Eida Hareidit has issued a statement declaring the Supreme Court unfit to judge an ongoing case involving courts batei din. Courts of civil law have no authority to intervene in matters of Torah law, argued the statement, which was issued by Eida Hareidit and 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 cherem. A resident from Elad appealed to the Supreme Court after a beit din in her hometown issued a siruv against her after she refused to bring a dispute to it, since she preferred a local civil court.

The Supreme Court accused the beit din of having overstepped its bounds. Eida Hareidit urged daynim on batei din 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. Jews must avoid courts that do not judge by Jewish law, it argued.

By Maayana Miskin/jewishpress.com