Explain Why Water Moved Into The Respirometer

Who Rav Ovadia Yosef is really? (I)

is today perhaps the most controversial figure, the most revered but also the most hated Jew in the world today.

But you love him or hate him, mistake would be to caricature and retain only limits its interventions on the Holocaust or, on the other hand, does not perceive the sometimes very halachic decisions of some controversy.

Rabbi Ovadia Yosef is better than that because in fact it is an extraordinary figure in the Jewish world today. Which is already the subject of several biographies, Further analysis and critical works about his perception of the Halakha. And in addition has a significant place in the political arena rather chaotic country.

Professor Marc Shapiro, an expert on the Orthodox community, has produced an excellent critical review of recent books published about Rabbi Ovadia Yosef.

He called his article "MiYosef ad Yosef Yosef Lo Kam ke" (From Joseph to Joseph, there was none like Joseph).

little explanation text. This phrase refers to another famous phrase, present at the tomb of the famous Maimonides : "Moshe MiMoché ad Moshe Kam lo ke "(From Moses (our master) to Moses (Maimonides) there was none like Moses). Praise incredible that creates an almost direct link between Moses to whom God has given tables Maimonides and the law that revolutionized Judaism, for that matter with his work of Halakha (the Mishneh Torah) with the Guide for the Perplexed, dear to the Jewish intellectuals in Paris.

The title of Mark Shapiro recounts an identical link between Rabbi Yosef Karo and Rabbi Ovadia Yosef . Who knows the impact of Rabbi Yosef Karo in the Jewish world with the release of its Shulhan Arukh can appreciate the boldness of comparison. The Shulhan Arukh has indeed caused a rupture in the way the epistemological been masters of the tradition approach to Jewish law. It was neither more nor less than to compile and adjudicate halachic decisions of the greatest masters of the Middle Ages to produce the "ultimate code of laws," one that would end the countless discussions on practical behavior of the Jewish people and this, the entire perimeter Legislature: festivals, kashrut, commercial laws, prayers, marriage, contracts, etc. ...

We'll come back. But the idea This post is to understand how Rabbi Ovadia Yosef is a person of considerable importance for the Jewish world today.

The renaissance of the Sephardic pride

For a long time in Israel, the establishment was composed of Ashkenazi real founders of the country. It is of course true perspective secular (socialist from Russia and Poland) but also true in the religious camp where the most important rabbinical authorities of the country have long been derived from Ashkenazi world: the Rav Kook The Hazon Ish , then Rav Shakh , the famous director of the Yeshiva Poniowitz.

As outlined in a previous post , many young Sephardi world (mainly North Africa) were caught in Ashkenazi yeshivot, have adopted their methods of study and sometimes customs. This has not prevented discrimination that learners Sephardic, even the brightest are not necessarily the largest study in yeshivot, a Sephardic Haredi world can not marry a woman Ashkenazi (unless it is blind, deaf and poor), etc. etc. ... This fact is well described in this article by Rabbi Elie Kling.

A bit paternalistic so (even racist), the Ashkenazi great leaders have always considered it was not yet the time came when a Sephardi could gain access to leadership positions within the religious world. It also follows a sentence of Rav Shakh unfortunate that the Shas party decided not to stay under the thumb of leaders Ashkenazi and take off independently in the political landscape.

This is primarily thanks to Rabbi Ovadia Yosef. Born in Iraq, a poor family and not specifically recognized, Rabbi Ovadia Yosef had no external signs to imagine a career rabbinical large in Israel: Sephardic without Yikhouss (membership in a prestigious line), and modest.

arrived at the age of 4 years in Israel, yet he was invited at the age of 22 years in Egypt to head of the rabbinical court in Cairo. In 1968 he was appointed Chief Rabbi of Tel Aviv to finally be elected Sephardi Chief Rabbi of Israel (Rishon Lezion: the primacy of Zion) in 1973.

halakhic Supremacy, a guarantee of legitimacy undisputed

What therefore distinguishes Rabbi Ovadia of his contemporaries? It has a major advantage: he is a genius of the Halakha. According to all observers and experts, his mastery of halakhic texts is absolutely unmatched, even by the greatest masters of the twentieth century Ashkenazi. However, the halakhic legitimacy is absolutely essential for anyone who wants to have an influence on the Jewish world. If any community rabbi explains that it is possible to use one machine for washing alternately with milk and meat, may be quickly deal with lax, or a liberal joker.

When Rabbi Ovadia Yosef that it sets such a decision, the impact is enormous. First, it has a practical impact on the lives of hundreds of thousands of people. Then, it is very complicated, given the aura has Rabbi Yosef on halakha, to support the opposite view.

If the subject of the dish washing machine leaves you cold (it should not), then one must remember that Rav Ovadia was responsible for several "Psak Din (halachic decisions) who had a huge impact in Israel:

- is in major part because of him that immigrants Ethiopian Jews were considered a halakhic perspective. Without reasoned and based its decision, there might be no Ethiopians in Israel today.

- Rav Ovadia Yosef has ever struggled to solve the problem of women Agounot during the Yom Kippur War. Agounot these women are the soldiers who disappeared during the war that had no means of legally divorced and then remarry. Even today, on this thorny subject, Rabbi Ovadia Yosef is certainly the ultimate decision which we address the most problematic cases.

We will develop a ticket specifically on the innovative, even revolutionary in some aspects of the vision of Rabbi Ovadia Yosef halakhic.

Autonomy in Israel's Sephardi world

But we must first understand how its influence has reached a level such that a person as sensible Ami Bouganim could tell me one day with conviction that the only person now capable of actually solving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was called Ovadia Yosef.

It has been said for a long time, the Sephardic religious following the decisions taken by the great master of Lithuanian yeshivot, including politically by voting Agudat for Israel (or Degel Hathor), the large ultra-Orthodox party. But in the mid 80's, Rabbi Shakh, encourages Sefaradim Rabbi Ovadia Yosef and to create a party specifically Sephardic: Shas. The idea was to broaden the electoral base for controlling a Orthodox electorate sometimes even suspicious vis-a-vis the Ashkenazi world. The maneuver succeeded beyond all expectations. In addition to receiving the votes of the ultra-Orthodox Sephardic Shas managed the feat of attracting the votes of Moroccan traditionalists or even very religious, many more. Shas is a major force in Israeli politics and Rav Ovadia Yosef, after several postponements, finally broke with Rav Shakh to become the undisputed leader of this movement.

Sephardic pride was restored, what does not fail to mention the slogan of Shas: "lehahazir Ateret leyoshna" restore glory to his crown.

From the moment Shas took its independence, resentment of the Ashkenazi world was extremely violent. Overnight, the name of Rav Ovadia Yosef no longer appeared in newspapers ultra-Orthodox Ashkenazi. Worse, only his name was mentioned, Ovadia, without all the titles and marks of respect that are multiples in these publications to the major of the Torah. Treatment unimaginable for a master's rank Ovadia Yosef.

Marc Shapiro remembers that when he read these attacks in the Haredi press , this has been the effect of a mosquito trying to attack an elephant. The comparison is apt: these attacks have absolutely nothing to discredit Rabbi, on the contrary, they gave it additional prestige: the one who finally dares to stand in front of the Ashkenazi hegemony. Rav Ovadia Yosef as has also criticized so constructed Ashkenazi society: in the introductions to volumes 1 and 3 of his masterpiece (Yabi Omer), Ovadia Yosef challenges the education system Ashkenazi because of its high valence theory which does not focus on the study of Aharonim (post-decision Shulhan Aruch) and practical halakha. He did not hesitate to diminish the role played by the Hazon Ish in recent times. The Chazon Ish! The founder of the city of Bnei Brak, Rabbi Ben-Gurion in whom moved to negotiate what the status, authority icontestable world Ashkenazi in Israel after the war! An icon!

And now Rabbi Ovadia Yosef permits himself to challenge his designation of "Moreh Hora ", an expert in halakha, under the pretext that the Chazon Ish had never had a collective responsibility. Storm in Israel that the two biographies (not apologetic be remembered as written by journalists) structures have obviously remembered.

Although Naturally, the political field, Rabbi Ovadia Yosef is known for his moderate stance on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Or rather for its "psak Din" to explain that to the territories were allowed to reach a genuine peace. It was not only friends, this time on the side of religious Zionists, however a large majority following its other decisions halakhic. But against all odds, he has broken some barriers by entering voluntarily into a Labour government which included the Meretz party secular anti-religious. Or refusing to participate in the government of Ariel Sharon. Or by displaying its proximity and even his friendship with Shimon Peres.

short, without going into the halakhic system that holds many surprises and gems, it appears that Rabbi Ovadia Yosef is a true leader in the sense that he managed to inspire people and to collect much beyond its family.

Its proximity to the masses is an important factor in its success. Marc Shapiro recalled having attended one of his lectures Motsaé of Shabbat with great pleasure: this mixture of Torah, anecdotes and humor has a real impact on ordinary people. You may say that the rabbis who joke and get along well with people are legion. Certainly, none of the major academic Ovadia Yosef, perhaps the biggest decision since Shulhan Arukh.

In the Western world, Ovadia Yosef is best known for his "gaffes" or his utterances as when he called Yossi Sarid (a leader of the Meretz party) "Aman" or "Satan." Mark Shapiro seems to put these differences on the overheated atmosphere of these conferences on Saturday evening and the close proximity of Rav Ovadia Yosef with the masses in these statements. For him, these little phrases are passed to the dustbin of history, just as it was now forgotten "noise and smell" of Jacques Chirac in order to retain its stature as a statesman ...

Rabbi Ovadia Yosef has profoundly transformed the sociology of the State of Israel, has a very important and political power has effected a revolution in the halakhic world that we will address in a future post.

It's why we must keep in mind to better understand the action of Rabbi Ovadia Yosef. And beyond, better understand the evolution of world Jewish Diaspora and Israel.