The Kitniyot debate: between tradition and unity
At no other time of the year is there such seeming distinction between Ashkenazim and Sephardim. There are few customs - and it is only a custom - which are belittled by even respectable Ashkenazi authorities as the laws of kitniyot on Pessah. Rabbenu Yeruham ben Meshullam (Provence, 14th century) said "those accustomed to not eating rice and various kinds of cooked kitniyot on Pessah abide by a stupid custom which makes it harder on themselves (to observe and enjoy the festival) and I have no idea why they do so".
Rav Yaaqov ben Asher rejected the custom, saying "it is an excessive restriction and improper". Rav Zvi Hirsch Ashkenazi known as "Zvi the Wise One" (1660-1718) and his son Rabbi Yaaqov Amdan (1697-1776) opposed the custom with all their might and wanted to eliminate it. They called it "a restriction that has no rhyme or reason for ever existing".
Rav Shmuel of Falaise (in the 13th century), supported the custom but nevertheless admits that this custom comes from a mistake and prohibits things that had been permitted.
Comments (44)Restoring the Crown to its rightful place?
Recently a heated debate has occurred in the haredi world concerning the issue of organ donations. While most haredim would not dream of carrying an organ donor's card, a law that has just been passed in Israel may change some of the perceptions.
The Knesset approved a law last Monday intended to regulate organ donations in compliance with Jewish Law. The bill was passed with the support of the ultra-Orthodox Shas Party, while United Torah Judaism voted against the law citing halacha.
This law is the culmination of a very deep process of discussion between rabbis and doctors. The new law is supported by some of the major rabbis of both the religious-Zionist and Sephardi world, including Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar, former Chief Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, former Chief Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu and others. The law was opposed by the leader of the Lithuanian haredim, Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv. A leading in UTJ, MK Moshe Gafni explained at the Knesset plenum during the debate, "A brain dead person is a living being."
Misunderstanding the Sephardim
Recently, both the Reform and Conservative movement held symposia in Israel to discuss why they have made little inroads into the Israeli mainstream. While their leadership and its champions in political parties like Meretz rally the government to receive official status, the laity does not number more than a few thousand people.
Both of these movements find the situation perplexing as they assume that because the 'average' Israeli is not religious, they would have a kindred spirit with the non-Orthodox. To their credit, these movements are seeking to understand the reasons behind the Israeli abhorrence or neglect of non-Orthodoxy.
Interestingly, both symposia placed the problems with attracting Sephardim high on their respective agendas. The Conservative movement included a panel on the patronizingly titled "Egalitarian Sephardi Communities: Is the revolution upon us?" The Reform movement held a two day conference at the Van Leer Institute titled "Contemporary Reform Judaism - Sociology, Education and Theology."
About this blog The Sephardi Perspective
A (surprising) Sephardi 'take' on culture, history, politics and current events by Ashley Perry (Perez).
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