Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu, chief rabbi of the northern Israeli city of Tzfat, has expressed strong reservations about a controversial spiritual figure known as "HaYinuka" (literally "the infant" in Aramaic), whose growing following has sparked debate in religious circles. Speaking on Avi Shoshan's podcast, Rabbi Eliyahu was asked whether he sees the Yanuka as a figure comparable to the great righteous leaders he has known throughout his life.
"He doesn't resemble your grandfather," Rabbi Eliyahu responded, referring to Baba Chaki, Shoshan's grandfather who was a revered spiritual leader. When pressed to elaborate on what the Yanuka does resemble, Rabbi Eliyahu was blunt: "I don't know. If he doesn't resemble your grandfather... in my eyes, he's not a figure."
Shoshan then raised the phenomenon of crowds flocking to the Yanuka, with some followers declaring him to be "G-d's messiah." Rabbi Eliyahu said he prefers not to speak about other individuals, but added: "When people ask me, I say: he doesn't resemble your grandfather, doesn't resemble my father, doesn't resemble Rabbi Tzadka, doesn't resemble any of the truly miraculous righteous people I've known."
When Shoshan asked whether the conclusion is that people should distance themselves from the phenomenon, Rabbi Eliyahu's answer was unequivocal: "Distance yourself from him." Shoshan repeated the question for clarity: "To distance?" Rabbi Eliyahu confirmed: "Yes."
"We Don't Connect to His Path"
These comments build on earlier statements Rabbi Eliyahu made several months ago during a radio program. A listener had called in explaining that he and his wife felt deeply connected to the Yanuka and his melodies, but wanted his opinion after reading various reports about the figure.
"It's a somewhat sensitive question. We don't connect to his path, it's not the path of our forefathers," Rabbi Eliyahu responded at the time. He contrasted the conduct surrounding the Yanuka with what he witnessed from his own father, the late Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu, who served as Israel's Sephardic chief rabbi. "The entire way he operates, his environment, is very far from what we saw with Rabbi Eliyahu. Rabbi Eliyahu would hide the miracles he performed, would run away from money."
However, when asked whether there's a problem listening to the Yanuka's melodies, he clarified: "No, no, G-d forbid, I'm not disqualifying. I'm only saying we don't connect to such places. There's no problem with the melodies."
