Rabbi Avichai Ronsky spoke to Kol Chai Radio on Monday afternoon, 6 Shevat 5772, regarding the meeting earlier this week between IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Benny Gantz and hesder yeshivot rabbonim. Ronsky, who was the previous IDF chief rabbi, feels that the IDF makes a genuine effort to resolve the problem, seeking to avoid confrontations between the IDF and shomer Shabbat soldiers and officers.
Ronsky states Ganz and the IDF is aware of the caliber of these soldiers, and he explained that during his tenure every effort was made to accommodate frum soldiers, adding he cannot say with authority what the situation is today under the present chief rabbi of the military.
KOL CHAI:
What about situations when a soldier’s rosh yeshiva tells him one thing and the army rabbinate contradicts this?
RONSKY:
I prefer to avoid addressing this particular issue at present. During my tenure I can say the number of times in which there was a direct contradiction between military regulations and Halacha was few indeed.
KOL CHAI:
As far as you are concerned, for a soldier in the IDF, the highest Halachic authority for him is the IDF chief rabbi?
RONSKY:
Without a doubt.
KOL CHAI:
What do you think about ongoing efforts to amend the Tal Law to compel additional chareidim to enter the IDF?
RONSKY:
During my time we worked very hard with the Shachar program which catered to the chareidi tzibur. Yes, there were problems from time-to-time but there was a harmonious relationship and it is important to maintain such a relationship.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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3 Responses
But Medinat Yisrael is a SOVEREIGN state. The word “sovereign” means that there is no king over the state, so by arguing that Ha-Shem is above the medinah, Rabbi Ronsky is challenging the whole concept of a sovereign Jewish states, which would be fine if he was a Satmar Hasid, but is intolerable for a Religious Zionist (not to mention, is an example of biting the hand the feeds).
Of course, if the Religious Zionists finally decide that Ha-Shem is more important than the government, they will suddenly discover that they have more in common with the Hareidim than with the secular zionists, and if you add them together they would be in a position to challenge the hilonim for control of Eretz Yisrael.
akuperma, I envy you for the amount of free time you have as manifested by you numerous comments. But I certainly don’t envy you for the silliness of your comments’ contents.
Akuperma, is the USA not sovereign because it declares itself to be “under God”?!