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| A 'Daas Torah' condemnation (VIN) |
Several leaders of the Lithuanian charedi community have spoken out sharply against the new initiative of Rabbi Dovid Leibel, the head of Achvas Torah (Kollelim for working Bnei Torah) . Rabbi Leibel is in the process of setting up a charedi brigade in the army, which will be called Mishmar HaTorah.
Rabbi Dov Landau and Rabbi Moshe Hillel Hirsch published a letter in Yated Neeman Tuesday in which they attacked the new idea:
“Our generation has merited with G-d’s help to increase Batei Midrash, yeshivos and kollelim, and tens of thousands of Avreichim KY have taken off the yoke of public service and separated from worldliness in order to sanctify themselves with the sanctity of the Torah and service of G-d. Besides the inherent virtue, this is also the only assured way to protect the sanctity of Am Yisrael. Even those who work for their livelihood are basing their lives on Torah values with the outlook that we received from our teachers of blessed memory.
(Rabbi Leibel) wishes to establish a Mishmar Torah program which will cause the draft of Bnei Yeshivos, and claims that the rabbis agree with him. We wish to register a strong protest and warning that all of his views are evil spirits in Am Yisrael and all of his initiatives and actions are designed to cause damage and are a danger to the future of the Torah world.
It upsets me because there are so many sincere Charedim that understand the absolute evil of letting others do their dying for them. They understand that not every Charedi young person need be sitting in a Beis HaMedrash studying Gemarah and Rishonim 24/7/365. And that allowing a small percentage of them (the 25% the IDF says it would need) to serve - would not be all that great a sacrifice for them. There would still be tens of thousands that would be exempt and continue to spend their day studying Torah!
The irony of condemning Rabbi Leibel’s initiative coming out this week should not escape anyone. This week’s Torah portion (Matos/Maaseh) is where Moshe challenges the Bnei Gad and Bnei Rueven with the following rhetorical question? ‘Your brothers go to war and you sit here?!’ (Bamidbar - 32:6) Moshe was not merely admonishing people in his own generation. He was admonishing future generations as well. You do not let other Jews do the dying for you when they are at war - while you sit in safety back home.
The idea expressed as part of their ‘explanation’ for exempting all the ‘tens of thousands of Avreichim who study Torah full time (i.e. all Charedim) - is that it is the only way to protect the sanctity of the the Jewish people.
Even if I concede the point, I have to ask if indeed all ten thousand Avreichim are needed to do that? Were there tens of thousands of Avreichim doing that during the wars in 1948? 1967? 1973? Was the sanctity of the Jewish people in greater danger then than it is now?
Interestingly they did not say that those who study Torah full time are protecting the physical safety of the Jewish people. Do they not believe that? If they don't, isn't it logical to say that the IDF is? On the other hand if they believe that Torah study protects the Jewish people from physical harm, then there would still be more Avreichim studying Torah full time now than at any of those earlier times - even if 25% of them are drafted!
What about all the voices in the Charedi world that are working so hard to put a more rational perspective on this at least for American Charedim? ...those who have suggested that there ought to be some sort of compromise that would satisfy IDF needs without rocking the Charedi boat of full time Torah study for most of them?
I’m sure they speak to the heart of many American Charedim that privately agree with them. But will never say anything publicly for fear of being ostracized by their local Charedi rabbis for daring to ‘disagree with the Gedolim’. Who have made the ‘Torah position’ very clear.
I’m not sure how many American Charedim actually allow rational thoughts on any given issue to influence them when Daas Torah speaks. (Since - you know – when ‘Daas Torah’ says left is right and right is left, that is what you must believe.)
And so the hatred of Charedim will continue to grow in all sectors of Israel. Including religious sectors that are not Charedi. I can’t think of too many things more upsetting than that kind of hatred and division in Klal Yisroel.
Wouldn't a grass roots Charedi rebbellion consisting of 25% of them sigining up for IDF service be really great right about now? It sure would. But - it’s not gonna happen..