The Rav of the police, HaRav Rami Birchiyahu, asked a shaila to HaGaon HaRav Zilberstein about recruiting Chareidim for the establishment of civil defense teams in Chareidi cities.
HaRav Zilberstein responded: “Since those who are turning to you are baalei batim, yirei Shamayim but not bnei yeshivah, it’s permissible for them to volunteer to save Am Yisrael – to protect cities and neighborhoods from murderers and enemies.”
“In every place that the police believe that danger lurks and it’s necessary to patrol with weapons, they can patrol even on Shabbos – if possible by a non-Jew – and if not possible, it permissible for a Jew to do. And of course, Rabbanim should be consulted about every halachic shaila that arises.”
“All of the above does not apply to Bnei Yeshivah whose Torah is their emunah and they protect Am Yisrael with their Torah – on this it’s written ‘אלף למטה אלף למטה’ [Bamidbar 31: 4).”
Rav Birchiyahu said: “During such challenging days for the Israeli public, after Jewish blood was spilled in an attack by heinous subhumans, we see the police officers and soldiers who are mamash risking their lives in order to protect the country.”
“Difficult days await us – days of a national struggle of the entire population that will be required to stand firm and strong. We are a nation of believers and as such we have an address – the Creator of the world. We don’t know and we won’t know the cheshbonos of Shamayim but we know that we’re obligated to turn to Hakadosh Baruch Hu and to plead before Him that He’ll protect Am Yisrael and all the soldiers.”
“We turn to you [the Chareidi public] with a kriyas kodesh to daven in the shuls for the welfare of the police officers, the soldiers, and all those who are involved in helping protect the country. This is the time to storm Shamayim.”
Regarding the civil defense teams, Rav Birchiyahu said: “This is the first time that the public in these cities will see baalei batim physically protecting the city as part of the police security system. These residents will be trained in the operation of weapons and will be capable of assisting the police forces when necessary.”
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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17 Responses
Interesting psak.
Question is why, according to Rav Zilbershtein, are these policemen needed at all?
Are these ba’alei battim only needed to protect their fellow ba’alei battim, not the Bnei Yeshiva, who have no need of their protection?
I am sorry but sherus leumi is ASSUR!
EVERY gadol has assured it.
and please spare the stupid comments like “so you want terrorists flying around on our streets”.
None of it will help that it is assur by decree of EVERY Gadol.
There was a mistranslation here: I’m sure the rav didn’t say “torah is their emunah”, rather “torasam umnasam, Torah is their profession” and therefore they shouldn’t stop for other, even important things
Jewgut, this is noy sherus leumi. Sherus leumi was the obligatory enrollment of men and r”l women to do things for any community that Israel would make them do.
It has nothing to do with volunteering to take a community position, such as a garbage collector, or police officer – the question here was about sakanah.
@ JewGut
I don’t remember the issur and reason for it. Can you please explain?
The gedolim said Sherut Leumi was assur for women, not men.
Shlomo either you are brain dead or just dumb. They are needed since most police are now in uniform attempting yo save the state of Israel just like thru saved reb Yoel in 1944
Wow the gall you have to argue with Rav Zilberstien. And even if there are rabonim who say it’s assur who are you to pick sides.
I could care less whether or not you think its “assur”. The established security forces need all the assistance they can get from those physically capable of providing it. Many lives were saved in the kibbutzim and moshavs around Gaza by local community security personnel. If Charaedi communities don’t think they need or want protection, thats their chocie.
JewGut get a life. You a sick twisted individual, like those Fakestinians, dressed like Jews, holding signs on the streets of Williamsburg supporting the Gaza terrorists. You are a sick individual. Seek help now. Or better yet, move to Tehran
Is this Rav of the opinion that Jews who learn Torah should not defend themselves?
And since when don’t Balei Batim learn Torah?
Is there a new exemption for BB not to learn Torah?
Doesn’t every Yid have the Mitzvah of Limud HaTorah? Or is it only for those trying to dodge the army?
Rav Zilberstein is not suggesting anybody enlist in the police or sheirut leumi.
These are local volunteer citizen patrols, similar to American Shomrim, that are working with the police and will be under their supervision. Some cities in Eretz Yisroel already have this arrangement from before.
@JewGut
Every gadol?
Rav Zilberstein shlita literally states that they can. If you hold that Rav Zilberstein isn’t a gadol… I don’t even know what to say… your comment doesn’t deserve a response…
Also, @YWN, minor, albeit important, mistranslation:
“ All of the above does not apply to Bnei Yeshivah whose Torah is their EMUNAH.”
It’s not emunah, faith, it’s umnus full time profession.” People who spend more time in the coffee room than the Beis should mistama sign up.
Thank you YWN for going above and beyond to provide the olam with Torah based news!!!! Hatzlacha rabba!!!!
kollel faker:
I’m sure your heart is in the right place, despite the ugly way in which you express yourself.
Here’s a rewrite of what I said.
Interesting psak.
Why, according to Rav Zilbershtein, are these policemen needed?
Is his opinion that they are only needed to protect ba’alei battim, but that Bnei Yeshiva have no need of their protection?
All of the above does not apply to Bnei Yeshivah whose Torah is their emunah
Oy vey. What a grobbe amhoratzus. The word is אומנותם, not אמונתם!!! Umnus has nothing to do with Emuna!
Shlomo, the gemara says explicitly that talmidei chachomim don’t need protection. Whether you understand it or not, the Torah says that is the fact, so we have to accept it.
Mike, baalei batim are obligated to be koveya ittim in the morning and evening. Bnei Torah are learning all day, and it is an explicit gemara that it is forbidden to draft bnei torah. And so also the Rambam paskens.
Avraham Avinu was punished for drafting talmidei chachomim. אמר רבי אבהו אמר רבי אלעזר מפני מה נענש אברהם אבינו ונשתעבדו בניו למצרים מאתים ועשר שנים מפני שעשה אנגרייא בתלמידי חכמים שנאמר וירק את חניכיו ילידי ביתו
Asa was also punished for the same thing. דרש רבא: מפני מה נענש אסא? מפני שעשה אנגריא בתלמידי חכמים,
stop prattling stupidity.
End of the day, all Gedolim have unequivocally paskened sherus leumi to be totally assur.