Two bereaved fathers whose children were killed in battle against Hamas published a letter on Wednesday morning calling on their friends in the National Religious sector to stop their attacks on the Chareidi sector.
The letter comes against the backdrop of the recent debate surrounding the Chareidi politicians’ attempt to condition their support of the state budget on the passing of a Charedi draft law, an initiative they ultimately dropped due to the low likelihood of its approval.
The letter states: “Recently, we’ve been hearing and experiencing increasingly loud voices against the Chareidi sector and its non-participation in military efforts. Furthermore, some voices even declare that this fact is what led to the abandonment of areas in the Gaza Strip after they were conquered, forcing the IDF to risk reclaiming them, and more.”
“We are part of the National Religious community, a sector connected to Batei Medrash on one hand, and Am Yisrael and Eretz Yisrael on the other hand. Our community indeed bears burdens like many other sectors of the Am and has paid a heavy price relative to its size in the current war. Our children, Ori, Hy”d and Gilad, Hy”d, have indeed demonstrated this commitment with their lives and bodies.”
“We feel that the unrestrained attacks on the Chareidi sector and the blaming of it as if it solely bears the responsibility for everything we have endured over the past year is disproportionate. We must understand that the failures of the October 7 assault were not related to, nor dependent on, the recruitment of the Chareidi sector to the IDF. The ‘conceptzia’ [the theory that Hamas was deterred] that collapsed, which lulled us all, combined with social divisions and dangerous polarization within the Am, are what led our enemies to breach the flimsy borders that made us feel secure.”
“Recruiting a battalion, brigade, or even a division of Chareidi soldiers won’t bring about systemic change, won’t lead to a shift in security perception, and won’t return the residents of the north to their homes tomorrow morning, or restore deterrence.”
“Of course, this doesn’t exempt the entire Chareidi sector from taking responsibility. You, who make up a significant part of the population in Israel, need to understand that there’s no more critical time than this. We expect the Chareidi leadership to feel the weight of the moment and the gravity of responsibility, and take the initiative on the issue rather than publicly opposing any proposal or attempt at mediation that arises.”
“There is a supreme moral obligation on all of us to stop directing blame at each other and to direct our strength against the real enemies who wish for our destruction. There is room under the stretcher [military burden] that is being carried by all of Israel these days for everyone: for settlers, kibbutznikim, Chareidi people, the left and the right, the rear and the front. None of us has the zechut not to bear part of it. All for one and one for all.”
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
14 Responses
YWN – do you plan on giving equal time to Rav Tamir Grant, Shlita, a Rosh Yeshiva and bereaved father, and his respectful call for Chareidim to serve? He gives Mekoros in Halacha for what he says as well – and his speech is worth listening to.
an Israeli Yid
For those interested in what anIsraeliYid wrote, here’s a link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XoRcnP4Htwo. It’s certainly worth the 15 minutes. He really is a special neshama. Mamash.
Thank you, M – I did not link to it myself since YWN used to not allow links. It looks like that’s changed now.
an Israeli Yid
RE: the video:
I can also throw in Pesukim and mamarei chazal and non commitmently bind them to my next sentence without concrete proof of their connections.
A true what they’d call in English a ‘word salad’.
This does not detract from his sorrow, rather relevant to his entreating to Chareidim to factually throw away the Torah for the purpose of following the zionist idol.
E.G. He has the audacity to quote the Chazon Ish that discusses the halachot of milchemet mitzvah, when he clearly held and said that fighting in the zionist army is not only not a milchemet mitzvah, but is the diametric opposite. As if no-one knows of the famous encounter with the rosh hakofrim b** Gur*** yemach shemo, in which he informed the pm that there was nothing to talk about, and that we as religious Jews are akin to the boat/wagon that is full and they the zionists are empty, and therefore they need to make room for us.
This is only one example, it will be exhausting to have to go through every point that is made with twisting mamarei chazal to “prove” the points.
But it is quite clear to anyone not clouded by their zionist idols.
There really is no need to fake Torah quotations etc or to twist real ones in order to prove the zionist idol worshipping. Whatever Chazal say, it will make no difference, they have their idols, have sworn allegiance to them and that is it.
The only purpose this serves is to fake that this is Torah.
For those who are pushing the Chareidim to join the army: First of all, there are many Chareidim already serving in the army as commanders, high tech, kashrut, Rabbanut and more. (Many Chareidi girls do the alternate Sheirut Leumi as the army environment is not proper for a frum girl because of the mixed genders.) Second of all, if you would know what is going on behind on the scenes right now on the front lines, you would think twice before pushing weak, untrained boys to serve. Firstly, the military gear is outdated. Army vehicles are breaking down on the front lines, helmets are for the 1970’s with bullet holes from previous wars offering minimal protection and the list goes on. There is an initiative from Bergen County Lev Echad that raises money to send proper helmets, gear and drones (their donated civilian drone worth $1,000 was what found Sinwar Yimach Shemo after they already thought that they cleared out the building). Army commanders and soldiers on the front lines are still begging for proper equipment. Two battalions fighting in Gaza next to each other, one had the gear, the other didn’t. The one that had all were ok, the one that didn’t were all either injured or killed r”l. When the army does it’s due diligence to ensure the proper protection for their soldiers, then you have a right to encourage others to join. But to purposely put them in harm’s way without protection is like telling someone to jump off a building without a parachute. If the army would show real concern for their soldiers along with respecting religious values, then we have what to discuss. When the Medina was established, there was a pact made between Ben Gurion and the Chazon Ish regarding not enlisting Yeshiva bochurim into the army. Eretz Yisroel without Torah is a like a body without a soul. Pulling Yeshiva bochurim out of Yeshiva to fight will do more harm than good for the safety of the land. Take the time to read about the establishment of Eretz Yisroel and perhaps maybe then you will begin to understand what this conflict is really about. If you are worried about manpower, the soccer stadiums are full to capacity with able bodied young men cheering for their teams. And I suspect that popular Israeli athletes are exempt from the army service. When they begin to respect Torah as much as they respect sports then we have what to discuss. Remember, in the Yom Kippur war everyone went out to fight, old, young, Chareidim in their Taleisim. It was Pikuach Nefesh. Yes this year long war is no less important for the security of Eretz Yisroel, but I wonder how much enlisting Yeshiva bochurim is really vital and how much is really politically motivated by their outright hatred for Chareidim in general.
My heart goes out to him and all those who have lost dear ones and dear ones and the suffering.
He speaks from the heart and is certainly a talmid chacham and a sincere Yid. He captured my heart.
And I personally happen to agree with his lomdus. Not that I’m a talmid chacham myself, it just makes sense what he’s saying as pshat.
But here’s the thing:
We all know that the IAF could have blown up gaza, hizbala and Iran in a matter of days or weeks, without all this terrible loss of Jewish life. But their hands are tied. It’s America who calls the shots. Now, a year on, they are beginning to bomb a little.
So if you look at the situation for what it is, it won’t help for all of us to go to the army if the commander isn’t paskening out of the Rambam.
The goyim hold us to their own shulchan oruch, which doesn’t put Jewish life above their attackers unequivocally. So put differently, the blood price we are paying for this war is more a function of our ally America (the de facto high command of the IDF) than our enemies.
If so, then I don’t believe the act of going to fight with the IDF falls under the definition of going to save Jewish lives.
Remember, the Rambam wrote Mishne Torah based on the Gemara, when there were no missiles and air force. So dropping everything, closing the Gemara and grabbing a pitch fork to do a yeshivishe chaps ’em was an effective battle plan. Nowadays you must have a standing army to protect a country.
There is more to be said, but it’s late here.
ה עוז לעמו יתן ה’ יברך את עמו בשלום
To M: Yes, he is a special Neshamah. Unfortunately, he is preaching to the choir. Rav Shach Z”TL paskened that b’nei yeshiva must Yahareig V’al Ya’avor rather than go to army service. B’nei Yeshiva will never sign up for the army. Perhaps you can tell him about Sherut Le’umi L’mishmar? I don’t know the details, but it is not the Israeli army, so a ben yeshiva who does it is not violating Rav Shach’s Psak. It takes about 3 or 4 months to complete. The leftist generals who want to shmad the b’nei yeshiva don’t have any control over it, so it is safe. It allows b’nei yeshiva to work legally after completion just like any other Sherut Le’umi. Another issue that he doesn’t address is that most b’nei yeshiva have very low profiles. The idea that they can be made into combat soldiers is his own fantasy. Tell him to daven in Ponevezh Yeshiva sometime, and try to guess the profiles of the boys who learn there. Then his fantasy will end.
In recent years, there have been disgraceful incidents where Jewish IDF soldiers were physically attacked by Charedim, when the Jewish IDF soldiers entered Charedi neighborhoods.
These disgraceful incidents happened even when the Jewish IDF soldiers were themselves Charedim, and even when the Jewish IDF soldiers were female!
If I remember correctly, some of these disgraceful incidents were reported by Charedi news sources like: Yeshiva World News. Matzav and VIN News.
I personally witnessed Rabbi Avigdor Miller ZTL ZYA
telling a large audience that we Jews should pray for IDF soldiers.
What % of Charedi individuals say a one-minute prayer for our IDF soldiers?
What percentage of Charedi synagogues and yeshivas say a one-minute prayer for our IDF soldiers every day, or even every week, or even one time every month?
The limit for me personally came when the gedolim said even those that aren’t learning can’t go to the army because it will destroy their yiddishkeit. This is spitting in the face of all the Daati Leumi who figured out how to do both. My sons have done it all, learned, serve and work and are B”H leading a frum lifestyle. If they aren’t learning they need to serve. There are no excuses.
while we grieve for these choshuv Yidden we must reiterate that no matter what the frum chareidi world will not serve in the IDF in line with daas torah guidance. the Zionists can do as they wish, but we survived the czar, the Germans and countless others and we outlive the Zionists.
I want to correct that the Pikuach nefesh is no less than 73′, that the IDF needs help in high tech and drones is a fact. Wouldn’t it be great to have more options for non learners to maintain their standards to help?
There are some, not enough.
For all those talking against all the gedolim (reb shach, chazon ish, brisker rov, reb aharon, reb dov landau, reb moshe hillel, rab moshe shternbuch…….who say its assur to go to the army if chas veshalom you had a child that was very sick and the doctors say theres nothing to do and theres only a few days left, and you have a choice either to get a bracha from these gedolim OR from those who say milchemes mitzvah….. who are you going to go to?
Baruch the Gedolim have been clear because the Torah is clear: Jews rejects the zionist idol and we reject every masis i’madiach that tries to convince us to serve that idol.
A Jew will never join Hamas and a Jew will never join IDF. We serve Hashem and only He is Who we turn to to protects us in our galus.
The those who are not aware, the exemption that Bnei Hayeshivos had until now from the army is if they are learning full time! Anyone who took a job or went to school would get drafted. So you’re talking about Bnei Yeshivos who are learning full time on Kollel. The Israeli government keeps tabs on them and does surprise inspections in the Yeshivos to check to see that they’re there. It’s a tough system but Torah is their life.