Israel’s chief rabbis back police with new halachic guide for operational dilemmas

Israel’s chief rabbis met this week with the Police Rabbinate and the Border Police in a working session focused on linking Torah study with internal security. The gathering also marked the launch of a new volume in the “Hafkadeti Shomrim” series, a collection of halachic writings on complex questions that arise from police work in the field.

The book includes articles written by police rabbis on the unique security challenges officers face, along with halachic rulings on wartime issues by leading decisors, including Rabbi Asher Weiss and Rabbi Yitzchak Zilberstein. Special emphasis was placed on difficult questions that reached police officers during the “Swords of Iron” war, which the article says reflected their willingness to protect Israeli civilians under unprecedented field conditions. The volume is dedicated to the memory of former Police Rabbi Brig. Gen. Rabbi Yaakov Gross, who taught Torah for 50 years, and was edited by his son, Rabbi Shimon Gross.

Chief Rabbi and Sephardi Chief Rabbi Rabbi David Yosef said proper halachic rulings on professional matters require a deep grasp of reality. “Just as a rabbi relies on a doctor’s expertise in medical questions, so too must he rely on police expertise in operational issues,” he said. “Only a thorough understanding of reality allows correct halachic decisions.”

Chief Rabbi Rabbi Kalman Meir Ber said the book shows that Torah covers every area of life. “It accompanies a person in every decision and operational activity,” he said, adding praise for Police Rabbi Rabbi Rami Barchiyahu. Barchiyahu said the police rabbinate’s role is to bring “the world of Torah and spirit” into police service and to strengthen the link between the nation’s values and public security. The meeting also reflected a broader trend of closer cooperation between religious leadership and security bodies.