My IDF Plan, The Netziv

An alternative to consider

The controversy over charedim not serving in the IDF has never been more heated, and is coming to a head with the expiration of the deferment bill. Non-charedim are furious about a large and growing community being exempt from the difficult and growing burden that is placed upon everyone else, and are concerned about the danger to national security in the event of a larger war. Charedim, behind the bluster of ridiculous claims about their Torah significantly protecting and the danger of Torah being destroyed (as if there is no Torah learning without 18-21 year old charedim!), fear their way of life being seriously changed and do not care about the burden that this imposes upon others. Bibi, desperate for the political support of the chareidi parties, wants to propose a compromise plan in which very little actually changes, and it is unlikely to accepted by either other politicians or the Supreme Court.

It’s useful to consider an alternative. It's something that is still innately unfair, but at least there would be the value in reaching an acceptable compromise. And it's something that ought to be acceptable to charedim. The reason is that it is the approach of the father of the yeshivah world, Rabbi Naftali Tzvi Yehudah Berlin of Volozhin, otherwise known as the Netziv.

The Netziv operates from a value system that is as charedi as you can get. In She'er Yisrael 11, he states that Torah is the main weapon of the Jewish people in defending itself against its enemies. He simultaneously notes that those who support Torah study have a share in such defense. And in Haamek Davar to Bereishis 49:14, he notes that the tribe of Yissachar were not suited to war, and studied Torah instead - until David HaMelech forcibly drafted them! (Incidentally, I’ve always found it strange that charedim conveniently sometimes compare themselves to Yissachar, and at other times compare themselves to Levi.)

Apparently, then, under certain circumstances, even those learning Torah and defending the Jewish People in that way are nevertheless supposed to be drafted for actual combat. However, what is even more interesting is Netziv's description (in Haamek Davar to Bereishis 49:15) of what happens in other circumstances, when those learning Torah are not drafted. He states that they pay higher monetary taxes to support the military! And he states that they are to be available for whatever purposes the nation requires (i.e. some sort of national service). Furthermore, in Haamek Davar to Devarim 33:18 he notes that they must actually accompany the soldiers to study Torah and pray at the front line (presumably either because the protective force of Torah is geographically concentrated, or in order to boost the morale of the soldiers).

This raises a fascinating question. Since the Netziv believed that learning Torah provides the primary protection, why did he say that Yissachar has to pay extra military taxes and perform national service? I don't know the answer. But perhaps it was because he recognized that you’re not sharing national responsibility when you're not putting yourself out in a way that meaningfully matches the sacrifices made by others.

So, here is the Netziv's IDF Plan: Charedim who learn Torah are exempt from serving in the army, but they must pay higher taxes and perform national service, and they must send Torah Study Brigades to the front lines, instead of fleeing during war.

Obviously, this is not what charedim do, it's not what they want to do, and it would not be acceptable to them. But why not, if it is proposed by the Netziv as being The Torah Way? Unfortunately, the answer to that is also obvious. As a community which is ideologically and socially isolated from the rest of Israel, they’re just not interested in making any significant changes for the sake of national need as long as the burden can be shifted to others, and they don’t particularly care that this is hurtful and harmful to others.