Simcha: This is clearly the point and argument that resonates with you, that you chose to respond to it in its own thread. The reason this is the one you respond to particularly, as such, is because of how strong this point is.
1. The primary reason this bothers me is
Because how overwhelmingly strong this point is (if we’re going to be honest.)
that one has nothing to do with the other.
It has everything to do with each other, insofar as this nonsensical argument goes that Yeshivaleit need to “share the burden” of joining the zionist army is concerned.
Should people be learning more Torah? Of course!
So, then, why are trying to pull people away from learning Torah, thereby causing less Torah to be learnt?!
But that doesn’t address the issue of whether Charedim should be sharing the physical defense burden.
Sure it does. As pointed out in my (non-attributed) quoted comments in your above OP, in in order for Bnei Yeshiva to so-called “share the burden” by becoming professional soldiers, by defition, they’ll need to leave the Yeshiva and learn much less Torah.
Limud Torah is, by far, the greatest protection that anyone can provide to Klal Yisroel. Reducing Limud Torah, reduces the protection of Klal Yisroel. Telling Bnei Torah to leave the Yeshiva and learn less so they can enlist in the army, means less Torah and less protection for Klal Yisroel.
Following the very simple logic?
1+1=2
The fact of the matter is that Klal Yisroel already has too little Torah being learnt. Such a tiny tiny percentage of Jews engage in Limud Torah. Of that tiny percentage, an even tinier percentage engage in Limud Torah full time. And they are the ones you want to drag away from the Gemora to shmad, er enlist, in your army? They are the ones MOST protecting Klal Yisroel. Take that away and *your* protection disappears.
And on top of all of the above, your army isn’t short soldiers. Your army isn’t losing battles and wars due to a shortage of enlisted servicement. Hamas and Hezbollah aren’t scoring successes due to Chareidim not being enlisted. What you are demanding with “sharing the burden” is that Charieidm enlist so that your daughter (who shouldn’t be in any army in the first place) and her male friend soldiers can take more furlough and breaks and go back to their jobs and employment, with the Charieidm who were dragged out of the Yeshivos and forcibly enlisted taking over so that the others can go home.
Are you so blind to understand the above logic results in losing protection, losing battles and wars (the shooting and bombing kind) because less Yidden are learning Torah, and those that are learning are learning less Torah?
And, absolutely yes, if more non-Charieidi Jews, including Chilonim and including others who don’t learn Torah at all or don’t learn full time or don’t learn enough, started learning more Torah, Klal Yisroel would be more protected than we are with, as it is, only those few fill time learners doing the burden if Limud Torah.
And then there would be *more* protection of Klal Yisroel by Hashem, less wars, less deaths and less injuries.
A win-win, if there ever was one.