does not equal a right....While I believe that this statement by Ovadia Yosef is borderline retarded, and astonishingly insensitive..I also find reformed ways to have less in common with Torah than christians do....While every true convert or child of Jew is Jewish...so what? What effects the world positively are Jews connecting the world to Torah laws, and what hurts it are clowns like reform rabbis spreading nonsense in the name of Judaism. Did you know in a recent survey over 60% of reform rabbis said that belief in G-d is NOT a requirement for reformed or their rabbis??....Man...this is a Jewish social club at best...and not even all Jewish it appears....let's be clear....there is no such thing as a "reform rabbi", just like their is no "palestinian people"....the former are just missionary jews and the latter arab killers...no comparison here....but my point is that both groups do great damage through lies and deceipt, and neither exist after any sober analysis, and both will disappear in the next century. I am sorry that this man believes he is a rabbi, and he passed on "reform" believes to his son (A"H, HY"D)...there are no reform beliefs....everything is optional and anyone can do or think anything they want, eat, marry, do business in any way...cmon reformed Jews....just face up to your near-total assimilation...it is the only possibility for sanity...and I will prove this to you....show me one child that is 5th generation reformed...show me one child who dates back to the reformed founders in Germany (note in 1845 they removed the prayer to return to Jerusalem--100 years before the Liberation from the death camps!)....you cannot find a 5th generation reformed Jew, because they don't exist...they are either: (1) dead without Jewish children; (2) a christian or muslim or nothing; (3) or an orthodox jew having returned to our actual believes and laws. And you can be orthodox without being chareidi, in fact, I believe that being chareidi makes keeping the body of mitzvot impossible, as they have "forgotten" a whole series of national mitzvot. So, Ovadia is wrong, this Rabbi's opinion on this issue is correct, but the entire thrust of this article, and the final attack on Rabbi Hiller (even if justified) shows this article to be from a reform missionary looking to move people into his flock....Going from Ovadia Yosef as rabbi to this writer as rabbi...well....talking about going from the frying pan into the fire....given I choice...I would seek advice from neither...one is corrupted, and the other sold out to a non-faith....

He realizes what he said was wrong by saying he was talking about wars during Biblical times. I would have preferred a more direct apology but I guess that this will have to do in the meantime. It's a shame that by saying this he is teaching his followers to manipulate words instead of outright apologizing.

Certainly there is some truth in this article, however it appears the saber being waved here is not for the lost soldiers nor the beraved families, but for Reform Judaism. I feel two Rabbis are exploiting here. Worse I see one that is the father. At first I was in support for the fact that the Rabbi Yosef's weekly words somewhat close to Torah. Next I was supportive of a man who lost his son. I did not see hate in them. But now I see the finger of hate, not concern, pointing at the secular in those words. I also see now the finger pointing of a reform at the orthodox. I must say, stop pimping out Torah. If the curses are not an empty thing - why would educated Rabbis play with fire. Especially after being burnt. Torah and the job of Rabbis as self promoted leaders are extremely serious. Misleading is a grave grave thing. G-d is just and I am sick at what is before my eyes. I also question reform, if you are in fact a man of G-d who was doing what G-d wanted, I do not see the protection G-d promises. Are people being led down the right path and do the Rabbis care if it isnt? Is this a Reform that accepts homosexuality and includes Jesus commentary in the tanach? Torah is not an empty thing and it is not some toy for magic gematra or promoting heathen behavior. It is not a stoop for cathing the droppings from pagan religions. Warning signs abound in my eyes about what I see. You are to server Torah and G-d, it is not here to server you. You have chosen to shepard his flock, do not lose them or the owner will hold all that is yours responsible.

True and sensitive words. May your son rest in peace in Hashem's light and love, and may your personal and family memories with Yonatan z"l be cherished forever. Ovadia Yosef and all those like him represent the anti Moshiah, we are many to think like you, even in the orthodox moderate world. Col ha cavod!

is best left unsaid. What Mr Boyden is not ,we can though say. 1. He is not the leading Halachic authority of this generation. 2. He is not a Rav revered by Sephardim and Mizrahim the world over. 3. He is not a Rav whose works are refered to by all Halachic authorities. 4. He is not the leader of an organisation that has made major religious, cultural and social improvements to Israel's neglected. 5. He is not the person that made the final halachic ruling to bring in the Jews of Ethiopians, Nor ruled against us visiting the Temple Mount, Nor made the basic rulings followed on freeing Agunots resulting from war casulties, Nor is he the person that promoted the use of Kitnot on Pesach now so widely stocked for those permitted ( and these are but a small example of Rav Ovadia's ruling that we all bask in ). 6. And he is most certainly not a Sage. What we can most certainly say though is that Rav Ovadia is all of these things and more.

From what you stated the Rav's position is consistent and moral. Tor requote: 'Therefore, Israel is permitted, even obligated IF SAVING LIVES IS A DEFINITIVE outcome, to both make serious efforts to reach a peace settlement as well as make arrangements to properly protect its citizens. ' Where 'SAVING LIVES IS A DEFINITIVE OUTCOME' is the operative phrase. It is permitted to violate the shabbat commandments and all commandments, for that matter, except murder, sexual immorality and idolatory, to save a single life according to Jewish law. So even if negotiating territorial agreements with the palistinians would normally be forbidden, but such an aggreement would definitively save lives, then torah permits such an agreement. When Moran Rav Ovadia saw that such agreements so far weren't saving lives, he withdrew his support for such negotiations and he doesn't support unilateral actions. However, he maintains the moral principle. That defines a true leader - moral (even self-sacrificing) principles. And what greater morality, can ther be but saving life where possibile.

I am not disagreeing with the specifics, but do you really mean to suggest that all of these evil tings are directly the result of Shas? Come on, did Shas propose the evacuation of Gaza? Unfortunately, religious parties are still parties that want to be feed. Since the begining of the State the religious parties have been treated like step-children. I am sure that there are good and upstanding religious authorities that deserve our respect. HOwever, these people are often very quiet and rarely heard from. Let us remember that Rav Shach had his issues with Shas too.

Did god protect the millions of good believing Jews and their children during the Shoa ? Don't tell me that they died because of other's sins , this is disgusting and inacceptable for a normal person

together are not worth any single soldier,even non Jews. Actually the non Jewish soldiers are each worth 10,000 yusufs. But at least he and ishai gave olmert sound military advice during last summer's war.

God bless you and your family.

Two approaches among the talkbacks - either you care for the law or you care for people. I'm with Rabbi Boyden on many counts. Here are three from direct observation. 1. It comes across in sermons and I've heard it even in jokes. There is something about some in the orthodox community, and I emphasise "some" which is both arrogant and detached from ethics. Belittling deaths, whether of thousands of soldiers or of millions of Holocaust victims, reduces a learned man to the level of the Ahmadinejads, Torquemadas and street gang members of this world. Faith that blind to its own failings has lost its vision. 2. Rabbi Boyden's challenge to the ultra-orthodox is that they should look at the issues and draw some conclusions which may have a bearing on the leadership that they have. No one picks up the challenge. They just get defensive, and that leads nowhere good. 3. Rabbi Boyden takes great care to give respect to orthodox sensibilities and sees to it that others do likewise. Give some, get none in return. Is that really the spirit of Hillel?

You can and should care for the law and care for the people. Th law operates and because of that there are blessings and curses. Warning someone that they should not step into the path of a moving train, or more so, taking abuse so that you can warn people not to step in front of a moving train, is a matter of love for your fellow man. Unless you are like these Rabbis grabbing for power and self importance. Just because someone loves G-d who gave them everything as a priority and therefore does his Torah, does not mean that in that persons priority he does not love people. The fact that these Rabbis pimp out Torah and show that there motivation is not Love for G-d nor man, shows that these individuals miss the point. They are politicians. One should not base their Torah on anything other than a love for G-d. G-d does not want empty sacrafices nor empty prayers. G-d even went as far as to test the Jews on their love. Read Devareem (DEUT) 13 as it shows that it is about love. It also shows where the Christians were born out of fallen Jews for failing the test and taking on a new G-d their fathers did not know because a man came and did signs and wonders. proof they did not listen to nor love the G-d of the Jews. Even now you will here them speak against G-d in favor of Jesus. It is the law that runs true and if it hurts people to be taught that they have paid a price for stepping in front of the train, so be it. Just as long as they know not to step in front of the train again. To tel them it was the trains fault, is a sin and people who do this under the umbrella that they love man, are liars. Because they have enabled it to happen again and again. They are mearly selfish. They were warned and didn't listen and they ask questions to that which they know answers. Why G-d? Torah is not an empty thing as joyess and painful as that might be. Chose a blessing or chose a curse. Tough love, is love none the less.

We are waiting for the next statement of this so called Rabbi about his alter ego...Ahmadinejad. May be somewhat like his lecture of the Shoa ; "the divine punishment" and all the stupid and insane blah blah of this clown. OK...This idiots of SHAS needs a "spiritual guide" for their forfaiture.... considering Sephardis like blinds supertituous....

Shame, shame, shame on all of you that are using this opportunity for Reform bashing. the month of Elul - a time of introspection and repentance. You hateful people, spewing hateful words. think about the garbage you have written here against Rabbi Boyden next time you beat your breats during slichot services. Rabbi Boyden is a Jewish scholar and a hard-working congregational rabbi. He also lost his dear son. Shame on you all for denigrating this wonderful man. You are all a shonda.

Like the refomers have any rules. LOL Shame on Reform followers for being subversive to Torah.

I absolutely agree - if he really cared at all about his followers, he'd encourage them to join the army and continue to be observant. Does he think that the young men of King David's time got yeshiva exemptions so they wouldn't have to fight? It's time that the ultra-orthodox opened their eyes to the world where the majority of Jews live.

yosef is no longer can think strait forgive him.but as a jew i am ashamed to see rabbis like him preach foolish words.they should learn from the pope a little.

The death of a son cause immeasurable pain. iam so sad for you, and for others that have gone through this suffering. so sorry I do know one of the things that can happen to us is that we can become so wounded we can react to others, more then we would normally do. And people say such terrible things without thinking. look how Job's comforters told him he must have done something evil for all the bad things to have happened to him.So sad.God bless and comfort you.

You write about Gush Katif "a hellhole most of us are happy to be out of." Ask the people in sderot and the surrounding areas. It looks like you are not reading the latest polls where the great majority of Jews in Israel and experts in particulair regret the expusion of our Bothers and sisters of Gush Katif. Also do you how much smugling is going on in the Gaza via the phildelphi Route ??? The next war will make the war with Hizballah look like chiken Soup. Also experts agree that the rise of Hamas is a direct result of expulsion of Gush Katis. You also samefully write "t's too bad the moochers that this country subsidized and are continuing to receive huge payments have to go out and look for work instead of getting handouts from the local councils." These people were self sufficient, Had green Houses etc... had self sacrifice and the Gov't basically stoled their dignity Livelihood Etc... and few people of your ilk Shamefully are proud of it.

You wouldn't want your 'brilliant' comments taken out of context. Rabbi Ovadia's speaches are very difficult halachic discussions, not for the ears of everybody, even those who are somewhat learned in halacha:they are meant for his Rabbinical Students. (This speech was on the Torah portion that spoke of releasing soldiers to go home. Look it up the portion for yourself.) Rabbi Ovadia is someone who loves all Jews, he cares for Jews very sincerely-- soldiers included. Rabbi Ovada is a Tzadick and as a Sephardic Jew I am proud of him (albeit that I wish he were much more militant about some issues). Right now we all have to realize that we are facing a war --possibly on two or three fronts-- in the winter and we should all try to find the good in other Jews and stand together. I'm in my 60's and have been on the border in more than one war. Wake up everybody, it's going to be a 'hard rain' and we have to care for one another. Those of you in Tel Aviv may learn what those in Haifa learned--please let's stop being our own worst enemies.