According to a member of Shas’ Council of Torah Sages and the head of the influential Porat Yosef Yeshiva, Shalom Cohen, a Jew who wears a knitted kippa - - is NOT a Jew (see http://yohanon.blogspot.com/2013/07/youre-not-jew.html).
I rail against Muslims who remain silent following an Islamist attack on innocents. If they are so committed to their adopted countries, why don’t they speak out against the Islamists’ atrocities?
Cohen gave his speech Saturday night.
Naftali Bennet of the (Israeli) Bayit Yehudi (Jewish Home) party took issue with Cohen’s remarks. Bennet’s remarks, along with a video of Cohen’s talk – in Hebrew to a receptive audience – is covered on the haredi web site, Kikar HaShabat (see http://tinyurl.com/q4nbc9r). The Times of Israel carried an article based on the Kikar HaShabat posting on Sunday at http://tinyurl.com/q9p5k2p.
It's now Monday.
Arutz 7 ( http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/169910 ) carried an article claiming that Cohen " did not mean to disparage all religious Zionists, but only the leadership of the Bayit Yehudi party" according to unidentified "sources."
"The words that were spoken last night in a lesson at the study hall of Maran [Rabbi Ovadia Yosef] were spoken in great pain and were only intended toward the leaders of the Bayit Yehudi and their supporters, who have declared war upon the world of Torah and yeshivot”
According to Arutz 7, Cohen has refused to take back his cruel invective against the religious Zionists. When contacted by Arutz Sheva after the initial publication of the sermon, he simply said, “leave me alone and don't bother me.”
I have yet to see any rabbis of note - or any rabbis at all - speak out about Cohen's remarks - pro or con, for or against, or even aghast.
Perhaps they are not aware of their fellow rabbi's remarks. The only places I saw the comment were on the Times of Israel, Arutz Sheva, and Kikar HaShabat. I don't frequent Kikar HaShabat, but maybe the rabbis do. (The advertisements on Arutz 7 often are not appropriate for rabbinical eyes.)
Cohen's remarks are hardly as news worthy as 9-11-2001, but still, within Jewish circles, the remarks should get some attention.
Are our rabbis to be like the Muslims' imams and remain silent? Are Jews of all types to likewise remain silent in face of this person's comments? Apparently Ovadia Yosef will remain silent.
This is NOT a "tempest in a teapot." It is an affront to all Jews whose approach to Judaism is different that Cohen's and Shas'.
I would not have the chutzpah to tell Shas to get a new spiritual leader; keeping the Yosef clan in power is a choice only Shas should make. By the same token, I will not suggest that Shas clean up its political house of ill repute.
But I can, and I will, look elsewhere for both religious and religio-political leadership
After all, according to Cohen and Shas, I am not a Jew; I wear a knitted kippa - proudly. On Shabat, I have the chutzpah to not only wear a knitted kippa but a colorful knitted kippa! (My knitted kippa has nothing to do with either a political or religious perspective; I simply think it allows my hair to "breathe" and might help forestall a bald spot; so far, so good.)
I was "Jew enough" for the old Mifdal (National Religious Party) and I am "Jew enough" for Bayit Yehudi. But I guess I am not "Jew enough" for Shas.
If it's all the same to Cohen & Company, I'll keep my knitted kippot, my weekday black ones, my Shabat red one, and the others I wear on haggim. Since my choice of kippot makes me "not Jewish" I'll stay clear of Shas congregations - in Israel, there always is another congregation down the street where I AM a Jew.
If the TinyURL for Kikar haShabat fails, the full URL is:
http://www.kikarhashabat.co.il/%D7%91%D7%A0%D7%98-%D7%A2%D7%9C-%D7%94%D7%A8%D7%91-%D7%A9%D7%9C%D7%95%D7%9D-%D7%9B%D7%94%D7%9F-%D7%AA%D7%AA%D7%91%D7%99%D7%99%D7%A9%D7%95-%D7%9C%D7%9B.html
If the Tiny URL for the Times of Israel fails, the full URL is:
http://www.timesofisrael.com/shas-leader-says-modern-orthodox-not-jewish/?utm_source=The+Times+of+Israel+Daily+Edition&utm_campaign=27675e3a5e-2013_07_14&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_adb46cec92-27675e3a5e-54477781>http://www.timesofisrael.com/shas-leader-says-modern-orthodox-not-jewish/?utm_source=The+Times+of+Israel+Daily+Edition&utm_campaign=27675e3a5e-2013_07_14&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_adb46cec92-27675e3a5e-54477781
