HaGaon HaRav Dov Landau delivered a shiur on Wednesday at Yeshivas Beit Shemaya, a Sephardi yeshivah in Bnei Brak.

After the shiur, the Rosh Yeshivah spoke about the issue of the recruitment of bnei yeshivos. Sephardi Roshei Yeshivos and Rabbanim are especially concerned about the effect of increased IDF recruitment in the Chareidi sector since it is known that more Sephardi bochurim choose to serve in the army than Ashkenazim.

HaRav Landau addressed this fact, saying to the bochurim: “You must be mechazeik and not give in to them. You should know that many of those who didn’t withstand the nisayon and were drafted later regretted it and understood that Torah is the ikar and the only guarantee to continuing our lives here as the Am Segulah.”

HaRav Landua explained that unlike in the past, when yeshivos were mainly intended to produce Gedolei Torah, today, the goal of yeshivos is also to preserve Yiddishkeit. “Since we’re surrounded by secular society, the yeshivos ensure that we’ll remain Shomer Torah u’mitzvos,” the Rosh Yeshivah said.

“The reality today is whoever isn’t in yeshivah, in an atmosphere of yeshivah, the risk to ruchniyas is very great,” the Rosh Yeshivah said. “It’s almost impossible for some who doesn’t learn in yeshivah to remain a proper Shomer Torah u’mitzovos.”

“There are two religions here in this country,” the Rosh Yeshivah continued. “There’s a religion called Tzionut (Zionism) that wants to establish a new nation. There’s another trend in recent years of what is called liberalization, progressivism. It has turned into a religion. And whoever has a religion, it supersedes everything else.”

The Rosh Yeshivah continued by saying that although Chareidim live in Eretz Yisrael and even participate in the government, “we never accepted the religion of Zionism. And of course, we never accepted the religion of liberalization.”

“You need to know – the central democratic right of each person is to adhere to his emunah. And it’s forbidden to harm this democratic right. And what the state is trying to do – via the melting pot of the IDF – is contrary to the most basic right of democracy. No other democratic country in the world tries to sculpt the nation according to its religion. Part of the way they do it is through the IDF – the education officer – which doesn’t exist in any other army in the world.”

“Another issue they speak about in recent years is ‘carrying the burden equally,'” the Rosh Yeshivah continued. “This is a new idea that never existed before. This is also contrary to democracy and a false idea. I want to read something to you from the Charter of the UN that speaks about the establishment of the state. ‘Each person must be able to enjoy his basic rights – freedom of religion, of language, of speech, and education.'”

“The fact that they want to recruit everyone is contrary to this principle. It’s written explicitly that it’s forbidden to harm anyone’s religious rights.”

The Rosh Yeshivah continued by saying that even the units that the IDF is establishing for Chareidim pose great risks to ruchniyus and the army cannot be counted on to keep its promises.

“Hakadosh Baruch should give you the koach to withstand this nisayon,” the Rosh Yeshivah concluded.