Israel’s Chief Rabbi HaGaon HaRav Yitzchak Yosef delivered a sharp message to the country’s political leadership on Motzei Shabbos regarding the public debate on drafting yeshivah bochurim.
The Rav’s statements were made on the background of the Supreme Court’s decision to force the government to explain why Chareidim shouldn’t be drafted to the IDF and the resulting political debate on the matter.
Speaking at his weekly shiur, the Rav said: “Shevet Levi is exempt from the army – they won’t take them no matter what happens. If they force us to enlist – we’ll buy tickets and all travel abroad.”
“They need to understand this – the secular people who don’t understand. They need to understand that without Torah, without kollelim, without yeshivos – the army wouldn’t be successful. The army is only successful in the zechus of Bnei Torah, the soldiers are successful in the zechus of Bnei Torah.”
“Rabbosai, everyone needs to say this with pride – ‘ויגבה לבו בדרכי ה’ – yes, we’re oisek b’Torah, the Torah is what protects us.”
Last week, HaGaon HaRav Meir Tzvi Bergman said that “we won’t agree to anything regarding the recruitment of bnei yeshivos. And nothing will help them! No one is the ba’al habayis to be mevateir on the Torah – nothing will help them. And Hakadosh Baruch Hu will have mercy on us.”
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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27 Responses
what is klal yisroel? a culture? a race? a country? a nationality? we are only a nation because of the torah. we are the torah. without the torah klal yisroel would not exist. the torah is all we need. nothing else
Every single boy above 16 should become “Chareidy” , learn some “ Torah.
They could learn whatever they want, Litvish Chakiros, Chasidus Chabbad, other Chassidic Seforim, BFF reslov Seforim. It’s all better than fighting in Gaza.
“If They Force Bochurim To Enlist, We’ll Leave The Country”
Shalom V’livracha. ggggg
2036:
The Zionists wish to change all that, of course, doing all they can to turn Klal Yisrael into a godless (and Torah-less) nationalist idolatrous “nation-state” just like the gentile nations. B”H, some rabbanim are speaking out against this latest shmad move from the Zionists.
tzaischem le’shalom. learn a mishnah in the second perek of pirkei avot.
Good luck finding a kehillah in chu”l which will accept an influx of 100,000s of non-working, non-contributing, Israeli Charedi men.
Dream world.
How disrespectful to all the Kedoshim that gave their life Al Kiddush Hashem.
As if the frum leide-geyers can’t help in effort to defend Klal Yisroel.
Please stop slandering the IDF. They are not looking for the Frume to join the combat units, or mixed units, they simply need manpower, i.e. to cook, transport, logistics etc.
Why do many “frume” have opposition to help ???
Why are you better than your brother???
Who will do this work if not us???
Shame on all those that look for excuses to avoid their obligations!!!
Shame on all those who make blood libels of shmad etc against the very ones that are giving their life to protecting you while you eat Kugel in Bnei Brak. You have blood on your hands. You make the worst of society.
Like a Yitush which is Machnis v’eino motzi.
Looking at the comments on this site, it sure feels like I do not share the same religion as many of those commenting.
They have stone cold hearts and they lack the simanim of a Yid. רחמנים, ביישנים, גומלי חסדים.
These individuals lack all 3 of the simanim.
Learning Torah and serving in the army to fight a Milchemes Mitzvah in defense of Klal Yisroel are not mutually exclusive. The Gemara says that Yoav’s success in battle was due to Dovid HaMelech’s Torah… but Dovid HaMelech was also a warriror. Maybe the Torah made him a better soldier? The army needs soldiers. The dati leumim and the chilonim should not be the only ones who are sacrificing to keep our people safe from Hamas and the other threats. We need the Torah of the Chardeim on the battlefield where we can all stand side by side against the evil that wishes to destroy us all.
People need to calm down – of course he only meant this rhetorically! Where on Earth would all of these bochrim go?! What country would take them?! Would France pay them stipends to sit and learn and not work indefinitely? Would the US suddenly give them unlimited student visas, and then support them through the government subsidies that Israel provides them? Can they just pick up and move to Russia or Canada or Switzerland or Australia? What other country will let them not participate in any meaningful way in supporting themselves? Only in Israel does the general population financially support so many exceptionally talented young men who could without question succeed in many professions, and instead let them learn for years on end without working any financially meaningful job. Perhaps a few bochrim who have citizenship and wealthy families in other countries will leave, but the vast majority, who live in abject poverty, would hardly be able to afford the plane ticket out, let alone living expenses for years to come. No one is going anywhere, even if funding is reduced or eliminated. If a wealthy Zevulun is willing to pay for all of these Yishochors, great! Otherwise, no one is forcing ten other shvatim to pay for them.
I think we could all agree that Israel’s draft of (irreligious) women is terrible. Why doesn’t rav Yosef offer 30k bachurim to replace all women conscripts to the IDF.
Chances are the government won’t agree to change the law or the women will volunteer anyway.
If you don’t believe in the Jewish state you should have left years ago. Even if you try not to participate you still benefit. So remaining here is hypocritical
Where they wanna go ? Ukraine? UK ? UAE? USA?
New York, for example, took already enough refugees and I don’t think they will survive without proper work by these rent prices and cost of living.
we are Jews by virtue having received the Torah. תלמוד תורה כנגד כולם.
Chachamim hizaharu b’divreichem.
This is an empty threat. There is no country in the world that would accept such a massive group – especially when a significant portion of the men have (in their eyes) no useful education, refuse to take jobs, and expect massive government support. The only effect pronouncements like this by Rav Yosef, an acknowledged Talmid Chacham, have is to rile up the masses on both sides of the issue. It could well be that that was exactly the intent, given that today is the second round of municipal elections in Israel – but doing so does not behove the Rav, as well as being illegal given his official government position as Chief Sefardic Rabbi.
I’m not even getting into the substantive arguments against his position – and there most definitely are many. Rav Yosef does not need me to say he’s entitled to his views – he is a major Talmid Chacham; however, there are contrary views that have at least as strong a basis in Halacha. The real shame here is the Ashkenazification of the positions of Shas – historically, Shas has taken positions that are more moderate than the Ashkenazi Chareidi parties, since there was never the same anti-Zionist Hashkafa amongst the Sefardi Rabbanim in the early 20th century that there was amongst the Ashkenazim. It was good to have a group in the middle as a bridge…
an Israeli Yid
Oh please.
The chareidim have no hakaras hatov.
They have no idea how good they have it with all types of government support.
They have no education to get a job in any other country.
They ain’t going anywhere
@Moshe – I agree with most of what you said, but why in the world should Chareidim not serve as combat soldiers too?? There is nothing against Halacha in such a role – and the army most definitely needs additional combat units that such individuals could serve in. As a matter of fact, with the Chareidi concerns about serving with women, combat should be MORE appropriate – since women are less found in combat units than in support units.
Chareidim are very into being “moser nefesh” for Klal Yisrael. By being in combat units, they can stop using the term metaphorically and start using it literally…
an Israeli Yid
0:35 – Freudianslip?
I will happily pay for the plane ticket.
There are plenty of Israelis who would draft bochurim just to see them leave Israel.
As for where the bochurim could go, there is plenty of room in Boro Park, Queens, Lakewood, Chicago, Manchester, Prague, Chisanau, and elsewhere.
Most of these comments belong in an Israeli leftist site. I thought that the Yeshivah world was a frum Torahdik site. But with anti “Charaidim” comments like this, I see it is not. This site should change its name, for you do not represent the Yeshiva world anymore. Shame on you!
PLEASE STOP THE SINAS CHINAM & BIZUI CHACHAMIM on these comments.
Just be greatful to both those who are Moser nefesh to learn full-time AND serve in uniform.
I follow the opinion of Harav Arele Leib Zt”l, who holds anyone not learning full 3 sedarim/day can enlist in a mostly frum brigade (all the more so in a time of war). Obviously Harav Yitchak Shlita follows his fathers psak (in Yabia Omer) that one seider is good enough.
What’s the big deal? They can all fly into Mexico and cross the border illegally, get a $10k credit card, free medical insurance, get a student loan for Yeshiva and Biden will pay it off. All the goodies. El AL should start flying into some Mexican border town.
@emtell. The “Torah world” has a Torah that teaches us how to act in a time of war. There are halachos of Pikuach Nefesh which is דוחה כל התורה כולה.
Where do you get the Chutzpah to preach that OTHERS should stand and protect you while you are stuffing your face with Gefilte Fish.
You are no “Torah” Yid.
You are a user of the highest order. You use the Torah as. Kardom Lachfor Bo. You isr the Torah as an excuse to avoid what every adult understands is their obligation. You create anti semitism. You create פירוד לבבות in Klal Yisroel.
Shame on you. User.
@emtell – shivim panim laTorah, whether you like it or not. The views being discussed here may not be the ones you like or agree with, but they have a definite basis in Torah, Halacha, and our Mesorah. It’s important to hear other Halachic views rather than live in your own echo chamber – and YWN deserves credit for allowing this discussion.
an Israeli Yid
I’m not speaking about agreeing with people’s opinions. (Besides, there is no room for personal opinions here, each person must follow their Daas Torah)
I am speaking of the Charaidi bashing going on here. Such Charaidi bashing has never been seen before on a frum site. It’s painful to see, and shouldn’t be allowed on a site called the Yeshiva World. From bashing is not YNT simply allowing a civil discussion.
truth2power:
In any normal country, unlike the Zionist paradise, they could work without any shmad army requirement.
anIsraeliYid:
Shivim panim does not include Zionist heresy and idolatry – of any flavor.
Moshe:
The Torah teaches us how to act in a time and/or place of shmad, like the Zionist entity. The halachos of pikuach nefesh do NOT override shmad and the gimmel chamuros, all of which the Zionists impose in generous measure on its army inductees.
Where do you get the chutzpah to preach against Jews who don’t want to shmad themselves in the Zionist army?
Shame on you.