Chief rabbi excoriates Riskin for causing ‘conflict’

One of Israel’s two chief rabbis on Saturday cast further doubt on the future employment of a popular local city rabbi who is facing forced retirement after allegedly upsetting the Chief Rabbinate with his liberal views on conversion, the ultra-Orthodox Kikar Hashabat website reported on Sunday.

Although Sephardic Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef did not mention Rabbi Shlomo Riskin by name during a lecture he gave concerning the text of morning prayers, he attacked a ruling by Riskin, who is the chief rabbi of the West Bank settlement of Efrat, for suggesting an alternative text for one blessing that is seen by some as insulting to women.

“We say the blessing every morning, ‘That you didn’t make me a woman,'” Yosef said. “Not like some guy from Efrat, who makes all kinds of changes, makes changes and causes conflict, who says you don’t need to say the blessing — men and women with equal rights.”

The blessing in question is one of several recited during Jewish morning prayers giving thanks to God for governing the world as it is. One blessing, recited by men, gives thanks for not having been born a woman, while an alternative text for women reads, “who made me according to His will.”

Riskin’s tenure came up for review as he turned 75 last month — the age at which a city rabbi’s term officially ends, although five-year extensions are regularly granted. A majority of the rabbis on the Chief Rabbinate panel said that they opposed extending Riskin’s term, apparently on account of his relatively liberal views on issues such as conversion, which run counter to the official policies of the rabbinate.

During his lecture, Yosef went on to explain that the intention behind the blessing is that men are thankful that, as men, they have more commandments, including studying the Torah, from which traditional Judaism exempts women.

“Someone who doesn’t understand that — what is he thinking? [That it is] the exclusion of women?” he said.

Yosef was apparently referring to a ruling by Riskin to the effect that men could alter the morning blessing and say, “who didn’t make me a woman and made me according to his wish,” while women could say, “who made me according to his wish, and didn’t make me a man.”

The US-born Riskin is a prominent figure in the Modern Orthodox Jewish world. Recent weeks have seen an outcry from public figures in the rabbinic and political spheres against the effort to end Riskin’s tenure.

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.