Watch Hagaon R' Benzion Mutzafi: "Fate of Sephardi Jewry is at stake"

Hagaon Hagadol Rabbi Ben Zion Mutzafi made an exception not to interfere in elections, and this time decided to voice his opinion out loud for the Shas party. In a special video speech aired at the great conference of Shas at Yad Eliyahu Stadium, Hagaon R' Benzion Mutzafi said:

"We, in our generation, were privileged to have the wonderful light of our great sage Rabbi Ovadia Yosef zt"l, when for centuries there was no such leader of his caliber among the people of Israel. Huge in Torah, in wisdom and understanding and above all he knew to go down to the people and take care of all the people as a whole.

"I'm the man who can testify what was fifty and sixty years ago: few in Eretz Yisrael were fortunate to have Torah in their home - Maran came along and revolutionized! He changed everything, he bequeathed the Torah to all people.

"I'll tell you gentlemen: it pains me greatly, throughout my life I did not deal in any matter relating to elections. I abstained and removed myself completely from anything that has the smell and related to elections. But today there is an importance of "lo ta'amod al dam re'echa", the stakes are very big things! The future of Sephardic Jewry is in danger, whether in the future there will be development and growth or G-d forbid, the opposite.

"Hashem had mercy on us and placed our heads the genius rabbis, Rabbi Shalom Cohen and Rabbi Ba'adani shlita. I know them for decades, how they are devoted to teaching Torah . How can we stand by and let them fight alone?

"How can we stand by and see how everything built here for so many years and with so much toil, is being destroyed?! We are committed to saving this entire vast Torah project - the yeshivos, Kollelim, seminaries, Torah institutions and crediting the public, Talmudei Torah and all matters of increasing power Torah among the people of Israel. Everything now lies on the line and is in danger. We can not allow that!

"Hashem has given us good activists – R' Aryeh and his friends. He is faithful in Maran's home, he is faithful in the home of Gedolei Yisrael. He is doing for the people of Israel, he makes souls in Am Yisrael.
"Be strong and courageous my brothers and friends, I ask of you my brothers and friends, that G-d forbid there should not be any connection with people who are not always loyal to Torah, people who do not always go in the way passed down to us for generations, from Mount Sinai and to this day in a row. People who are looking for and find all kinds of new slogans of vanity and emptiness compared with our Holy Torah which has been passed down to us for generations.

"The Torah - it, and only it, is our life and longevity of our days. Each and every one will be strengthened and will strengthen along with him more and more people around the Gedolei Yisrael and the Council of Torah Sages. They lead us now, they are the leaders of the Sephardim who are accepted for generations, according to tradition. We must rally around the holy movement founded by Maran Harav Ovadia Yosef zt"l. And because of that we will merit good until the coming of the Redeemer."

'בחדרי' גם ברשתות החברתיות - הצטרפו!