This morning I saw a segment of NBC’s Today Show which nearly brought me to tears. Michael Oren is a secular (I believe) American Oleh and who moved to Israel right after the Six Day War. He was a paratrooper with the IDF in 1982 during the first Lebanon campaign. He is now in the IDF reserves, is married, and has three children. Two of them, a boy and a girl are currently serving in the IDF. His son is in one of the combat units. Mr. Oren and his wife were interviewed by Today Show news anchor, Ann Curry. They were asked why they continue to stay in Israel and not move back to the United States; to safety. His wife answered, that she could not conceive of herself and her family living anywhere other than in a Jewish State with the Jewish people.
Yes, she worried about the safety of her children, and her husband, who was called up from the reserves… but she was dedicated to her people and would have it no other way. Her husband agreed… even with the obvious danger facing one of their children serving on the war front itself. Not only that but as a New Republic article Mr. Oren wrote shows, he thinks that Israel should mount a more serious ground campaign as that would be the only way to assure minimum over-all civilian casualties and maximum chances of success: “By clearing the terrorists from the area adjacent to its northern border and by eliminating Hezbollah's most strategic strongholds, Israel will have won a concrete achievement.”
To see such devotion by a secular Jew to his people… to be willing to participate once again in a war and to advocate a dangerous mission where his oldest son would face ever greater danger to life and limb than he is facing now… is to have a lot more courage than I have. I don’t know that I could advocate a scenario that would put my children’s lives in great danger. But it is the right thing to do and it brought me to near tears to hear from a secular Jew that he is willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for his people if that is what it takes, and that is what he believes it will take. And his entire family agreed.
Contrast that with a statement by the Edah Hacharedis. In an article in the Jerusalem Post a spokesman for the Edah said that they would never say prayers for the IDF, even in such a time as now. He said that doing so would be tantamount to recognizing the Jewish State. Instead he said they were saying Tehillim for …all… of Israel.
(This is reminiscent of when prominent Arab figures are asked to condemn a specific suicide bomber attack in Israel. The response is always, “We condemn all acts of terror!” as if to say that Islamic suicide bombers are just part of an over all terror perpetrated by both sides... only that Israel’s terror is state sponsored!)
To refuse to say a Teffilah for the physical army whose members are putting themselves in harm’s way, some of whom pay the ultimate price and others of whom sustain lifelong permanent injuries… is the height of insensitivity. It is wrong, and it is a Chilul HaShem in my eyes. It seems that any time I hear anything about the Edah HaCharedis it is negative.
Their Hechsherim seem to be about the only thing about them of any value what-so-ever. It’s too bad that it is considered the most stringent and that many Charedim trust only their Hechsher.
Rav Moshe Sternbuch, who was identified in the article as the head of the Edah, and who advocates keeping Yeshivos open during Bein Hazmanim during this war… was asked about Teffilos for the IDF. He declined comment. But Shtikah K’Hoda’ah. His silence in the face of an Edah spokesman makes it very clear what his position is.
Rav Sternbuch is a major Talmid Chacham. His knowledge of Shas and Poskim has few peers in the Torah world. I have his 3 volume Sefer, “Moadim U’Zmanim”. There are very few people who can write Seforim like that.
But, it is very hard to respect anyone who refuses to specifically pray for a military at war with those who have vowed as their goal to annihilate the Jewish people.
Praying for the welfare and succsess of Israel’s army should go beyond any politics. He doesn’t agree that the state of Israel has validity?… he’s entitled to believe what he wants. But that he allows that belief to preclude Teffilos for an army of Jews putting their lives on the line to protect Klal Yisroel…is beyond me.
