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| Charedim enlisting in the IDF (Matzav) |
A yeshiva bochur who recently enlisted in the IDF described
a painful and humiliating confrontation he says he experienced at a train
station in Haifa, where a woman allegedly screamed at him for not serving in
the military — and then spit in his face after he showed her proof that he had
just signed his enlistment papers.
One of the biggest issues plaguing Israel right now is the
conflict between the Charedi world and the rest of Israel with respect to the
draft. Charedi leadership will simply not hear of mandatory enlistment. They
are willing to ‘starve’ rather than serve. To that end, they have been
collecting funds to prevent the ‘starvation’ of their young men who do not
serve – The leadership opposes all attempts to get them to serve voluntarily.
Just last week the Charedi leadership — in both Israel and
the United States joined forces in yet another huge fundraising campaign. This
time in South America appealing for funds to replace generous funds the
government now refuses to restore to the Charedi world unless their young are
subjected to the draft.
What these leaders found was huge crowds of enthusiastic
supporters. These leaders need to duplicate last year’s successful fundraising
goal of $100 million in donations. There appears to be great deal of wealth in
the Charedi world there right now.
How long they will be able to maintain this massive effort
is hard to predict. But I just can’t see even wealthy Charedim coming up with
that kind of money year after year for what they call the “Olam HaTorah” — as
though they have a monopoly on Torah to the exclusion of everyone else.
The thing is, as I’ve said many times, I actually agree with
them about the importance and primacy of Torah study. I admire and support
those who dedicate most of their waking hours to mastering it. What I do not
support are the vast numbers of people in that “Olam” who are nowhere near
achieving it — whether because of personal limitations in their abilities or
because their talents lie in other fields. Not everyone is cut out for that
kind of lifestyle. And should not automatically be a part of it.
Their insistence that all choose this lifestyle — whether
capable or not — be compensated for it, and that they be exempted from serving
in the IDF, is a gross misuse of the dictum of VeHagisa Bo Yomam
VaLayla— the Torah’s requirement to study Torah day and night. Upon which
they base their lives. This does not mean that every Jew must sit in the study
hall all day and all night and do nothing else. If one sets aside short regular
times for learning during both the day and the night, they satisfy that dictum.
My objection is not to the values they espouse, but to how
broadly they apply them. And to the cost of that policy to the welfare of the
entire population of the State of Israel.
That there are occasional cases of Charedi enlistment is
very laudable. But these Charedim are often sneered at by their own people for
bucking the system. I have yet to hear any leader speak positively about these
Charedim. It is almost as if they do not exist. Well, they do — although their
numbers are comparatively minuscule as of yet.
As far as I am concerned, Charedim like the above-mentioned enlistee are heroes. They actually have a conscience. They realize that others doing the fighting and dying while they do nothing is the height of irresponsibility. And they understand that taking pride in draft evasion is the height of arrogance. Especially when so many of those who serve in dangerous combat units are as devoutly religious as the Charedim themselves. And yet, for the vast majority, there seems to be no guilt about dodging the draft…
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