would have been built, these graves 28 years ago, and his reign lasted more than PETER MILLER would have been destroyed.” Hacham Ovadia 30 years, which is very rare in Egypt. Baruch When Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak travelled to Egypt with Rabbi Aryeh Deri Hashem, the blessing was fulfi lled.” was overthrown in 2012, Hacham Ovadia and aranged for a meeting with President Hacham Ovadia praised Mubarak for bringing predicted during one of his weekly Motza’e Mubarak. They were greeted by the President honor to Egypt and preventing wars, calling him Shabbat lectures that Mubarak would be “as if we were kings,” the hacham described. a “man of peace” and a “friend to Israel.” exonerated and freed: He explained to Mubarak how it would be With the benefi t of hindsight, it is readily “And I pray, I tell you, I am praying to disgraceful for the dead if the cemetery were obvious that the deposing of Mubarek was a HaKadosh Boruch Hu that He will save Hosni destroyed, and asked that the highway’s route disaster for Egypt. Mubarak may have been Mubarek from his enemies and will plant in be changed so the graves would be left intact. no angel, but he did what was necessary to the judges’ hearts wisdom and understanding Despite the costs involved in making the control the Muslim Brotherhood and other that his sentence will be ended out of gratitude proposed changes, Mubarak agreed to the Islamist riffraff, and provide a semblance of for what he has done, and he will be found plan to preserve the dignity of those interred stability for his people. innocent.” in the cemetery. That Mubarak sought the blessing of The hacham explained his warm feelings “After we fi nished,” the hacham continued, Hacham Ovadia speaks volumes. He may toward Mubarak, recounting an incident that “the President asked everyone to leave the not have been Israel’s best friend, but took place 28 years earlier, when a group of room. It was only him and me in the room, while in power he maintained and honored senior engineers was constructing a highway and he said to me, ‘Rabbi, my master, please Egypt’s peace agreement thanks in part to in Egypt that would have gone through a bless me. I believe in your blessing.’ I put my Hacham Ovadia. shelita, HaRav Shalom Cohen shelita, and HaRav Shabtai Aton zt”l religious schools, and held scores of fundraisers to support Torah (1925-2006). The Council was established to serve as the rabbinical institutions. The hacham also worked to train dayanim for the body that would have the ultimate authority in the Shas Party. religious courts, and discretely supported countless scholars so they Shas’s stated goal was “lehahzir atarah leyoshnah – returning the could continue their intensive Torah study. He would often visit crown to its former glory,” meaning, to respond to what it viewed as the homes of complete strangers, encouraging them to follow the the continued economic and social injustices committed against the Torah and keep Shabbat, kashrut, and the laws of family purity. He Sephardic population in Israel. Under Hacham Ovadia’s leadership, made it a priority to uplift the hearts of Israeli soldiers, and worked along with strategic help and guidance from the great frontrunner tirelessly to guide them back to their spiritual roots. of the Torah World, Rav Elazar Menachem Mann Shach zt”l (1899- Some people enter the political arena for self-aggrandizement, 2001), Shas focused on the needs of Sephardic Israelis, successfully to satisfy the natural human desire for power and prestige. Hacham restoring the ancient pride in the once downtrodden community. Ovadia Yosef, by contrast, entered political life reluctantly, Shas advocates a state run according to halachah, and actively upon seeing an urgent need and the opportunity to bring about a engages in bringing people back to religious observance. The desperately-needed change among Sephardic Jewry. He did not movement established its own government-funded education relish the publicity or fame, and instead continued his tireless network called “Ma’ayan HaHinuch HaTorani,” commonly efforts to disseminate Torah through his writings, halachic rulings, referred to as El HaMa’ayan, whose schools and programs are lectures, and private meetings with people of all backgrounds and spread throughout Israel, from Kiryat Shmona in the north to walks of life. For him, political activity was a means to the lofty Eilat in the south. Over the years, Shas has provided invaluable goal of “lehahazir atarah leyoshnah,” restoring the glory of Torah charitable assistance to countless Sephardic Jews, and is credited and Sephardic tradition and bringing the Jewish people back to the with the revitalization of Torah education, observance and pride faithful service of Gd. among Israel’s Sephardic population. Leon Sakkal is an inspiring author and in the process of completing his own For decades, Hacham Ovadia inspired and strengthened biographical/inspirational work on Hacham Ovadia Yosef, along with several other untold numbers of Jews with his fi ery, inspiring words of hizuk projects on Sephardic greats. If you, the reader, have any personal accounts or (encouragement) and mussar (admonition). He founded numerous photos of the Hacham, please send them to [email protected]. SPECIAL COMMEMORATIVE ISSUE KISLEV 5774 NOVEMBER 2013 63.