IDF Chief Rabbi Brigadier-General Avi Ronsky is at the heart of a controversy surrounding allegations that he violated the Shabbos without any justifiable cause.

The case dates back to the Friday before Pesach, when the rav was in a southern area base, settling in for Pesach, when a combat unit on the base was activated and sent to the Gaza border area after receiving reports of a terrorist infiltration.

Admittedly, this story has been held for two days, trying to find answers to contradict the facts that appear to place the IDF’s number one rabbi in a bad light. Seeking to find a plausible explanation, a justifiable incident, I have held off publishing this article, but now, it appears the facts stand on their own merit and the rav has apparently severely compromised the position of frum Jews in the IDF, not to mention his own position with the decision to travel on Shabbos.

Rav Ronsky was spending Shabbos and the first day of Pesach in a Yerucham base. After Shabbos began, combatants were activated to the Gazan border to respond to an “incident”. According to reliable reports that are backed in fact, at least 20 minutes later, after the incident was secured, the rabbi decided to get into his vehicle and drive to the scene, surprising many upon his arrival since no expected [or required] his presence. There were no injuries, no fatalities, and no need for him to respond, especially on Shabbos. Another senior officer, a member of the IDF Chief Rabbinate was on the scene so he could tend to any needs the troops might of had. Rav Ronsky was aware of his presence too, removing any justification for his presence.

Other members of the Chief Rabbinate, officers, were angered by the rabbi’s actions, which they realize compromise their efforts towards adherence to IDF laws which do not permit traveling on Shabbos if there is not a life-threatening situation. In this case, it was also investigated and learned that Brigadier-General Ronsky’s driver was a Jewish soldier, who was compelled to violate Shabbos, ordered by the rabbi to drive to the scene.

Adding to the anger of many was the fact that after the area was cleared, the rav then got into his vehicle and returned to the Yerucham base, compelling his driver to violate Shabbos again.

Holding off on the article permitted a more comprehensive investigation into the incident, seeking a plausible explanation, which never materialized. The IDF Spokesperson’s Office was slow but did eventually release the official response, stating, “The IDF Chief Rabbi acts on his own judgment as a man of halacha and senior officer. The rabbi does not see any need to share his evaluation of the scene with anyone outside of the military framework.”

Apparently the result of mounting political pressure by the religious community, the rabbi has signaled a willingness to meet with rabbis to map out guidelines to avoid a “misunderstanding” in the future. It should be pointed out that such guidelines exist for many years, having been laid down by former Chief Rabbi Shlomo Goren Z”L.

Rav Ronsky, 57, was born to a non religious family in Haifa. He served in the IDF’s prestigious Shayetet 13 Naval Commando unit, and then in Sayeret Shaked. After accepting a Torah way of life upon himself, he began learning in Merkaz HaRav Yeshiva. He was a founder of Yishuv Itamar in Shomron. He was appointed as the IDF chief rabbi some two years ago, replacing Rabbi Yisrael Weiss, who stepped down following the implementation of the Disengagement Plan which resulted in the destruction of Gaza’s Jewish community.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)