Jerusalem – Rabbi Shlomo Aviner, an influential figures in the conservative wing of the national-religious community, wrote in response to a question submitted to him that anyone who quarrels or harasses the chief rabbinate has the status of “din rodef.”
Subscribe to our Daily Roundup Email
“Din rodef” is a concept in Jewish law which stipulates that if an individual is chasing after another person with the intend to kill them, it is permitted for any other person to kill the individual threatening to commit murder.
The concept has broader applications as well, and has been used to define people who endanger not only individuals but the Jewish community as a whole.
Infamously, several extremist rabbis decreed that Yitzhak Rabin had the status of “din rodef” before he was assassinated and their pronunciations and the perceived incitement was seen as one of the causative factors in the former prime minister’s slaying.
Aviner has a question and answer column in the popular weekly Shabbat pamphlet Olam Katan.
In last week’s pamphlet, Aviner was asked “How should one relate to a rabbi who harasses the chief rabbinate?”
The rabbi responded “Very severely. Rabbi Avraham Shapira said that such a person has “din rodef” against the Jewish people.”
Shapira was one of the leading lights of the national-religious community and a former Chief Rabbi from 1983 to 1993.
The initial question would appear to be a reference to the fierce controversy in the national religious community at the moment over the establishment of a new network of conversion courts by several mainstream national religious rabbis.
Although this conversion has support of senior leaders of the community, other rabbis, including Aviner have strongly denounced the new courts for undermining the central authority of the chief rabbinate and potentially causing a division in the Jewish people between those who accept the new conversions and those who do not.
Speaking to The Jerusalem Post, Aviner denied that he had meant that rabbis who “harass” or go agains the chief rabbinate should be killed.
“Anyone who makes that interpretation should either be put on trial for incitement to murder or evaluated psychiatrically as mentally ill and institutionalized,” the rabbi said.
Asked what he had meant by his answer Aviner said “Just like there is one prime minister and one military chief of staff, so too there can only be one chief rabbinate.”
Although partially describing what his interpretation of “harassing the chief rabbinate” was, the rabbi would not be drawn on what the practical implications of defining such people with the status of din rodef meant.
Content is provided courtesy of the Jerusalem
Aviner’s belief that everything associated with the state is kodesh kadashim has led him to making statements and decisions that are irrational, to say the least. He allows no room at all for any disagreement with any institution of the state as it is tantamount to being “choilek al ha’shechinah”.
Rav Aviner’s belief in the sacred status of the medinah and all of it’s institutions has led him to decisions that run contrary to common sense. He believes that every endeavour of the state is kodesh kadashim and that to argue on any establishment of the state is “k’choilek al ha’shechinah”. This is a very worrisome approach to problems within the medinah.
The establishment of the Chief Rabbinate IS critical. Maybe it should have been protected by the Rabbanim from extreme criminal candidates (well documented and well known prior to his election). Possibly these same Rabbonim should have seen the lazy, inefficient, and rude performance of the Batei Din. And maybe the Chief Rabbis should be more selective in who they prohibit from going to the Amud than a blanket issur on all smart phone users. Es Ha-Shem E-lokecha Tirah- Le-Rabbos Talmidei Chachamim: Talmidei Chachomim are also obliged in Yiras Shamayim. They are contributing to the reduction in trust and Kovod their office deserves.
The title Rodeph should be used far more discerningly: Chachomim He-zaharu Be-divreichem.
First he invokes Din Rodef, and then says he didn’t really mean it?
In the US, making a public statement inciting people to kill a religious leader would not only be an extremely serious felony with plenty of jail time, but would qualify as a Federal Hate Crime as well.
And what “din” did chief Rabbi Metzger have when he harassed others?
Or the sefardic chief Rabbi of Eilat who was caught selling vastly overprices non kosher mezuzahs in exchange for kashrut certificates?
Or the sefardic chief rabbi of kiryat ata who went on a rampage because he didn’t like the askenaz one?
And what “Din” do the chief rabbis of so many Israeli cities (including Tel Aviv and Haifa) who have deplorable sub par kosher supervisions?
Or the chief Rabbis who practice nepotism in its most amazing unfathomable way?
Or the other shenanigans that goes on there daily??
Disgusting
Taliban yehudi.
Aviner had his smicha taken from him in a din torah that he agreed to abide by. The head of the bes din was HaRav Hagoan Zalman Nechemia Goldberg shlitta. I saw the psak.
Shortly afterwards I saw Rav Goldberg and could hardly recognize him from all the stress and harassment he was put through. And his rebbetzin (the daughter of Hagoan Shlomo Zalman Aurbach Zatzal) told me that his health can’t allow him to continue to be involved further in such types of controversy.
A friend of mine told me how he saw Aviner physically attack and beat Jews that were protesting the State’s decision to expel the Jews of Gaza.
Rabbi Aviner, I was sympathetic to your candidacy; boy do I feel let down. Just say: “I made a mistake, I”m sorry.”