Amsterdam's Rabbi excited • "coronation was impressive"

Netherlands celebrated yesterday (Tuesday) the ceremony of coronation of the new king of the Netherlands, Willem Alexander, 46, who fills the place of his mother Queen Beatrix.

The Queen has decided to retire from the throne after reaching the age of seventy-five. This is a historical event, as in the last hundred and fifty years only women served in this capacity. The queen's initiative to transfer the throne to her son, was received in complete surprise and satisfaction.

The coronation event was attended by all the members of the royal family, heads of government, including cabinet members, members of the lower house of parliament and the upper house and their spouses, princes of royal families in Europe, and hundreds of important people. Among them, was Rabbi Aryeh Ralbag who serves as rabbi of Amsterdam and Hagaon Rabbi Benjamin Jacobs the rabbi of districts and villages in the Netherlands.

Rabbi Ralbag, born in the Netherlands, heads the Beis Din of the Ashkenazi community, and actually lives in Flatbush, USA, where he heads the community and serves as head of the Rabbinic Association. He arrives in Amsterdam once every two months, to manage the community's affairs.

Among other things, Rabbi Ralbag is concerned that the younger generation does not remain in the country, but immigrates to Israel, Europe and the USA. In a special conversation with Behadrey Haredim, he says the relationship of the royal house with the Jewish communities, and utilizing the important national status for deepening the relationship with members of Parliament in general, and obtaining their support on slaughter, which has been clouding Dutch Jewry for a long time. "The very fact I was invited to this event is an achievement for the Jewish community," he says over and over again.

Fighting for shchita

"The Jewish community in the Netherlands has been for approximately 375 years," Rabbi Ralbag opens and says, "Since the Geonim, Rabbi Tzvi Ashkenazi, the 'Chacham Zvi', Rabbi Shaul of Amsterdam the Binyan Ariel and Rabbi Elazar Rokeach the Ma'asei Rokeach zt"l outlined its basic lines, all regulations and procedures remain in place over the years. Though not at all times there was an Av Beis Din of the community, but I had the merit and I am the 22nd presiding Av Beis Din of the Ashkenazi community. Throughout the years, Holland became a shelter for masses of Jewish refugees, in particular during the infamous Khmelnytsky decrees.

"It is Holland's privilege to say that although the entire Dutch Jewish community in today only around 15 thousand Jews and most of them are secular, it remains known as the Orthodox community, because even the secular respect very religion. Therefore, they give us a boost and all the tools to act, even if they themselves are not among Shomrei Torah umitzvos. The vast majority are careful about eating kosher meat, while maintaining at least some tradition. "

Rabbi Ralbag says that before the coronation ceremony began, he stayed with members of both houses of parliament, in the royal palace." Four hours I was there before we entered the coronation, and I took the time to raise support for my position on shchita and other Jewish issues." He mentions that a year ago, the lower house of parliament banned Jewish slaughter, by a law initiated by the 'Animal Party' which is concerned with the rights of animals. According to him, this party is tainted by anti-Semitism and aims to hassle the Jews in the country.

"The upper house of the Netherlands abolished the law, however, they posed a number of barriers that make it difficult for us to continue the existence of shchita. According to our view, backed by the opinion of Jewish veterinarians. forty seconds from the slaughter are enough to determine if the animal was already dead, but non-Jewish veterinarians set other parameters to define death and in any case they add up to no less than two minutes after slaughter, to prove all the signs of death. They have different requirements like sticking a needle in the nose of the animal after slaughter to ensure no movement. Sometimes, just after the draw is repeated, one may find such movement. They are stringent in all these things we are lenient with in accord with halacha. They also require that post-slaughter we will shoot the animal's head to confirm the killing, but we oppose, and we will not agree to deviate from the halacha. Therefore, it was important for us to take advantage of the long waiting time in the palace, to raise MPs who will lead to changes in the new law."

• What do you care if you wait two minutes?

"The issue of fresh meat heads is on our agenda. The Jewish public is interested in eating kosher meat and we need to provide its needs. Owners of slaughterhouses informed us that compliance with the requirements of vets, complicates the issue of shchita they demand an addition of 6,000 Euros per day pf slaughter beyond the fixed payment. Raising the meat price may detract significantly from the consumers of kosher meat. If, God forbid, we will have to eliminate the local slaughter and begin importing beef from Europe, will be worse, because the public had adapted to consume fresh meat and not frozen.

"I explained to parliament members, as well as to the Catholic cardinal and others who were next to us, the financial aspects alongside matters of principle, and I found a sympathetic ear. I am hoping that this will be reflected already soon, when we met with the Minister of Agriculture and his deputy, and the various levels of government, who are also interested in an acceptable arrangement. The support of important people with whom we met in the Coronation will help us, be'ezrat Hashem . "

Warm relationships

• How was the coronation? Did you make the blessing "shechalak mikvodo lebasar vedam'?

"It was an impressive ceremony, exciting and unusual. The rules of the event did not allow me to say the blessing. Usually we make this blessing when the Queen comes to visit the community. In 5684, the Queen's grandmother came to visit. The next visit was about three years ago when her granddaughter – the retiring Queen - came to visit and left a deep impression in the community. I thanked her for everything that Holland has done for the Jews, and we asked the audience to stand up and blessed the Queen, with every one answering 'Amen'. She was very moved. By the way, when planning the visit, we announced in advance, that we can not shake hands with the Queen, since it was against halacha, although this contradicts the protocol. The queen thought and accepteded, but decided not to shake the hands of any person of the thousands of people who were present, so as not to create a double standard. "

Harav Ralbag is planning to convene the Beis Din today and to formulate a special prayer for the safety of the new king, to be distributed in synagogues in the Netherlands, and will be said on Shabbos and holidays. The prayer contains a call to the almighty King, to take care of Jewish rights and religious freedom in his country - which was always the kingdom of grace, along a greeting and blessing, that his kingdom will succeed, "as was the case in all the Diaspora of Israel throughout the years."

Harav Ralbag tells a story that took place according to legend with Queen Wilhelmina, the grandmother of the retiring Queen Beatrix: "Queen Wilhelmina was childless, and despite going to doctors she did not find a solution. When she visited the city in 5673 (1913) in the Marinbad baths, she met the Darkei Tshuva of Munkatsh zt"l. She asked him to bless her with a child. The Darkei Tshuva agreed to bless her on condition that she will benefit her Jewish subject and will maintain their rights. 'If you do so, then besides the children born to you, you win have the merit that your kingdom will remain until the coming of Mashiach".

The queen, believed and accepted. A year later, she gave birth to her daughter, Queen Juliana, mother of Queen Beatrix. After the Holocaust, the Dutch government allowed the Dutch Jewish refugees only to return to its territory. When it reached the ears of Queen Wilhelmina, who was still alive, she intervened on behalf of the Jews and ordered to change the immigration law. Thanks to her, many refugees managed to enter Holland from other countries.

"Hagaon Rabbi Yaakov Katz zt"l, author of Leket Hakemach Hachadash, was one of those absorbed in the Netherlands, thanks to the kindness of the queen.

"Indeed, we see that the dialogue and the warm and close ties with the Jewish community, last and serve as a model, to this day," concluded Rabbi Ralbag.

'בחדרי' גם ברשתות החברתיות - הצטרפו!