- Halacha
- General Questions
Rabbi Shlomo Goren
Question
Is Rabbi Shlomo Goren excepted by all Mizrachi Rabbis? And do they follow his Psakim?
Answer
Rav Goren was a great innovator and “michadesh”, with a courageous personality, and accordingly most leading rabbanim view some of his halachic decisions with awe-inspiring respect, and others with surprise. Already in his youth, the entire yeshiva world knew him as “The” rising star of the Chevron Yeshiva, for his outstanding knowledge not just in the Talmud Bavli but also the Y’rushalmi, and his super-sharp insight was already apparent at the age of 17 (!) in his published sefer chidushim on the Rambam’s little-known Hilchot Psulei HaMukdashim and Masechet Mikva’ot at 21. All Mizrachi rabbis (as any Torah-loving Jew) have utmost respect for Rav Goren’s activities already in the War of Independence, who single-handedly made sure that the entire Tzahal serves only kosher food, and personally set-up the Chevra Kadisha, going into dangerous mine-fields to rescue bodies and bring them to a halachic burial, precedents which stand until today, as standard procedure. His courage to stand up for Torah even against the anti-religious Zionist leadership in the post-Holocaust era was legendary (the biographers of Ben-Gurion mention that Rav Goren eventually won BG’s ultimate respect, as very few did!), as was his preparation for the miraculous 6 Day War, where the liberation of Har HaBayit, and all of Biblical Eretz Yisrael, caught everybody, except for Rav Goren, by surprise. The General’s shofar which he blew and small Torah which he carried everywhere with his Uzi, brought a religious spirit even to the most secular of soldiers. As most first-rate poskim, his (obligatory) bravery to search for leniency to allow suspected agunot and mamzerim to marry, sometimes brought attacks from other poskim, as did his halachic and sometimes personal conflict with Rav Ovadia Yosef during their tenure together as Chief Rabbis. He was definitely unique and unquestionably sometimes controversial, but he was undoubtedly placed by Hashem to be the “right man in the right place” regarding many historic and halachic junctions over the last century.

Status of Child
Rabbi Elchanan Lewis | 10 Tevet 5765
How to address a Rabbi
Rabbi Moshe Leib Halberstadt | Adar 3, 5770

Placing & Storing a Siddur and other holy Jewish books
Rabbi Ari Shvat |

Explaining the term "Litvish"
Rabbi Chaim Tabasky | 17 Cheshvan 5766

Rabbi Ari Shvat
Lectures at various yeshivot, michlalot and midrashot. Has published many books & Torani articles and is in charge of Rav Kook’s archives.

Orlah fruit trees
Adar I 5, 5771

Yericho conquest by Yehoshua
Tevet 28, 5771

A Day is a thousand years
Adar I 23, 5771

Writing a Torah Scroll in English
Adar II 25, 5771

Mezzuzah for Non Jew
Rabbi David Sperling | Iyyar 18, 5773

Mezzuzah for Non Jew
Rabbi David Sperling | Iyyar 18, 5773

On which day may one start wishing "Shabbat Shalom"?
Rabbi David Sperling | Iyyar 9, 5780

On which day may one start wishing "Shabbat Shalom"?
Rabbi David Sperling | Iyyar 9, 5780

Children of a Converted Reform Woman
Rabbi Ari Shvat | Kislev 10, 5784

Understanding AntiSemitism & What's the Solution?
Rabbi Ari Shvat |
