Moetzet Chachmei HaTorah (

Hebrew Hebrew (; ; ) is a Northwest Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Historically, it is one of the spoken languages of the Israelites and their longest-surviving descendants, the Jews and Samaritans. It was largely preserved ...

: מועצת חכמי התורה; lit. "Council of

ise Ise may refer to: Places * Ise, Mie, a city in Japan **Ise Grand Shrine, a Shinto shrine located in Ise, Mie * Ise Ekiti, a city in Nigeria *Ise, Norway, a village in Norway *Ise Province, an ancient province of Japan * River Ise, a tributary of th ...

Torah Sages") is the rabbinical body that has the ultimate authority in the

Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...

ultra-orthodox Haredi Judaism ( he, ', ; also spelled ''Charedi'' in English; plural ''Haredim'' or ''Charedim'') consists of groups within Orthodox Judaism that are characterized by their strict adherence to ''halakha'' (Jewish law) and traditions, in oppos ...

Sephardic Sephardic (or Sephardi) Jews (, ; lad, Djudíos Sefardíes), also ''Sepharadim'' , Modern Hebrew: ''Sfaradim'', Tiberian Hebrew, Tiberian: Səp̄āraddîm, also , ''Ye'hude Sepharad'', lit. "The Jews of Spain", es, Judíos sefardíes (or ), ...

and

Mizrahi ''Mizrachi'' or ''Mizrahi'' ( he, מזרחי) has two meanings. In the literal Hebrew meaning ''Eastern'', it may refer to: *Mizrahi Jews, Jews from the Middle East * Mizrahi (surname), a Sephardic surname, given to Jews who got to the Iberian P ...

Shas Shas ( he, ש״ס) is a Haredi religious political party in Israel. Founded in 1984 under the leadership of Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, a former Israeli Sephardi chief rabbi, who remained its spiritual leader until his death in October 2013, it primarily ...

Party.

History

The council was established along with the establishment of

in 1982, in order to serve as the spiritual leadership of the new movement. As a new

Haredi Haredi Judaism ( he, ', ; also spelled ''Charedi'' in English; plural ''Haredim'' or ''Charedim'') consists of groups within Orthodox Judaism that are characterized by their strict adherence to ''halakha'' (Jewish law) and traditions, in oppos ...

party, Shas followed in the footsteps of the

Ashkenazi Ashkenazi Jews ( ; he, יְהוּדֵי אַשְׁכְּנַז, translit=Yehudei Ashkenaz, ; yi, אַשכּנזישע ייִדן, Ashkenazishe Yidn), also known as Ashkenazic Jews or ''Ashkenazim'',, Ashkenazi Hebrew pronunciation: , singu ...

Agudat Yisrael Agudat Yisrael ( he, אֲגוּדָּת יִשְׂרָאֵל, lit., ''Union of Israel'', also transliterated ''Agudath Israel'', or, in Yiddish, ''Agudas Yisroel'') is a Haredi Jewish political party in Israel. It began as a political party re ...

and

Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah (, "Council of great Torah ages) is the supreme rabbinical policy-making council of the Agudat Yisrael and Degel HaTorah movements in Israel; and of Agudath Israel of America in the United States. Members are usually pres ...

and set up a similar mechanism. Upon its establishment the council became a new spiritual Sephardic-leadership in Israel, however, also enjoyed the leadership of the Ashkenazi Torah sages council especially the support of Rabbi

Elazar Shach Elazar Menachem Man Shach ( he, אלעזר מנחם מן שך, Elazar Shach; January 1, 1899 O.S. – November 2, 2001) was a prominent ultra-Orthodox rabbi, heading the non-Hasidic ''Litvak'' Orthodox from the early 1970s until his death. He ...

- a support that has stopped along with the independent decision of the council in 1990 that Shas would join the coalition government with the left (

The dirty trick The dirty trick ( he, התרגיל המסריח, ''HaTargil HaMasriaḥ'', lit. the stinking trick) refers to a political scandal that erupted in Israel in 1990. It referred to an attempt by Shimon Peres to form a government made up of the left-win ...

). The members of the council decide on the list of candidates, coalition agreements and determine the political and diplomatic policies of Shas party. Founder members of the council were

Sephardi Sephardic (or Sephardi) Jews (, ; lad, Djudíos Sefardíes), also ''Sepharadim'' , Modern Hebrew: ''Sfaradim'', Tiberian Hebrew, Tiberian: Səp̄āraddîm, also , ''Ye'hude Sepharad'', lit. "The Jews of Spain", es, Judíos sefardíes (or ), ...

Chief Rabbi of Israel The Chief Rabbinate of Israel ( he, הָרַבָּנוּת הָרָאשִׁית לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, ''Ha-Rabbanut Ha-Rashit Li-Yisra'el'') is recognized by law as the supreme rabbinic authority for Judaism in Israel. The Chief Rabbinate Co ...

Ovadia Yosef Ovadia Yosef ( he, , Ovadya Yosef, ; September 24, 1920 – October 7, 2013) was an Iraqi-born Talmudic scholar, a posek, the Sephardi Chief Rabbi of Israel from 1973 to 1983, and a founder and long-time spiritual leader of Israel's ultra-Orthodo ...

, Rabbi

Shimon Baadani Shimon Baadani ( he, שמעון בעדני; 1928 – 11 January 2023), also spelled Shimon Ba'adani, was a leading Sephardi rabbi and rosh kollel in Israel. He was the co-founder and dean of Kollel Torah V'Chaim in Bnei Brak, and served as pres ...

, Rabbi Shalom Cohen and Rabbi

Shabtai Aton __NOTOC__ Shabtai (Sabbatai, Sabbathai, Shabbatai, Shabbethai, etc.) is a Jewish name common in the Middle Ages for boys born on Shabbat, and may refer to: People Given name * Shabtai (given name) Surname * Aharon Shabtai (born 1939), poet and tra ...

(whom following the cessation of support of the Ashkenazi Torah sages retired in 1990). The first secretary of the council was Rabbi

Yechezkel Aschayek Ezekiel (; he, יְחֶזְקֵאל ''Yəḥezqēʾl'' ; in the Septuagint written in grc-koi, Ἰεζεκιήλ ) is the central protagonist of the Book of Ezekiel in the Hebrew Bible. In Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, Ezekiel is acknow ...

, a confidant of Rabbi Shach. Initially, the council was founded in order to ensure the remote control of Rabbi Shach over the Shas movement, and to ensure his position as the ultimate arbiter over fateful questions facing the Shas movement. Because of this, the rabbis Baadani, Toledano. and Aton were appointed to the council, whom all studied under Rabbi Shach over the years. Rabbi Shalom Cohen is also considered loyalist of Rabbi Shach. After Yechezkel Aschayek retired from Shas, he was replaced by Rabbi Moshe Maya (who later became a

Knesset The Knesset ( he, הַכְּנֶסֶת ; "gathering" or "assembly") is the unicameral legislature of Israel. As the supreme state body, the Knesset is sovereign and thus has complete control of the entirety of the Israeli government (with ...

member and eventually became himself a member of the Council). Rabbi

served as president of the council, for 30 years. After Moshe Maya,

Rafael Pinhasi __NOTOC__ Rafael Pinhasi ( he, רפאל פנחסי, born 1940) is a former Israeli politician who served as Minister of Communications between 1990 and 1992. Early life Born in Kabul in Afghanistan, Pinhasi's family made aliyah in 1950. He was ...

served as council secretary for 14 years and had retired after the death of Rabbi Ovadia Yosef. Upon the death of his father, Rabbi Ovadia Yosef,

David Yosef David Yosef (born August 10, 1957) is an Israeli rabbi who has authored dozens of books in Jewish Law mainly based on the rulings of his father, Rabbi Ovadia Yosef. He is regarded as one of the most influential Sephardic Rabbis in the world due to ...

was appointed to the council. Up until the death of Rabbi

, The structure in Shas political authority was the same as that of

Degel HaTorah Degel HaTorah ( he, דגל התורה, , Banner of the Torah) is an Ashkenazi Haredi political party in Israel. For much of its existence, it has been allied with Agudat Yisrael, under the name United Torah Judaism. History Degel HaTorah was ...

. It was subject to the Sephardic Council of Torah Sages, and from the cessation of support of Rabbi Shach, headed solely by the leadership of Rabbi

. It was particularly true after the appointment of

Eli Yishai Eliyahu "Eli" Yishai ( he, אליהו "אלי" ישי, born 26 December 1962) is an Israeli politician. A former leader of Shas, he represented the party in the Knesset from 1996 until 2015, also holding several ministerial posts, including bein ...

as chairman of the Shas party.

Council members

As of 2023 the Members of the Sephardic Council of Torah Sages rabbis are: *Rabbi Moshe Maya *Rabbi

*Rabbi Reuven Elbaz

Council secretaries

*Rabbi

(1982-1990) *Rabbi Moshe Maya (1990-1999) *Rabbi

(1999-2013) *Rabbi Amir Krispal (Provisional)

External links

Moetzet Chachmei HaTorah at Shas official website

References

{{Orthodox Judaism

History

Council members

Council secretaries

See also

External links

References