Israel Matzav

The Mossad's rabbi

Greetings from the Holy City of Jerusalem.

The Mossad has hired a rabbi to deal with issues raised by its religious recruits who have increased in number over the past few years.

So many religious recruits have joined the Mossad in recent years that the organization has hired an official rabbi to advise agents and employees on a wide range of issues, a report said Monday.

Among the questions the rabbi deals with are those relating to religious practices, keeping kosher, Sabbath observance, and other matters that may require compromise or adjustment regarding Jewish Law on the part of an agent during a mission.

Speaking to Ma'ariv, a Mossad source said that “there are many religious people in the Mossad, and that number has grown quite a bit in recent years. In the past, the IDF Chief Rabbi would advise agents, but with the larger number of employees here the Mossad realized that it needs its own rabbi.”

Besides rulings on personal obligations of Jewish law, the rabbi discusses tactics and methods of operation with agents, in order to reassure them that they are operating as closely to the ritual and ethical mandates of Jewish law as possible. “There are many questions beyond the ritual ones that crop up,” the official said.

The rabbi's identity is - you guessed it - top secret. 

Labels: Mossad, rabbis

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 10:00 PM