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| The million man rally in Jerusalem (YWN) |
One may wonder how this squares with my oft-mentioned
complaint that Charedim need to serve in the military. Well, the two are not
mutually exclusive. One can both learn Torah diligently and serve as well as
prepare to serve when the time comes (such as in war).
This is, in fact, what a Hesder Yeshiva does. But I am not
opposed to the idea that there should be yeshivas where full-time Torah study
exempts one from the military. This too is in line with what the Charedi world
seeks.
The big difference between us is the extent to which
exemptions like that should be given. In my view, they should only be given to
those who have the potential for greatness in Torah study. Those with the
potential to guide others in advanced learning. Or who have the ability to rule
on complex halachic issues. Or to lead the Jewish people in other ways.
What that number should be is something I am not qualified
to determine. All I am saying is that there should be exemptions in some cases. The
rest should be subject to army service, like everyone else. To the extent that
there may be religious issues that might be impediments, they can and should be
worked out between Charedi rabbinic leaders and military leaders who can come
to a solution where the needs of both sides are met.
The Charedi leadership completely rejects that idea. They
are opposed to any of their people serving in the army. First, they fear that
serving in a secular army will dilute their religious observance - if not
entirely disabuse them of it. And secondly, they believe that Torah study
should be full time for every last one of them for as long as possible. Subjecting
Charedim to the draft will destroy that paradigm.
So opposed are they that they are going to great lengths to
fighting it. And have told their
students to ignore draft notices — even if it means being arrested and jailed, as some
have been.
Government funding for yeshivas that don’t comply has been
cut off.
These leaders are now apoplectic about their situation and have called for a prayer rally. Which is happening today. They are characterizing their dilemma as an extreme attack against the Torah world by the Zionist government.
They consider themselves to be the ones
that are suffering. As though what the rest of the country has gone through
(and to some extent - still going through) does not exist. There is not a word
about what the hostages and their families have gone through (and are still
going through), Not a word about the many IDF soldiers that have given their
lives in battle for the Jewish people. Not a word about those who have sustained
permanent injuries. Or what their families have gone through. Not a word about
the disruption to family life that so many in Israel have gone through; the disruption to their livelihoods, Not a
word about the sleepless nights by mothers worrying about ever seeing their sons whole again, if at all!
These things were not worthy of a million man prayer
rally. Not even a hundred man prayer rally. At best, a couple of verses of
Tehilim were quickly recited after every public prayer service and then everyone
just went their way.
I understand how they feel about Torah study. And as I said,
I even agree with them about its importance. What I vehemently disagree with is
their unwillingness to compromise and and their hard core defiance. A defiance
that has been accompanied by some very harsh rhetoric against the government and anyone that supports them.
What this shows is that they do not consider the rest of the
Jewish world – even those of us that are fully observant – to be part of the
Jewish nation. There is only one Jewish nation that matters. The Charedi Jewish
nation. They are the ones that will perpetuate Judaism into the future. They practically do not acknowledge our existence!
Right now, they are in the middle of that ‘million-man prayer rally’. Hundreds of thousands of them have been gathering
in Jerusalem for an all-day prayer session, closing off all access to and from
the city. And if they don’t get their way now, they will take even stronger
measures to protest the government. I read somewhere that they are talking
about closing down the airport. And if that doesn’t work. What’s next?
I cannot understand why these leaders can’t find a way to
compromise. It might be true that their last attempt at compromise failed. They
blamed the government for that. But that shouldn’t mean the end of
negotiations.
The truth is that the army needs people. And the largest pool of available people to fill that need are the ‘million’ people at the prayer rally.
And yet these leaders are so respected that no one dares
challenge them. Other rabbinic leaders of a bit lesser stature just walk in
lockstep with them. I suppose many (or even most) of
them agree totally with these leaders. But it would not surprise me if there
were a significant number of them who might actually disagree privately but
fear the consequences of publicly challenging them.
Then there is the call by the American Agudah Moetzes to
join their Israeli brethren in prayer characterizing the draft laws in the same
evil terms that their Israeli counterparts do. But here too, I have to wonder
if there is any private dissent among them? We will never know since they never
discuss dissent when they declare their public policy decisions.
I believe these elderly Charedi leaders who have riled up their
public are leading them into an impossible situation from which they may never
recover. The increased anger and hatred this will surely generate will not go
away any time soon.
Comments to the post can be made at Emes Ve-Emunah II where it is cross-posted
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