The Chief Rabbinate of Israel has decided that if a rav is convicted of a criminal offense it will have the right to revoke one’s semicha from the Chief Rabbinate, Galei Tzahal (Army Radio) reported on Wednesday, 2 Nissan 5773.
According to the report, the Rabbinate has decided to revoke the semicha from Rabbi Rosilio, 64, who served as the rabbi of Moshav Brosh after he was convicted of stealing a Sefer Torah.
According to the indictment in the case, the rav, a sofer, would take orders for Sifrei Torah and instead of writing, he would steal one from the moshav shul and change the outer casing, selling it as written for the order. He was indicted last Tishrei as YWN-ISRAEL reported.
The Chief Rabbinate feels that one convicted of a serious crime such this or abuses his position as was the case here, is not suited to maintain the title “rav”.
The Chief Rabbinate Council wishes to send a message that one’s actions may not just place one in a questionable moral or ethical status, but one may lose one’s title of rav, Chief Ashkenazi Rabbi Yonah Metzger told Galei Tzahal. The chief rabbis added another rav was summoned for a hearing to determine his future for he is facing charges of tampering with marriage records.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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5 Responses
If “Your” Convicted?!
Excellent idea.
Can we get a proofreader in here?
Question is, why is this not in effect in the US? If anyone is convicted they should be forced to shave their beard off and refer to themselves as “Mr.” from now on in order to prevent the massive chillul Hashem that always results. There are several high-profile “Rabbonim” and “Rebbes” whose talmidim will greatly benefit from this.
to number 4 they would not say that since we have seen some
Rabbonim” and “Rebbes themselve who where convicted