Rabbi David Stav Says Family Harmony Sometimes Requires Boundaries

In the debut episode of the new podcast "Mabat Gadol" on Meshav, Rabbi David Stav, chairman of Tzohar, described the complicated relationship between his own family and his haredi relatives. He said the wider ideological rifts in Israeli society also reach his immediate family, forcing him to compromise when family unity is at stake.

The interview was recorded before the recent wedding of his youngest son. Stav said that to ensure haredi relatives could attend the celebrations, the family chose a badatz-certified caterer for the sheva berakhot week, even though he would have preferred Tzohar certification. "Because of the value of family, I give up a lot so the family can sit together," he said.

He linked the issue to broader tensions over sensitive topics such as IDF service and the enlistment of haredim, saying that preserving the family sometimes means setting clear boundaries and avoiding certain subjects. "I want us to be able to talk about everything with everyone, but every family needs to know its rules of conversation and its sensitive points," he said.

Stav added that he speaks with his brother but wants the family bonds to remain intact. He compared restraint in conversation to building a fence between neighbors, saying it can help maintain good relations. He said this approach comes from his upbringing, especially his mother, the daughter of the Zhvhil Rebbe, who taught him not to be extreme, but to be humane and use common sense.