According to Zeev, the position of "Rishon l'Tzion" was established n the days of the Turks, and the chosen Rishon lTzion was head of the small Jewish community of Eretz Yisrael. The Ashkenazim didn't recognize the authority of the Rishon lTzion and set up their own system.
When the Rabbanut was established, 2 Chief Rabbis were appointed - Rav Avraham Yitzchak Kook and Rav Yaakov Meir who was appointed to bear the title of Rishon lTzion. Until today, hundreds of thousands of sefardic Jews have come to Israel, and 2 chief rabbis are needed, each to represent the different communities.
Zeev continues, are people willing to minimize the number of political parties? the public sees the diversity and range of political parties as an expression of democracy. In that same way we need the two chief rabbis in order to represent the range and diversity of people. Zeev even thinks the chief rabbis should be given more authority. The two chief rabbis represent Israel and bring honor and grace to Judaism and to the various united groups within. Any attempt to do away with one of them will result in argument and fighting between the different groups.
(source: Bechadrei)
First of all, I think we should not have so many political parties and we should have just one chief rabbi, if any. So at least in MK Zeevs opinion I am consistent.
Second, if we need 2 rabbis to represent the variety and diversity of people, why stop at 2? Why don't we have an Ethiopian Chief Rabbi? Why not a Yemenite Chief Rabbi? And why not a Polish Chief Rabbi? A Russian Chief Rabbi? Hungarian? American? Egyptian? and on and on. Why is it enough to have 2 - let each group have its own representation!
Third - I get people will be upset. Especially at the beggining. If a Sefardi wins the position, the Ashkenazim (or some of them) will say they can't follow him, and if an Ashkenazi wins it the Sefardim will feel slighted and that the position of Rishon lTzion has not been filled. Eventually they will get used to it. The selected rav will be knowledgeable enough to preserve the various customs and difference in psak between communities. Yes, there will be some fighting in the beginning, but the purpose and intention of those behind the initiative is to get rid of the division of Jews created by the long exile - we are all here now, and we live together and one chief rabbi is enough to represent everybody.
------------------------------------------------------ Reach thousands of readers with your ad by advertising on Life in Israel ------------------------------------------------------
