The hareidi organization Eida Hareidit has publicly rebuffed an inquiry by the Supreme Court, Reshet Bet reports. The group has issued a statement declaring the Supreme Court unfit to judge in an ongoing case involving courts of Jewish law (batei din).
Courts of civil law have no authority to intervene in matters of Torah law, argued the statement, which was issued by the Eida Hareidit together with Rabbi Shmuel Vozner.
The Supreme Court is hearing a case involving kitvei siruv – statements issued by a rabbinic court denouncing those who ignore its summons. Those publicly condemned for having ignored a rabbinic court summons can face ostracism.
A resident from Elad appealed to the Supreme Court after a court of Jewish law (beit din) in her hometown issued a siruv notice against her after she refused to bring a dispute to it, preferring a local civil court.
Supreme Court justice Salim Joubran accused the beit din of having overstepped its bounds. “A Rabbinic court has no authority to make decisions regarding a case that has been brought to a civil court. Can the rabbinic court be allowed to punish someone for going to a civil court?” he demanded.
The Eida Hareidit urged judges in rabbinic courts to ignore the Supreme Court’s criticism, and to continue issuing kitvei siruv as they see fit. Judges of Jewish law must not fear secular authorities, it declared.
The group reiterated criticism of those who turn to civil courts rather than religious courts. Jews must avoid courts that do not judge by Jewish law, it argued.