Another War this Sunday
And this time, charedim are drafting
Amidst a year of fighting in Gaza which has killed hundreds and wounded thousands and is still far from concluded, and attacks from Iran and Yemen, and rising tensions in Judea and Samaria, and a war with Hezbollah which has already killed nearly a hundred people and looks imminently about to explode into something much larger and require a ground invasion of Lebanon, the charedim have decided that it’s time for them to leave yeshivah in order participate in an intensive war effort. Against Israel.
This Sunday, with the encouragement of charedi “Gedolim” in Israel who have fabricated the existence of a “war against Torah,” much of the charedi community in the US is “going out to war” to rally against the law and majority of Israel that believes in a universal draft. An estimated 150,000 people will be in attendance, none of whom went to DC to rally for crucial political support for Israel. Both factions of Satmar are pausing hostilities to join forces in the face of a common enemy, and they are being joined by many figures from the Litvishe yeshiva world, including R. Aryeh Malkiel Kotler of Lakewood, R. Osher Kalmanovitz of Mir, and of course R. Elya Ber Wachtfogel.
I’m sure that many people outside of the Jewish community will lap this up. They will portray it as “real Jews expressing conscientious objection to Israel’s wars” (which it certainly isn’t - charedim very much want Israel to battle Hamas and Hezbollah, they just don’t want to have to help). And they will present it as showing deep divisions in the Jewish nation (which it certainly is).
It’s extraordinary, simple extraordinary, that in a year when so many Jews are making so many sacrifices in a war of national survival, those who purport to champion the Torah are not only refusing to join in the war, not only refusing to provide material help or even show any concern, but are instead declaring themselves to be in a state of war against Israel and are actively working to delegitimize it. I will have more to say about the implications of this next week.
UPDATE: The rally has been postponed because they couldn’t get the permits. Apparently Torah is strong enough to defeat Hamas and Hezbollah and Iran, but not strong enough to overcome the state of New Jersey.
A full list of my posts on the topic of IDF service is at Torah and Army: The Big Index
If American citizens want to change Israel government policy then they should make Aliyah. Until then, with all due respect, they should remain silent.
No problem to get 100,000 charedi people out to this demonstration - here's why!
The Charedi community does not have much opportunity to go to an event. They don't go to baseball games, plays , circuses, concerts, etc. Comes along an event they can go to - then it is 'Kol Yotzi Tzvah" all will go out.
Notice in Israel every funeral, even for some average guy ,draws a large crowd, Most don't even know who the nifter is, They look at the big advertisements (that is what I call them) plastered all over the streets, looking at the last name, think....think....they remember vaguely they came across that name, and it is out to pay their respects.
The difference in Israel it is out of boredom, sitting around all day - While in America it is something to do . Notice, every few weeks these days, there are Torah honors, Siyems, Starting to learn a new misechta, Finishing Mishna Birurah, etc. that full large arenas. This is good for the Charedi society, as they can have some fun, listen to good singers, dance in the aisles etc. all the while they feel they are doing something worthwhile. Recently the woman said - what about us, and now we got Torah for woman events. The rich guy that is sponsoring (paying for all this) - is loving it, taking in all the waxing, all the praise and attention. For him it is money well spent.
Years ago they had these events every few years, but that was too long, not it is every 3 months on average. Now that this event is a demonstration, who care why, there is NO- PROBLEM filling it up. Should they bring in a popular singer the better it will be!
We should be happy for them - they are enjoying themselves.!