Bnei Brak's Fatal Mistake

And how the charedi leadership and media created and perpetuate it

With the Iran war being concluded (at least for now), let’s look back at some of the theological messaging that was presented. Right after the first wave of missile attacks, the US edition of Yated Neeman published an article by their correspondent from Israel, Tzvi Yaakovson. He wrote as follows:

“In Bnei Brak, unlike elsewhere in the country, residents were calm. The Chazon Ish famously said that the zechus of Torah learning will prevent missiles from landing in the city, and they relied on his promise. To be honest, I felt the same confidence in Yerushalayim, since my own neighborhood of Givat Shaul is similar to Bnei Brak; it is a community steeped in Torah and chessed.”

Based on this way of thinking, Yaakovson later explains that the “fierce battle being waged” by the State of Israel against Torah learners is suicidal, since it is the Torah learners rather than the IDF who provide the true protection for Israel. He condemns the “many apikorsim of today” who don’t recognize that the Torah study of charedim contributes both to security and to the economy(!). And he quotes a statement from the Chofetz Chaim that the bochurim in the yeshiva in Radin had effectively “donated” hundreds of beds to the local hospital, since their intensive Torah learning prevented hundreds of people from becoming ill.

Of course, what Yaakovson hadn’t yet discovered when he wrote that article was that one missile had indeed landed in Bnei Brak, killing one elderly man, and injuring many others, who had to be hospitalized.

In my post of two weeks ago, “Bnei Brak is Protected,” I discussed why these people weren’t in shelters. One possibility is that there were no shelters available - the Bnei Brak municipality, demonstrating a disregard for safety that is unfortunately characteristic of Israeli society in general and of charedi society in particular, had requisitioned many public shelters for other uses. And another is that they saw no need to take shelter, since the Chazon Ish, echoed by Rav Chaim Kanievsky, had stated that the “City of Torah” would not suffer harm from missiles. The Yated article supports this, saying that the residents relied on this promise.

And what happened after it emerged that relying on this promise could bring fatal consequences? The rabbinic leaders of Bnei Brak held an emergency meeting and announced that nobody should rely on the promise of the Chazon Ish, which was “inaccurately reported” (by Rav Chaim Kanievsky?!). They further stated that “it is forbidden to rely upon miracles” and that “the Torah requires us to take all protective measures.”

Is the Yated going to publish a follow-up article, clarifying that their message that people could safely rely on the Chazon Ish’s promise was dangerously wrong, because a missile did indeed fall in Bnei Brak with fatal consequences? Will it explore whether their extraordinary claim, that the full-time Torah study of a hundred thousand young men is needed for military and economic benefits, is really grounded in either traditional rabbinic sources or in reality? (Hint: It isn’t.) Will they discuss whether yeshiva students do indeed prevent the need for hospital beds, and analyze whether Bnei Brak rates of hospitalization are lower than in the rest of the country, and whether charedi communities should accordingly require less medical services?

Don’t hold your breath.

And this isn’t the only distortion of the events in Bnei Brak.