Two members of the Chabad community in Lod fell short in this week’s Likud primaries, with MK Shabtai Katash losing the district slot he contested and attorney Dror Legali finishing third in the youth race.

Katash, a Lubavitcher chossid and chairman of the Lod religious council, had entered the Knesset only last week. He received 5,213 votes in his district race, while Erez Tadmor won the slot with 11,086 votes.

Legali, a Lubavitcher attorney from Lod, received 2,005 votes in the youth race and finished third.

The 34-year-old attorney was born without both legs above the knee and with only two fingers on each hand. Adopted shortly after birth, he went on to become an attorney and mediator and has worked as a political and parliamentary adviser.

Katash’s brief tenure in the Knesset also renewed an old discussion among Lubavitchers regarding the Rebbe’s position on political participation.

The Rebbe consistently encouraged Chassidim to take part in elections and to vote for the party most faithful to Torah and mitzvos. At the same time, the Rebbe repeatedly drew a sharp distinction between voting and becoming part of the governing coalition.

In a letter written before the 1955 elections, the Rebbe explained that by voting, a frum Yid can strengthen the Torah position while remaining free to protest government actions. Joining a coalition, however, means accepting responsibility for the government’s laws and decisions, including those contrary to halacha.

The Rebbe expressed this position on numerous occasions, at times stating explicitly that participation in a coalition was forbidden because its members share responsibility for government decisions involving matters such as Shabbos, army service for women and other issues of halacha.

On the other hand, some noted the precedent of Reb Leizer Mizrachi, a Lubavitcher chossid who served in the Knesset with the Rebbe’s guidance at a politically sensitive time, when his vote helped prevent the formation of a left-wing government. Mizrachi was part of the coalition and later served as a deputy minister.