According to the dati leumi Srugim website, an article written by Rabbi Avraham Stav, the “Torani independence” began with Yeshivat Netiv Meir and others, when they replaced the rebbes with dati leumi rabbonim, teaching Gemara with the Israeli pronunciation that goes hand in hand with IDF service and the Zionist hashkafa.

The shelves of any hesder beis medrash are lined with seforim by Achronim, including many texts written in the last decades and few are written by those who came from a dati leumi beis medrash.

Today however, Srugim reports this has changed for rabbonim in the Zionist camp have written seforim which “compete” with those of their chareidi counterparts, citing ‘פניני הלכה’ written by Rabbi Eliezer Melamed, ‘הלכה ממקורה’, written by Rabbi Yosef Tzvi Rimon, ‘מקראי קדש’ , written by Rabbi Moshe Hariri as examples.

Srugim reports the talmidei hesder will learn a sugya in Gemara with Rishonim, and would then delve into the Acharonim such as קהילות יעקב, written by the Wteipler ZATZAL or Kovetz Ha’aros written by Maran HaGaon HaRav Sholom Elyashiv ZT”L or other seforim which have become the “tremendous crop of the chareidi world with each passing year”.

However, Srugim reports this has changed for today, albeit slowly, there are more seforim available that have been penned by dati leumi rabbonim including Rabbi Yitzchak Shilat of Maale Adumim, Rabbi Danny Wolf of Yeshivat Har Etzion and many others, citing “They address deep theoretical issues and most complex issues in a manner that does not fall short of their Lithuanian counterparts”.

The report states this trend began about three years ago by a joining of forces from many yeshivos with the establishment of “אסיף” (Harvest) by the Union of Hesder Yeshivot. Rabbi Avraham Stav writes, “This collection encompasses the best of the writings of the rabbonim from the dati leumi community”. He adds that with the publication of the third volume, it was clear Harvest was representative of Torah from the Zionist beis medrash, representative of its rabbonim and its hashkafa. For one thing, he points out these rabbonim are not just in touch with the Torani aspect but the academic aspect as well and he feels these are the “writing norms required of a rav who has drawn in aspects of academia too”.

The rabbi continues to hail the writing style and content, meeting the needs and criteria of this community today, adding the purpose of his article is not simply to draw attention to the growing world of Torah and modern Zionism, but also to emphasize the tremendous importance of investing in and cultivating this world.

He feels limud on the level of ‘iyun’ is essential for building the foundation upon which Halachic rulings are based, along with the spiritual guidance and leadership. He cites that prior to publishing his commentary on the Rambam, Rabbi Meir Simcha of Dvinsk wrote Meshech Chochma and then the masterful work Ohr Somayach on the Rambam, explaining that it was important for him to publish his novel ideas and chidushim to show that first a rav must show he is erudite and only after this may he be a posek or darshan. He adds that even the Rambam wrote his commentary on Mishna and sugyos chamuros in Gemara prior to seforim containing Jewish thought and halacha. He quotes Rav Solovechik ZT”L stating one capable of speaking iyun is capable of understanding the depths of oral tradition and thereby become a part of the delivery and creation of such content.

The third volume of Harvest will be officially launched on Thursday, 2 Adar 1 at 19:30, at a kenos held in Heichal Shlomo.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)