Explaining that he is willing to pay the price, the loss of the lucrative Defense Ministry funding, Rabbi Yinon Ilani, the rosh yeshiva of the Arad Hesder Yeshiva has sent a letter to hesder leaders, formally resigning from the hesder family. He explained that he cannot live with the decision reached by the over 50 hesder roshei yeshiva who met in urgent session on Sunday, because he simply does not agree that political protest in the IDF is forbidden, at least during these times.
Like some of the other hawks among the roshei yeshiva, Rav Ilani did not attend Sunday’s session. One prominent rosh yeshiva who absented himself was Rabbi Elyakim Levanon Shlita, of Elon Moreh, who explained earlier in the week that he knew the outcome before the meeting began, therefore deciding his attendance was not warranted.
The forum on Sunday released a statement opposing political protest in the IDF, with hesder leaders hoping their unified message will ultimately lead to Defense Minister Ehud Barak reversing his decision and permitting Yeshivat Har Bracha to rejoin the other hesder yeshivot.
Following the urgent session, Rabbi David Stav, a hesder rosh yeshiva as well as the organization’s spokesman released a statement confirming the loyalty of hesder to Torah and state law. Rav Ilani questioned just how soldiers are expected to know how to (re)act when their rabbonim release such an ambiguous statement, since at present, Torah Law and state law are not complimenting one another, but in contradiction to one another. It appears that this statement was a major contributory factor to the rabbi deciding to resign from the hesder family.
YWN-Israel reported earlier that the talmidim in the Har Bracha yeshiva have been informed they have 60 days to join another hesder program, or alternatively, enter the army as regular soldiers, serving three years.
(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
20 Responses
It was only a matter of time when the religious mizrahi movement were put to the test and sided with the secular zionist. Of course you will still have some strong hold and consolidation of hesder yeshivos, but give it another political show and the movement will do away with the yeshivos.
Kol Hakavod Rav Ilani and Rav Levanon!
Torah ALWAYS supercedes EVERYTHING! (even -and ESPECIALLY- Barak’s illegal, immoral, anti-Torah, anti-Jewish, totalitarian orders).
Wow. All money belongs to Hashem, and Hashem has many shlichim for funds. This report moves me to deeper Bitachon. Thank you.
#1, #2, wow, it’s really easy to comment and carry on about these decisions when its not you or your child who will be defending Am Yisrael. You can criticize all you want from the comfort of your chair. The Hesder movement and the hashpa’ah of Dati soldiers and officers in Tzahal is an incredibly huge kiddush Hashem, influencing thousands upon thousands of secular soldiers over decades. The Nachal Charedi battalion does this as well. But you, in your wisdom and pride, know better.
Ehud Barak is many things, but one thing he is not is stupid, nor is he naive. He has served with hesderniks and dati soldiers since he commanded Sayeret Matkal in the 70’s and ran the General Staff in the 90’s. He knows that they are the core of the IDF’s combat infantry and armour officers, making up more than 40% of these, well in excess of their numbers demographically. And he wouldn’t make a point of this if he didn’t know one thing, which you are obviously ignorant of.
An army wins or loses first as Hashem wills it, but secondly on how disciplined it is in carrying out the mission it is given. To do that, it has doctrines, which each of these soldiers, and each of these Yeshiva heads, were fully aware of lechatchila. Have you looked at the IDF doctrines of Tohar Haneshek and moral duties? I have. If these soldiers were being given orders outside of what was explicitly outlined as they went through Bakum and training and study, they would have not only the right, but the obligation under Military law to disobey orders. That is not the case here.
If you are content to jeopardize the safety of more than six million Jewish neshomas by supporting or promoting the kind of insubordination that is at stake here, so be it. I am not prepared to do so, and neither, apparently, are the vast majority of Hesder Roshei yeshivos, Who are each one greater talmidei Chachomim than either one of us.
Proving once and for all that you cannot be both dati and leumi.
Why bother trying?
Like him or hate him, one rabbi who would never have compromised on his principles, nor yielded to pressure from Barak, NOR sat with the Hesder Rosh Yeshivahs was….Rabbi Meir Kahane ztz”l Hyd!
Kahane was blessed that he was not dependent on the Israeli government for funds, but had ample monies from US philanthropists in his last 10 years. If he had not been banned from the 1988 election and had not made that last fatal trip to the US in 1990, great things could’ve been achieved!
So now the Har Brachah Yeshivah is closing down? The one and only Hesder yeshivah that openly rejects hurting their fellow Jews? That is sad, even for me, who is not a supporter of Hesder Yeshivos.
to# 6 “if he had not that made last trip…”
doesnt sounds like a statement any believing jew would make.
“If you are content to jeopardize the safety of more than six million Jewish neshomas by supporting or promoting the kind of insubordination that is at stake here, so be it.”–“KOTZKER CHOSID?”
You have very clearly expressed the Mizrahi Hashkofo, that the secular State is our protector, not HaShem, Yisborach.–This is a form of Avodoh Zoroh, State Worship, Nationalism.
The only REAL PROTECTION for Jews in Eretz Yisroel is from the Shomer Yisroel, Himself. Without His support, there is no safety.
An IDF which drives Jews from their homes does not deserve, and will not receive HaShem’s support, no matter how much “Doctrine” and how much “Discipline” it musters.
Ehud Barak is best known for his sponsorship of the “Secular Revolution” when he was Prime Minister of Israel. You will note that his declaration of war on the Torah coincided with the beginning of the Arab revolt–the “Intefada,” as Horav Amnon Yitzchok, Shlit”a, has so clearly documented in his tapes and videos.
#8, Deepthinker, you can try that straw man argument on someone else, but not on me. Look at the beginning of the 3rd paragraph I wrote in my post. “An army wins or loses first as Hashem wills it, but secondly on how disciplined it is in carrying out the mission it is given.” How is that statement construed as depending on the secular state. Hashem’s protection is what has sustained the Jews in Eretz Yisroel until now. But if you aren’t aware, haven’t seen the pictures, read the news, or the history books, or the sforim from ehrliche yidden who went through Israel’s wars, Hashem has acted with not only the insturment of tfiloh and limud from his Tzava in the beis medrash, but also with the strength and courage he has given to Tzahal.
If, on the other hand, you believe that you are so knowledgable in the mysteries of Hakodosh Boruch Hu’s plans that you can discern that he would create the circumstances that brought about the founding of the Medinah with the express intent of Forbidding Frum Jews from utilizing those circumstances in the context HE provided, Then I congratulate you on your nevuah.
Hakodosh boruch hu provides us with the tools he wants us to have to live Torah true lives as Jews, to have a Hashpaah on our brothers and sisters, and to have a hashpaah on the whole world. SInce he provided us with both the wherewithal AND the need to defend our selves, it is an incredible rejection of HIM to ignore what he has set out for us and to sit outside the consensus and say…pas’t nisht fur di ehrliche yidden.
I am neither friend nor foe of Barak. Like all politicians, he is far from perfect. I disagree with most of his politics. But again, he isn’t stupid, and alienating the core of his army dafka l’hachis would be the action of a stupid man. Therefore the only logical conclusion is that HE HAS ANOTHER reason for doing this. What I proposed is the most logical reason. I don’t know about you, but learning with my Brisker-trained Rosh Yeshiva didn’t make me a fan of emotional or crooked thinking. (Although I sometimes wonder what the Brisker Rov would say about my comments about the Medinah and Tzahal??)
I am not deciding the fate of anyone by my comments. I am sure our gedolim knew about this need to have an army and they still did not approve of the hesder system.
At that time they saw what can go wrong with a compromise with the secular zionist and did not approve. We see now that the hesder movement is getting its arm twisted and are in a position that we would all find difficult to decide.
However, they are to blame for putting themself in this position.
to #8: Some rabbis hold that once one is in Eretz Yisroel, one doesn’t leave it….under almost any circumstance. With hindsight R.Kahane should have stayed in his Yeshiva Or Haraayon in Jerusalem, teaching there day and night to raise a new generation of his disciples. Unfortunately, as a New Yorker, the pull of his home city was just too strong, and he kept flying back there, albeit with the noblest intentions of getting US Jews themselves to come on Aliya to escape what he believed was another pending Holocaust ch”v.
Poster #9, “deepthinker” wrote: “Ehud Barak is best known for his sponsorship of the “Secular Revolution” when he was Prime Minister of Israel. You will note that his declaration of war on the Torah coincided with the beginning of the Arab revolt–the “Intefada,” as Horav Amnon Yitzchok, Shlit”a, has so clearly documented in his tapes and videos. ”
Somebody seems to have a problem with history-or perhaps with reality.
When the intifada began, Ehud Barak was still a Major General in the IDF, not prime minister of Israel. Sorry if that does not fit into someone’s theories.
“he isn’t stupid” Kotzker Chosid (no 10)–
YES, he is!
Rav Chaim Kanievsky asks: How could Korah be so stupid? The Torah says “Pikach Haya.”
He answers that, when people get involved in machlokes–fights, they all become stupid–even the wisest of men.
Barak’s hatred of religious Jews is legendary. “Sinah Mekalkeles ess hashurah!”
to #12
are u saying hashem had him die bec. he left e.yisrael? i hope not! i hope u dont pretend to know y he died then.
my original point – if hashem decreed im to die then it didnt matter where he was.
TO STARWOLF: (NO 13):
HISTORY CAN, INDEED, BE CONFUSING.
Ehud Barak was elected Prime Minister in 1999. In 2000, he announced a “Secular Revolution. This was followed by an explosion of Arab violence, known as the “Seconf Intafada”–
The Second Intifada, also known as the Al-Aqsa Intifada was the second Palestinian uprising, a period of intensified Palestinian-Israeli violence, which began in late September 2000.
The death toll, including both military and civilian, is estimated to be 5,500 Palestinians and over 1,000 Israelis, as well as 64 foreign citizens.–Wikipedia
Is our Kotzker Chosid with his Brisker-trained Rosh Yeshiva, a Barak chosid?
deepthinker in his comments above spoke the emmes.
Rav Ilani has it right. You can’t be loyal to Hashem by following Barak’s instructions. The Brisker Rov would agree with him on this 100%.
Kotzker Chosid, what does someone have to do to be called stupid? Barak wanted to hand Arafat almost the whole medina on a silver platter, but Hashem made Arafat even more stupid than Barak so we were saved.
Let’s call a spade a spade!
We in Mizrachi never really got too upset at the many things that were and happening in our country that are upposed to Torah. How many problem have there been (and still are!) in in Tzva?
What is very clear that Rabbonim use our Torah to further their own political agenda.
Every group and religous political party are spokesmen for the Torah, preaching that the Torah and Hashem demand us to do exactly what their own politics are!
We have ONE Torah but you can read a dozen contradictory psakim from Rabbonim of different factions each claiming that Hashem demands what their political line is.
One Admor says according to Torah it is forbidden to vote another says according to Torah you must vote!
One Sfardi Gadol asays the Torah says to vote for this party while the next says exactly the opposite.
A Lithuanium Rosh Yeshiva said years ago that EVERYONE should stop using our Torah for their political views. The army is the only expert what is good for protecting jews and that is the only yardstick.
So finally the Rabbonim of Hesder are in a problem what the Torah says. The TORAH says(AND HAS ALWAYS)use Torah to be a better Jew and not for furthering your own brand of politics.
Moshiach will come when all Roshei Yeshivot and Rabbanim respect our Torah and stop being Hashems spokesmen in a difficult political matter involving our reliance on other countries.
According to “deepthinker” it is more important for the IDF to obey the rulings of a Rav (obviously one who agrees with deepthinker’s political opinions) than his commanders.
Obviously Barak, and the IDF disagree. (The command of the IDF pressed Barak for the decision to end the hesder with Har Bracha.) Every single General, active and reserve, religious and secular, left-wing and right wing, has said that Barak had absolutely no choice but to end the hesder with Har Bracha. Soldiers disobeying orders for political reasons cannot be allowed-in any military. Luckily, of course, most people with significant military command experience understand this.
But “deepthinker” knows better, because he knows that HKB”H supports Rav Melamed. I didn’t know that we had such nevuah in our time. I have news for you: your interpretation of the will of HKB”H is no more valid than mine, and Rabbanim can be found to support any political position that you may care to name.
As far as history goes, Yes, the second intifada began in 2000. I thought that you were referring to the first intifada. Most folks believe that the second intifada was sparked by Sharon’s visit to Har Habayit. Apparently you have found a Rav with an alternative explanation, based on a correlation. Hardly convincing.