In what could be a game-changing move for Israel's largest Sephardic religious party, Shas's Council of Torah Sages is meeting today to possibly welcome Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef into its leadership ranks.
The dramatic session, which has party insiders buzzing, might see Rabbi Yosef step into shoes once filled by his legendary father, Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, who built both Shas and its rabbinic council from the ground up.
Plans are still fluid - the meeting venue has already shifted from the Chief Rabbi's Jerusalem home to party headquarters - but the stakes are clear: a potential three-way leadership split between Rabbi Yosef, veteran sage Rabbi Moshe Maya, and Rabbi Avraham Salim of Maor HaTorah Yeshiva. Party chief Aryeh Deri will be watching closely.
"Let's be clear - this is a rabbinical decision, not a political play," one Council member insisted, though the move's political implications are hard to ignore. Sources hint that even if today doesn't bring a final decision, Rabbi Yosef might join as a regular member while the big questions get ironed out.
The shuffle comes as Shas navigates changing waters, with Rabbi David Yosef recently stepping down from the Council after becoming Chief Rabbi.
Kikar Shabbat contributed to this article.