Rabbi
Yitzhak Yosef
יצחק יוסף
Yosef in 2017
TitleRishon LeZion
Chief Rabbi of Israel
Personal
Born (1952-01-16) 16 January 1952
ReligionJudaism
NationalityIsraeli
Parents
Jewish leader
PredecessorShlomo Amar
PositionSephardi Chief Rabbi of Israel
OrganisationChief Rabbinate of Israel
OtherRosh yeshiva of Yeshivat Hazon Ovadia

Yitzhak Yosef (Hebrew: יצחק יוסף; born 16 January 1952) is an Israeli Haredi rabbi. The Sephardi Chief Rabbi of Israel, he also serves as the rosh yeshiva of Yeshivat Hazon Ovadia in Jerusalem's Romema neighbourhood.

Yosef, the son of former chief rabbi Ovadia Yosef, bases his halakhic (Jewish law) rulings on his father's methodology,[1] which he compiled into a set of books called Yalkut Yosef.[2]

Early life

Yitzhak Yosef was born and raised in Jerusalem. He is the sixth son of the former Israeli Chief Rabbi and Shas spiritual leader Ovadia Yosef.[3] He attended school at Talmud Torah Yavneh in the Independent Education System. At age 12, he began his studies at the mesivta (high school) of Porat Yosef in the Katamon neighbourhood. He did not finish high school, and called secular studies "nonsense".[4] After that, he studied at Yeshivat HaNegev in Netivot, and from there he moved on to Hebron Yeshiva in Jerusalem.

In 1971, when he was 18 and studying at Yeshivat HaNegev, Yosef collected halakhic (Jewish law) rulings from the five volumes of then-in-print Yabia Omer, his father's responsa, and published them in a work called Yalkut Yosef. The book was published with his father's support and supervision. It is often considered one of his father's works, since not only is it a summary of his father's rulings, but the latter also went over it section by section and added his own comments. Yosef won the Rabbi Toledano Prize for Torah Literature from the Tel Aviv Religious Council for his book Issur VeHeter, as well as the Rabbi Kook Prize for Torah Literature.

Rabbinic career

Yosef with Reuven Rivlin during the Sukkot holiday in 2017

In 1973, upon his father's election as Chief Rabbi of Israel, they together established Yeshivat Hazon Ovadia and its kollel (advanced studies department). In 1980, he and the rest of the first graduating class were ordained as rabbis and dayanim (rabbinic judges) by Shalom Messas and the chief rabbis of Israel. With the beginning of the second class, he was appointed head of the school.

In 1975, Yosef was appointed rabbi of Nes Harim and Mata, moshavim (villages) in the vicinity of Jerusalem. As part of his responsibilities, he taught classes on halakha several times a week and took care of other religious matters. He gave lectures and taught classes in the secular public schools and strengthened religious education there.

In 1992, Yosef expanded Hazon Ovadia to include a boys high school. This was necessary because of discord between the Sephardi Haredi and Ashkenazi Litvak yeshiva communities.

On 24 July 2013, Yosef was elected to serve as Sephardi Chief Rabbi of Israel and the Rishon LeZion, a position he would hold for a decade. The ceremony took place on 14 August 2013 at the official residence of the President of Israel.[5]

Through the death of Yosef's father, the Shas political party lost its spiritual leader. Having been elected Sephardi Chief Rabbi, Yosef appeared to be in a good position to inherit his father's mantle as Shas spiritual leader. However, his public position precluded such political activity by law. Until the election, he never held any formal public office.[6]

On 21 August 2013 Yosef released a psak halakha (ruling) stating it is an obligation and mitzvah (good deed) for parents to have their children vaccinated for polio virus.[7] In 2021, he endorsed the Alliance of Rabbis in Islamic States and serves as its halakhic guide.[8]

Controversies

2016

In March 2016, Yosef called for religious Jews to keep their children away from secular or traditional members of their family because they could be a negative influence.[9][10][4]

Later that month, when Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot told military staff that rules of engagement must respect the law, and soldiers should not kill an attacker who has already been subdued, Yosef said soldiers must kill anyone who comes to attack them regardless of legal or military repercussions.[11] Later he said: "If they no longer have a knife, they must be put in prison for life until the [Jewish] Messiah comes and says who are Amalekites, and then we can kill them."[12][13]

He also said that according to Jewish law, gentiles "should not live in the Land of Israel" – unless they practice the Seven Laws of Noah, a set of universal moral laws – which includes all of the Ab as Abrahamic faiths (such as Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Druzism, and even Bahai) already share and use due their . Should they refuse to do so, they should be sent to Saudi Arabia. He added that non-Jews are allowed in Israel to serve the Jewish population.[11][13][14][15] Leaders of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) condemned Yosef's statements and called for their retraction. Jonathan Greenblatt and Carole Nuriel of ADL Israel called the remarks ignorant and intolerant.[16] He was eventually pressured into retracting his comments.[15]

Controversy surrounds the authority of the Chief Rabbis in Israel, particularly on matters such as conversions, marriages, and rabbinic ordination. In 2016, it was discovered that the Chief Rabbis maintained a confidential list of approved and rejected beth dins (religious courts), causing further controversy as some Orthodox rabbis, including Avi Weiss and Yehoshua Fass, were included on the blacklist. This secretive process without external review or appeal led to confusion, and the situation was exacerbated when Orthodox rabbi Haskel Lookstein, and some of his students, were barred from marrying in Israel.[21][22][23][24][25][26][27]

Lookstein officiated Ivanka Trump's conversion, causing tensions between Israel and the US. David Lau opposed Yosef's policy on recognizing US converts, but the rules were eventually changed.[28][29][30][31][32]

In December, he said that it was "not the way of the Torah" for women to join the IDF or even sign up for civilian national service: "All the great sages through the generations, including all Israel's chief rabbis, believe that it is forbidden for girls to go into the army... not just to the army – but to national service too."[33][34][35]

2017

In May 2017, Yosef compared secular women to animals because they dressed immodestly.[36][34][37][40]

2018

On 18 March 2018, Yosef allegedly likened people of black African descent to monkeys.[41][18][43] He was speaking on the topic of the Meshaneh HaBriyot blessing in the Talmud[44] concerning the sight of an unusual creature, either person or animal ("Blessed are you, Lord our God...who makes creatures different."). Examples of people given include "an (unusually) black, red, or white person, a giant, a dwarf, or one with spots", and of animals, examples include "an elephant, monkey, or vulture". In referring to black people, Yosef used the ancient term kushi, the term present in the Talmud. The term is considered derogatory in modern Hebrew,[45][46][47][48] but in the Talmud it is equivalent to simply saying "African" (see Kingdom of Kush). He said: "Seeing a black person, you say the blessing. What black person? One who had a white mother and father, and came out black. Not on every black person do you make a blessing. When you walk in the streets of America, every five minutes, you see a black person. Will you say on him the blessing? Rather, it only needs to be on a black person whose mother and father are white. If, you know, two people birth a monkey or something like that, then you say the Different Creatures blessing."[49][50] The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) tweeted that his comments were "utterly unacceptable".[39][18][52]

2019

Following news that couples from the former Soviet Union were asked by rabbinical courts to take DNA tests in order to prove their Jewish ethnic descent; Yosef, alongside the Ashkenazi chief rabbi of Israel David Lau, sought new legislation that would allow Israeli rabbinical courts to challenge the Jewishness of a person - even if he was not even registered for marriage, and did not apply for religious services.[53]

2020

In January 2020, he was criticized for calling immigrants from the former Soviet Union "Communist, religion-hating" gentiles. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Yosef's remarks "outrageous" and said the immigrants from the former Soviet Union are a "huge blessing to the State of Israel and the Jewish people." Yosef's remarks also were slammed by others in the Knesset, including Knesset speaker Yuli Edelstein, who immigrated from Ukraine in 1987, and by Yisrael Beiteinu party leader Avigdor Liberman, who immigrated from Moldova.[54] Yosef stood by his comments, saying they were distorted by politicians who had been inciting against Jews and Judaism and that he was only referring to a minority of immigrants.[20][55][56][57]

2021

In January 2021, Yosef was criticized for flouting the coronavirus health restrictions;[58]

In June 2021, he said science and mathematics are "nonsense", and students should only study Torah instead, adding proudly that he himself never finished school or received a diploma. Critics accused Yosef of promoting dependence on government handouts and charitable donations instead of advancing self-reliance. The large majority of ultra-Orthodox boys do not study the core curriculum of mathematics, English, science and computer studies at elementary school level, and the overwhelming majority do not study this curriculum at high school level. Socioeconomic experts have warned that this failure to provide a basic education to boys in the Haredi sector combined with its high rate of population growth means the economy will be imperiled with an inadequate workforce for the 21st century.[59][4]

In July 2021, the rabbi stated that it's "better to live abroad than among secular Israelis".[60]

Personal life

Yosef is married to Ruth, daughter of the kabbalist Rachamim Attia. They have five children. His eldest son, named after his father Ovadia, is married to the daughter of Shlomo Amar. His daughter Margalit is married to the son of Yehuda Deri. His youngest daughter is married to the son of Meir Sage. Yosef lives in the Sanhedria Murhevet neighborhood of Jerusalem.

See also

References

  1. Rabbi Ratzon Arussi said (Hebrew) "יש לציין, שהאריך בענין הזה, בטוב טעם ודעת, הרב יצחק יוסף בנו של הרב עובדיה יוסף, שכידוע, שכל פסקיו הם כפסקי אביו" (recorded lecture [starting at 00:50] at http://net-sah.org/en/node/19263, posted Feb. 12, 2010).
  2. "Sephardi Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef". mfa.gov.il.
  3. Ettinger, Yair (24 September 2008). "Religious Zionists could gain historic foothold in rabbinate". Haaretz. Retrieved 6 July 2021.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Sokol, Sam (2021). "Israel's chief rabbi shrugs off math, science studies as 'nonsense'". Haaretz. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
  5. "New Chief Rabbis David Lau & Yitzchak Yosef Sworn In". Arutz Sheva. 14 August 2013. Retrieved 14 August 2013.
  6. Sharon, Jeremy (8 October 2013). "Shas without Rabbi Ovadia Yosef". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
  7. Sharon, Jeremy (21 August 2013). "Chief Rabbis call on public to have children vaccinated". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
  8. Rabbisalliance
  9. Chief Rabbi: Keep children away from secular family YNET News, March 13, 2016
  10. Nachshoni, Kobi (13 March 2016). "Chief Rabbi: Keep children away from secular family". Ynetnews.
  11. 1 2 "Sephardi Chief Rabbi Says non-Jews Forbidden From Living in the Land of Israel". Haaretz. 28 March 2016. Retrieved 28 March 2016.
  12. Chief Sephardi Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef raises controversy Israel Hayom, March 28, 2016
  13. 1 2 "Chief rabbi: Non-Jews shouldn't be allowed to live in Israel". The Times of Israel. 28 March 2016. Retrieved 28 March 2016.
  14. 1 2 3 4
  15. 1 2 [17][18][19][20]
  16. Non-Jews are forbidden by Jewish law to live in Israel, chief rabbi says the Jerusalem Post, March 28, 2016
  17. 1 2 3 Surkes, Sue (20 March 2018). "Chief rabbi calls black people 'monkeys'". The Times Of Israel. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
  18. 1 2 3 4 "ADL slams chief rabbi for likening black people to monkeys". The Times of Israel. 21 March 2018. Retrieved 22 March 2018.
  19. 1 2 3 4 Paton, Callum (20 March 2018). "Chief Rabbi Calls African-Americans 'Monkeys' in Sermon". Newsweek. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
  20. 1 2 3 4 "Chief rabbi doubles down on comments against immigrants as Liberman urges probe". The Times of Israel. 7 January 2020. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
  21. "Recognized Rabbinical Courts for Conversion -ITIM". www.itim.org.il. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
  22. Sharon, Jeremy (9 July 2017). "Israeli Chief Rabbinate blacklists 160 Diaspora rabbis". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
  23. Sales, Ben (9 July 2017). "160 rabbis, including top US Orthodox leaders, on Israeli Rabbinate "blacklist"". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
  24. Maltz, Judy (10 July 2017). "The Israeli Chief Rabbinate's Blacklist: A Guide for the Perplexed". Haaretz. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
  25. Ziri, Danielle; Sharon, Jeremy (26 September 2016). "Rabbi who converted Ivanka Trump slams Israeli rabbinate's "cruel" rejection of US convert". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
  26. Sharon, Jeremy (6 July 2016). "Supreme Rabbinical Court judges cast doubt on Lookstein conversions". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
  27. "Israeli rabbinical high court rejects Lookstein conversion". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. 13 July 2016.
  28. "Israel's chief rabbis want to change a rule to make Ivanka Trump Jewish". The Independent. 26 January 2017. Archived from the original on 7 May 2022. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
  29. Sharon, Jeremy (6 July 2016). "Lookstein's conversions are valid, says Lau". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
  30. Sharon, Jeremy (26 September 2016). "Chief Rabbi Lau in opposition to Chief Rabbi Yosef policy on US converts recognition". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com.
  31. Saba, Yousef (8 December 2016). "Israel's top rabbi: Ivanka Trump is Jewish enough for me". Politico.
  32. Tobin, Andrew (7 December 2016). "Chief Rabbinate promises to name Diaspora rabbis trusted for conversion". The Times Of Israel. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
  33. "Sephardic chief rabbi: Women may not serve in IDF, perform national service". The Times Of Israel. 11 December 2016. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
  34. 1 2 Kaplan Sommer, Allison (29 May 2017). "Israeli chief rabbi likens 'immodest' women to animals, has a tip for devout soldiers". Haaretz. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
  35. Berger, Yotam (11 December 2016). "Israel chief rabbi: Women shouldn't go to the army". Haaretz. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
  36. "Chief rabbi implies immodest secular women are like animals". The Times Of Israel. 28 May 2017. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
  37. "Sephardi chief rabbi tells religious soldiers how to protest women singers". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. 28 May 2017.
  38. 1 2 3 "Group slams Israeli rabbi for comparing blacks to monkeys". AP NEWS. 21 March 2018.
  39. 1 2 3 Cohen, Hayley (21 March 2018). "ADL Slams Chief Rabbi of Israel for Calling Black People 'Monkeys'". Haaretz. Retrieved 22 March 2018.
  40. [38][4][14][20][17][18][19][39]
  41. Kra-Oz, Tal (20 March 2018). "Israeli Chief Rabbi Calls African Americans 'Monkeys'". The Tablet. Retrieved 22 March 2018.
  42. "Israeli chief rabbi likens black child born to white parents to a monkey". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. 20 March 2018.
  43. [38][4][14][20][17][19][39][42]
  44. Talmud, Berakhot 58b. https://www.sefaria.org/Berakhot.58b.8?lang=bi
  45. Goulbourne, Harry (2001). "Who is a Cushi?". Race and Ethnicity: Solidarities and communities. New York: Routledge. ISBN 0-415-22501-9.
  46. Littky-Porath, Malynnda (29 May 2014). "Negro… please". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
  47. "Is 'Kushim' a Racist Israeli Term for Blacks?". Forward. 15 June 2014. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
  48. Tarnopolsky, Noga (4 March 2014). "No, an Israeli mayor did not just call black basketball players the N-word". The World. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
  49. Sugarman, Daniel (22 March 2018). "The JC Comment Blog No.4 - Racism is a two way street". The Jewish Chronicle. London. Retrieved 22 March 2018.
  50. Sources with the original Hebrew:
  51. Nota, Bruno (22 March 2018). "Israeli rabbi under fire for calling black people 'monkeys'". ABC News. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
  52. [38][51][19][14]
  53. J. Deane, Yvette (28 February 2019). "Who's a Jew? Rabbinical courts demand DNA test to prove Judaism - report". Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
  54. Nachshoni, Kobi (7 January 2020). "Chief rabbi under fire for branding post-Soviet aliyah 'religion hating gentiles'". ynetnews. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
  55. "Israel's Chief Rabbi faces backlash for comments on non-Jewish immigrants". i24NEWS. 7 January 2020. Retrieved 23 January 2022.
  56. Oster, Marcy (8 January 2020). "Israeli Chief Rabbi calls former Soviet immigrants 'religion-hating gentiles'". The Forward. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
  57. Greenwood, Hanan; Levie, Dan; Shlezinger, Yehuda (8 January 2020). "Israel's chief Sephardi rabbi faces backlash for comments on non-Jewish immigrants". Israel Hayom.
  58. Nahshoni, Kobi (11 January 2021). "No mask, no social distancing: chief rabbi ignores health rules". ynetnews. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
  59. Sharon, Jeremy (30 June 2021). "Chief Rabbi Yosef: Science, math are nonsense, study in yeshiva instead". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
  60. Nachshoni, Kobi (5 July 2021). "Chief rabbi: Better to live abroad than among secular Israelis". ynetnews. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
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