On erev Shavuos, maranan verabonon, members of the
Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah of both Degel HaTorah and Agudas
Yisroel, issued a statement expressing their opposition to
intervention in issues of halocho and Jewish tradition
by the Israeli judicial system. The statement was issued in
the wake of the recent High Court decision enabling Reform
and Conservatives to desecrate the sanctity of the
Kosel.
The text of the Hebrew statement, dated the day before
Shavuos, 5760, read as follows.
"The sacred Torah has been given to us mipi haGevuro.
`Moshe received Torah from Sinai and transmitted it to
Yehoshua and Yehoshua to the Elders.' From that time until
this very day, the chain of transmission of Torah from
generation to generation has proceeded without any changes,
cholila. We believe in total faith that, `this, the
Torah, will not be exchanged and that there will be no other
from the Borei Yisborach Shemo.'
"We have already expressed our opinion that any intervention
whatsoever by a governmental, national or judicial system in
issues pertaining to halocho and Jewish tradition is
totally impossible. All such intervention opposes the
Torah hakedosha which has been transmitted to us from
generation to generation, and any such intervention has no
validity whatsoever.
"How deeply pained we are, then, by all those harsh decisions
against the Torah hakedosha made by the High Court,
especially the most recent one to desecrate the sanctity of
the Kosel Hama'arovi, the vestige of our Beis
Hamikdosh from which the Shechina has never
departed and, and to which all Am Yisroel in all of
the lands of their exile turn when they pray.
"We hereby express our opinion that it is inconceivable to
undermine the sanctity of the Kosel and to show
contempt to the prayer order transmitted to us from
generation to generation.
"May our cries go up to Shomayim and may our pleas for
an expedited redemption and succor for His Nation, quickly in
our time and soon, be heard Above."
