In former MK Rabbi Shlomo Lorencz’s book he writes that Rabbi Kahaneman was approached and asked to join the newly founded Israeli Knesset – he had been a famous member of the Lithuanian Sejm in Europe – yet he declined. When asked why he responded that he was not wealthy enough. He explained that if one hears kefira he is required to tear kria and since joining the Knesset would expose him to kefira on a regular basis he would be forced to be constantly tearing kria and could not afford the numerous changes of clothing this would require. Although his ahavas yisroel was legendary and perhaps he did feel hakaras hatov to the medina he was by no means a Zionist nor did he view the Israeli government in the same light as he viewed the Lithuanian government.
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