As has been reported in the past, officials in the IDF’s Logistics & Technology Branch are big supporters of the recent programs to bring chareidim into their ranks, pleased with the highly motivated inductees who continue to exhibit a desire to maintain a standard of excellence. New advertisements are urging members of the military from the chareidi community are encouraged to bring a friend, to introduce him to the opportunities offered by the IDF today.
Forty new chareidi recruits joined the ranks of the military in the beginning of January and after a very brief basic training period; they are now being assigned to their units, all part of the specially crafted programs to comply with their lifestyle, permitting adequate for davening, learning and kashrut on a mehadrin standard with appropriate hechsherim.
The IDF has come a long way, and is finally realizing that permitting chareidi inductees to serve in a suitable atmosphere will result in positive change that is a win win situation. The soldiers are permitted to exist in a military environment that is in line with their lifestyle and the IDF benefits from manpower eager to perform and excel.
One of the chareidi soldiers, Avi Ben-Ezra, tells his story on the IDF website, explaining he was a yeshiva bachur when he received an invitation to attend a kenos explaining the project. After learning of the particulars, he suddenly realized the IDF program was indeed a viable option, one that could be advantageous, giving to his country while learning a skill, a trade that will permit him to earn a livelihood after three years of service.
To date, the feedback from both sides remains overwhelmingly positive and it appears the numbers of chareidim genuinely interested in serving in the IDF, in the program that accommodates a chareidi lifestyle, continues to grow.
(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)
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10 Responses
learning torah is the best protection for our land. The army is ruled by a political agenda rather than a mere security one which leaves little room allowing oneself to be but in line of fire
i think the military has embarked on a well deserving program. its a win win situation.the military is more than fighting men. their is much ‘chochma’in the military and making use of gifted chereidim is a tremendous idea,that has come todate.it will also give the cheridim more say in the political arena and solidify the frum community.
Torah Jews are already taking over in the most elite combat units. For charaidim to enter and eventually be at the forefront of the IDF’s Logistics & Technology Branch can only be a good thing.
That the chilonim are NOT trying to prevent it, and are actually encourageing it (when they are so petrified of the frum taking over the country in general) is an amazing thing that is actually a bit hard to understand b’derech ha’teva.
Today the army. Tomorrow the government.
Mashiach IS coming.
#1. Torah learning is, indeed paramount, and you are absolutely correct about the realities of the government’s security agenda. Nevertheless, a good portion of Chareidim have opted to work with the state to keep as much frumkeit as possible. Torah learning needs to lead to actually doing what we learn, as we are told in numerous citations throughout Shas. That’s why there are many Charedeim who have jobs. And if the IDF is able to accomodate Chareidim so we can be equal partners in keeping the people of Eretz Yisroel safe, and not have to barter what Torah demands of frum Yiddin, then I think such service is an option that needs to be seriously considered.
#4. seeing that you are somewhat learned you also know that “doing what we learn” is refering to keeping the mitzvos ONLY and has NOTHING to do with “Charedeim who have jobs”!
Mitzvos “only” does include Charedeim having jobs because obtaining and using parnasa in a kosher manner is part of the mitzvos. No question that Hashem decides how much our parnasa will come to and under what circumstances, but a lot of us have to get some form of employment that’s not Jewish-specific to get it. Same thing with security in Israel. Charedeim accept that the current State is far from the ideal situation. But if you’re among those who vote to work with the State, than backing that up with personal efforts in the national defense is a completely reasonable part of the equation, and particularly when there are venues for doing it that don’t require compromises with frumkeit. A lot of us get real hot under the collar about frum living areas and religious sites being put on the block for the “Land for Peace” games. I’m a little tired of the appearance we’ve gotten of being willing to defend our hold on those areas — right down to the last Chiloni!
#6 even though parnasa in a not kosher way is an avairah, that doesn’t mean that doing it in a kosher way is a mitzvah. It may be a nesesity for some but not a mitzvah [check the 61
#6#7 sorry about that..
[check the 613 mitzvos] see bach elyah raboh and olas tomid Orach Chaim 240.
security is israel has nothing to do with anything here. where is the mitzvah to endanger ones life on a nationalistic pretext, are you suggesting that serving in the American Army is a mitzvah, certainly not. ISRAEL with its political agenda is no different.
If you want to choose your area of parnoso by joining a faction of the army which doesnt compromise on torah values, thats fine but leave religion out of it!
Torah encompases everything a Jew does or does not do.
There is no way to “leave religion out of it” in anything.
Also I think I remember learning something that said that if a father did not teach his son a parnossa then he was teaching him to steal.
And the Lubavicther Rebbe once led a massive effort to elect the Daled party in Israel and also at another time he gave Arik Sharon military advice so obviously supporting someone or doing work for them on a nationalistic basis is not so ‘separate’ from Torah and Mitzvohs as some might think.
#9 eating without a brocho is an avairah but that doesn’t make eating pizza a mitzva.
it may be a mitzvah of chesed when done for the right intentions, if someone is going to the army to “Help” like the rebbe who had the broader picture in mind for klal tisroel. thats fine/
don’t try to convince yourself that all the people joining the army have “chesed” in mind … it is nationalistic drives, which the rebbe had no connection to.