The Posek (Religious Arbiter) as Lobbyist: Halacha and Populism in Contemporary Sephardic Jewry
Keywords:
Mizrahi Judaism, Halachic Rulings, Populism, Propaganda, Rabbi Yosef Haim of Baghdad, Rabbi Ovadia YosefAbstract
In modern society a posek (religious arbiter) is not just a formalist jurist or rabbi, he must also be a propagandist of halacha (Jewish law). In this capacity he explains to the members of his community the relevance of halacha in their daily lives and the modern world. To do so he must be a populist, which means that he has to expand his dialogue with the public and reinforce his direct connection with it through popular books, technology, and other modern devices. The article focuses on two modern rabbis whose halachic approaches and decisions can be described as populism. The first is Rabbi Yosef Haim from Baghdad (1834-1909), and the second, Rabbi Ovadia Yosef (b. 1920). Based on recent studies, both jurists seem to have held opposing halachic views.
The article argues that while these two leading oriental poskim may have handed down antagonistic rulings they held the same opinion on the populist function of the halachic jurist in modernity.
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