One of the former Israeli sephardi chief rabbis, Rabbi Ovadiah Yosef, is back in the headlines. Usually this is the case when he does something negative. The Israeli press just jumps on everything the rabbi has to say about politicians (Shimon Peres is a donkey), Holocaust survivors (they were just gilgulim) or women (stupid).
Now Rabbi Ovadiah is back once again because his vanity never seems to leave him. He himself is the spiritual leader of the sephardi SHASS - party and its head Eli Yishai is the rabbi's puppet in the Knesset. Rabbi Ovadiah loves two things: influence and money. His latest act is to arrange that his son, Rabbi Yitzchak Yosef, should be appointed as the chief rabbi of Jerusalem.
Rabbi Ovadiah
Why ?
Is his son such a great Torah scholar to deserve such a position ?
No, this is not the reason at all.
Rabbi Ovadiah Yosef is the head of the Kashrut Hechsher "Beit Yosef" (named after the author of the Shulchan Aruch, Rabbi Yosef Karo). Beit Yosef is the highest Hechsher in the Israeli sephardi world but is not recognized by the chief rabbinate of Jerusalem (the Rabbanut). If the Rabbi succeeded in making his son chief rabbi of Jerusalem, the Beit Yosef - Hechsher might be recognized with the result that more money comes into Rabbi Ovadiah's pocket.
It is out of question that Rabbi Ovadiah Yosef is a great scholar and knows a lot but why then doesn't he use his knowledge for a better religious life instead of following his personal "Yetzer HaRah" for more power ?
If he was ashkenzai, I would definitely escape to the Neturei Karta. But I am glad that he is not.
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