Jooish

In an unusual halachic ruling released on the eve of Israel’s Knesset elections, Rav Yitzchok Zilberstein has instructed a woman whose husband forbade her from voting for United Torah Judaism to cast her ballot anyway, without informing her husband, declaring that following the instructions of the gedolei hador takes precedence in the circumstances presented.

The ruling, which was publicized through the Siach Yitzchok telephone hotline, came in response to a question presented to Rav Zilberstein by his grandson, Rav Chaim Malin, concerning a woman who found herself caught between her husband’s opposition to participating in the elections and her desire to follow the instructions of the leading gedolei Yisroel.

According to the question, the woman and her husband had voted for United Torah Judaism for many years, following the guidance of Rav Aharon Leib Shteinman zt”l and Rav Chaim Kanievsky zt”l, as well as the current instructions of Rav Dov Landau.

In recent years, however, her husband had become increasingly critical of the chareidi rabbinic leadership. He had begun expressing objections to the positions of the gedolei Yisroel and questioning their guidance on various matters.

Eventually, the husband informed his wife that he would not be voting in the upcoming elections and that he did not permit her to vote either.

“I am absolutely not agreeing to this. I am not voting, and you are not voting either,” the husband told her, according to the question presented to Rav Zilberstein.

The woman, however, was deeply troubled by the situation.

She explained that she had been watching Rav Dov Landau, despite his advanced age, traveling from city to city to encourage the chareidi public to participate in the elections.

“I see Rav Dov Landau at such an advanced age, traveling every day to another city, crying and speaking to people about how important it is to vote, and what a battle there is now,” she said.

The woman wanted to know whether she was obligated to follow her husband’s instructions or whether she should disregard his objections and vote in accordance with the guidance of the gedolei Yisroel.

Rav Zilberstein’s response was immediate and unequivocal.

“She should vote and not tell him!” he declared.

“Of course she is obligated to vote, certainly. She should go vote, but she should not tell him, and she should handle everything wisely.”

Rav Malin then presented a second question on the woman’s behalf.

Even if she were permitted to vote without her husband’s knowledge, she wondered whether doing so was worthwhile when her ballot represented only a single vote.

The woman questioned whether one additional ballot could possibly make a meaningful difference in the election results.

Rav Zilberstein rejected that reasoning.

“That one vote is enormous. It is impossible to know. It could be that this vote is the deciding one,” he explained.

The posek then added that the significance of the woman’s participation extended beyond its possible effect on the election results.

“But this vote is recorded in Shomayim to her merit, that she and her husband should live long lives, that both she and her husband should live long lives, because this is a Kiddush Hashem,” Rav Zilberstein said.

The discussion then turned to another question: whether the woman would be violating the expectation of openness between husband and wife by concealing her decision to vote.

Rav Malin noted that the traditional kesubah includes language concerning spouses not concealing matters from one another.

Nevertheless, he suggested that the circumstances were different because the woman was acting lesheim Shomayim, for the sake of Heaven.

Rav Zilberstein responded with a particularly striking distinction.

“The requirement not to conceal things from one another is about bubkes, not about Kiddush Shem Shomayim. Let us sanctify the Name of Heaven!”

His ruling made clear that, in the circumstances described, he regarded the woman’s obligation to participate in the elections as sufficiently important that she should vote even without her husband’s knowledge.

The recorded exchange has attracted attention because it addresses the intersection of shalom bayis, marital obligations, and adherence to the instructions of the gedolei hador.

Rav Zilberstein’s ruling was directed at the particular situation presented to him, involving a woman who wished to follow the rabbinic guidance she had traditionally accepted but whose husband had recently begun opposing that guidance.

The ruling comes amid an extraordinary effort by the Lithuanian chareidi leadership to encourage participation in Tuesday’s elections.

Rav Dov Landau has been traveling extensively in recent days, addressing gatherings and urging members of the chareidi community to support United Torah Judaism.

The election campaign has been dominated by concerns over the proposed military draft legislation, the legal status of yeshiva bochurim, and the future of Torah institutions in Eretz Yisroel.

Senior rabbonim have warned that the outcome of the elections could have far-reaching consequences for the ability of yeshiva bochurim and avreichim to continue learning without interference.

Rav Zilberstein himself has delivered several forceful appeals in recent days, emphasizing that voting is a religious obligation under the present circumstances.

During remarks delivered over Shabbos in his Ramat Elchanan neighborhood of Bnei Brak, Rav Zilberstein described the elections as a struggle over the future of the Torah world.

“Our situation is not simple,” he told those gathered. “We need a great deal of Heavenly mercy so that there should be a Kiddush Hashem, and that, chas veshalom, those who are plotting to destroy the Torah world should not defeat us.”

He continued, “This time, these are elections on which our very souls depend, so that we can continue learning Torah and observing mitzvos in Eretz Yisroel.”

Rav Zilberstein urged the public to follow the instructions of the gedolei Yisroel and participate in the elections, while also strengthening their Torah learning.

{Matzav.com}