Rabbi Emmanuel Chaviv: Candidate for Rov
With the elections for a third Rov in Crown Heights many wondered who is Rabbi Emmanuel Chaviv, where is he from, and what are his credentials. The following is a brief profile of the least known candidate.
Rabbi Emmanuel Chaviv was born in Marseille, France to Holocaust survivors who guarded their Jewish faith with mesirus nefesh. At the age of seven, the Chaviv family moved to Israel, settling in Jerusalem. After completing his studies in Yeshivas Tomchei Temimim in Kiryat Gat, he travelled to 770 to continue learning in the Rebbe’s presence, absorbing the inspiration and vitality Chassidim need for success in their Shlichus.
Becoming a Rav
Influenced by elder Chabad Rabbanim in Jerusalem, such as Rabbi Elieazarov, of blessed memory, with whom he merited a very close relationship, Rabbi Chaviv decided to pursue dayanus and the rabbinate. Jerusalem’s Katamon neighborhood was the site of his first position, where he helped establish a Chabad shul and develop the community.
Ordination
Rabbi Chaviv successfully completed his dayanus studies, receiving ordination from Israel’s leading poskim and dayanim. He received practical training and hands-on experience working with: Rabbi Yitzhak Elimelech, head of the Tel Aviv Beis Din; Rabbi Moshe Lanel, head of the Rechovot Beis Din; and supervising gets at the Beer Sheva Beit Din.
Special Advisor in Israel’s Ministry of Justice
Numerous essays on Torah and modern-day Israel’s legal system made Rabbi Chaviv a highly sought figure among Israel’s judges, lawyers, and Supreme Court justices. He handled a steady stream of requests for written presentations of the halachic perspective to cases passing through courts throughout the country. The experience turned into an official position with the Ministry of Justice’s special division in charge of researching and presenting the halachic background to Israel’s legal code, and assisting with the construction of new laws.
Director of the Kollel for Dayanus and Chabad Shul Rav
While living in Beitar for the past seven years, Rabbi Chaviv established a kollel to support Chabad’s outstanding young men in their pursuit of rabbinic ordination and dayanus. His unique style and approach has helped his many students consistently post top scores in their examinations by the Israeli Rabbinate in Jerusalem’s Heichal Shlomo. Simultaneously, Rabbi Chaviv has served as the Rav of the Chabad shul in Beitar’s Tamar neighborhood. His warm approach and trustworthy leadership has earned him wide-acceptance amongst anash, which he has used to bridge differences, overcome division, and increase unity in the large and growing community.
Those who know Rabbi Chaviv describe him as a person of modesty and humility, and mention their marvel at the depth and breadth of his knowledge in all areas of Torah and his sensitivity to the nuances of life. In particular, many note his unique ability to patiently guide community members and students, and the tremendous respect shown to claimants who come to him for adjudication. His approach consistently produces halachic decisions that plaintif and defendant alike receive with understanding and acceptance. Rabbi Chaviv’s success has made him a popular address for communal disagreements and issues of shalom bayis, often occupying him until late into the night.
Serving on the Crown Heights Beis Din
Regarding the issues, challenges, and politics facing the Rebbe’s neighborhood, Rabbi Chaviv is free from any previous connection or relationship to the various sides. As a member of the Beis Din, his plans include working to improve access to its members, significantly increasing their hours of public availability, and, personally, spending the majority of his days on task, actively addressing the community’s many needs. Expect email communication to help insure that questions in English, French, and Hebrew get prompt replies.
she-ailo l-rav
Sounds very impressive – only one question that i snot answered in the article – Why would he want to leave his very important tasks in Israel to move to Crown Heights?
resident of the community
please correct me if i am wrong though no matter how qualified this person is num 1) i believe the rebbe was not happy with outside rabonim to be elected as we saw from the very first time the rebbe did not agree for them to be on the ballot .. does divrai tzadikim go out the window because the rebbe is not hear physically … 2) can we have a rav from outside the community who does not know the dynamics of this community?? … to me it seems like people are only interested in their personal needs and self … i have no doubts that we could find someone suitable from our own community amongst ourselves though unfortunately the community council is not up to paying for rabonim as we have seen till now with the ones that are in office now and should be paying … also to bring someone from another community who is known to been involved with machlokis he is going to be able to be a third rav and resolve issues … for rabonim with machlokis we have such here no need to import .. again problem is the ones from here know they will not get paid so why quit a paying job for a non paying job when they can do both work and be a rav to those who consult with them regardless of who is rav
This was an advertisment.
This is not an article or “profile” that was an advertisement…
MGS
to #2, “doesn’t know the dynamics of this community”. The truth is that dynamics of this community are such bad shape that they need to be demolished & reconsructed.
MGS
to #3, not only is it an advertisement, I think that it’s meant to divide the vote of the Schwei camp in order that the Osdoba camp’s candidate should get in
Isaac
Why does EVERYTHING have to be so dark and unclear and controversial in CH.
Even picking a Rov, which is supposed to assist and help the community has to have a controversy.
What is regular, simple Jew like me supposed do around here?
Eat only Chabad hechser to help save the community?
chabad
1. Do you have a selection from within the community to run as there was by the first elections for Rabbonim?
Obviously not. Would it be ideal? Yes, but it is not reality today, just look at the ballot.
2. Looking at the most recent elections for vaad hakohol, the community evidently wants (I hate the lingo) ‘change’, and if we have a qualified, yore shamayim, individual, we would have to be crazy to disqualify him.
3. Are our dynamics so special? I think we need not a scientist to quickly pick up on the dynamics of our community, it’s pretty pathetic and straight forward. What we need is someone who can look beyond it and work to overcome those dynamics, and perhaps create new positive dynamics. And, for all we genuises know, this Rabbi may have been involved in CH issues in some role in the past.
4. and for all deadbeats, this is a rare career opportunity for possibly a unique individual and if he is qualified and a solid candidate, he would have to be crazy not to attempt for the position.
I assume that those who question why the Rabbi would want to leave his current role, are still warming the same chair they have for several decades, spending quality hours every day complaining about everone else, with the ash tray still full from 20 years of ash buildup.
Let’s choose wisely!
HT
does he speak Yiddish or English?
meyer clapman
anyone know if r’ chaviv speak/understand any english? if answer is “NO” then PLEASE can we quit playing games with our community!
Chaviv Adam Shenivro Betzelem
the only people afraid of rabbi chaviv are hendel and co.
here comes a rabbi who have far greater qualifications than this patetic hendel-schwau-herzog etc.
time for crown heights to elect a real rabbi who comes to
Crown Heights with clean hands not from a machloikes town.
we had enough machloikes here lets start fresh.
RABBI CHAVIV IS THE BEST CHOICE
Mark
If he does no speak English Forget it. Half of us here in ch only speak English.
To elect him is disrespectful to me. I already broke my theeth with rabbi segal.
English, French, and Hebrew
He speake
English, French, and Hebrew
first read than comment please.
only maschchissim from hendel mendel hate rabbi CHAVIV
joe joe
why dont they have somone who is willing to fix and make peace.any new rav know he is making MORE problems by coming so why would they want to come.
a week of backdoor campaigning
more then 2 or 3 people told me he does NOT speak english at all
one person told me thats total misinformation but yes its a serious question
rabbi braun gave a shiur they should all publicly present themselves to the community
rosenberg should demand this especially for a lifetime appointment
its not fair that our community is being treated like a 18 yr old shidduch date
Change
If you want change he is prob the best. Not a Ba’al Machlokes, never made a break away shul (before he made a kinus achdus and say sholom).
If you want experiance (and that may be what you need in a Rov) than Bogomilsky is the only choice.
Wanda Ring
Is this a paid advertisement or do you plan on doing similar “information” articles on the other two candidates?
My knowledge of R- Chaviv
I would like to comment on R’ Chaviv’s character.
I personally know R’ Chaviv, from the time that he was here in CH as a bochur with the kvutzheh from Eretz Yisroel. Though I had just left 770 to return to my hometown to pursue other matters, I returned to CH for Simchas Torah to spend yom-tov with the Rebbe.
A friend of mine had relinquieshed his place in the dorm for me and as it turned out, I happened to be staying in the very same apartment as R’ Chaviv.
Eventually, our paths crossed. What can I say about him? He was a true gentleman! Very courteous, friendly and helpful, with much much humility. This just came through in the way that he spoke and conducted himself. It was obvious to him that I was not a regular dorm inhabitant, yet he made a sincere and true effort to accomodate me and to make me as comfortable as possible.
I am generally not one to be that easily impressed, but I really was touched by R’ Chaviv’s fine personnage and his genuine gemilus chassodim.
Respectfully, I humbly submit that a Rov must certainly be knowledgable and know Halocho, but he must also have a good ‘bedside manner’. He must be able to relate to people in a pleasant and acceptable way. I have no doubt that R’ Chaviv will be able to fulfill this role to the best of his ability.
Butzin butzin, ko mekatfeh yedioh!
Just to dispel any naysayers: I care strongly about CH, though I live out-of-town and will not be voting in any elections. In this wasy, I just wish to stress that I am not noygayah bedovor in any way whatsoever when I present this description of R’ Chaviv.
A gut gebentchte yohr to all.
Rabbi Mattis Kantor, Eastern Parkway, NY
#4 Brilliant comment.
Treating the community like 18 year olds going into a shidduch is an excellent description of what has happened by the insertion (in stealth?) of two unknown (under 40) candidates FOR A LIFETIME POSITION.
The following questions about Rabbi Chaviv need clarification:
(1) Parents are Holocaust survivors? But isn’t Chsviv a Sephardic name? So from what country? A little family context would be useful here. (Is he married? His father in law is…?)
(2) It is unfortunate, but the community MUST KNOW whether his hashkafa would have him endorse the Tzfass version of Chabad today. Would he be neutral? (Read: spineless.) Would he be resourcefully against it (using as much darkei no’am as is possible) in marginalizing them from center stage?
It is offensive that this important and critical position is being touted for 2 underage candidates as “career advancement.” Succinctly said: “Feh.” But forget about my self-proclaimed chassidisheh sensitivities. It is the opposite of Shulchan Aruch (ChoshMishp 8:1(end)) – which states that a dayan who does so for personal gain, it is ASSUR to respect him.
Furthermore, once we take out the Sulchan Aruch, the whole psak-din about the CHT’s Beis Din composition leaves a major question. It is clearly stated that 2 tamlmidiei chachamim who hate each other are forbidden to sit on the same court. (ChoshMishp 7:8) and the Bach goes as far as to pasken that anything they decide is not valid. How could the psak-din then maintain both previous dayanim? Shouldn’t there be elections for 3 positions, as currently there is no Kosher Beis Din. (Letzonim and chutzpenyakess will no doubt say: Perhaps the 5 dayanim decided that the current rabbonim are not in the category of talmidei chachamim, so it’s OK.)
The Shulchan Aruch casts another shadow on this whole process playing out (yes playing) before us. “It was/is the way of chachamim to decline sitting on a bais din, unless it was clear that without them there would be someone who could cause halacha damage. Even then, the halacha says, they would decline until they community implored them to accept. (ChoshMishp 8:3).So now underage candidates flying in to find good fortune is going to raise the quality of the Crown Heights beis din?
The real challenge to toshavey hashechuna comes in the following statement in Shulchan Aruch Choshen Mishpat (8:1): Anyone who appoints an unqualified dayan is transgressing a mitzva Lo Sa’asseh. So the community needs to know more before voting.
There is yet another halacha (ChoshMishp 7:10) that a qualified dayan who knows of another that he is a rasha, then he should not join him in a din torah. Surely two enemies with sinah in the heart are not yet beynonim. (There is a very obscure ”release” from this halacha, with a historical precedent, and I would be delighted to hear that someone else found or sees it also.)
In conclusion: It was Reb Shmuel Ber Borisover (so I think, perhaps quoting the Tzemach Tzedek) who once said: Chassidim needed rabbonim. So they were mafkir a few chassidim to for it. Reb Hillel, Reb Aisik….
IMHO, the election needs to be postponed (until Kislev?) for the issues to become clear. Besides, there are many under 40 candidates who didn’t bother nominating – they need a fair chance also.
Knowledgeable
Rabbi Chaviv speaks english.
out of towner - with a spine
Excellent comment by R’ Kantor. However as a former toshav hashechuna, who moved out because of the Meshechistim, I am very saddened by R’ Kantor’s statement:
“(2) It is unfortunate, but the community MUST KNOW whether his hashkafa would have him endorse the Tzfass version of Chabad today. Would he be neutral? (Read: spineless.)…”
Unfortunately it seems that R’ Kantor is fully prepared to accept a non-Tzfass version of Chabad Meshichistim – despite the fact that any form of Meshichist belief (in the return of the Rebbe zt“l as Moshiach) is a perversion of the entire Torah.
In other words, read: ”spineless”!
Chabad-Lubavitch is finished. The Rebbe is dead and his Chassidim are TOTALLY OFF THE DERECH of Torah-true Judaism.
RE 20
Number 20: You have no shame to end of the way you did… If you feel the way you do and had to state what you stated, the least you could have done is write it in a respectful way. I am disgusted. Shame on you.
naive
Schwei camp was disctributing campaign material for R’ Braun this morning in 770, so let’s not be such morons and assume that the current rabbonim are not endorsing a candidate.
Rabbi Mattis Kantor, Eastern Parkway NY
To #20
Your name does not accompany your comments. Why? Spineless for the “truth”?
Please contact me (harimak@gmail.com) so that you can be shown how there is a present and a future for the derech of avoidas Hashem that the Alter Rebbe inaugurated.
Lubavitch as a corporation (figuratively) is alive and flourishing. So is the Lubavitch of the Tzfass “cargo-cult”.
The latter is the most devastating to advancing Lubavitch/Chabad as a derech in avoidas Hashem, even though the various levels of “meshichism” do a subtler disservice. (How are intelligent kids supposed to take such ultra-narrow theology as the historical culmination of the broadest theology Yiddishket has ever seen? Many don’t, so they go “get a a life” outside.)
There is near unanimity amongst thousand against the Tzfaas inspired shenanigans. Surely a new Rov endorsing them would only throw a monkey-wrench into the whole possibility of change.
P.S. Verbal thugs take note: I have posted my email address. Go get it. Throw me some vulgar chutzpah and nerd-oriented besmirchings. You know I deserve it – so serve it.
out of towner
Dear Rabbi Kantor,
I wrote the “out of towner – with a spine” comment (#20 above). I didn’t really think my comment would be posted (since many times my comments are not posted), and as soon as I sent it I knew that if posted I’d get hit for not signing my real name – however I’m reluctant to do so publicly because in the past I’ve been a victim of Meshichist-terrorism, and I’ve no desire at the present time to stir up the hornets’ nest to attack me again.
You are to be commended for your openness and courage for signing your own name, but the fact remains that you are accepting and legitimizing the non-Tzfass versions of Meshichistim, so at least those factions will not attempt to stone you to death, Hashem yishmor. Since I do not share your tolerance for these aberrations, I am even more of a target than you are. I stand by my convictions however and will never waver to compromise with these impostors who are megaleh ponim baTorah shelo kehalacha, leading to widespread chilul Hashem and other aveiros, as you seemingly at least partially acknowledge (in comment 23). Have you overlooked what the Torah demands? Mi’devar sheker tirchak. Hebodlu mitoch hoeidoh hazoas vgomer…
As for your invitation for me to contact you personally, I will b’li neder do that. Meanwhile, in your reply you wrote: “the various levels of “meshichism” do a subtler disservice.” Indeed it is “subtler,” however, as you know, in some ways this subtlety is a lot worse, and it does very real damage, not merely a “disservice.”
It seems that by not combating this scourge, and more, by your willingness to accept it, you are being “Spineless for the “truth”” (pardon the expression, but you used it first). How can you recognize as a “Rov” someone, however mild mannered he may be, who espouses a theology that is contrary to all of Judaism and continues to cause Lubavitch to be the laughing stock of the entire Torah world?
If that is what you mean by “the derech of avoidas Hashem that the Alter Rebbe inaugurated” then please count me out. The Alter Rebbe and all the heilika Chabad Rebbeim would be appalled.
—–
To poster #21: The shame is on all Lubavitch – which is why I want nothing to do with Lubavitch today. But I wish you all the best. Do Teshuva! Recognize that Hashem runs the world and that when a Tzadik (or anyone for that matter) dies it is incumbent on us to bless Boruch HaDayan HoEmes – not to enter into a state of denial and then make up an irrational ideology with phony ritualistic practices. A’to meivin? Please use your G-d given chochma, binah and daas.
We need a rav that believes in Torah.
To # 20
Is the Gemorrah that says Yaakov lo mes against basic judaism. Should that Gemarrah be burned too c’vs.
All burned up.
To #25
No. Don’t burn the gemarrah.
They didn’t create a new theology based on it. Until now.
Please, how can you compare?
And please, answer this brain-twister: No one knows where Moshe Rabbenu is buried. How did they know he died? Why did they not wait for his return since they “messed up” so badly the first time?
Katamon
“Jerusalem’s Katamon neighborhood was the site of his first position, where he helped establish a Chabad shul and develop the community.”
The Chabad community in Katamon is barely existent. To give you a sense of the politics, there are two Chabad synagogues on the same street, and they are in conflict with each other. No, one is not Messianic and the other non-Messianic. Rather, they are both Messianic, but one is more extreme. I’d be curious to know how exactly Rabbi Chaviv developed the community.