In an interview on Galei Israel Radio with Michael Tochfeld and Sherry Roth, MK Nissim Zeev was asked his opinion on the coronation ceremonies held during Passover – one at the Chen Palaces, the coronation of Chacham Shalom Cohen as president of the Council of Torah Sages, and the other – the festive event of 'Welcoming His Rabbi' held on Givat Hambatar, in the synagogue headed by the Chief Rabbi, Harosh Amar.
• Since when do politicians appoint members of the Council of Torah Scholars?Tochfeld asked.
""If anyone thinks there was some kind of appointment here, they don't understand what all this ceremony is about. There was no ceremony here, there was a statement that Sage Shalom agreed to head the Council of Torah Sages," Zeev replied.
• But it was held in a hall, it was a festive ceremony.
""I want to tell you that Shacham Shalom, as Rabbi Ovadia Yosef (may God have mercy on him) preserved when I convened the first meeting of the Council of Torah Sages in the summer of 1983, did we announce that we were appointing him as president of the Council of Torah Sages? Should we have even said that, or is it self-evident? It is not the choice of the Chief Rabbi of Israel that there are those who are connected to religion or not connected to religion or who are apostates in religion - from it.".
• Well, Rabbi Ovadia was the one who founded Shas... Here, it was Aryeh Deri's choice.
""There are Israeli sages here, who sit down and decide among themselves that Chacham Shalom will continue the leadership. That's all. They're making a big deal out of it, as if someone appointed him. Is it even within the authority of politicians? Aryeh Deri, with all due respect to him, can appoint? Is it within his authority? Chacham Shalom agreed to take on this burden, and he said it with complete humility.".
• Rabbi Zeev, this is not Deri's first appointment. His previous appointment was by Rabbi David Yosef as a member of the Council of Torah Sages.
""Let's talk about Hacham Shalom Cohen," Zeev replies, dodging the question. "Anyone who knows him, he said explicitly, and I know him as a son of a father, sees in this neither honor nor presidency... On the contrary, Hacham Shalom took upon himself a yoke, neither a crown nor honor, period.".
• We are talking about the process of the enthronement. The fact that Chacham Shalom did not need it and did not ask for it – that is clear to us. By the way, Rabbi Zeev, don't you think it would have been right for Rabbi Amar to also become part of the Council of Torah Sages?
Here too, Zeev prefers to evade and moves on to the previous topic... "In my opinion, the Council of Torah Sages should be expanded, I assume that this will be done later.".
• Do you believe that Rabbi Amar will later join the Council of Torah Sages? And Tochfeld adds and wonders: Doesn't this divide Shas? After all, we saw a parallel ceremony at Rabbi Amar's, Eli Yishai was there too, you were there too. I have a feeling that you here would like to see a different leadership...
""I think all the media fuss about who will be the next Maran, every station trying to crown the rabbi they think is worthy – there is a lot of contempt in it. I have heard in the last two or three days that they are trying to instill disputes that do not exist. Who are we? We are just the tail of the greats, there is no shame left in this country.".
• NYessim, hand on heart, are you satisfied with all the moves made in Shas in the past year?
""I want to tell you, we need to complete moves, we need to unify moves – we are in the middle.".
• Were you consulted beforehand? Did you know about this move?
""I want to see all the great men of Israel united.".
• Including Rabbi Amar...
""Including everyone"...
• But we both know that won't happen...
""At least they will live in peace. Not everyone has to be in the Council of Torah Sages, but everyone should be united around the Council of Torah Sages, as it was during the time of Maran. Not everyone was a member of the Council of Torah Sages, but they were united around it.".
In a phone call I had with him a few hours later, on Friday afternoon, I told him that his answers were "diplomatic." He said that immediately after attending the event at the Haredi Amar's, he received a phone call from Chacham Shalom Cohen, "I love him like a son to a father, I've been associated with him for many years" - and he was sorry for his participation. But he felt that with his answer he managed to convince Chacham Shalom. Either he did, or he didn't.
Either way, there is no doubt that this is a conversation that is just a symptom of what is going on in the Shas movement, the movement that is torn between members of the Council of Elders and those who were left outside.
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