Former Israeli Supreme Court President Aharon Barak made a series of surprising remarks during a recent interview with Rav Ido Weber-Erlich, expressing support for Torah study as a fundamental value, commenting on the arrests of bnei yeshiva, reflecting on past judicial decisions, and addressing the Netanyahu trial.

During the conversation, Rav Weber asked Barak about the recently enacted law declaring Torah study to be a supreme value of the Jewish people.

“Yes,” Barak replied. “There is no problem.”

Rav Weber then raised the issue of the arrests of yeshiva bochurim, saying, “These chareidim really are suffering. A yeshiva bochur is walking down the street, and suddenly they arrest him.”

Barak did not dispute the characterization and continued the discussion.

The conversation then turned to Barak’s judicial career. Asked whether there were rulings he regretted, Barak answered without hesitation.

“Of course.”

When asked for an example, he responded, “Doesn’t a person make mistakes?” However, he declined to identify any specific ruling.

“I need to know myself that I made a mistake. Other people don’t need to hear it.”

Barak noted that he authored approximately 34,000 judicial decisions during his career.

“Do you know how many rulings I issued in my lifetime? Thirty-four thousand. Small and large. Of course there are mistakes.”

Asked whether any of those mistakes related to issues affecting Judaism and the chareidi community, Barak pointed to the Tal Law.

“Specifically there, with the Tal Law, I said that it served a proper purpose and was consistent with the values of the State of Israel.”

When Rav Weber asked why the Tal Law was ultimately struck down, Barak disputed that characterization.

“We didn’t cancel it. I didn’t cancel it. I rejected the petition.”

According to Barak, the law ultimately failed because the military was unable to implement it effectively.

“Because the army was not prepared to manage it. Therefore, all the arrangements contained in the Tal Law were never realized.”

When asked whether that meant the collapse of the arrangement was not the fault of the chareidim, and whether that marked the beginning of today’s draft crisis, Barak replied: “That’s where it began.”

The interview concluded with questions about President Bibi Netanyahu’s ongoing criminal trial and reports that the judges had suggested prosecutors reconsider the bribery charge.

Barak said he was unfamiliar with the matter.

“I don’t know. I’m not familiar with it. If they said that, they know what they are relying on.”

Asked whether the prosecution should heed the judges’ comments, Barak responded:

“The judges are not supposed to say that, and the prosecution should take it into consideration. Yes, it should take it into consideration.”