A week into the Elul zman HaRav Rotenberg, Rosh Yeshivas Beit Meir in Bnei Brak addressed the issue of government plans to draft avreichim and talmidim. The rav explained “we belong to the Torah Legion, even if this entails arrest”.
In the rav’s letter he speaks of the impending gezeira of the government, stating there cannot be a doubt there is one goal, wiping out Torah and to distance people from Yiddishkheit וחמירא טובא מערקתא דמסאנא, ודברי חז”ל בזה ידועים.
The rav quoted the Chazon Ish ZATZAL, stating the rulers have but one goal, to uproot Torah, and this must be remembered and the situation demands mesirus nefesh.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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4 Responses
If the army was desperate for more soldiers, it might be different. That they are implementing the conscription at a time where they have excess manpower, proves it is for purpose of destroying the frum community. Knowing from past experiences of frum Jews in goyish armies, they hope they can put a stop now to the growth of the frum community because it is to late and their dream of a secular zionist state is doomed to the dustbin of history.
Rotenberg’s comments are a bit “over the top” and he should refrain from making such such incendiary statements. The government is struggling with how to create a more equitable system of public service and sacrifice as the Chareidim become a much large percentage of the draft age population. Fifty years ago, giving draft exemptions to a few hundred kollel yungerleit was not a big issue. When that number is now in tens of thousand, as it soon will be, the issue of shared public sacrifice is much more complex. In any event, the objective of the government is NOT to “uproot torah” in EY. I suspect the Rav knows that and should reconsider his words.
rotberg is the name, not rotenberg.
HaRav Zvi Rotberg