A talmid of Yeshivas Zichron Kedoshim in southern Israel was arrested by IDF authorities late Tuesday night, the eve of 5 Adar I 5774 for failing to report to an induction center.
His arrest followed his filing a statement with police in connection to an accident that he witnessed. His name was red flagged on the computer system as being AWOL from the military. Israel Police passed the information along to military police. He was brought before a judge and sentenced to five days in military prison.
The news made its way to HaGaon HaRav Shmuel Auerbach Shlita, who phoned the talmid to praise his mesirus nefesh for adhering to his words, instructing talmidim not to report to induction centers or cooperate with military authorities in any way. The conversation was made possible by askanim and the talmid’s family, arranging for the rav to speak with the imprisoned talmid personally.
The rav is quoted praising the young man, telling him “אשריך שנתפסת על דברי תורה”. He gave him a bracha that his days in prison should pass with ease and that the military will not subject him to any hardships.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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9 Responses
Unbelievable! What if rabbeim will tell to people that instead of paying taxes give the money to tzedokah, or go to jail. How you expect not frum people to like or at least not to dislike haredim when they act this way, and tell people to rather go to jail instead of protecting Jewish lives against Arab terrorists. Do they think the level of Kashrus in jail is higher then in the army, do they think they can do more mitzvas in jail then in the army? Let them go to army and make kidush hashem and mekare other Yiden. I am baal tshuva myself, and it make me sick, and this is not a way to bring Jews closer to Judaism. My nephew is not frum in Israel went to the army last year, and in the army started to put on tfillin, daven, eat only kosher, and it’s because he serves with frum soldiers who show him they don’t think his blood is any cheaper and show a real Ahavas Isroel towards fellow Jew instead of calling him all sort of curse names.
It’s things like this that keep me out of the haredi camp. I respect R. Auerbach and his dedication to Torah, but I just don’t agree with this.
I expect lots of angry people saying “Maybe you know more than the Gadol HaDor!” But most of the Jewish world, especially in the US, does not operate that way. He represents a different flavor of Judaism. I don’t hold by the Belzer rebbe either, but I’m glad he’s around.
This is beginning to make it to the secular press. The world respects people who refuse to serve in the military, especially in a war most of the world believes could be easily settled. Throwing yeshiva students in jail will do far more damage to the zionist enterprise than anything else they have done, and more than what the Palestinians could ever hope to do. It will convince the world that Medinat Yisrael is NOT a homeland for Jews, and that the war was caused by zionist aggression – since real Jews don’t believe in fighting it.
alexfromny: I couldn’t have said it better! That’s absolutely right. And mazel tov on your nephew.
B”H for Gedolei Yisroel SHLIT”A such as Maran HaGaon HaRav Shmuel Auerbach SHLIT”A leading us in these dark times and guiding us on the proper Torah path.
When you have an army that is
1. not mixed
2. does not force cultural brainwashing
3. does not has terrible levels of promiscuity
4. does not impose severe kulos such as carrying a gun on shabbos when there is no pikuach nefesh
5. does not force religious Jews to listen to women singing
6. does not commit many morally questionable operations without taking halachah into account
7. does not force a talmid chochom to stop learning his usual 18 hour day for the sake of policy and politics
… Then you ask whose blood is cheaper
… Then you can complain how jail itself in somehow as bad as the army for yiddishkeit
… Then you can ask exactly how many kollel yungerleit should close their gemorrahs and stop learning Torah to go to the army
Until then, save your keyboard’s wear and tear, and just cry bitter tears that Jews are doing to Religious Jews what previously was only done by Russians, Romans, Greeks etc.
Hashem yerachem.
alexfromny you totally missed the boat! A Jew committed to Avodas Hashem does not act out of recognition of what non observant Jews think of his comittment to Torah and Mitzvos. Torah adherence as well as Torah learning and not the IDF is what protects Jewish lives against terrorist attacks.
Its because of the likes of alex and his supporters that משיח hasnt come yet. What kind of מחוצף is this nothing to even open his mouth about gedoilim who live on a diffrent level with ה׳. Hopefully hashem will rid the planets from the likes of you כדאמרינן וכל הרשעה כרגע תאבד.
yayin yashan bkli chadash:
a) There are many wonderful rabbis who do not agree with your Gedolim on all points. You probably live next door to one or two.
b) Failure to agree with your Gedolim on all points does not make me or any other person a rasha. I am not holding back Moshiach. You need to tone things down.
ash:
If you don’t like the military, reform it. Someone still has to defend the country.