Rosh Yeshivas Porat Yosef HaGaon HaRav Moshe Tzadka, one of the most senior Sefardi Roshei Yeshivos in Israel, spoke strongly against the new Chareidi draft law currently being drafted during the Purim seudah on Monday in Jerusalem, Kikar H’Shabbat reported.
“The Roshei Yeshivos should gather for a meeting and we’ll declare in one voice that our bochurim don’t recognize the law and they will all go to prison,” HaRav Tzadka said. “What should be done? This is the best option in my opinion. The Va’ad HaYeshivos should gather the Rabbanim and decide that all yeshivah bochurim will go to prison. What will they do? Take everyone to prison? So they’ll go.”
HaRav Tzadka instructed those who asked him about the issue to also speak to Rosh Yeshivas Chevron HaGaon HaRav Dovid Cohen in order to consult with him about what to do about the new law.
Kikar H’Shabbat published a recording of the conversation between HaRav Cohen and a Sefardi avreich.
Avreich: “I was sent by HaRav Tzadka to discuss the new recruitment bill.”
HaRav Cohen: “I haven’t seen the draft and I’m not well-versed on the matter but as I have expressed my opinion in the past, I and the Roshei Yeshivos are completely opposed to recruitment targets.”
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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9 Responses
Really great to hear. כל המקבל על עצמו עול תורה. RJBS said we do not have to be apologetic but rather be proud.
We need to have more Kavonoh when we say ולמלשינים!
Perhaps the bochrim are tinokot she’nishbeuh. those who misled them should go to jail.
I will go to jail as well, 80 and female ….for my country and my Torah, I will go to Jail
it seems to me that the litvish european descent rabbanim are better at responding to the leftwing european descent government
The Rosh Yeshiva’s father, zt’l, would probably do the same thing. Kol HaKavod!!!!
When Rabbis make comments like these during the enormous existential crisis faced by the Jews of Israel, I wonder if they consider the ill-effect it may have on those on the margins of Torah observance. Many of them undoubtedly see such comments as evidence of a hypocritical group who support the IDF when it comes to their protection, but condemn it when it comes to their own service. It is hard to see how this can have a positive effect for Torah observance among many Israelis.
Why shouldn’t they go to jail, and what difference will it make? They’ll be able to sit and learn all they want in jail with no outside interference. Isn’t that ideal?
@Hanoch – no, I do not think that they do. They live in a very strange cultist bubble of their own making. The real world doesn’t often penetrate that bubble.