A new pamphlet has been released targeting to the so-called ‘chardakim’, chareidim who serve in the IDF. Some of the soldiers whom have seen the pamphlet express a fear, stating the release of the publication represents a threat to all of them.
The pamphlet is entitled “Shmad”, circulated in chareidi areas including the names and photographs of officers in charge of the chareidim. IDF officials are taking the pamphlet seriously too, passing along the information to the relevant military agency. One of the officers is a major who was instrumental in pushing along the chareidi enlistment program.
Chareidi soldiers and officers are calling on authorities to address this once and for all, explaining it is unacceptable that they must live under constant threat. They add that they view the pamphlet as a threat to all of their lives.
Unquestionably, the new pamphlet will make some chareidim contemplating induction to reconsider, and this too has IDF officials concerned.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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14 Responses
Rav Shach and Rav Elyashiv, zatzal, both forbade any kind of military or civilian national service, saying it was asur to give frum bochurim into the control of the military, and Rav Shach even said it was yehareig v’al yaavor, one of his last rulings before he was nifar. Even if the chardakim who serve in the army and try to persuade others to do so have Rabbonim who allow them to do so, those who follow the rulings of the Gedolei HaDor and try to warn bochurim about the very serious ruchnius dangers of service are just carrying out the shlichus of their leaders. I haven’t seen the pamphlet in question and can’t express an opinion whether it was done in an acceptable fashion, but the underlying goal is one that every ben Torah has to support.
This is no shlichus of Rabbonim, this is plain INCITEMENT & hatred towards fellow Jews especially during the Sefirah days.
Yeah, well, “por” I CAN express an opinion and I CAN figure out that it was not done in acceptable fashion. What part of sinas chinam and rechilus do you not understand? What part of this action – assuming it is true – is in the most far fetched realm of being muttar? You yourself referred to the correct approach by the gedolim, and that is to warn bachurim. To educate them. Not to intimidate, threaten, manipulate, blackmail, or endanger.And not to ungratefully spit in the face of those who put their lives on the line to protect these misguided fools. If those soldiers, in the process, risk their bain adam lemakom it is their private issue and challenge, and they go in knowing they will need guidance and support. They have an ideology that may differ from traditional chareidi-ism, but they have no more and no less to work on internally than a traditional non-serving chareidi who faces the temptations of the street and the internet. The bigger problem is bein adam lechaveiro, which these activists are badly messing up on. FOR SHAME!!!
Still, they can’t call it shmad!
IF the government gives up on the plan to conscript hareidim en masse, the matter will quietly go away.
However as long as the current law mandating that most hareidim either join the army or go to prison remains in effect, and as long as the army is making midnight raids against hareidim in their homes and yeshivos to arrest people – the hareidim who have joined the IDF are in an awkward position. Sooner or later they will have to choose to whom their loyalties lie, and which side they are on. If they are remaining loyal to an army dedicated to expunging Torah for Eretz Yisrael (at least Torah as we understand, not the versions espoused by people such as Lapid or Bennett or Herzog, all of whom claim to have their own correct understanding of Torah), they will be seen as traitors.
First of all Mr. Por – You are not a posek. While Rav Shach and Rav Elyashiv , zatzal were Gedolei Hador, that does not mean that there aren’t other chashiv rabbonim. In fact, it is well known that Rav Shach told an American who asked him a certain Shaileh to rather ask Rav Moshe, who was the American Posek. Now let’s put this aside. Both Rav Shach and Rav Elyashiv, zatzal, NEVER gave any one the right to incite against any soldiers, never said that one can spit on or abuse a soldier or any other of the recent sickening cases of sinas chinom. The Charedei soldiers follow different poskim and deserve a certain basic level of respect. When a godol says “yehareig v’al yaavor”, he doesn’t delegate authority to just do that. He is expressing his view. Putting other frum jews in danger is terroristic behavior of the worst kind.
The good thing is that this will make any “chareidi” think twice before enlisting with many who otherwise would have now choosing not to.
I’m not 100% sure publishing the names of those responsible was guided by gedolim (just a guess, I don’t assume things like this), however I understand the reasons behind it. Those who go to the army make it acceptable and so others follow. People have to realize it’s not acceptable, so if they have to be scared into not going, so be it.
Going into the army is not the same as the average test on the street, I know having made the mistake and having successfully fought to get out early. As for the internet, you’re right it’s pretty bad. That’s presumably the reason the gedolim also said the internet was assur.
The rea,l halachic abiding Jewish ppl who live, support, and contribute to the state of Israel will NOT be cowed nor bullied by the erev rav likes of por and kuperman. It’s time for trash like them to suck it up and get used to it!!
Akuperma,
I think it is possible to have a dual loyalty to Torah and to the idea that it is important to defend eretz yisrael along with your fellow jews (which to let you know is accomplished by serving in its army for just a few years out of your 120 year life). If you don’t agree with that idea that is your problem. There are others who have been able to and are successfully balancing the two. Those (you) who see them as traitors (rather than perhaps “misguided or not recommended actions” as per the gedolim) are simply disengaging from whatever chance there is to increase religious representation in the army and to make the army even more religious friendly.
You fold your hands and refuse to help the team, you don’t get a chance to influence the team.
To #1)
Rav Shteinman, the Belzer Rebbe, the Gerrer Rebbe and other gedolei Yisroel have come out in support of Charedim serving in the military.
to #8
I doubt any gedolim were involved in the making of these publications. These are from the same people who called Rav Shteinmen and the Belzer Rebbe “Kofrim” for supporting the IDF ,and have a history of showing a complete disrespect for Gelodei Yisroel and Daas Torah
My dear friend akuperma,
You have once again proven yourself to be completely incorrect and provocatjve in your comments. Believe it or not, which clearly for you is the latter, the IDF does not have it out for the chareidi community. If I were to refuse to show up to my draft day I would be arrested too. And please don’t make those ridiculous claims of “midnight raids” on chareidi homes to arrest them because we all know this is a fallacy. Also, again, the IDF is not trying to expunge Judaism, we all know that so stop with your ridiculous comments please. Also, what do you think bennet’s “interpretation” of the Torah is? Are you referring to being dati leumi? Because if you are then not only are you being provocative, you’re being insulting, rude and denouncing a massive sect of Judaism.
I’m glad that there are hareidi rabbonim that try to accommodate those bochrim that, for whatever reason, are not geared toward long, long years of Torah learning. These rabbonim and the bochrim that they try to help should be given every assistance to help make their Army service less spiritually threatening. They are working on a solution that many hareidim have not addressed, what to do with a bochur that is not equipped or motivated for full-time learning.
Please, excuse my broad generalizations, there may certainly be young men equipped and motivated for learning but see the combination of Torah learning and service in the IDF as an “ideal” combination. They, too, have a right to follow those rabbonim who permit it.
There are too many instances in the hareidi world of non-acceptance and coercion. True, one must support the Torah, their first obligation, but the fear that non-compliance with community standards has led to some pretty ugly cases of rejection, and that cannot be the will of H’ Who wants us to love even those who completely transgress the Torah.
akuperma: “If they are remaining loyal to an army dedicated to expunging Torah”
Why must you continuously propagate this outrageous LIE? The IDf does everything possible to accommodate Frum soldiers. There were even Siyumin during the Gaza war.
No purpose is served by defaming the IDF, or the entire country for that matter.
Also, Netanyahu said a while ago that there will be no wholesale arrests of Yeshiva Bochrim. The only Bochrim arrested so far were ones that refused to go to the initial stage reporting, which was always done prior to Lapid’s stupidity, where they then are granted deferments.
Attacking those who do serve and are risking their lives to protect these fools is a despicable act and they are the ones who should be wholesale arrested and jailed for a long time. They are not much better than the Arabs and in many cases, worse.