Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah


A Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah is the supreme rabbinical policy-making council of the Agudat Yisrael and Degel HaTorah movements. Rabbis sitting on the various Moetzos are usually either one of the more prestigious Roshei Yeshiva or Hasidic rebbes who are also usually regarded by many Haredi Jews to be the Gedolim sages of Torah Judaism. Before the Holocaust, it was the supreme authority for the World Agudath Israel in Europe.

Name

The component words of the name are transliterated in a variety of ways. This is frequently done as Moetzet, and less frequently as Gedolai and ha-Torah or ha Torah. The phrase is regularly shortened to Moetzes or The Moetzah.

History

In Europe

Prior to World War II, only one such body existed, the World Agudath Israel. The Council of Torah Sages was established following the establishment of Agudath Israel in Katowice in 1912. It was decided at the time that two councils would be set up for the movement: a council of homeowners, and a council of rabbis, composed of leading rabbis from around the world.

In the United States

The Moetzes of Agudath Israel of America serve as religious decisors, leadership, and political and policy liaisons with state and federal government agencies on behalf of many American Haredi Jews. The council, consisting primarily of rosh yeshivas and Hasidic rebbes, directs Agudath's policies and leadership. Formerly known as the Moetzet Chachmei HaTorah, the body was founded in 1948. It sets all major policies, and guides the organization according to its precepts of Da'as Torah.

In Israel

The Moetzet of Agudat Yisrael likewise constituted the Israeli Ashkenazic Haredi community's religious policy leadership, and exercises strong control over political matters for strongly observant Israelis, such as joining government coalitions.
Prior to Degel HaTorah's late 1980s break from Agudat Israel, there was only one Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah in Israel. With the breakaway, two separate, at times complementary, councils were created.
The Haredi Sephardi Jews of Israel had also at one time followed the leadership of the Moetzet of Agudat Yisrael when it was still a body that generally spoke for most of Israel's Haredim. Eventually, however, the Haredi Sephardim broke with their Ashkenazi counterparts, and established the Moetzet Chachmei HaTorah, which in turn became the source for the formulation and expression of the policies and agenda of the Shas political party in the Israeli Knesset. Rabbi Ovadiah Yosef became the main leadership figure of this council.

Members of the Council

Pre-World War II

In Katowice were appointed to the council Rabbi Avraham Mordechai Alter Rebbe of Ger, Rabbi Sholom Dovber Schneerson Rebbe of Chabad, Rabbi Chaim Soloveitchik, Rabbi Yitzchak Isaac Halevy, Rabbi Meir Simcha of Dvinsk, Rabbi Chaim Ozer Grodzinski, Rabbi Itzela of Ponevezh, Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Breuer, Rabbi Ze'ev Feilchenfeld of Posen, Rabbi David Zvi Hoffmann, Rabbi Kopel Reich of Budapest.
At the great congress in Vienna in 1923, the Council included: the Chofetz Chaim, the Gerrer Rebbe, Rabbi Yisroel Friedman the Chortkov Rebbe, Rabbi Chaim Ozer Grodzinski, Rabbi Meir Arik, Rabbi Yitzchak Zelig Morgenstern the Admor of Sokolov,Rabbi Mordechai Yosef Elazar Leiner the Admor of Radzin, Rabbi Meir Dan Plotzky, Rabbi Moshe Mordechai Epstein, Rabbi Meir Shapira of Lublin, Rabbi Avraham Mendel Steinberg of Brod, Rabbi Kalman Weber of Piestany, and Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Breuer.
In 1937, the members of the Council were: Rabbi Avraham Mordechai Alter, Rabbi Yitzchak Menachem Mendel Danziger of Aleksander, Rabbi Dovid Bornsztain of Sochatchov, Rabbi Avraham Yaakov Friedman of Sadigura, Rabbi Mordechai Shalom Yosef Friedman of Przemysl, Rabbi Elchonon Wasserman, Rabbi Aharon Levin, Rabbi Aharon Kotler, Rabbi Ben Zion Yoezer, Rabbi Dov Ber Av Beit Din of Ozarkov, Rabbi Moshe Blum Av Beit Din of Zamosc, Rabbi Zalman Sorotzkin, Rabbi Yehuda Leib Tsirelson, Rabbi Yosef Tzvi Dushinsky, Rabbi Menachem Ziemba, Rabbi Mordechai Rotenberg, Rabbi of Antwerp, Rabbi Akiva Sofer, and Rabbi Shmuel Dovid Ungar. The council's president was Rabbi Chaim Ozer Grodzinski.

Post-World War II

Past members

Past members