The chairman of the Religious Zionist Party, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, responded this evening to former Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef’s attack on Rabbi Tamir Granot, whose son was killed in action in Gaza.
“Rabbi Tamir Granot is a Torah scholar and a man of pleasant manners who sanctifies God’s name in public. He buried his heroic son Amitay, of blessed memory, in war, and since then has devoted his days even more to spreading light, unity and love," Smotrich stated.
"Anyone who allows himself to humiliate him disgraces himself, profanes God’s name publicly, spreads baseless hatred and division, and will have no part with us. I am proud to lead a community that contains Torah together with proper conduct and knows how to respect even those who disagree and to conduct disputes for the sake of Heaven,” Smotrich said.
The head of the Tzohar Rabbinic Organization, Rabbi David Stav, also reacted to Rabbi Yosef's attack on Rabbi Granot: “The words of sages should be heard calmly. It is permitted and appropriate to argue over values and public positions, but it is forbidden to insult and humiliate. Torah discourse should be based on humility, mutual respect, and responsibility to the word of God, not on personal attacks.”
Rabbi Stav asked: “Does anyone who disagrees with you cease to be a rabbi? No person may appropriate a monopoly on Torah and halakha. The Torah was given to all Israel, and any Torah scholar who acts out of fear of Heaven, out of love of Israel, and out of devotion to combining Torah with life - deserves respect and substantive discourse even when his view differs. ‘Derekh eretz precedes the Torah.’ Before any verse and before any halakhic discussion, there is an obligation of human respect, especially toward rabbis and Torah scholars.”
He added: “When a rabbi in Israel chooses abusive and insulting language toward another Torah scholar, and particularly toward a man who is also an av shachuv (bereaved father), it causes a severe profanation of God’s name that harms the honor of the Torah itself. One must not tolerate a desecration of God’s name and cannot move on - one does not gesturally ignore a profanation of God’s name. The rabbinate must not become a place where it is permitted to hurt and humiliate in the name of Torah. Where there is a desecration of God’s name - one does not accord honor to the rabbi.”
Rabbi Stav concluded with personal remarks about Rabbi Granot: “Rabbi Tamir Granot is a yeshiva head who dedicates his life to educating hundreds of students in love of Torah, fear of Heaven and service to the people of Israel in body and soul. We must increase respect, unity and love of Israel - not inflame disputes and slanders.”
Former MK Matan Kahana responded: “I hope Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef will find the way to apologize to Rabbi Tamir Granot, head of the Orot Shaul Hesder Yeshiva in Tel Aviv and father of Captain Amitai Granot, of blessed memory, who fell sanctifying God’s name in war. The Torah sages of Religious Zionism prove that one can be both great in Torah and a warrior.”
Earlier, Radio Kol Chai published a recording of Rabbi Yosef’s remarks against Rabbi Granot - head of the Orot Shaul Hesder Yeshiva in Tel Aviv and father of Captain Amitai who fell in the war - prompted by Granot’s call to enlist haredim in the IDF.
“They attacked me, several heads of yeshivot. There’s one rabbi - I don’t know if he’s a rabbi - Granot, head of a Hesder yeshiva. How he spoke on television against us. Aren’t you afraid of insulting Torah scholars? The Gemara asks, how shall we know who is an apikorus [heretic]? Someone who says, ‘What do the yeshiva students benefit?’ He says - everyone to the army. Why should all of us go to the army? We learn Torah. Just as there is the Air Force, there is God’s force, who sit and engage in Torah and defend all the people of Israel. He attacked me. I think there are some of them that if they come to join the minyan, we will not include them in the count. They are in the category of apikorus. Not everyone.”
Rabbi Granot previously criticized Rabbi Yosef’s statements, particularly his threat that yeshivot would relocate abroad if students were forced to enlist. “You must ask forgiveness from my wife, and ascend to Mount Herzl and ask forgiveness from Amitay, a yeshiva student and soldier, and from all the righteous, holy and pure ones - Torah learners who chose to fight and also those who were not Torah learners who gave their lives."
"To leave abroad so as not to fight a war of commandment, under national danger?! Rabbi, are we in Russia? Is the army the czar’s army? Are the soldiers cantonists? You are the Rishon LeZion, honorable rabbi, not Rishon of Brooklyn nor Rishon of Baghdad. You have responsibility for the people of Israel,” Rabbi Granot then said.