HaMashgiach HaRav Dan Segal, who rarely speaks about public matters, deviated from his usual behavior and spoke at an Ichud Bnei HaYeshivos conference on Wednesday evening and addressed the topic of the enlistment of bnei Torah to the IDF.
“In truth, Klal Yisrael is Klal Yisrael despite the fact that there are many who strayed – but Klal Yisrael is one Klal Yisrael and therefore it’s true that everyone needs to share the burden and contribute to the success of Klal Yisrael,” HaRav Segal said.
“But there’s a fundamental mistake here. What is this – equality of the burden? The truth is that those who truly bear the burden are the yeshivah bochurim, the lomdei Torah hakedoshim.”
“A secular woman from Haifa said to me a year ago: ‘I have to believe that yeshivah bochurim have something that gives them some type of satisfaction. Otherwise, why woudn’t they do what the rest of the world does? How do they give up everything? It must be that they have something that gives them even more satisfaction.” This is someone who doesn’t know her right from her left – she never learned Tosfos, never said a bracha – no kirvas Elokim.”
“In truth, we are the ones that bear the true burden – so even more so this obligates us to increase and be mechazeik our limmud Torah, tefillah, and kedushah. Everyone knows that if something is shayach only for himself, then it’s fine. But if he knows that he’s responsible for others, like a father who knows he’s responsible for his family, then he has a real responsibility.”
“The truth is that the precious Bnei Torah v’mitzvos are the ones who uphold everything, the entire Israeli nation in every situation. An equal sharing of the burden? This is not called equality! We’re bearing the burden! – this burden of chizzuk in Torah and tefillah.”
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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11 Responses
These comments were made to bnei Torah to make them appreciate the value of their Torah learning and feel more pressure. It is irresponsible to put this on a public forum which is read by secular Jews as well as “yeshiva world” Jews. By publicizing this speech you are antagonizing those who are endangering and giving up their lives in the army
If it’s only the Yeshiva velt holding us, then THEY are responsible for 10/7 ?
Rocky: Well said.
How is it that commentors hve the Chutzpah to openly talk against gedolei yisroel? I don’t get it.
Most Haredi leaders are against the draft for one reason or another. My son in Israel claims that the more major issue of yiddishkeit in the military is an issue. Even with my kids, I had to make sure they don’t befriend other kids that had bad shitos (forget Zionism; just nivel peh and leitzunos). It’s really almost impossible to shield them,
But lkatchila to go into an army where you FOR SURE don’t get a yiddeshkeit that resembles a yeshivah environment, isn’t a concern? I would want my son there (He’s not a citizen anyway) to go there and become weak in his Yiddishkeit.
Especially when talking about 18-19 yr olds that are impressionable. Shouldn’t they rather be impressed by a godul???
Long Island:
Your “logic” is faulty, and your perspective is totally opposite of Torah and (therefore) reality. 10/7 would have been an epic catastrophe, as the news reports have conveyed, were it not for the bnei Torah (and Hashem’s rachmanus, of course).
As the Brisker Rav pointed out, all the salvations for Jews that happened were because of the lomdei Torah, and all the damage that occurred was due to the Zionists.
10/7 was the fault of the Zionists, of course, in every way (as was the Holocaust, for that matter).
Rocky:
Every Jew should know the Torah’s perspective, meaning reality. The reality is that only the bnei Torah/lomdei Torah are providing protection for klal yisrael; not any army and certainly not an army of shmad whose express purpose is to destroy Judaism by changing it into Zionism.
Long Island –
It’s not the Yeshiva velt who are responsible for 10/7, the Yeshiva’s and Kollelim need more members, and are understaffed.
It’s a big world out there and a minuscule amount of people can barely support the entire system. The torah they learn has to suffice to provide sustenance for the entire globe, as well as health, security etc.
If it wasn’t so financially difficult to stay in learning, there would be more kollel yungerleit. The Kiruv programs (hidabroot, Aish, Or Sameiach etc.) are also active in recruiting more torah true jews who will, daven, learn, support torah, keep mitzvos etc.
Hakatan, don’t forget tach vetat. It was also the Tziyonim. In fact, I heard from the shpitz daas Torah that the chet of Adam Harishon was directly influenced by the Tziyonim!
Hakatan, it’s so easy to say the limud Hatorah is protecting. Why do communities like Boro Park and Williamsburg have Shomrim?
Or for that matter, Hatzola? As soon as a call comes in, the volunteers should immediately sit down and learn for the person’s safety.
To those saying that the Chareidi community has no responsibility for October 7th, and in fact, it would have been much worse if not for the zechus of those in Yeshiva – that’s a self-serving unprovable argument. You are also claiming you have an inside scoop on how HKB”H sees things, and we know that can’t be true – “Ki lo machshivosai machshvoseichem, v’lo darkeichem derachai” – we don’t and can’t understand HKB”H’s ways, and it is a foolish to try to do so.
Perhaps it is in the zechus of the Ahavas Yisrael demonstrated by the general Israeli population, who willingly stopped their day-to-day lives to go defend their fellow Jews, that we have been relatively successful in fighting in Gaza? After all, the reason given for the Churban Bayis Sheini was sinas chinam, including how all the chachamim who were at the party where Bar Kamtza was humiliated and did not care enough to stand up for him. The fact that there was significant Torah learning going on was not enough to prevent the Churban.
Those who are fighting in Gaza have answered the age-old question of “Hashomer Achi Anochi” with a resounding “Yes!” – they are their brothers’ keeper. “Es achai anochi mevakesh”. They have, through their actions, shown how they value the each and every one of their Jewish brothers. That is something that provides immeasurable zechus to Klal Yisrael.
an Israeli Yid
Many of those fighting in the IDF fully appreciate those playing their part by sitting and learning full-time. However, there are very many “Haredim” who are not playing a part at all. They are not learning full time and not in the army. They claim to be in Yeshiva or Kollel but in fact, are working. Not only are they not playing any part in the physical defence of Yidden in Eretz Yisroel but their stance is a complete chillul Hashem.