Hasidic Lawyer Urges Chabad Followers to Vote for Ultra-Orthodox Parties
Translated & summarized from JDN by baba
Hasidic lawyer Nathan Rosenblatt is urging Chabad followers to vote for ultra-Orthodox parties UTJ or Shas, citing the imprisonment of Chabad youths for refusing military service to study Torah. He argues these parties are the only ones defending the "wholeness of the land, people, and Torah" as taught by the Rebbe. Rosenblatt claims other parties have harmed Torah scholars and failed to protect religious observance, contrasting this with the consistent support for settlements and religious institutions by UTJ and Shas.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Hasidic lawyer Nathan Rosenblatt urges Chabad followers to vote for UTJ or Shas.
- He cites the imprisonment of Chabad youths for refusing military service to study Torah.
- Rosenblatt claims only ultra-Orthodox parties defend the "wholeness of the land, people, and Torah."
- He criticizes other parties for harming Torah scholars and religious observance.
- Rosenblatt recalls a prominent Rabbi voting for UTJ in the past.
A Hasidic lawyer named Nathan Rosenblatt has penned an open letter urging Chabad followers to vote exclusively for ultra-Orthodox parties, specifically United Torah Judaism (UTJ) or Shas, in upcoming elections. Rosenblatt, who volunteers weekly at a military prison, states he has encountered numerous Chabad youths imprisoned for refusing military service to adhere to the Rebbe's directive to focus on Torah study.
He asserts that these young men endure severe physical and mental suffering due to their commitment to religious observance. Rosenblatt, who provides pro bono legal representation, appeals to a sense of shared Jewish and Hasidic responsibility, imploring voters to cast their ballots solely for the religious parties this time, regardless of past considerations.
Rosenblatt blames judges and representatives not bound by Torah rulings for the imprisonment of these students and for potential future decrees. He criticizes other parties, including those perceived as right-wing, for allegedly failing to protect yeshiva students and for some members even voting for the arrest of Haredim, contradicting coalition agreements. He argues these parties abandoned Torah scholars during difficult times.
The lawyer frames the election as a crucial battle for "three wholenesses" as taught by the Rebbe. He contends that only the ultra-Orthodox parties consistently defend these principles: the wholeness of the land, through supporting settlements and large Haredi cities, and by remaining loyal to right-wing governments; the wholeness of the people, by safeguarding the purity of the Rabbinate and conversions, and by working to unite the nation rather than incite division; and the wholeness of Torah, by protecting Torah scholars and yeshiva students from those who harm their studies and religious pursuits.
Rosenblatt concludes with a personal anecdote, recalling his past role as chief of staff for UTJ and his observation of Rabbi Mordechai Shmuel Ashkenazi, a prominent Chabad figure, voting for UTJ. He stresses that he is not acting on behalf of any election campaign but urges each Chabad follower to consider the Rebbe's pure intention in instructing them to vote for the "most Haredi party" when they reach the ballot box.
