Shortly after the war in Gaza began, a senior IDF officer made the rounds of a number of yeshivos in an effort to draft yeshivah bochurim en masse.
His efforts were unsuccessful and someone suggested to him that he speak with HaGaon HaRav Dov Landau.
In a video that was released on Tuesday, HaRav Landau is seen speaking with the officer at length, telling him that Klal Yisrael’s protection and salvation stems only from limmud haTorah.
HaRav Landau also expressed great concern about the hostages, saying: “We want Hashem to send salvation to all of them, especially to these poor Jews who are being held captive. Who knows what they’re doing to them? This worries me more than anything. It worries me day and night. What can I do for them? They’re in the hands of people of whose cruelty is unparalleled.”
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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22 Responses
I think we can figure out why the sound was muted.
In my opinion, it would be prudent yes to allow the sound.
I don’t know if everybody seeing this video understands the deeper meaning of it but this RABBI is a very deep person and it doesn’t matter who he was talking to
But they don’t get it, that we never respected any of the Zionist ideals not in the dark of the night, if they vote for shabbat or government support for yeshivas doesn’t mean they see the army as doing God’s work
משיב חכמים אחור….
Kol hakavod to the rav and to the officer for having this conversation
Notice that someone twice brings ONE drink to the table. Of course, the Rav , and the officer, have derech eretz to not drink the only cup 🙂
Were the people behind the camera afraid that the officer will not say bracha or just being rude?
I don’t think the conversation was complete despite best efforts. The officer had difficult time asking questions and the answers did not seem satisfying to him. But at least they talked. Maybe ywn could post a full transcript?
The actual protection of Jews everywhere is of course only Torah and Mitzvos. It really is that simple.
Shmading Jews in the Zionist army is, of course, counter-productive in every way.
Barn Owl you’re a mechutzaf.
Since the person who wrote the article doesn’t seem to understand Hebrew, let me clarify. The officer did NOT insist the boys be drafted. He asked that the yeshiva bochrim each go to one levaya, or to visit one injured person. He also insisted that he values the Torah learning. The Rav answered, that the learning is the most important thing, and that a bochur who would witness such a levaya, or visit the injured, may see things that would totally throw him off his learning, and that Torah learning is the most important thing. That’s the bottom line of the discussion.
The officer also asked about this being a milchemet mitzvah, and the Rav answered that the term has turned into a cliche, where people don’t understand the complexity of it, and only gdolei hador would understand in our day what a milchemet mitzvah actually is.
The Rav was careful not to put down the officer, repeatedly telling him that the officer is a “shogeg”, as he doesn’t understand the depth and complexity of the issues. He insisted that the seder of the bochrim can’t be changed in any way, as their learning is the most important, and guards us all.
The Rav said that his main concern is the prisoners.
The officer agreed, and said that he and his soldiers would try to return them, at the risk of his and their lives. He asked for a bracha, which the Rav gave them all. The officer then was mevarech the Rav, and the recorder cut the recording off….
Klal Yisrael’s protection and salvation stems only from limmud haTorah
אילמלא דוד לא עשה יואב מלחמה ואילמלא יואב לא עסק דוד בתורה
Were it not for David, [who studied Torah,] Joab would not have been able to wage war successfully, and were it not for [the military acumen] of Joab, David would not have been able to study Torah.
(סנהדרין מט,א)
Yeshiva bochurim are part of the war effort.
There are soldiers who are fighting in Gaza, soldiers who are in intelligence in Tel Aviv, soldiers who are preparing food in the army’s kitchen, and soldiers who are in the yeshivos.
Everyone is doing their part.
Hakatan:
Is not one of the “Mitzvos” about which you wrote to defend the Jewish people against those who seek to commit genocide? If it were one of your family members held by the beasts in Gaza, do you think you would call for the “Zionist army” to lay down arms and head for the yeshivas?
“Milchemes Mitzvah” is not a cliche, or a complicated subject. The halacha is clear that defending Jews from any army that threatens them is a milchemes mitzvah. Thus there is no doubt that the current war, like all of Israel’s wars, is Milchemes Mitzvah. Nowadays Milchemes Reshus is against the Laws of Nations, so no civilized countries do it, including Israel.
But even for a milchemes mitzvah, talmidei chachomim do not go out. Their participation in the war is by learning Torah, and if they were to leave their gemoros and take up rifles they would be abandoning their posts.
A few weeks ago there was a case of an officer who had been assigned to the training base, to train combat soldiers, but he defied his orders and went into Gaza on his own in order to join his brigade who were fighting. He fought bravely, but when he came back he was court-martialed, because he had no right to go when he wanted. He was needed at his post, and when he abandoned it there was nobody to take his place.
The gemara says that משורר ששיער חייב מיתה. We need both משוררים and שוערים, and they are equally important, but they have no right to switch roles, to look for א געשמאקע עבודה.
The officer asked the Rav If this isn’t a Milchems mitzva and the Rav answered that it became a cliche.
Well, We find In Shilchun Oruch Orach Chaim 329 sief 6 in mIchaber and rama that one needs to go to war in this situation. I’m therefore trying to understand what the Rav’s Intention is why this isn’t Indeed a milchems mitzva according to the Shilchin Oruch ?
@ Minachme SHmei. Look also Makos daf 10 umid one. Mie goram Lisruel lamoid bimilchome sharei yirusholayim shehau oiskim batoira.
The IDF officer’s family sent an apology to the Rav afterwards and explained that he’s shell shocked due to the recent events.
To Hanoch:
Wise comment (reply) there
Hashem should bentsch your family and the rest of Klal Yisroel with lots of good health.
How is he going to persuade us to go to the army when it’s so dangerous. Don’t forget that the army is fighting against high tech weaponry from Iran.
We would rather say a thousand Pshetlech than agree to join.
@Grace94465,
Since you don’t realise that most people do understand hebrew (and so did probably the article writer), and your cutting up parts is ludicrous, let’s clarify:
Around half the clip was him desperately trying to crank out a twistable form of a “call to enlist” by one of the most elderly Rosh Yeshivos in this generation, albeit it failed.
The Rosh Yeshiva, obviously aware of this, refused to budge on anything, and argued his point right to the end.
When he saw that, he tried to save his skin by trying to salvage something small in the least, but it just didn’t garner anything, not even a hint at all….
You’ll notice that he even described the limud torah and tefilos being to attain hatzala. He wouldn’t even hint to a suggestion that can be translated into a Rosh yeshiva taking a political stance, and twisted by the kofrim and their newspapers.
Just look at the immense chutzpah of this crazed by zionism idf soldier!!
Look how he speaks to the Rosh Yeshiva! He needs two big slaps on his face!!
The rav had to berate him so many times, getting it clear to him, that the Rosh Yeshiva, with his vast torah knowledge (I’m saying this), is not going to have it from an esavnik darshening to him stories of Reb akiva and suggestions on visiting etc.
Even the Rosh Yeshiva, who is famously know for his calm immense middos, at one point got so insensed by the mans gobsmacking chutzpah, that he had to very strongly exclaim “Chas Veshalom” in a very forceful voice, but the big mouth muchutzaf just wouldn’t give up!!
Does the RAMBAM mention anywhere a ptur of Lomedei Torah from Milchemes Mitzvah??
Menachem Shmei well said. Certainly yeshiva bochurim need to learn as it is the merit of Torah that will בעזרת השם restore security. Nevertheless the IDF is the practical means for that to happen and a little respect for those in uniform is due. There is not a single jew living in Israel that does not benefit from the IDF. As such the condescending tone of some on this thread is ungrateful and childish.
Indeed, normal Torah-abiding Jews are not grateful to the organisation whose persona and mantra is the utter destruction and undermining anything Jewish….
Yes, religious Jews shouldn’t suffer from either spiritual nor physical/psychological Stockholm syndrome….
Is the IDF officer Erez Eshel?
https://iyun.org.il/en/sedersheni/the-cedar-and-the-reed-on-the-symbollic-clash-between-erez-eshel-and-rav-dov-landau/