Rosh Yeshivat Porat Yosef Rav Moshe Tzadka Shlita announced that anyone seeing Pope Francis during his visit to Jerusalem must toivel in a mikve. The rav’s words are in line with statements made last week by Mekubal Rav Yaakov Adas, who told people to refrain from seeing or listening to the pope during his visit fro he is metamei.
The pope landed in Israel on Sunday 25 Iyar 5774 for a two-day visit to the PA (Palestinian Authority) and areas in Yerushalayim. Among those who met with him were the Chief Rabbis of Israel and members of the Chief Rabbinate Council.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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8 Responses
Does Seeing or listening to a certain “RAV” who caused a great chillul Hashem Mitamei ?
If yes than great strength should be spent to informing the general public as here .
rav tzadka shouldnt say this in publick its morer sinas yisroel hakol yodim zeh er iz nisht kain kluger
Everyone is entitled to their own opinion but in this case, I wouldn’t give that opinion much credence. If the two most chashuve rabbonim in EY, Rav Lau and Rav Yosef shlita, deem it important to sit down and meet with the Pope, there is clearly no inyan of his being metamei. These kind of mindless comments result in a lack of respect for the rabbinus among all Israelis and cause great damage to Yidden around the world. This is especially true for this pope who is the best friend yidden have had in the Vatican in several centuries.
To the Editor: Being that this is the second Gadol to make this statement, can you explain to us why you don’t respect the wishes of those that would like to heed their words even if you don’t agree with them? Don’t you care about the wishes of your readers?
Gadolhadorah: “Everyone is entitled to their own opinion” אם כן, אין לדבר סוף!
השמים, שמים לה’, והארץ נתן לבני אדם. But He didn’t leave it הפקר!
Are you saying that the leaders of the reform and conservative movements are also ENTITLED to their opinions?
Shauli,
I am sure he does. And the truth is they are entitled to their opinions, but they are no different than GH’s opinion, which is plain simple nonsense.
First, Rabbi Adas is not a gadol compared with the other rabbeim mentioned here. Unless our standards have changed.
Second, if Rav Lau and Rav Yosef personally go to see the Pope, then that should be enough for most of the sane Orthodox Jews community. You trust them for geior and for kiddushin, you can trust them for tamei and tahor.
Third, who invited Rav Tzadka?
Fourth, yes, gedolim can disagree. And reform and conservative Jews are also entitled to their opinion. They may be wrong, but they can have an opinion. And it’s for us to show them the right way. Incendiary nonsense like this doesn’t help.
Fifth, NO ONE has explained how one becomes tamei by looking at another person who may or may not have come in contact with tumah. Except through politics and willful social engineering.
Why don’t these Rabbonim quote their sources? Al pi halacha there’s no issur seeing the pope and no need to tovel. Enough with the hyperbole!
In fact I think it’s a chutzpah to say such things when the gedolim like Rav Ovadia zatzal met with pope!