A pamphlet distributed in recent days by extremists takes the opposition to chareidim entering the IDF to a new level. It instructs talmidim to refrain from reporting to IDF induction centers. It is being distributed freely and emailed, encouraging recipients to print and pass around.
The pamphlet contains many caricatures, all portraying the military in a most negative light, as the enemy, stating the IDF wants nothing good for chareidim. As such, prospective inductees are urged not to cooperate in any way whatsoever with authorities.
It reads “in the next hour, explore every smile and every sentence to give yourself a fatal diagnosis which can be compared to the screening at the gates of Auschwitz, which examined the condition of each boy and the slightest change could determine his fate to be sent to death”.
The pamphlet is not signed by any organization and unlike other publications in the past that were against the IDF and the State of Israel, it cannot be attributed to the anti-Zionist faction for this is clearly intended for bnei yeshivos and not as an internal Neturei Karta publication but possibly more aligned with the Yerushalmi faction of the litvish community headed by HaGaon HaRav Shmuel Auerbach Shlita. Rav Auerbach has encouraged his followers not to cooperate with authorities in any way unlike Gedolim Shlita from Bnei Brak, who instruct talmidim to report for an initial registration and giving over personal information.
The pamphlet instructs talmidim not to become “snitches mercenaries” by joining and that it is easier to spend three years in prison than in the military for the former has a family to return to as opposed to the latter, which will not. It speaks about how the military destroys the neshama of fathers and sons alike, all for making the error of agreeing to serve. The IDF is described as a “dark, cruel and cold place that leads soldiers to depression and total despair…”
Needless to say the pamphlet has already found its way to the mainstream media in Israel, depicting the chareidi tzibur in a most unfavorable light in the eyes of others as the IDF screening process is compared to Auschwitz.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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22 Responses
Everyone to the right of you is an extremist. Everyone to the left of you is not frum.
Look not so long ago over 50 thousand frum Jews protested the draft here in manhattan. The army is dangerous spiritually to yeshiva boys.
The people who made this pamphlet are misguided and have no hakaras hatov to the country or the people who give them the opportunity to live and study in peace
Why do we need to give every whackjob so much publicity? It just encourages them.
And e-mail? Really?
Why can’t it be attributed to the anti-zionist faction? Anyone can print anything without a signature. For all we know, a secularist with a laptop and a bit of knowledge put this hateful junk together to make us look (very) bad.
YWN- Why do you label as “Extremists” those putting out the pamphlet? Not everything which disagrees with your enlightened chareidi lite worldview is extreme. You just mentioned it follows the views of R’ Shmuel Auerbach. Is this gadol another misguided extremist?
These IDIOTS should be thrown out of Israel
The “Extremists” you are referring to comprise approxiamtely 65% of the Olam Hatorah Hachareidi backed by tens of Gedolei Hador and Roshei Yeshivos .
Disgusting
Gadol haMachtio yoser min haHorgo. The main goal of the IDF is to turn its members into essentially, Hebrew goyim.
Thus, this pamphlet seems correct that the IDF is, for a Jew, far worse.
With friends like YWN, who needs ynet….? This is an internal Israeli yeshiva matter to which folks living across the pond probably don’t quite relate. There are ostensibly religious army reps trying to induce yeshiva boys to close their gemaras, and join the army. It’s totally legitimate for the tzibbur of talmidei yeshiva, in particular those following Rav Shmuel Auerbach’s shitta, to resist. Heaven forbid if someone decided to exercise some free speech (the little that’s allowed in the Zionist paradise) and print a pamphlet on the subject. While the Auschwitz comparison is a bit extreme for zionists’ sensitivities, Chazal have already told us that גדול המחטיאו יותר מן ההורגו. Instead of pursuing boys learning in yeshiva, they ought to chase after the HUGE number of secular kids bumming around with all sorts of excuses, real or otherwise, for not serving (up to 47% of those obligated to serve — according to IDF stats). If a boy is, for whatever reason, not learning in yeshiva, then perhaps see about drafting him into a suitable framework (if there is such a thing). But, leave the boys in the beis medrash alone. And if YWN feels compelled to take a stance on this matter, you ought to be enthusiastically supporting the yeshivas POV (I mean “Yeshiva World News,’ anyone?)
Banshak,
I’m sure the 65% of the Olam Hatorah Hachareidi and the tens of Gedolei Hador and Roshei Yeshivos, don’t talk in the terms that this pamphlet does. There is mostly a measure of hakoras hatov, and certainly not this unbridled hate for others.
This is good, the only goal of the Zionists is to make frum Yidden into secular atheists. The proof is they don’t draft Israeli Arabs who have even more rights than Torah learners who are shteiging away and giving validity to the very existence of this state.
When charadim are instructed not to register for the draft and the fear is that going into the army will transform them from being bnei Torah to seculars, some consideration must be given to charadi education.
If the purpose of education is to prepare a child for dealing with the difficulties of the world, then the charadi educational system is not doing well. True a person must learn Torah, but also live in this world.
Something is wrong when a man is being told he can not go into the world for fears of losing his frumkite.
My sons and sons-in-law went into the IDF with beards and tzitzis and came out with their beards uncut and tzitzis still hanging out. The were never m’challel shabbos, yom tov, or eat treif, but used the opportunity to bring other Jewish neshamas closer to HaShem.
to number 11
“while the aushwitz comparison is a bit extreme for zionist sensitivities”
what a statement
for you its not extreme
you either have a sick mind,
did not grow up in a house of aushwitz survivors like i did
or plain ignorant of history
and just repeat what the blind fools and mostly reshaim that follow rabbi aurebach spew
It is absolutely necessary, here, to be reminded of the 1982 incident involving HaGaon HaRav Yisroel Gustman z”tl, and Prof. Yisrael Aumann, after the latter’s son, Shlomo z”l, fell in battle.
“At the cemetery, Rav Gustman was agitated: He surveyed the rows of graves of the young men, soldiers who died defending the Land. On the way back from the cemetery Rav Gustman turned to another passenger in the car and said, ‘THEY ARE ALL HOLY.’
‘Even the non-religious soldiers?’
Rav Gustman replied: ‘EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM.'”
Thereafter, at the shiva house, Rav Gustman spoke to Prof. Aumann, relating to him the following:
“I am sure that you don’t know this, but I had a son named Meir. He was a beautiful child. He was taken from my arms and executed…My Meir is a Kadosh — he is Holy — he and all the six million who perished are Holy.”
Rav Gustman then added: “I will tell you what is transpiring now in the World of Truth in Gan Eden. My Meir is welcoming your Shlomo into the minyan and is saying to him ‘I died because I am a Jew — but I wasn’t able to save anyone else. But you, Shlomo, you died defending the Jewish People and the Land of Israel.’ My Meir is a Kadosh, he is Holy — but your Shlomo is a Shaliach Tzibbur in that Holy, Heavenly minyan.”
The soldiers serving in the IDF, EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM, are swifter than eagles to do their Master’s bidding to defend the Klal Yisrael. It follows, from the words of Rav Gustman, that any Jew who speaks against our chayalim is being mevazeh those whose chelek in Olam Haba is far greater than their own.
#15 yossie4731: I’m sorry you chose to respond childishly to Chazal’s statement that גדול המחטיאו יותר מן ההורגו. Or your attitude toward Rav Shmuel Auerbach’s talmidim. Your quarrel is not with me. And FYI, I, too, grew up in a house and a family of survivors.
#16 lenco49: So did Rav Gustman zt”l advocate closing the yeshivos so the talmidim could have the opportunity to give their lives al kiddush Hashem? Did he close his own yeshiva? It means he held that those who died defending E.Y. and HaAm Hayosheiv Be’Tzion died the death of kedoshim. This has nothing to do with the fellows who, for instance, are getting into non-tznius situations with female soldiers, etc. on army bases. I’m glad that lukshen kugel’s sons survived this ordeal, but what does this have to do with justifying taking boys out of the bais hamedrash, which was the subject of the maligned pamphlet mentioned at the beginning of this discussion?
And no one has explained why pursuing yeshiva boys learning in the beis hamedrash is more important (and worth the army’s time and expense) than trying to persuade the hordes of secular draft dodgers to serve. And how this will improve the army.
to all of those brilliant minds who distance them selves from the IDF the next time you go to Israel who will you call when you are attacked? Is the Chiloni blood less red than yours? why should chilonim be the only ones serving in the army? Are they only protecting themselves or clal yisroel? These are rhetorical questions but hopefully in your inner heart you see that this is an obligation for all jews living in Israel. and yes that includes the bums who try to avoid service but that doesn’t justify us from avoiding responsibility. how many of the dodgers are learners and how many just want to avoid an unpleasant but necessary activity?
We all agree that bnei Torah don’t hold of serving in the IDF. We are just upset about the language in the pamphlet. Sort of like the lubavitchers vs the mischchistan.
YWN if you still have a consciouness you should be ashamed of yourself. Rav shmuel aurbach does not need your haskamah or your critiques would you critique hagaaon harav shteinman. azus anda chutzpah! and you have no place sticking your small heads bein he’horim hagedolim.
i think yossie4731 is YWN disguised
lenco…
godol talmud torah yoser meihatzalos nefoshos look it up mesechtes megillah