Sephardi Rabbanim are particularly worried about the Supreme Court’s ruling mandating the recruitment of bnei yeshivos as they are concerned the draft law will disproportionately affect Sephardi youth.
HaGaon HaRav Shlomo Machpud, the Gaavad of Badatz Yoreh Deah and a member of the Moetzet Chachmai HaTorah of Shas is the Rav of the Teimani [Yeminite] kehilla in Israel. As is well-known, many Teimanim, along with olim from other Sephardi countries in the early days of the State, were heavily pressured by secular authorities to throw off the ol of Torah and mitzvos.
Following the statements of HaGaon HaRav Moshe Maya, who said that serving in the IDF is assur even for bochurim who aren’t learning, HaRav Machpud also delivered a message to Sephardi bochurim: “To all yeshivah bochurim – on the gezeirah of the recruitment of talmidei yeshivos, it says ‘בני אל תלך בדרך איתם מנע רגליך מנתיבתם’. It’s forbidden to agree to this under any circumstances.”
“We need to oppose this with all our koach because it will bring a spiritual holocaust like they did to us when we first came to Israel when they tempted us [to shirk the ol of Torah and mitzvos] in various ways.”
“And now they’re coming in this way to remove bochurim from the Torah – therefore beware and guard yourself from all the temptations they’ll offer you.”
“Fulfill the passuk: ‘בני אל תלך בדרך איתם מנע רגליך מנתיבתם’ – every yeshivah bochur, whether he’s learning or not.”
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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10 Responses
the IDF can be as spiritually destructive as they say but instead of fighting it they should be trying to fix it. Either take some responsibility for YOUR army or leave the country
I have an idea. How about if the Israeli Yeshivos all unite and present the following proposal to the Medinah: Don’t fund any Yeshivos or Kollelim or their students, and don’t draft us either. You think the Yeshivos would ever consider offering such a proposal? I don’t, and THAT is the problem…
Question: If a person’s emuna and hashkafa is so fragile, that he’ll fall apart as soon as he’s exposed to the secular world…..what does that sadly say about the poor quality of his yeshiva bringing?
“As is well-known, many Teimanim, along with olim from other Sephardi countries in the early days of the State, were heavily pressured by secular authorities to throw off the ol of Torah and mitzvos”.
I thought there is a limit to ywn twisting and distorting.
Seriously?! Are you trying to downplay what the evil zionists did to us sefaradim and temanim?!
They didn’t “pressure”, they actively brainwashed, murdered, raped, tested on, sold at auction and sold our babies to American laboratories.
They did not merely “pressure”.
Disgusting.
No limit.
Shame on you YWN.
@Long Island yid
The Torah is the same way. Telling us to k**ll the Cnaanim, do not allow idol worshippers on the land, do not be exposed to them or follow in any similarities to them.
All so that we shouldn’t follow in their ways.
if the offer included “don’t tax the charedim”, the yeshivas would certainly accept.
halevai we could live politically like the native american reservations. just leave us alone and away from your zionist project and zionist wars.
@long island yid. Those who have a decent yeshiva education know the answer: chazal made numerous takanos to prevent mixing with goyim and even Jewish apostates: stam yeinom, Pas akum according to some rishonim is the same reason etc etc
Try not to throw cheap epithets and learn the sugya, then comment
Pity that this exalted individual doesn’t have the skills to negotiate any form of compromise, nor that his sensibilities have the ability to perceive any room for same.
Long Island:
Your comment is totally irrelevant to this story.
Being drafted into the Zionist army is not merely exposure to the “secular world”. It is being inducted into the indoctrination (read: shmad) boot-camp of the heresy and idolatry of Zionism. That’s very different than some office job at a non-Jewish company.
pure yiddishkeit:
Thank you. Yes, that was a pretty sick whitewash.