Israel – Rabbi Pinchas Abuhatzeira, the great-grandson of the Babi Sali, is Israel’s richest rabbi, with an estimated fortune of NIS 1.3 billion, according to the “Forbes Israel’s” ranking of Israel’s ten richest rabbis. The magazine says that the social protest hurt the fortunes of the rabbis’ activities, by greatly reducing their income from donations from tycoons.
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The value of a rabbi can have little significance for the personal wealth of an individual rabbi, but includes charitable activities and their properties. The rabbinical communities have an annual turnover of over NIS 1 billion, according to various estimates, but the nature of a community’s activities, which are difficult to monitor, has given risen to much higher estimates of turnover. The value of the rabbinical communities are based on interviews and conversations with scores of officials from the rabbinical communities by experts on the haredi (ultra-orthodox) communities, the Israel Police, assessors, and various haredi sources. Current and former Israel Tax Authority officials also contributed to the rankings.
Gur Rabbi Yaakov Arie Altar is ranked in third place, with a fortune of NIS 350 million. The Belz Rabbi Yissachar Dov Rokeach is in fourth place, with a fortune of NIS 180 million. Rabbi Nir Ben-Artzi is in fifth place, with a fortune of NIS 100 million, followed by Rabbi Yaakov Ifargen, with a fortune of NIS 90 million, and Rabbi Yeshayahu Pinto, with a fortune of NIS 75 million.
Theese rabbis acomplish what others cannot, being rich without lifting a hand, wow thats a miracle.
Es post nisht!
A story put out to raise the ire of the non shomer Torah u’mitzvos no doubt.
This isn’t “personal” wealth, it is, in essence, corporate wealth if that.
and now lets all stand in line to hand over the מעמדות payments (monthly payments that Chassidim bring to their Rebbe to “connect” with him). the Rebbes really need it to survive.
In Vienna Reb Avruminu {kopyczinitz] was worried if in the evening he had money lft over instead of having it distributed. Hitler not only destroyed the menschen but a hashkofo of chesed and ahavas yisroel
i would love to see the Forbes US Richest rabbis out of curiousity
I wonder what part of this “wealth” is bimzuman in their accounts just sitting there. While poor people give their last prutah these large institutions sit on the fat of the land. ? ! .
No wonder they established dynasties.
Don’t forget to bring your pidyon and you may get a brocha. It can only bring the downfall of erlichkeit
I don’t know what he is talking about. Where did he come up with belze rebbes number. He is counting the valua of all the belze institutions? Then it should read how much the belze kahila is worth, the rebbe is the just the head of it. Its not like gerrer rebbe who owns investmant property, good for him. This article is a headline catcher, rubbish.
Wow, what a נסיון it must be for them. But seriously, why should there be ONE poor yid in the world, if these few Rabbonim are soooo loaded?
I will remember this when meshulochim from those mosdos come over. Its ridiculous.
rabbi alter inherited $$ from popa,where did the other rabbi get this kind of money
Anyone knows the song “Ich vil zein a rebbe”…..
It was always known that th gerrer rabbi inherited money. He has one of the largest investment portfolios in Bank Hapoalim in Israel. It is said that before WWII many polish Jews bought land in Israel and entrusted the then gerrer rabbi with it. After the war there was no one to claim it.
The Belzer rebbe is well known as a great Baal tzedaka and has no personal wealth. Either Forbes knows what we don’t, or this is fabricated.
I love how ziyuf hatorah only applies to welfare checks and women’s participation but not to pirkei avos. I’m pretty sure there’s something in there about shovels and digging that would apply to this case. Or do I need the sanction of the aforementioned billionaires to say things that were obvious to folks who worked for a living like Rambam?
I’m a Satmar {not defending any1 in this list} Moshe Rabienu was rich,the Kohanim gedolim were rich they had to it not they were made rich as rashi explains. The Rizuny Rabbi’s were rich.There is good reasons for that if just for the reason that they wont be bought for money.But there are other reasons too.
What about King David and King Solomon’s wealth? Would you dare say something about that? If Hachem chooses to bless these individuals with wealth , we need to accept this fact. By making some negative remarks , we are only showing a trait of jealousy. Hachem does not make mistakes as to whom he gives or not.
These Rabiniccal figures supports huge Torah and Chessed Mosdos in Israel and around the world. We should focus on that.
Yidden, wake up! Why are your pushing your children to become lawyers, doctors, dentists, etc? They incur great debt and it takes years to pay off. The rabbinate is the next frontier of opportunity!
oh yes!!! belzer rabbi has 180 M. NIS!!! 180 M. NIS chovos… oh please give me a break!! maybe the shul and the properties together is worth 180 M. NIS.
A mistake with the gerrer rebbe, who is worth spprox $170m
It is a very bad habit to look in other people’s pockets (especially Rabbonim), and try to estimate the value of their net worth!
The article fails to mention the Sanzer Rebbe, shlita ( Sanz-Klausenberge) of Netanya who is among the wealthiest rabbonim in EY with assets worth hundreds of millions of NIS. Some of this may be jointly-owned with Reb Shmule Duvid in Brooklyn.
Far cry from the Chafetz Chaim who had a table a couple of chairs and a bed and had a stor, ewhich his wife ran. to earn a meager existance.
There is a very popular casidisher rabbi here in America that runs a fictitious organization in Israel, and travels the world to raise money.
The said organization has lots of real estate in Israel, and collects rent on it’s properties.
Yet no one says anything.
We are not the Catholics where the priests take an oath of poverty.
When any person amasses a great fortune, Hashem calls upon us to recognize that there is a method and a way about the universe. But that does not mean that the fortune amassers have acheived the highest merit. True we respect those who are endowed and especially if they are charitable and honorable. But in reality and in truth, if the rabbis are accepting payments for their own blessings per se, this is not ethically orthodox. True they deserve payments for their services, but just to say a good word? I believe that the L-rd has a way with everyone and if you only ascribe your soul and your benevolence to the change in your purse, your world to come will be less than a blessing from Heaven.
If this wealth includes institutions that belong to the community then its ok. If its a personal wealth then its something shameful for a rabbi. Such wealth produces a distorted view of the world and human conditions. Rabbi should have a clear view and a compassion in order to be a good leader. I cannot explain it precisely but it does not smell good. Rabbis play a very special role in the community and deal with human souls.
Notice how all the rabonim are charedim……no mizrachi’s or modern orthodox, etc……
No wonder things stink so in our communities.
The only way the Belzer Rebbe could have such an amount is by adding up the value of the net assets of all his Chassidim together with the value of all the worldwide institutions (Mosdos and Synagogues) real estate worldwide. We all know that he is not an investor and does not dabble in any business deals. In comparison to other larges orthodox brand names (Chasidish, Yeshivish, Litvish, Sephardy), he has the lowest number of millionaires (both in quantity and quality). His low-income and middle-income Chassidim contribute a higher ratio of their income towards all their Torah and Chessed institutions than in many other Orthodox brand names (not meant to degrade others in any way). He is a miraculous leader in creating Askonim who undertake projects and sweat to pull it through. These Askonim then continuously work with his hearty Chassidim to plug the financial holes. After 40 years, he has established a network of institutions with an infinite value that is much more than $180 Million.
As for the other Forbes Richest Rabbis, it would be appropriate for their truly honest supporters to provide a rational clarification and explanation.
To 43. Nir ben artzi is very mizrachi
Moshe Rabeinu was also exceedingly wealthy.
I have plenty of criticism for many charedi and chassidic rabbonim…but I don’t believe for one second that any of them are enriching themselves at the expense of their followers.
something is very odd here, having the Belzer Rebbe #4 th richest…
ask anyone in the world who knows the truth the Rebbe never ever had money to begin with…
all of a sudden he’s worth 180 million shekel? is it all Belz institutions over the world, is this considered his personal assets? is this all its worth 180 m shekel? I wish the Rebbe has all this money, I know / and all chasidim know, he would do very good deeds with his money! you can see what he did to individual people who needed assitance he helped them without him having the money.. the well known 6 chasuna policies he gave to 6 yesoimim (not even Belze chasidim) and so on..