Jerusalem – Shas’ spiritual leader, Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, authorized a number of senior rabbis on Sunday to add clarifications on his behalf to his controversial ruling which legitimized conversions performed in the Israel Defense Forces.
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The addition is said to be accepted by leaders of the Eda Haredit movement, including head of the Lithuanian Orthodox faction Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv, who are expected to call off the mass protest against Rabbi Yosef planned for Wednesday.
According to the compromise – brokered by former Shas Chairman Aryeh Deri – Rabbi Yosef added a restriction to his ruling, stating that a convert who did not really intend on adopting a religious lifestyle while undergoing the conversion process would not be recognized as a Jew.
The compromise offers the Ashkenazi rabbis a way out from their aggressive and uncompromising statements in the past few days, while sparing an embarrassing mass protest against Rabbi Yosef and Chief Sephardic Rabbi Shlomo Amar, without any of the parties reneging on their original stances.
The converts, however, are in for greater difficulties following the agreement. The Ashkenazi haredi marriage registrars are expected to give them a hard time, trying to prove in any way possible that they did not really intend to observe mitzvot.
The Sephardic rabbis, Yosef’s students, will argue that this can be proved only in very rare cases and that adopting a secular lifestyle – even shortly after the conversion process is completed – does not necessarily prove that the convert acted in a deceitful manner.
Sources close to Rabbi Yosef stressed that he was not reneging on his original ruling, just emphasizing it, and that his halachic stand is well known and has been published on various occasions in the past.
On Sunday, after a meeting at his home with the mediating rabbis, Yosef authorized them to deliver the clarification of his ruling to leaders of the Eda Haredit movement, which represents a large section of the Ashkenazi Orthodox community.
Eda Haredit leader Rabbi Yitzchok Tuvia Weiss, who met with Rabbi Yosef’s representatives along with Interior Minister Eli Yishai, said he accepted the solution to the crisis and that the protest would be officially canceled.
“The compromise offers the Ashkenazi rabbis a way out from their aggressive and uncompromising statements”
wrong!
the compromise offers R’ Yosef a way out from his rulling which was’t based on the true facts
Why do we always see representatives meeting the Rabbi’s? How come the Rabbi’s can’t meet each other and come to a conclusion?
Simple halocha. If someone is m’gaur without intent to keep ALL 613 mitzvos, its not a good gayrus and they are NOT Jewish.
What this did was prevent bloodshed. Can anybody truly believe that Ashkenazim could protest against Chacham Ovadiah and not be met by emphatic and vigorous counterprotest by Sefardim protecting the Kavod of one of the Gedolai Hador? The results would have been analogous to what Shas did to Agudah in the political arena.
On the other hand, several years ago R’ Eliashiv’s car was stoned in Meah Shearim, and the yeshiva world shrugged and said, “veiter in shas.”
#5 source please!
I dont understand the article – Rav Elyashiv, shlita, is not with the Eidah
Very influential and busy people- like gedolei hador, presidents (l’havdil) and such- can’t do everything at once. So they send trusted representatives. It’s a solution to being in 2, or 15, places at once.
I hate how Ynet writes the article- as if halachic machlokes is a compromise between foreign rulers. It is not the same thing!
#11- you can understand the article without that sentence. The Edah AND Rav Elyashiv have agreed to this new draft.