What is behind the coronation of Rabbi Shalom Cohen as the 'Maran' of Shas • Political Column

April 9, 2014   

A new bombshell has landed on the head of the Shas movement. Or rather, it was dropped by the party leaders: the coronation, perhaps officially, perhaps unofficially, of the Rosh Yeshiva of Porat Yosef, the rabbi Shalom Cohen, as the movement's next "Maran.".

The move comes just six months after the passing of the President of the Council of Sages, the late Rabbi Yosef, and not with great media fanfare, but rather quietly: an interview in a family newspaper, the addition of the title "Maran" in the movement's daily newspaper - and the status of "welcoming his rabbi" on Passover, which will constitute the most significant official step, but it is also not considered a real coronation ceremony.

Rabbi Shalom Cohen is 83 years old and is the oldest member of the Shas Council of Torah Sages, a council he joined immediately upon its establishment about 30 years ago. In terms of political identification, Rabbi Cohen is considered the biggest supporter of current Shas chairman Aryeh Deri on the Council of Sages, if we do not take into account the first appointment Deri made to the 'council' - the appointment of his longtime friend Rabbi David Yosef as a full member.

The other two members - Rabbi Shimon Adani and Rabbi Moshe Maya - have independent opinions. These opinions were not expressed during the life of the late Rabbi, to whom they bowed in submission, accepting his opinion without question. However, immediately after his passing, different opinions were heard from their members, some of them even criticizing the conduct of Shas, although the rabbis themselves did not officially express this. At the same time, it is difficult to define either of them as those who see eye to eye 100 percent with all of Deri's moves, even if they do not currently or in the future support the previous chairman, Eli Yishai.

 Shas' tensions with Rabbi Amar

Haresh Cohen is the son of the Kabbalist Rabbi Ezra Cohen, who headed the Porat Yosef yeshiva when it was established in the Jewish Quarter of the Old City. During the War of Independence, the yeshiva left the quarter, moving to various locations in Jerusalem. With the recapture of the quarter, during the Six-Day War, the yeshiva returned to its previous location. Haresh Cohen himself also lives in the quarter, in a modest, small apartment.

Opposite Rabbi Shalom Cohen is the former Chief Rabbi, the Gaon Rabbi Shlomo Amar, who enjoys great sympathy, even among the Torah scholars of the Sephardic world. However, it is well known and publicized that between him, or rather between his people, and the current leadership of the movement, there was great tension during the elections for the Chief Rabbinate, tension that began during the process of enacting the 'Amar Law' (which failed), and reached its peak with the support of the HaGar's Amar for the candidacy of the Gaon Rabbi Zion Bo'aron as a competitor against his father-in-law, the Gaon Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef, who was the candidate of his father, the late HaGar's Yosef.

At that time, the rabbi criticized the rabbi's move. However, on Yom Kippur, which occurred shortly thereafter, a solaha was held among the rabbis. Before the passing of the Gra, the two finally reconciled, but the tension with Aryeh Deri and also with the elected Rishon LeZion remained.

This is the reason why, until now, the Grasher Amar has not been included as a member of the Council of Torah Sages, even though this is a natural and necessary step, in light of the enormous sympathy that the Grasher zt"l has acquired for him.

 It is important that they know who the decisive rabbi is.

Shas itself does not officially address the "enthronement" and, it seems, prefers that it "slide" naturally. Unofficially, they justify it and explain that the movement needs a "homeowner." Although the Grand Rabbi Cohen will only be awarded the title of "Head of the Council of Sages" and not "President" as was the title bestowed upon the late Grand Rabbi, they say it is important for them to know who the rabbi is who has the final say in making decisions in the movement, and who its spiritual leader is.

 Rabbi Cohen's most significant involvement in political moves occurred on the eve of Aryeh Deri's coronation as chairman of the movement, while dismantling the trio model, which also included Eli Yishai and Ariel Atias. Rabbi Cohen worked extensively with Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, zt"l, to complete the move. Previously, about four years ago, he was involved in producing a compromise letter on the conversion law, a letter that slightly softened the rabbinical-Ashkenazi criticism of Rabbi Yosef. במהלך החודשים האחרונים התפרסם הגר"ש כהן בתקשורת, בשל התבטאויות בלתי שגרתיות שלו. הראשונה שבהן הייתה כשכינה את הציבור הדתי-לאומי "עמלק", והוסיף כי מי שהצביע לבית היהודי "יילך לגיהנום". התבטאות נוספת נרשמה כלפי הרב חיים אמסלם, אותו כינה "בר מינן". הפעם הבאה בה צוטט בהרחבה, היה בעת השתתפותו בכינוס המשותף למועצת חכמי התורה הספרדית עם מועצות גדולי התורה החסידית והליטאית. כשהוא עומד מול הרבנים פרץ בבכי והתחנן "שתצא מכאן החלטה", דיבר על כך ש"עת צרה היא ליעקב" וכי "לא מעניין אותנו הכסף שלהם, לא מעניין אותנו כלום, מעניין אותנו התורה, זה מה שהקב"ה רוצה". עוד הוסיף ואמר כי "עדתנו", קרי הציבור הספרדי, "היא עלולה להיפגע בצורה הכי קשה".  ""No one can step into Maran's shoes"" מבקרי הצעד של ההכתרה הנוכחית, מתוך שורות ש"ס, טוענים שהוא מתבצע 'מוקדם מדי' מבחינת הצמידות לפטירת הרב, ושהוא מיותר. "מועצת חכמי התורה היא הגוף הבלעדי אותו הקים הרב ואשר יכול לקבל החלטה, איש אינו יכול להיכנס לנעליו של מרן הגר"ע יוסף ולמלא את תפקידו כקובע כל לחברי המועצת". לדעתם מדובר בצעד 'פלסטי', וככזה שלא ייתפס בציבור. Critics in the general media claim that the move will also harm Shas electorally, especially after Moshe Kahlon's announcement of a political comeback. In their opinion, Rabbi Cohen's Shas is the Shas that is portrayed as ultra-Orthodox, as appealing to the Torah community, and it is no longer the popular Shas in which Rabbi Yosef knew how to excite the popular-traditional public from the periphery. The traditional-Mizrahi vote will go to Kahlon, the Sephardic-Orthodox vote to Shas, which could lead Shas into a free fall. ""The demand to appoint Rabbi Cohen came from the field"" האם זה  מה שרוצה אריה דרעי? האם בכך הוא מתכוון לדחוק את אלי ישי לפינה ולא להותיר לו מפלגה? אם אכן כך הוא הדבר, הרי שאיש בסביבתו של דרעי אינו מאשר זאת. מה גם, שהשאלה הגדולה היא את מי יעמיד ח"כ ישי בראש מפלגה שיקים, אם יקים. אם יהיה זה הגר"ש עמאר, הרי שלא מן הנמנע שהריסוק של ש"ס יהיה בולט יותר. השאלה היא איך יתמודדו עם חוק המשילות החדש שהעלה את אחוז החסימה, שעלול להביא למצב בו לשני הצדדים לא יהיה מלאי מספיק של מצביעים. דרעי עצמו מסרב, כמובן, להתייחס לצעד האחרון של הכתרת 'ראש' חדש למועצת חכמים. בקרב אנשיו מופצת הגרסה לפיה לא הייתה להם ברירה וכי הדרישה למנות את הרב כהן "הגיעה מהשטח, בעיקר מצד ראשי ישיבות ספרדיות ומקרב חכמי מועצת חכמי התורה". הסבירות לכך שהרבנים המרכיבים את מועצת חכמי התורה חשו בחסרון 'ראש' למועצת נמוכה ביותר. יתכן שכוונת המגיבים היא כלפי הגאון רבי דוד יוסף, שצידד במהלך. ולא קשה להבין למה.