Rabbi Shalom Cohen: Why Would He Say That?

saw50st8

Thu, Jul 24 2014, 9:29 am

Can someone please explain why Rabbi Shalom Cohen would say the IDF is uneccessary?

http://www.jpost.com/Operation.....68728

Quote:

The foremost religious arbiter in the ultra-Orthodox Sephardic Shas movement raised eyebrows on Wednesday when during a special prayer held at Jerusalem’s Western Wall for IDF soldiers, he remarked that “Israel doesn’t need an army.”

The comments by Rabbi Shalom Cohen, the man who succeeded the late Rabbi Ovadia Yosef as spiritual leader of Shas, drew rebukes from secular Israelis as IDF soldiers continue to operate in the Gaza Strip on the 17th day of Operation Protective Edge.

“Do you think that the people of Israel need an army?” Cohen asked during his sermon. “It is God almighty who fights for Israel.”

When stunned worshipers asked the rabbi to offer a blessing for IDF troops, he replied, “Do you think you are fighting? I am fighting for you. We screamed out to God: ‘Save us without inflicting anymore sorrow on the people of Israel’.”

The head of Hiddush, an organization that champions religious freedom and equality, lambasted the rabbi for the comments.

“If the country doesn’t need an army, then there’s no doubt that the yeshivas and Torah students don’t need budgets from the treasury,” Uri Regev, the director-general of Hiddush, said. “From now on, they can put their faith in the Lord when it comes to asking for money to fund their education systems. We will help the ultra-Orthodox in saying earnest prayers for money to start growing on trees.”

“At the end of the day, most of us believe that we do need an army, but we are quite uncertain as to whether we need Shas,” Regev said.

Barbara

Thu, Jul 24 2014, 9:35 am

Just to contrast the view of another more right-wing religious group:

Quote:

Wounded IDF soldiers whose tefillin were destroyed in clashes with Hamas received a pleasant surprise in the hospital on Wednesday with a brand new set presented by Young Chabad, the Kikar Shabbat website reported.

Several troops told visitors in the hospital that they were without their tefillin, and the Lubavitch House in Paris responded quickly to help fulfill a request to replace them.

Members of Young Chabad visited the soldiers the same day with a visit and a gift of new tefillin.

One woman from Pisgat Ze’ev, in northern Jerusalem, said that her son, who suffered injuries that required the amputation of one leg, learned in Chabad while in Morocco.

“This is the most important gift for my son,” she said.

chaiz

Thu, Jul 24 2014, 9:40 am

saw50st8 wrote:

Can someone please explain why Rabbi Shalom Cohen would say the IDF is uneccessary?

http://www.jpost.com/Operation.....68728

Quote:

I honestly do not get why he said what he said. I know many, many chareidim are davening for chayalim and dong what they can.

Barbara

Thu, Jul 24 2014, 9:46 am

Back to Saw's article, I'll confess that my first reaction to it was, "well, given the high cost of Iron Dome, I'd suggest that the IDF not deploy it if any missiles are flying in his direction. Hashem will protect him."

Then I realized how cruel that is.

I honestly don't know which is worse. The Neturei Karta folks who actively hope for the end of Israel, or the people like Cohen (no honorific when you make statements like that) who trivialize what each of these brave young men and women are doing.

Barbara

Thu, Jul 24 2014, 9:49 am

chaiz wrote:

I honestly do not get why he said what he said. I know many, many chareidim are davening for chayalim and dong what they can.

NB that the article made that clear: "When stunned worshipers asked the rabbi to offer a blessing for IDF troops ...."

That is, they were praying for the IDF, and wanted Cohen to offer a prayer for the IDF.

chaiz

Thu, Jul 24 2014, 9:54 am

Barbara wrote:

I saw that part and do not get it. I just wanted to point out that this is completely not mainstream in any way that I know of. There is no basis for what he said.

etky

Thu, Jul 24 2014, 12:20 pm

His appointment took most people by surprise. Apparently it was a result of political machinations within Shas. Suffice it to say that Arye Deri was involved.
He is known to be an extremist. Recently he has labelled DL people "amalek" and has ferociously lambasted the Bayit Heyehudi. His views are a departure from the more moderate views held by the mainstream Shas electorate.

sky

Thu, Jul 24 2014, 12:43 pm

I saw this on the Jewish Press. Is it the same rav?

Quote:

Published: July 23rd, 2014
The Jewish Press joins Klal Yisrael in praying for the safety of our fellow Jews in Israel, especially the soldiers in harm’s way. Almost as one, Jews around the world are acknowledging the day-to-day peril facing ordinary Jews in Israel and the extraordinary service of the IDF in protecting them.

* Rav Aaron Yehuda Leib Shteinman and Rav Chaim Kanievsky have called on all Jews to pray for civilians threatened by Hamas rockets and for the safety of IDF soldiers operating in Gaza.

* Sephardi Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef said each and every person is obligated to pray, recite Psalms and intend the merit of their good deeds for the success of the soldiers who are endangering themselves for the sake of defending the Jewish people.

* Shas spiritual leader and rosh yeshiva of Yeshivat Porat Yosef, Rabbi Shalom Cohen, said “the Jewish people must implore through prayer for the IDF soldiers who are going out [to Gaza] in self-sacrifice, defending the nation that dwells in Zion against those that have risen up against it…. May God be with them and return them in peace to their families.”

* The Vizhnitzer Rebbe davened at the gravesites of previous Vizhnitzer rebbes for the success of the IDF in Gaza.

* The Shomrei Emunim Rebbe urged prayers for IDF soldiers fighting in Gaza, saying: “Every person should imagine as if it his own son fighting out there.”

* A program initiated in 2009 by Rechovot Chief Rabbi Simcha Hakohen Kook and the Bostoner Rebbe, zt”l, calling for people to “adopt” an individual soldier by name and pray on his behalf, has been organized anew by the mother of a former paratrooper (see shmiraproject.com for details).

MaBelleVie

Thu, Jul 24 2014, 3:06 pm

I am absolutely positive that this was taken completely out of context and was intended to be a nechama to the soldiers. As in, God is fighting this war so you have nothing to fear. The quote is a tiny piece of his entire speech. Anyone who knows enough about shas would recognize how ludicrous it would be for the shas leader to show anything but support for tzahal.

etky

Thu, Jul 24 2014, 3:15 pm

MaBelleVie wrote:

That's what Shas spokepeople said later but his words caused a huge commotion both at the rally and when they were reported in the media. One gets the impression that it was an attempt at damage control. He really is not in syn with the Shas electorate and is known for his anti-Zionist agenda and hence his outbursts.

MaBelleVie

Thu, Jul 24 2014, 3:18 pm

etky wrote:

If that were the case shas would boot him out yesterday. It was not wise to choose words that could be misinterpreted, and God knows how many people are pouncing to misinterpret his words. But I really believe that his intention was not what is being portrayed in the media.

etky

Thu, Jul 24 2014, 3:24 pm

MaBelleVie wrote:

They won't boot him out now because he was installed by Arye Deri, who now seems to have an upper hand in the party, in a move against Eli Yishai. He may indeed prove to be an electoral liability when the time comes. But who knows - there may yet be pressure applied to him to change his overall tune. I do not know his real intent and I would like to be DLKZ. But it was a mistake to send out ambivalent messages at this time and in this venue and the public did not take to it kindly.

MaBelleVie

Thu, Jul 24 2014, 3:29 pm

etky wrote:

I understand. Like I said, someone in his position has to be exceedingly careful. He can't control words taken out of context, and again, anything can be taken out of context and twisted terribly.

FranticFrummie

Fri, Jul 25 2014, 7:19 am

The Satan is working overtime to divide us! This is not the time to put too much energy into any side that would divide us against ourselves. Israel needs a strong army, and needs all the tefillos they can get. These things are NOT mutually exclusive. Actually, they go hand in hand. No effort, without G-d being involved, will ever succeed for us. He is out standard in battle, as well as in peace.

I was at a kosher hotel in Jerusalem for Pesach, and there was a large table a bit of a way from our table. Many of the people there were in uniform, with their families. I overheard some of them talking about how hard it was when their fellow Jews were against them for going into the IDF.

While they were drinking their coffee and shmoozing, I cleared my plate and then wandered over to their table. I introduced myself and said "Excuse me, but my family is Charedi…" They all started looking very nervous. I quickly went on saying "I just want you all to know how much we support you, and respect what you are doing for Israel. We are very sorry to hear such horrible things being said about the soldiers, and we don't agree with it. We're on your side."

The smiles I got from them were so beautiful, I'll never forget it. I felt so much warmth from them, if they hadn't just eaten they probably would have asked me to sit down. They were just glowing, like I'd made their whole day - a Passover miracle!

I never saw them after that, but I hope it made a difference for them. If any of those soldiers are out there right now, I hope they remember my words.