Rabbonim and public figures are protesting Justice Minister
Daniel Friedman's intervention in a decision by the High
Rabbinical Court (Beis Din Hagodol). The Justice Minister
stepped in when a beis din ruling issued in accordance with
halacha was at odds with his world view.
Friedman tabled a bill that would allow the rabbinical court
to rehear important cases presided over by a panel of three
dayanim. If passed the law would allow the ruling by the High
Rabbinical Court to be appealed retroactively.
According to MK Rabbi Moshe Gafni, "This is a legal case
which was heard, in accordance with the law, by the regional
beis din and subsequently a decision was rendered by the High
Rabbinical Court, which heard the appeal of the district beis
din's decision and issued a long, detailed ruling according
to which the conversion was done falsely and [Rabbi Druckman]
rubber-stamped the conversion, though he could not have been
present during the beis din hearing. In other words, an act
was committed here that the ruling states is an act of
deceit.
"What would have happened if a ruling by the [secular] High
Court was handed down and...one of the judges signed the
ruling fraudulently, saying he sat, saw and signed, but later
it was found he had not been on the bench at all? Wouldn't
there be demands for the Attorney General to open an
investigation?
"But because the case in point involves conversion, anything
goes. The High Rabbinical Court sits and hears a matter in an
orderly manner and writes a long, detailed ruling citing the
facts, checks all the details and documents and determines
the facts in the case are very serious. Had the High Court
issued a ruling not accepted by everyone and did this on a
regular basis, would the judges' authority be revoked and a
call made for a new panel?
"This statement by the Justice Minister stems from a lack of
knowledge of halacha and a lack of knowledge of the
rabbinical court's authority. I hope this remark is merely an
empty statement issued the media and nothing more."
After the ruling was issued by the Ashdod Beis Din the woman
filed an appeal at the High Rabbinical Court headed by HaRav
Avrohom Sherman. In later backing the Ashdod ruling, the
Jerusalem court cited a 5744 (1984) ruling by HaRav Shach,
the Steipler, HaRav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach and ylct"a
Maran HaRav Eliashiv.
In Sivan 5767 (2007) the Vaad HaRabbonim Haolami LeInyonei
Giyur founded by the late Gavad of Antwerp HaRav Chaim
Kreiswirth, and Rav Weinman, who has been fighting false
conversions for over 30 years, contacted the High Rabbinical
Court in Jerusalem to take part in the case, which has become
a public issue due to its many ramifications for conversion
in Eretz Yisroel.
