HaGaon HaRav David Yosef Shlita, a member of Shas Moetzas Gedolei Hatorah calls on Lomdei Torah to stop apologizing for being who they are and the fact they have dedicated themselves to the study of Torah. The rav explained that “without limud Torah day and night, there is no way of the IDF succeeding”.
At the end of a weekly shiur, Rav Yosef began expounding on the “koach of limud Torah”, speaking of the need to constantly conduct a cheshbon nefesh, which includes stopping to apologize and explaining when the secularists question and speak ill of those committed to full-time learning and not serving I the IDF.
He calls on participants in the shiur to contemplate, and realize that “When we tell them their soldiers are successful because of our Torah study, this is not just a response but it is the truth, the reality of the situation”.
Rav Yosef added “Even if all the lomdei Torah more than doubled the size of the IDF, the physical strength alone and a large army are insufficient without Siyata Dishmaya. Nothing else will do it other than we need HKBH to fight on our behalf”.
“How can we possibly succeed if there are no talmidei yeshiva? This is our merit. If they want HKBH to watch over us, then it is the limud Torah. Enough with the apologies! We must be proud. We have the Torah and in its merit, our soldiers will be successful and say thank you”.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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8 Responses
Svarah hee, lama lee krah
Thank yous should go both ways!
Of course what the Rav shlit”a is saying is absolutely true, and learning Torah brings us protection. It makes me wonder, would he have said the same thing in 1948? and in 1967? In those times there were far fewer young men learning Torah than there are today. So the fact that Torah protects us doesn’t mean that we then need so many people to be learning, since clearly far fewer people’s learning then helped the army tremendously.
HaGaon Rav David Yosef’s shlit”a words are certainly correct and are undebatable. Full-time Torah study by many members of Klal Yisrael is of paramount importance. צא ולמד משבט לוי. In addition, I believe the following points are also relevant.
1) Not everyone even born to a “chareidi” family belongs in a full-time Yeshiva longer term. Some _theoretically_ should be serving Am Yisrael in other ways including army service. The problem there is the concern of the secular environment which is no small issue. Different communities have dealt with this issue differently. 1) Provide safeguards or 2) avoid altogether. The two issues — a) Who should be learning even if Tzahal were run by Shomrei Torah uMitzvos. b) The secular environment which can be harmful to all since Tzahal is not run by Shomrei Torah uMitzvos — are often-times intermingled leading to confusion.
2) There is a partnership between the “guf” and the “nefesh”. Just as Am Yisrael collectively should “thank” and appreciate the enormous role of Torah study and the mesirus nefesh of those engaged in such study in protecting it, so too must Am Yisrael including B’nei Torah collectively “thank” and appreciate the enormous role and mesirus nefesh of Jewish soldiers. (See Sanhedrin 49a which stresses this _dual_ relationship concerning Dovid HaMelech and Yoav the General.) When stating that “Torah protects”, I believe there is a need to stress this partnership as well. Oftentimes, in my opinion, when stressing the paramount importance of Torah study, the mistaken impression is given that the role of our soldiers is minimal at best. And this is incorrect. This can and does lead to resentment and feelings of being looked down upon.
Thank you for this most important message. It should be obvious, but so many people need to be reminded. Dah – know with great clarity in your heart – mah shetashiv – what to answer others, even if you don’t open your mouth.
M,
Let’s see if you could survive on milk for six months, you did it as a baby
You can’t compare Israel in its infancy to Israel now
The rav, speaks the truth the secular only want to make us like them, atheists.
In 48 there were less of us. Surely less was expected of us, since we barely had any yeshivos or lomdei Torah. They were fighting just to be recognised. Today, despite all the opposition, Yeshivos in Eretz Yisroel are a force to be reckoned with BH. if we want Hashem’s protection to continue, we need to do our bit spiritually now that we’re able to.