Haredi Community: Rabbi Lando on Faith Over Politics

Rabbi Dov Lando, head of the Slabodka Yeshiva in Bnei Brak, addressed thousands of residents and Torah students at a special gathering in Tiberias, delivering pointed remarks about the current state of Israel's ultra-Orthodox community. The event took place in a city that has experienced significant growth in its religious population in recent years, absorbing hundreds of yeshiva students and Torah scholars from various haredi communities.

In his address, Rabbi Lando painted a stark picture of the challenges facing the Torah-studying community. "We all know that the world of Torah is in a very difficult situation, and the persecution by the authorities grows heavier day by day on the world of Torah, and each and every Torah student feels the burden of the decrees," he stated, his words reflecting the palpable sense of distress felt by many in the haredi community amid ongoing pressures from government authorities.

The senior rabbi then delivered a message aimed at severing any perceived dependence on political figures. "We are not dependent on this person or that person, or on this or that prime minister, but only on the Creator of the world, and we all hope and pray that He will have mercy on His people and especially on the world of Torah," Rabbi Lando declared. His statement served as a sharp reminder to his audience about where the haredi community's true strength lies, deliberately sidestepping the ongoing political turmoil.

The remarks came at an especially turbulent time for Israel's ultra-Orthodox parties. Recent reports have suggested that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is planning to distance himself from the haredi parties ahead of upcoming elections. According to these reports, Netanyahu intends to "deepen the separation from the haredim and try to distance himself from them publicly" during the election campaign.

Adding to the political tension, a recent controversy erupted after Netanyahu responded sharply to statements attributed to Rabbi Lando on a separate matter. That exchange prompted a warning from Degel HaTorah, one of the main haredi political parties: "Beware of the embers of the Torah sages."

As the Jewish High Holidays approach, Rabbi Lando concluded the gathering with an emotional call for spiritual strengthening through Torah study and good deeds. The yeshiva head emphasized that these represent the only true protection against the decrees threatening the existence of the Torah world in Israel. Delivered at this sensitive moment, his words resonated with thousands of haredi families navigating a period of political and economic uncertainty.