Top Rabbi Says Rumors Are False, He DOES Oppose Rabbi Melamed’s “Peninei Halacha” Seforim

ISRAEL (VINnews) — A leading Posek says that contrary to rumors and media reports, a letter he signed against Rabbi Melamed did mean to include the Peninei Halacha seforim.

Rabbi Yaakov Ariel, former Chief Rabbi of Ramat Gan and leading Dati Leumi Posek, says that reports in his name from various media sources were not accurate and did not reflect his true opinion. Those reports claimed that Rabbi Ariel was misled into signing a letter against Peninei Halacha, while in reality he supports the seforim.

In a video, Rabbi Ariel clarified that the letter that he signed last week was in fact referring to Rabbi Melamed, and contrary to the rumors, he is against not only the new writings of the Rabbi but also the Peninei Halacha series.

In the video Rabbi Ariel said, “My position is that even with new issues that arise [in halacha], there is an established tradition in Klal Yisrael, which is accepted from generation to generation. And one must follow those who use the ‘Derech Hamelech’ of accepted psak.”

He added, “This also applies to the book of Peninei Halacha.”

Part of the confusion arose from the fact that two letters were released at the same time, one mentioning Rabbi Eliezer Melamed, while the other did not.

Several rabbis who signed the second letter said they did not specifically mean Rabbi Melamed, and protested that petition organizers released the two letters together. Rabbi Chaim Druckman, a Dati Leumi leader, yesterday supported Rabbi Melamed in a video of his own.

Last week dozens of rabbis from the Religious Zionist sector signed the letters. The rabbis are concerned about contacts Rabbi Melamed has maintained with the Reform movement as well as by the rulings he issued regarding matters of family purity, rulings which apparently contradict the psak of most accepted authorities.

In one letter, signed by over 20 prominent rabbis, it is stated that the Peninei Halacha on family purity “publishes things which ought to remain covert and should not be disseminated to the wider public.” Additionally, “a number of leniencies are brought there which go against the opinion of the poskim. If the rabbi believes they are mistaken, he should cite the source of their mistake according to his opinion, but he cannot be lenient without explanation, this is not proper conduct.

The rabbis say that they tried to speak with Rabbi Melamed to backtrack on his rulings but “he did not respond.”