Israel – Over a month after the general elections, Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv, the spiritual leader of the Lithuanian stream of ultra-Orthodox Judaism, ruled on the hot topic of the coalition negotiations – civil marriage.
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According to Rabbi Elyashiv, the Halacha allows instituting civil marriage in Israel for non-Jews only. Therefore, any couple wishing to wed through civil marriage will have to prove to a rabbinical court that both partners are not Jewish, this in order to prevent “legally sanctioned” assimilation.
The rabbi stressed that civil marriage between Jews, or a mixed couples, was out of the question.
The United Torah Judaism coalition negotiations team is expected to present this as a major demand to the Likud.
The ruling was also authorized by the Gerrer Rebbe and Rabbi Aharon Leib Steinman.
Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar has recently reached a compromise with the Yisrael Beiteinu party, according to which non-Jews will be allowed to hold civil marriage. However, the chief rabbi did not condition this on a rabbinical court approval.
The orthodox parties are playing into the hands of Yisrael beiteinu and their ilk. This only sets a dangerous precedent to eventually allow civil marriages amongst Jews and non-Jews.
just wondering why this only is now isn’t pshat that goyim can get married any way they want.
In any community under the greatest of Rabbis, non jews were allowed to marry in a civil ceremony. The concern is since Israel is a JEWISH STATE that this slippery slop will affect Jewish couples also. Majority of Jews in America marry under civil law, and most to non-jew ‘lo alenu’..
What were the non jews going to do without this psak?
why do we need a psak from reb elyashiv about a goy. if a goy wants civ I’ll he won’t be asking a shyla in the first place. can someone please explain?
#6 The reason is there is no civil marriage in Israel. So any everyone has to marry thru clergy of their respective faith. So secularists could look for the most liberal clergyman of their abandoned faith. I guess this is too much for avowed atheists or in cases of interfaith couples is problematic. So presto! institute civil marriage and all is “solved”. With all due respect for Rav Elyashiv Shlita unfortunately #2 might be right politicaly that after a while the mixed faith couples will demand equal rights! Just wait till Yisroel Botainu wins even more seats.
This just proves a hugh hugh point…
All these SO CALLED new conservatives … this slaps into your face…
It should not be OUR BUISNESS what the politicians enforce wether it’s gay marriage or abortion… enough already .
To those asking what’s going on: There is currently no civil marriage in Israel and the religious groups such as the haredim would ideally like it to stay that way. It’s doubtful that there is any halachic chiddush in allowing non-Jews to have civil marriage in Israel. What is new is that represents a haredi political concession that will bring the concept of civil marriage into Israel.
The question is why there are making this concession and the answer is that they are not sure that the status quo on marriages (i.e. Orthodox religious only) can last and who knows what was promised to Yisrael Beitenu, which supports civil marriage, when they made their coalition agreement with Likud. Essentially the haredi are trying to draw out the status quo on this as long as possible, at least on the issue of what’s important to them: i.e. they are hoping to keep Jews out of civil marriage.
Also remember that politics is give and take. This costs the haredi no money and they are particularly cash strapped right now, if media reporting is semi-accurate. They may be presenting a posture of ‘giving’ on this (and maybe more then this since general civil marriage is a logical outgrowth) to get a payoff elsewhere that they want even more. That way they get what they want (likely, support for their institutions), Yisrael Beitenu gets what it wants (civil marriage) and Likud gets what it wants (a coaltion).
this whole issue is one big mistake. since many jews, unfortunately, are not Shomre Torah Umitzvos, we would be better off to allow civil marriage for them, the reason being that if they’re not halachakly married and one of them cheats on their spouse their kids are not mamzeirim
With all due respect to Harav Eliashiv Shlit”a who truly is one of our generations greatest treasures, it is an absolute BUSHE and CHARPEH that he would even need to bother himself with such issues and be thrust in to the dirty game of politics.
It is amazing that after sixty years it is becoming clearer and clearer that Reb Yoel Teitelbaum of Satmar had the right idea. Torah Jews must be careful not to get sucked in to, and descend to the lowest denominator; Israeli policy and politics.
May we all be zoche to the true enlightenment through Eliyohu Hanovie and Moshiach Tzidkeinu
Why do Hereidim care if JEWS were to be married by civil marriage? I think it will result in fewer mamzerim if no halachic marriages will take place.
Kol Hakovod to Rav Elyahshav and the other progressive orthodox parties who are forming a powerful coalition with the gadolim aligned with Yisrael beiteinu to allow civil marriage for ANYONE in EY. This is a wonderful precedent for klal yisroel and by’irtazh hashem, will lead to unlimited civil marriages amongst Jews and non-Jews and end the suffering caused by the current regressive laws.
coalitions only last as long as the government lasts which is like a lollipop it comes and goes
but halacha and historical precedent is dangerous
and israel is a g-dly state and sheva mitzvos even has rules abt the sanctity of marrige
you giver a inch goes a mile
money money money money
Who the heck is he to tell anybody, especially non-Jews who to marry!?
Rav Elyashav does not have political power (thank Hashem every day for that), so it does not make a difference what he says.
Civil marriages in Israel would be a disgrace. All marriages in Israel should be performed by a recognized religious leader. The concept of civil marriages in Israel will probably anger many Moslems and those of other faiths in Israel who don’t want to see their populations intermarry (the population in Israel that is not Jewish or Moslem seems to be growing).. Once civil marriage is established, there will probably be legal battles to have the law changed to allow it for all people(I guess Israel probably doesn’t recognize the conversion of Jew to another religion? If so, then allowing civil marriage might start a legal battle to have this recognized, or at least to allow a Jew to be classified as an athiest and not a Jew if he withes to be?)
It might also open the possibility of legal battles forcing gay marriage to be legalized.
Saying that marriage must be a religious matter for Jews but not for those of other faiths does seem to be an unfair double standard. i guess if someone is an atheist living in Israel and wants to get married, they need to be married outside the country? Does Israel recognize most civil marriages performed in other countries? I guess these issues are not so simple.