There's a lesson to be learned from the rabbinate election

Rabbi Levi Brackman wrote on YnetNews about why it was foolish to think rabbi David Stav had a chance, and makes an important note from Jewish history:

Ultimately, the Jewish people are charged by God through our prophets to be a light unto the nation. The prophets begged us over and over to retain our moral integrity. In the Book of Samuel, when the sons of Eli the High Priest became corrupt they were subject to death by the hand of God. Judaism sees corruption within the ranks of religious leaders as reprehensible and entirely intolerable.

Corrupt religious leaders are beyond redemption in our tradition because the desecration of God’s name they cause is irreparable. There is a lot of work that needs to be done to ensure that the status quo changes and that systemic corruption is rooted out of what should be the hallowed institution of the rabbinate.

He's right. As he says, Stav's candidacy may signal that cohesion and integrity can be restored.

Update: Gary Rosenblatt says that the election could backfire on hardliners in the long run.