A 142-page pamphlet released by the IDF Rabbinate addressing the mitzvah of mezuzah has left-wingers angered. The pamphlet, addressing Halachic issues pertaining to a mezuzah and its place in the IDF determines that even though there are many non-Jews in Israel, it is a Jewish country and therefore, the IDF has to affix mezuzos to doorposts. On pages 22 and 23 it addresses why a mezuzah is required in the IDF, citing the role played by non-Jews in the country. Ultimately, the pamphlet concludes that halachically speaking a mezuzah is mandatory on IDF buildings.
Opposition leader MK Shelly Yacimovich was angered, releasing a message that the conclusion of the pamphlet is controversial and “contrary to Jewish values, democratic values, the state’s values, the IDF’s values and in violation of state laws.”
Yacimovich adds that “it is ironic that davka in the military, where combatants are shoulder to shoulder we see such a publication.” She has called on IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Benny Gantz to immediately halt distribution of the pamphlet on IDF baseis.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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10 Responses
It’s “IDF bases”, not “IDF basis”. Doesn’t anyone ever check their spelling before publishing something?
Didn’t Harav Litzman say after the Election that Shelly was his natural partner?
Interesting!
Jewish values are employed to raise objections to Mezzuza.
Really??
Why does it have to focus and include the info about non-jews? when the mezuzah is affix to the Jerusalem post office is that information shared also?
A 142-page pamphlet? There’s a typo in there someplace. 142 pages is an entire sefer!
come on kuperman..
tell us again that this is the woman who will save chareidi yiddishkeit here in israel
Since a Mezuza is a Shemurah for the young children, we should even enforce it in Non-Yidishe houses, because when it comes to safety issues, we are concerned with the safety of all children, of all ethnicities.
Av Echod L’kilonu, to every person and child.
#7 ader — From where do you know that it is a shmirah even for non-Jews? It’s not the mezuzah that protects, but it is zechus of the mitzvah that protects, and non-Jews don’t have the mitzvah.
To #8
We all realize that Hashem creates and sustains all children, Yiddishe and Non-Yiddishe, with Nissim V’Niflo’os. When Moshiach comes, there will only be love amongst all people, no one will be a superior Human Being.
Whether Medinat Yisrael is a Jewish state (which many orthodox Jews feel, but Israeli law seems to reflect otherwise), or whether it is a generic goyish state in which many Jews happen to live – IS A VALID QUESTION and arguably impacts on whether a mezuzah is required. Most Israelis feel there’s is a secular country, not a Jewish one.
Assuming that Boro Park has a frum majority, does that give it a special halachic status? What about Bnei Brak (a frum majority) as opposed to Tel Aviv or Haifa (probably a Jewish majority, but that isn’t so clear) as opposed to places in Eretz Yisrael in which there is a clear non-Jewish majority. What is the halachic status in all these situations.