In an unusual development within Lelov, the Lelover Rebbe, who personally refrains from voting in national Knesset elections, has departed from his longstanding practice of avoiding involvement in electoral politics and issued an explicit directive to his chassidim who do participate in elections to vote exclusively for Yahadut HaTorah.

The announcement, described by members of the chassidus as a historic departure from generations of established practice, was delivered publicly on Friday night in the Lelover Bais Medrash, shortly before the recitation of Kegavna during Kabbolas Shabbos.

At the Rebbe’s express instruction, his meshamesh bakodesh, Reb Noach Goldberg, stood before the assembled chassidim and conveyed the Rebbe’s position regarding Tuesday’s upcoming Knesset elections.

According to the announcement, the Rebbe emphasized that the community must remain faithful to the path handed down through the generations and that those who participate in elections are obligated to cast their ballots exclusively for Yahadut HaTorah.

The message further warned against supporting other political parties that do not enjoy the approval of the Torah leadership.

The directive is particularly noteworthy because the Lelover Rebbe himself does not participate in Knesset elections. Although he votes in municipal elections, he has consistently refrained from casting a ballot in national elections and, until now, has avoided publicly instructing his chassidim how to vote.

A Lelover chossid told Kikar HaShabbat that the announcement represents a significant milestone in the history of the chassidus.

For years, the Rebbe maintained a position of complete noninvolvement in Knesset election campaigns, a practice that some within the community attribute to both family considerations and a desire to preserve the traditions of his predecessors.

Among the factors cited is the Rebbe’s family connection to Satmar, including brothers-in-law and other relatives who belong to that chassidus, which maintains a longstanding ideological opposition to participation in Israeli national elections.

Another consideration has been the established practice of the Lelover Rebbe’s father, the previous Rebbe zt”l, who did not publicly express a position on Knesset elections.

The family’s history of public involvement in national elections is extremely limited.

According to the report, the Rebbe’s grandfather, the Lelover Rebbe known as the Birkas Moshe zt”l, signed an election-related kol korei on just one occasion, together with the Belzer Rebbe, Rav Aharon Rokeach zt”l.

That isolated precedent highlights the significance of the current Rebbe’s decision to issue an explicit public instruction concerning the upcoming election.

The announcement was also unusual in its timing and setting.

Rather than communicating his position privately to individual chassidim, the Rebbe directed that it be announced publicly in the main bais medrash on Friday night, before Kegavna, ensuring that the message would be heard by the assembled community.

The Rebbe’s directive was carefully worded to distinguish between his own longstanding practice of abstaining from Knesset elections and the obligations of chassidim who do participate.

He did not announce that he would personally begin voting, nor did he issue a blanket instruction requiring every member of the chassidus to cast a ballot.

Instead, the message specifically addressed those who vote, directing them to support Yahadut HaTorah and not to deviate toward other political lists.

{Matzav.com}