David Bar-Hayim
Rabbi David Bar-Hayim | |
---|---|
Personal life | |
Born | David Mandel 24 February 1960 (age 64) |
Nationality | Australian / Israeli |
Alma mater | Merkaz Harav Kook Yeshiva |
Occupation | Rabbi, Dayan, Posek |
Religious life | |
Religion | Judaism |
Profession | Av Beit Din at Beth HaWa'adh Rabbinical Court |
Dawidh Ḥanokh Yissḥaq Bar-Ḥayim (Hebrew: דוד חנוך יצחק בה"ר חיים רפאל ז"ל; born Mandel; born 24 February 1960) is an Israeli rabbi who heads Machon Shilo, a Jerusalem-based rabbinical court and institute of Jewish education dedicated to the Torah of Israel.[1]
Biography
[edit]This section of a biography of a living person does not include any references or sources. (November 2023) |
Early life
[edit]Bar-Hayim was born in Sydney, Australia.
Rabbinical training
[edit]After moving to Israel in 1977, he initially studied in Yeshivat HaKotel, and subsequently in Merkaz Harav Kook in Jerusalem. He studied under Rabbi Moshe Zuriel , and received rabbinic ordination from Rabbi Yosef Kapach.
Rabbinical career
[edit]For a number of years, Bar-Hayim taught Talmud, Halakha, and Jewish philosophy in Yeshivat Nahalath Tzvi.
Bar Hayim lectures in the greater Jerusalem area, and publishes articles in English and Hebrew on various web sites.[2]
Since 2001, Bar-Hayim has been working along with Machon HaYerushalmi to publish a new and elucidated edition of the Jerusalem Talmud.
In 2006, Bar-Hayim founded the Shilo Institute for the research, elucidation, and dissemination of the Torah of Israel.[3]
Bar-Hayim established the Beth HaWa'adh rabbinical court to focus on actualizing the Torah of Israel and serve as an address for Gentiles, particularly the growing Noahide community.[4]
Halachic approach
[edit]Though he is Orthodox, Bar-Hayim prefers the terms "Halakhic" or "Torah" Judaism, explaining that the term "Orthodox Judaism” is flawed by its very definition.[5]
Bar-Hayim has proposed the re-establishment of the customs of Israel, religious observances and practices that reflect those of the pre-exile Jewish communities in Israel, rather than those of Babylon or Europe. For this purpose, he has published a prayer book intended to reflect the original composition of early Israel, based upon the Jerusalem Talmud.[6]
Halachic rulings
[edit]In light of the fact that Israel is yet again a sovereign Jewish state, with Jerusalem as its capital, Bar-Hayim has argued for increased utilization of the Jerusalem Talmud, which in his opinion, in regard to Torat Eretz Yisrael and Minhagei Eretz Yisrael, contains more lucid rulings[7] than the Babylonian Talmud, which was given supremacy in "exile-mode" Judaism.[5] This has led him to issue a number of highly controversial[8] rulings, some of which are listed below:
- In a very controversial ruling,[9][8][10] Bar-Hayim announced that any Jew worldwide, regardless of origin, and despite the practice of their forefathers, may eat kitniyot ("legumes") on Passover,[11][12] as most Sefardi Jews do, for it is a practice rejected as an unnecessary precaution by some Halachic authorities as early as the time of its emergence.[13] This position has been widely rejected by other rabbis, including Ovadia Yosef.[14]
- When the first day of Sukkot falls on Shabbat, Israeli Jews should follow the Mishna and Jerusalem Talmud's ruling, and perform the lulav ritual.[15]
- Hallel should be recited on Israeli Independence Day.[16]
- Stainless steel utensils do not absorb dairy or meat, and may therefore just be washed with soap and water between dairy and meat use.[17]
- Bar-Hayim claims that the rulings of the Shulchan Aruch were intended as a resource and depiction of common practice in certain areas, and that the author never intended that his rulings become compulsory for Jewry.[18][19]
- The size of an olive in Jewish law is roughly the size of an olive. Those commentators who over-estimated the size of the olive were unfamiliar with olives, for they had lived in lands which lacked them.[20]
- The process of conversion to Judaism should be one that welcomes sincere converts and allows them the right to choose a rabbi and community which they identify with.[21]
- Jewish law requires one to follow the most convincing position which is truest to the sources. One need not uphold a tradition which can be shown to have been conceived in error.[22]
- The common form of reclining on Passover nowadays does not convey the aristocratic nobility it was intended to, and may often defeat its very purpose.[23]
- The main purpose of Torah study is to create a holy nation that obeys the law, and not merely withdrawn individuals seeking personal gain.[24]
- A blessing is to be recited when removing phylacteries.[25]
- One may eat poultry followed by dairy without a waiting period.[26]
- Torah sages can err, just as the Sanhedrin could (Leviticus 4:13).[27]
- Married women should wear a head[28] covering that is not a wig, since a wig is an invalid form of head covering.[29] It is preferable for a married Jewish woman to expose her hair than to don a wig, for the wig actually increases attraction in the public domain and encourages the notion that Halakha is both irrational and intellectually dishonest.[29]
- One may change his nusach tefillah at any time, because the idea that a Jew should not change his nusach tefillah, and has to continue to pray in the way of his forefathers, is an invented Halacha of the galut (diaspora,[30] "scattering, dispersion").[31][32][33]
References
[edit]- ^ "Rabbi David Bar-Hayim". jewishpress.com/author/. JewishPress.com. Retrieved 11 March 2015.
- ^ "Rabbi David Bar-Hayim's Articles – OpEds". Israel national news. Arutz Sheva. Retrieved 11 March 2015.
- ^ "Torah for Those Who Dare to Think". Machon shilo. Retrieved 1 April 2017.
- ^ "Machon Shilo".
- ^ a b Zellman, Ariel (17 October 2010). "Interview with Rabbi David Bar-Hayim". Blog.
- ^ Ezra (19 March 2007). "Kotel is the Place to be Tuesday". Kumah. Retrieved 11 March 2015.
- ^ Bar-Hayim, HaRav David. "Is the Halacha Based Exclusively on the Talmud Bavli? The Chafetz Chayim Did Not Think So". Machon Shilo. Retrieved 29 June 2016.
- ^ a b "Jerusalem - The Israeli Controversial 'Gaon' That Is Raising Eyebrows in the Torah World, Exclusive 2 Hour Interview With VIN News". www.vosizneias.com. 12 May 2009.
- ^ "Head of Shilo Institute attacked for permitting 'kitniyot' on Pessah". The Jerusalem Post | Jpost.com.
- ^ "Kitniyos – A False Attribution: A Response to Rabbi David Bar-Hayim". theyeshivaworld.com. 1 April 2015.
- ^ Jeffay, Nathan (1 April 2009). "Pesach Kitniyot Rebels Roil Rabbis As Some Ashkenazim Follow New, Permissive Ruling". No. News, Community News. The Forward Association, Inc. Retrieved 11 March 2015.
- ^ Ahren, Raphael (15 April 2011). "Efrat rabbi tilts against Passover food restrictions for Ashkenazi Jews". No. Home – Weekend – Anglo File. Haaretz Daily Newspaper Ltd. Retrieved 11 March 2015.
- ^ Tur, Orach Chaim 453
- ^ "Pesach Kitniyot Rebels Roil Rabbis As Some Ashkenazim Follow New, Permissive Ruling". forward.com. 2 April 2009.
- ^ "The Misswa of Lulav on Shabbat"., (pdf) Archived 5 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Bar-Hayim, David (23 April 2007). "Judaism: The Rebbe's Hallel – The Halachic basis for Hallel on Independence Day". israelnationalnews.com. Arutz Sheva – 23 April 2007. Retrieved 11 March 2015.
- ^ Tora Nation Machon Shilo (8 February 2014), Are All Pots Created Equal? Stainless Steel & Kashrut- Interview with Rabbi David Bar-Hayim, archived from the original on 21 December 2021, retrieved 21 March 2017
- ^ Tora Nation Machon Shilo (15 January 2017), Did the Beit Yosef Claim that His Halachic Decisions Were Binding?, archived from the original on 21 December 2021, retrieved 22 March 2017
- ^ Tora Nation Machon Shilo (23 October 2014), Did the Jewish People Accept the Shulchan Aruch?- Interview with Rabbi David Bar-Hayim, archived from the original on 21 December 2021, retrieved 22 March 2017
- ^ Tora Nation Machon Shilo (18 March 2013), Does A K'zayit Equal An Olive?-Interview with Machon Shilo's Rabbi David Bar-Hayim, archived from the original on 21 December 2021, retrieved 22 March 2017
- ^ Tora Nation Machon Shilo (16 June 2013), The Lonely Convert, The Lonely Jew- Interview with Rabbi David Bar-Hayim, retrieved 22 March 2017
- ^ Tora Nation Machon Shilo (27 December 2015), Halacha, Minhag, & How Torah Works-Shiur at the Jerusalem Salon with Rabbi David Bar-Hayim, archived from the original on 21 December 2021, retrieved 22 March 2017
- ^ Tora Nation Machon Shilo (10 April 2014), To Recline Or Not To Recline-That Is The Question- Interview with Rabbi David Bar-Hayim, archived from the original on 21 December 2021, retrieved 22 March 2017
- ^ Tora Nation Machon Shilo (16 October 2014), Is the Haredi Understanding of the Purpose of Torah Study Flawed? Interview with R' David Bar-Hayim-, archived from the original on 21 December 2021, retrieved 22 March 2017
- ^ "Jerusalem - The Israeli Controversial 'Gaon' That Is Raising Eyebrows in the Torah World, Exclusive 2 Hour Interview With VIN News". VosIzNeias. Archived from the original on 23 March 2017. Retrieved 22 March 2017.
- ^ "Rambam's Response to the Inclusion of Chicken, Duck and Quail in Qaraite Cuisine". The Seforim Blog. Retrieved 17 June 2020.
- ^ "Rabbis: 'Kitniyot rebellion' continues". Ynetnews. Retrieved 22 March 2017.
- ^ Numbers 5:18
- ^ a b Tora Nation Machon Shilo (6 February 2016), Are Wigs Kosher? Interview with Machon Shilo's Rabbi David Bar-Hayim, archived from the original on 21 December 2021, retrieved 23 March 2017
- ^ διασπορά. Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert; A Greek–English Lexicon at the Perseus Project
- ^ Bar-Hayim, David. "Not Changing Nusach Tefillah - An Invented Halacha". Machon Shilo. Machon Shilo. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
- ^ Bar-Hayim, David. "What is the Proper Nusach Tefillah?". Machon Shilo. Machon Shilo. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
- ^ "Not Changing Nusach Tefillah - An Invented Halacha- Interview with Rabbi David Bar-Hayim". supermp3song.net. mp3xyz.co. Archived from the original on 4 October 2017. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
Further reading
[edit]- Bar-Hayim, David (2012), "The Gaza War and the Killing of Non-Combatants in Warfare – Why are the Rabbis Silent?" (video), You tube (lecture), Google, 1 h 47 min 2 s.