The Exodus Disgrace Called Out

A hurt nation responds to a disgraceful declaration

The declaration that chareidim will leave Israel rather than join the IDF, made by the Rishon LeTziyon, Sefardic Chief Rabbi Yitzchak Yosef, led to an observation that his title should be changed to “the Rishon MiTziyon.” More seriously, it also resulted in an enormous outcry of pain and anger. As I explained in my post The Charedi Exodus, his statement was absurd and a disgrace.

Subsequently, Arutz Sheva reported that Rav Yosef had “clarified” and “explained” that he was “only” referring to charedim who really are learning in yeshiva, but other charedim absolutely must serve in the IDF.

Some appear to be under the impression that this was some sort of mitigating explanation. But in fact it was nothing of the sort.

First of all, while it would be wonderful if charedim who are not learning yeshivah would be drafted, the charedi leadership has never evinced the slightest interest in actually making this happen. They have no interest in anyone checking the yeshivos to see who is really learning. They have no interest in developing charedi-appropriate army frameworks for such boys. Claiming that they want non-learning charedim to serve is a lie.

But secondly, and more significantly, the furor was not about charedim who are not learning, but rather about charedim who are learning. Is sharing the responsibility of IDF service so unthinkable that they would leave the country?

Rav Yosef claims that charedim are effectively the Tribe of Levi and are thus exempt from army service. But Rav Yitzchak Shilat, rosh yeshiva of Maale Adumim, called Rav Yosef’s words “an embarrassment.” He points out the (obvious) truth that traditional halachic sources say absolutely no such thing. You can read his letter in Hebrew here, and in English translation here.

Rav Yosef claims that the presence of tens of thousands of charedim in yeshiva is vital to protect the country. I have already written extensively about how this is a total distortion of Chazal’s concept of Torah protecting, in my post “Torah Protects - Who, And From What?” And I also demonstrated that charedim themselves don’t take their maximalist application of this concept seriously, in my post “Do Charedim Really Believe That Torah Protects?”

But the most powerful rejoinder to Rav Yosef came from Rav Tamir Granot, rosh yeshiva of Orot Shaul. Rav Granot’s son Amitai fell in battle a few months ago. Here is a picture of Rav Granot and his wife Avivit with their son:

And here is a picture of Rav Granot and Avivit at their son’s funeral:

In a heartbreaking video address released by Yeshivat Orot Shaul, Rav Granot says that when his wife heard Rav Yosef’s words, she cried again - for a full day.

Why was she so distraught? Because their son Amitai was devoted to Torah; he spent three years learning in yeshivah and could not wait to return. He left only because he understood that it was his religious duty to put his Torah into practice and fulfill mitzvot such as “Do not stand by while your brother’s blood is spilled.”

And here comes Rav Yosef and claims that Amitai got it wrong? That he, and all the other hesder soldiers who fell, should have stayed in yeshiva (or left Israel to learn undisturbed) so as to better protect the Jewish People? That his sacrifice was a mistake?

One can imagine what Rav Yosef, or his apologists, would respond. They would say that they are not, chas v’shalom, negating the hesder path, but rather they are saying that Israel also needs people who learn undisturbed forever.

But why? Do the years of dedication to learning Torah by Amitai and countless others like him, coupled with their mesirat nefesh, not provide sufficient merit for the Jewish People to deserve protection?! Once you claim that endless tens of thousands of permanent yeshiva students are all necessary to provide protection, with no limits as to how many people can choose that path, you are saying that the hesder path does not provide as much protection, and those who take it are making a mistake with harmful repercussions.

It’s the ultimate cruel insult to parents whose children dedicate themselves to both Torah and the Jewish People. It’s a chilul Hashem of the highest order. It’s a perversion of Torah, which is fundamentally about chesed and societal responsibility. And it’s a recipe for national catastrophe.

You can watch and listen to Rav Granot’s message in the video below.

(Rav Granot speaks in a clear and simple Hebrew, but someone is in the process of preparing a version with English subtitles.)