Igrot Hare’aya – Letters of Rav Kook: Involvement in Choice of Turkish Chief Rabbi

#163

Date and Place: 5 Tishrei 5769 (1908), Yafo

Recipient: Rav Yitzchak Isaac Halevi, author of Dorot Rishonim, an active rabbi in broad Jewish organizations. We have seen several of his correspondences with Rav Kook.

Body: I very, very much desire that the organization you head (The General Alliance for the Preservation of Matters of Torah and Mitzvot of German Jews) will not invest too much energy on the matter of the Chief Rabbinate (chacham bashi) throughout the Turkish Empire. I am concerned that “when you strive for too much, you do not achieve [anything].” For now, efforts should be directed to ensure that this position, vis a vis the authorities, in Jerusalem, will be in the hands of a G-d fearer. It would be worthwhile, to a lesser degree, to give a look at what is happening in other places.

It would be unwise if that involvement took the place of the main task – to raise the stature of Torah [in Eretz Yisrael] through good yeshivot, up-to-date, with the spirit of the time and the sanctity of truth; this will bring on the victory in the future, with Hashem’s help.

It certainly would have been good if we could have kept the Chief Rabbinate in the hands of Torah giants, but we see that this is impossible. For the Ashkenazi community, there is almost no difference [who is chosen] except for the negative consideration – that the position not be given to a member of the group of “destroyers.” The original lowering of the post already occurred – Torah brilliance is no longer a criterion for being chacham bashi. This has enabled other deteriorations. For now there is no one [of sufficient stature] to tell the government that the basis of the Chief Rabbinate is to solve the religious problems on matters that all the great rabbis of various countries are unclear about. The government realizes that this is already a non-issue. No one will sit on the seat of the rabbinate in Constantinople who is similar to Rav Eliyahu Mizrachi or Rav Bechor, author of the Diveri Emet, some of the chacham bashis of previous generations. It is now viewed as a governmental, administrative post for the needs of the citizens of that religion. How will we fight the matter?

Therefore, we must elevate the power of Torah to its highest so that in the future there will be great Torah scholars who are able to present themselves in the halls of the king. Then Hashem will be with us; we will be able to prepare a stake for our nation in His holy place.