The Chief Rabbinate of Israel on Monday called on the public to pray for rain, in the first joint ruling issued since Rav Kalman Ber and Rav Dovid Yosef were voted in as the country’s Ashkenazi and Sephardi chief rabbis, respectively.
“We are in the midst of the month of Kislev and have not yet received the rains of blessing,” the rabbis wrote. “The people in the fields and crops of the land are desperate for water and, unfortunately, there is none.”
“We call on the public in every location to pray and beg Him who blesses the years to have mercy on His people and His land and answer us and rain down upon us dew and rain for blessing,” added Rav Ber and Rav Yosef.
Rav Ber and Rav Yosef also called upon all Jewish communities to continue the recitation of chapters of Tehillim and Acheinu.
Rav Ber was elected as chief rabbi on Oct. 31, in a run-off vote against rav Micha Halevi.
Rav Yosef was elected on Sept. 29 to succeed his older brother Rav Yitzchok as the Sephardic chief rabbi.JNS
{Matzav.com Israel}