Top Rabbi Rules Tithing Funds Can Pay for Flights to Vote Shas

Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef, the Sephardi Chief Rabbi of Israel and spiritual leader of the Shas party, has issued a unique ruling allowing Israelis abroad to use tithing money, typically designated for charity, to purchase flights back to Israel to vote for his party. The ruling, disseminated via social media, encourages support for the ultra-Orthodox Sephardi party, with Rabbi Yosef calling voting for Shas a "great mitzvah and a holy obligation."

The directive aims to boost voter turnout among Shas supporters residing overseas in the upcoming elections. Rabbi Yosef explicitly stated, "Those staying abroad are permitted from the outset to purchase a plane ticket with tithing funds to arrive in the country and vote for the Shas movement."

This decision marks a departure from the usual use of tithing funds, which are generally reserved for aiding the needy and for religious purposes.