In the beginning of the week, Rav Eliezer Piletz, the rosh yeshiva of Tifrach, sent a shaliach to Maran HaRav Chaim Kanievsky Shlita, asking if he should relocate the yeshiva in Bnei Brak due to the ongoing state of warfare in southern Israel.
The rosh yeshiva was instructed to stay put because “Torah protects”. Two days later, rockets struck Tifrach. Once again, a Rav Chaim Shlita was asked what to do, who responded that they must ask his father-in-law why he instructed the Grodna Yeshiva to relocate to Bnei Brak and if the same reasoning applies to Yifrach.
Rav Piletz then turned to Maran HaRav Yosef Sholom Elyashiv Shlita, explaining Rav Chaim’s instructions. Rav Elyashiv stated that indeed, one can say torah protects when talking about a place like Tifrach but Ashdod is a strategic target and the terrorists are working to hit, also because it is a major city. This makes it more dangerous. “Since today, we cannot daven for a revealed miracle; we must evacuate the yeshiva (Grodna) to a more secure location.”
(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
3 Responses
Last tuesday, Horav Don Segal shlit”a was giving his every-other week-shmuez in the yeshiva, when a rocket landed right outside, causing a massive explosive sound. Not one of the 700 bochurim in yeshiva got up to run to take shelter!
Rav Eliyashiv’s Psak can be traced to the gemara that states that we clearly limits “Torah Protects” to a case where the Talmid Chacham is already protected by some other means.
The Gemara is Baba Basra rules that the citizens of a town must chip in to fix a breach in the defensive wall around the city. Talmidei Chachamim are exempt from contributing because their Torah protects them.
The danger to Talmidei Chahcahmim in this gemara was recognized by a Rishon.
Defense is a 100 Percent Public Good as the economists would call it. Once the breach has been fixed, everyone in the town is protected whether he is a talmid Chacham, am haaretz, apikores, did pay for the wall’s upkeep,didn’t pay for its upkeep, etc.
The Rishon asked what happens when a town is an ir schekulo Chachamim, a town where everyone is a Torah Scholar. According to the gemara above, the breach would never be repaired since no one is obligated to pay for its repair because the Torah protects each and everyone in the town. The Rishon does not allow this to happen. He declares that when the Gemara states that a talmid Chacham is protected by the Torah and therefore is exempt from defense taxes, it was being imprecise. The exemption is a perk that comes with being a Torah Scholar. The perk is akin to matnos kehuna for the Talmid Chachamim has assumes the Kohen’ function of teaching,
Similarly, when the town is already protected such as Tifrach by low a probability of fire directed at it, the yeshiva can stay because the Torah protects it , When the town is not protected by a low probability of fire directed at it, the yeshiva must seek shelter elsewhere.
#3 to add to your comment about the sederot yeshiva;
A. the beit medresh is a shelter because of its massive concrete roof
B. the new bet medrash is also protected with concrete
C. the bachurim go to the army
D. and, in the case of Rav Fendel he realizes that miracles do happen but G=d helps those that help themselves