Top Rabbis Urge Followers to Obey Sages Ahead of Election
Translated & summarized from Behadrei Haredim by baba
Six Haredi vocational high school rabbis issued a letter urging followers to vote according to the guidance of leading sages, not for any specific party. The letter, released days before elections, emphasizes that their institutions were founded with rabbinical consultation and aims to address evolving community needs. It advises followers to avoid protests or actions contrary to rabbinical directives, stressing the importance of safeguarding the Torah world. The rabbis deliberately refrained from naming any political parties or giving explicit voting instructions.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Six Haredi rabbis urged followers to vote based on rabbinical guidance, not for specific parties.
- The letter emphasizes that Haredi vocational schools were founded with consultation from leading sages.
- Rabbis stated political considerations should not interfere with education or yeshiva operations.
- Followers are advised to avoid protests or actions contrary to rabbinical directives.
- The rabbis deliberately avoided endorsing or opposing any specific political party.
- The message aims to guide the Haredi public in upcoming elections.
Six leading rabbis of Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) vocational high schools have issued a joint letter to parents, students, and alumni, just four days before the upcoming Israeli elections. The letter aims to guide the Haredi public on how to vote, particularly in light of new Haredi parties emerging to challenge established ones. The rabbis explicitly stated that their message is not an endorsement of any specific party and that political considerations should not interfere with the education of children or the operations of their yeshivas.
They emphasized that these educational institutions were founded based on consultations and guidance from "Gedolei Yisrael" (leading sages of Israel), who recognized the educational need and the unique response these schools provide. The rabbis clarified that their institutions were established not out of protest but from a desire to build, contribute, and offer educational solutions to community needs, educating children in Torah and proper conduct.
The letter acknowledges the growing Haredi population and the new challenges and changing needs that arise with it. However, it stresses that addressing these challenges requires responsibility and careful consideration, while safeguarding and strengthening the world of Torah in accordance with the path laid out by the leading sages.
The central message, appearing at the end of the letter, advises followers: "Therefore, when we come to decide in the public campaign before us, we must act according to the instructions of our rabbis, may they live long, and in the spirit of the path of our rabbis, of blessed memory, and refrain from participating in protests or actions that are not in line with this path." The signatories deliberately avoided mentioning any party names or explicitly telling people to vote for or against any specific faction. The letter is signed by the Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivat Ma'arava, Rabbi Avraham Greenbaum of Yeshivat Nehora, Rabbi Ketriel Kolodetsky of Yeshivat Hayishuv Hahadash, Rabbi Michael Shoham of Yeshivat Nahardea, Rabbi Meshulam Brandwein of Yeshivat Hadvat HaTorah, and Rabbi Avishai Brown. The letter seeks to convey that even educational institutions with a unique approach, founded to meet diverse needs within the Haredi community, consider themselves bound by the guidance of their leading rabbis, without making an explicit political endorsement.
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