Chief rabbi says secular Jews who eat non-kosher food ‘get stupid’

Sephardic Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef speaks at the National Headquarters of the Israel Police in Jerusalem on September 22, 2022. (Olivier Fitoussi/Flash90)
Sephardic Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef speaks at the National Headquarters of the Israel Police in Jerusalem on September 22, 2022. (Olivier Fitoussi/Flash90)

Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef says that secular Jews are “pitiable” and “stupid,” in comments made yesterday at his weekly sermon which were publicized earlier today on social media.

Secular Jews “don’t have any satisfaction in their life,” Yosef says. “A person who eats non-kosher food, his brain gets stupid, he can’t understand things, doesn’t get it. As soon as he starts keeping kosher, you can start to influence him.”

Yosef says that secular Jews are “jealous of [Haredi Jews], it’s all jealousy… it all comes from jealousy and becomes hatred.”

Yosef also says that he believes the majority of Israeli Jews love Judaism, and that it was a “tiny minority” who took part in the protest against gender-segregated prayers in Tel Aviv over Yom Kippur.

Most Popular
If you’d like to comment, join
The Times of Israel Community.
Join The Times of Israel Community
Commenting is available for paying members of The Times of Israel Community only. Please join our Community to comment and enjoy other Community benefits.
Please use the following structure: example@domain.com
Confirm Mail
Thank you! Now check your email
You are now a member of The Times of Israel Community! We sent you an email with a login link to . Once you're set up, you can start enjoying Community benefits and commenting.