Rabbi Stav
Rabbi StavYoni Kempinski

Rabbi David Stav, a leading candidate for the post of chief Ashkenazi rabbi, told Arutz Sheva in an exclusive interview that he was “shocked” by the scathing attack upon him by Rabbi Ovadia Yosef ten days ago.

“My first reaction to myself was, what does G-d want from me?” he said.

The next thought, he said, was that the attack was a “chilul Hashem” – an act that casts shame upon the Torah.

Rabbi Stav said that he decided not to respond to the attack.

Rabbi Yosef had told a large crowd that choosing Rabbi Stav as Chief Rabbi would be “like putting an idol in the sanctuary of the Temple.” Several prominent rabbis, he said, “testified before me that [Rabbi Stav] is dangerous to Judaism, is dangerous to the Rabbinate.”

Rabbi Stav warned that politicians are causing harm to the Rabbinate in order to protect their jobs and political interests. He said that he has no intention of compromising on matters of halakha, but that he will make every effort to carry out reforms as regards bureaucracy.