Chief Rabbi Sharply Rebukes Court Ruling Against Charedim

ISRAEL (VINnews) — The Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Israel sharply criticized the Israeli Supreme Court’s ruling against Charedim. According to Israeli media, during a sermon Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef said: “These secular judges who do not know a single page of Talmud – what do they know? They do not come close to the ankles of our rabbis. There is no need to fear them.”

He also said they are using gentile laws [to determine their ruling].

According to Arutz Sheva, Shas Chairman Aryeh Deri, also criticized the decision, emphasizing that Toral learning protects the Jewish nation.

“The Jewish people have survived persecutions, pogroms, and wars only by preserving their uniqueness – the Torah and the commandments. This is our secret weapon against all enemies, as promised by the Creator of the world. Even here, in the Jewish state, alongside our precious soldiers who risk their lives against the enemies, we will continue to zealously guard the society of Torah learners who uphold it under hardship. They are the ones who preserve our inherent strength and perform miracles in battle. There is no power in the world that can separate the people of Israel from Torah study, and anyone who tried in the past failed miserably. No arbitrary ruling will cancel the society of Torah learners in Eretz Yisrael, which is the branch on which we all sit.”

On Tuesday, the court unanimously ruled that the state is obligated to draft yeshiva students. They also canceled all funding to yeshivas under the current system, prompting a deep concern among the Charedi community.

“The state does not have the authority to order a blanket exemption from enlistment, and it must act in accordance with the provisions of the Defense Service Law. In the absence of a legal framework for exemption from enlistment, it is not possible to continue transferring support funds to yeshivas and study halls for students who have not received an exemption or whose military service has not been deferred,” ruled the judges.

“As everyone knows, on the morning of October 7, 2023, the State of Israel experienced a brutal terrorist attack. Since then, for a period of over 8 months, we have been at war against terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip and the northern front. As is known, the needs of the army in peacetime are not the same as in wartime. Accordingly, the current stance of the defense establishment is that due to the abundance of security tasks and the intense fighting in various arenas, there is a concrete and urgent need for additional manpower.”

On Lag B’Omer, Rabbi Yosef criticized the court as well.

He said, “These are foolish judges. Instead of giving more money to the yeshivas, they give pennies to the married yeshiva students.”

“Instead of raising it, they went and cut it. For nearly two months there has been no money for the yeshiva world. Where are your brains? We are in such a difficult situation, and when there is a war, we need merits for the nation of Israel. Instead of supporting that, you are cutting off the branch you are sitting on.”

He said, “Our Torah helps our soldiers, all of the wounded. If Hashem would give them brains, they would bring back all of the budgets. In normal times, they should have quit the government – what kind of government is this? They are waiting for them to join a government with the Left and then whatever we want, they will give us, while the Right always makes us problems.”