Q&A: He and His Sons in the Midst of the Land
He and His Sons in the Midst of the Land
Question
Yesterday I was at the funeral of Rabbi Yehuda Deri, of blessed memory. Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef eulogized him, and in the course of his remarks he said that Rabbi Deri’s son would take his place as the rabbi of the city of Be’er Sheva. He added that no one should dare submit their candidacy, since it is an established halakhic ruling that a son inherits his position. Is that correct from a halakhic standpoint?
I’m a resident of Be’er Sheva, and there are great rabbis there (most of them from Religious Zionism) who have been benefiting the public for decades, and it seemed quite natural to me to appoint a rabbi who is already active in the city.
Thank you
Answer
If Yitzhak Yosef said something, there is a presumption that it is not correct. He is simply looking out for the interests of the crime syndicate of the Deri and Yosef families. That’s all.
I didn’t hear that when Deri was chosen as rabbi, they first approached the son of the previous rabbi.
There is such a thing in Jewish law as inheriting Torah positions, but it is very limited, and nowadays, in my opinion, it is not relevant. Certainly not when there are people more worthy than he is.
Discussion on Answer
Apply it to the beginning of the verse.
That’s what I thought too, but for a while now you’ve consistently not been calling him rabbi.
“Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef, despite all my criticism of him, should be called rabbi. If I didn’t do so, it was probably due to inattention. I no longer remember.
Amnon Yitzhak I do not know, and I don’t know the extent of his knowledge. But he really is a clown on a level that makes it hard to relate to him as a rabbi.
Of course I have no sharp criterion. Common sense is what determines it.”
This is a quote from you, Rabbi. What changed that you stopped calling him rabbi? Is this a change in your approach to him, or a change in your standards for calling someone rabbi?