Rav Yitzchok Yosef Jokes: Rabbi Shlomo Goren Put Abba Eban To Sleep

Sephardic Chief Rabbi Rav Yitzchok Yosef joked in his weekly shiur on Motzoei Shabbos that former Chief Rabbi Shlomo Goren put then-Foreign Minister Abba Eban to sleep during his inauguration nearly 50 years ago, Arutz Sheva reports.

“In Cheshvan 5732 (1972), the Rav (Rav Ovadia Yosef) was crowned Chief Rabbi of Israel and the coronation was made at the President’s Residence.” Rav Yosef said. “Also there were President Zalman Shazar and all the heads of state were all named. That was the coronation of the two chief rabbis. Then there was the issue of the brother and sister, the Langer siblings, which was a problem of mamzerim (children born from a union forbidden according to halacha who cannot marry anyone but other mamzerim). Rabbi Goren then wrote [that they were not mamzerim]. The head of the Great Rabbinical Court, the entire rabbinical court, ruled that they were forbidden [to marry] and he ruled that they were permitted. There was an argument. The heads of government came at the time and began to chide [Rav Ovadia Yosef]. ‘You should learn from your colleague, from Rabbi Goren. You also have the power to permit.’ They chided him. Moshe Dayan said something I remember to this day: ‘I don’t care how you permit, I just want the bottom line that they are permitted.’ Just like that.”

“They talked, they talked. The rov sat and was silent,” he said. “After they finished the chief rabbis had to respond. They called up [Rav Ovadia]. As he spoke he told them a joke. Abba Eban, who was Foreign Minister, sat next to Golda Meir. He had fallen asleep. Rabbi Goren put him to sleep. So Golda Meir went and woke him up. ‘Get up, get up, it’s interesting.’ So he woke up, and the rov began to explain to them.”

{Matzav.com Israel}