Unfortunately, the nature of this community is to treat that
leadership with such reverence that disagreeing with them is considered to be
derogatory to the Torah itself. So when these leaders speak in absolutist
terms, the Charedi world listens silently and follows their lead. Often
parroting their arguments.
Now, I fully support the ideal of studying Torah full-time
for those capable of doing so—especially those who excel at it. Even though I
disagree with the idea of full-time study for everyone regardless of their
capabilities, I understand and respect the Charedi ideal that one should
sublimate and direct their talents first and foremost into Torah study.
In theory, their opposition to military service is in
service of that ideal. At the same time, however, I believe that most Charedim
neither believe in nor participate in violent protest in order to achieve that
goal. Furthermore, I think many understand that something isn’t quite right
about universal Charedi exemption from military service. Even as they publicly
support it.
There is some evidence of this. Which can be seen in the
increase - albeit small - in Charedi enlistment into the IDF after October 7th.
But that group remains a tiny minority and hardly registers as a percentage of
the whole community.
There are additional indicators that are somewhat more
significant. Mishpacha Magazine is one example. There have been more than a few
editorials and op-eds supporting the Charedi leadership’s position on
conscription. But reading between the lines, one can detect occasional but subtle
criticism of that stance.
Ironically, a recent letter to Mishpacha written by someone
identifying himself as “M.K.” criticized Jonathan’s column from the previous
week about the violent protests in Bnei Brak. Yet in doing so, he implicitly
acknowledged the truth of its claims, even as he extolled the virtues of MK
Pindrus’s op-ed in that same issue about the ‘war’ against Torah via the
Charedi draft issue.
But perhaps no one has had his finger on the pulse of the Charedi world more perceptively than Tzarich Iyun editor, Rabbi Yehoshua Pfeffer. Rabbi Pfeffer is a Charedi intellectual who shares the community’s ideals and values. In a lengthy essay, he describes what the Charedi world was like when he studied at the Mir as an Avreich, and he contrasts the religious leadership of that time with today’s...
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