A senior leader of Iran’s Jewish community participated in an interfaith conference held in the city of Mashhad on the eve of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s funeral, where he stressed what he described as the distinction between Judaism and Zionism.
The gathering, titled “Religions United Against Global Oppression,” was organized by Iran’s Institute for the Study of Religions and Sects and brought together representatives of the country’s recognized religious minorities.
During the event, Chacham Dr. Younes Hamami, one of the leading rabbis of Iran’s Jewish community, expressed sorrow over what he called “the assassination of the leader of the Islamic Revolution” and the victims of the recent war.
Hamami emphasized the need “to distinguish between Judaism and Zionism.”
“What separates Judaism from the Zionists is the Torah of Israel and the path of Moshe Rabbeinu,” he said. “Even before receiving prophecy, Moshe did not remain indifferent to injustice—whether against the Egyptians, in disputes among his own people, or in defending strangers. He always chose justice.”
He added that, according to the Torah, “injustice and wrongdoing are a deviation from the Divine path, and all human beings, as descendants of Adam, are responsible for one another.”
“Every individual and every nation must stand against injustice in every possible way, because remaining silent in the face of the mistakes and injustices of others makes a person a partner in that injustice. The ultimate victory belongs to those who act according to G-d’s path of justice and righteousness,” he said.
The conference was held the night before Khamenei’s funeral and focused on what organizers described as “the role of religions in confronting global oppression and defending the oppressed.”
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10 Responses
Wow . I hope the Iranians respect that … Na , Probably not
Yea we don’t need an Iranian Rabbi to tell us this we can feel it everyday in Israel
He’s 100% correct.
ALL Torah Jews and Judaism have always agreed with this point.
Hazak ubaruch to the Rav who lives under the regime and is mesir nefesh for Yehudim in Shushan. What is the excuse of those who live in free countries and say similar things?
Don’t you people understand that he has to say what he’s saying? Are you too young or too incompetent and remember the USSR etc where they had to say certain things even if they didn’t mean a blasted word of it.
Go explain the difference. Anyone who davens says המחזיר שכינתו לציון at least three times a day. Is that zionism? Granted it’s not really the definition of modern Zionism.
ujm, you are ignorant. What was the position of the Netziv who said that Rav Kook zt’l was the greatest student Volozhin ever produced?
The leader of Iran was assassinated. What does that tell us? He stood in the way of the peaceful coexistence of Israel. He was assassinated for his beliefs against The US and Israel, among other things. What is now going in the strait of Hormuz? The Iranian people are fighting a war of attrition against Israel and against now the U S. Why must we feel sorrow at his demise. He felt no sorrow for missles and scuds aimed at Israel and at American Troops in the Mediterranean region. I personally feel no sorrow for his demise. He was hated by many. His attacks on Jewish/Israeli outposts are legendary. And now Iranian attacks on American fortresses are ongoing. Even after this Hitler’s death. We must take stock of what our collective enemy has done to us both. And not give an inch. Not even in death. The Jews under Iranian control are living in fear of the Khomeini regime. The make ‘nice’ on them to preserve their lives. Defending H”M requires great inner strength and will.
Iranians are threatening “nekomah” in loashon kodesh.
Kavod harav, could you please show your habibis psukim prohibiting nekoma? They may have missed them in the medrasa.
No, Dr. Zionist. An idolater cannot assess ignorance even if he tried.
Rabbi Kook unfortunately studied foreign studies which clearly corrupted the great amount of Torah he had learned. Read his books, and the sefarim of those who criticized him. Even after Rabbi Kook had supposedly agreed to retract his heretical teachings (and he later rescinded that retraction), the Imrei Emes still wrote that Rabbi Kook ruled “al tamei tahor”. That’s besides for what the rest of the gedolim wrote about him over the early decades of the 20th century, after he had already left Volozhin.
@Jersey-Jew
The difference is plain as day. By that logic, try explaining the difference between Jews and (liHavdil) Jews for Jesus. This difference is actually much easier to explain. Please don’t needlessly confuse yourself just because they stole that term.