HaGaon HaRav Meir Tzvi Bergman, a senior member of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah and the son-in-law of HaGaon HaRav Elazar Menachem Man Shach, z’tl, published a letter on Wednesday regarding the threat of bnei yeshivos being recruited to the army.

“When misguided brothers came to sabotage the yeshivos kedoshos which is the foundation of our existence, in their attempt to reduce lomdei Torah, bnei hayeshivos, all of us are obligated to declare that ‘העולה על רוחם היה לא תהיה’! – what they imagine won’t happen! And to be mechazeik ourselves, that whatever may happen, Am Hashem won’t abandon the Torah Hakedoshah under any circumstances.”

“תורת ה’ לעולם היא תמימה – we’re not the owners of it, גוילין נשרפין ואותיות פורחות [When Rebi Chaninah ben Teradion, one of the Asurei Harugei Malchus, was put to death by the Romans by wrapping him up in a Sefer Torah and setting him on fire, his talmidim asked what he saw and he responded: ‘The parchments are burning but letters are soaring on high.’] And just like we have no authority and ability to change any of its details…we also don’t have any permission or ability to stop even one lomeid Torah.”

“We can’t see the swallowing of the kodesh, to stand from afar and agree to even the theft of one nefesh from Yisrael – we’ll oppose it will all our strength, that the possibility of every ben Yisrael to sit in the ohel of Torah and serve Hashem – is not denied – and this is not open to negotiation at all.”

“And I already wrote [in 2000] in the name of Rabbeinu HaGadol Rosh HaYeshivah [HaRav Shach, z’tl], that if becomes נוגע למעשה – to publicize to the public in his name that the gezeirah of the recruitment of bnei hayeshivos is a gezeiras shmad [שמד] and it’s necessary to be moser nefesh for it like it’s explained in the Shulchan Orech Yoreh De’ah.”

“And therefore, if we are tested in this, we must oppose it with all our strength, to the point of mesirus nefesh.”

“And if we are strong in this, those misguided brothers will internalize that there is no benefit or purpose to their misdeeds, in their attempt to threaten the Olam HaTorah, and b’ezras Hashem, they will leave us alone.”

“And you, the bnei yeshivos hakedoshos…do not fear, and don’t be afraid of them! Because we don’t live according to them. Your value and the value of your Torah is priceless”

“When they come to bnei yeshivos with complaints or various ways of persuasion, for good or for bad, bnei yeshivos should not enter a debate on the topic at all.”

“And I’ve already said what I was instructed in my youth by the Chazon Ish, z’tl, that when they came to persuade the bnei yeshiva in Lomza yeshivha to go and protect Eretz Yisrael, especially through the claim of הוראת שעה, the Chazon Ish instructed me not to respond to what they were saying but to firmly tell them that my only desire is limmud Torah. And not to add anything else – without all the explanations. Because just entering into a debate with them is the beginning of falling into their trap and who could predict what the end will be.”

ונזכה כולנו לישועת ה’ על עמו ונחלתו, כאשר אין ידוע מה ילד יום ה”י, ונהיה אנחנו וצאצאינו כולנו יודעי שמך ולומדי תורתך. ומלאה הארץ דעה את ה’ והיתה לה’ המלוכה.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)