The US "Gedolim" Speak Out

And make a Chillul Hashem

And it’s here: the official proclamation from The Council Of Great Torah Sages of Agudas Yisroel of America:

They also provided an English translation, and we’re going to analyze it in detail. If you’re living in the US, you may well not realize what’s striking about the first paragraph:

“IT IS A TIME OF DISTRESS FOR YAAKOV, BUT FROM IT WE SHALL BE SAVED”
”The situation of Acheinu Bnei Yisroel everywhere has become increasingly perilous, with rising waves of anti-Jewish hatred around the world. In our Holy Land, the danger is even greater, with the looming threat of war. Moreover, we still have precious souls who remain captive in the hands of our enemies, Rachmana litzlan, and we pray that Hashem will have mercy upon them, deliver them from their suffering and captivity, bring them from darkness to light, and from oppression to redemption.”

But as someone who lives in Israel and follows the pronouncements of the charedi rabbinic leadership here, I was struck by the mention of the dangers that Israel faces and the situation of the hostages. One could be generous and say that the US rabbis mention these things out of genuine concern; one could be cynical and say that they mention them out of a desire to appear to care for Israel. But either way, the charedim in Israel that they are defending barely ever mention the hostages (if they do use the word, they are more likely referring to yeshiva students under temporary arrest), and they certainly do not talk about the threat of war from our enemies. Their entire focus is on their personal situation; they never express the slightest concern or care for issues affecting the nation as a whole.

“At this time, terrible decrees have been issued against the world of Torah and the yeshivos in our sacred land.”

No, no, NO! This is the terrible slander against Israel that the charedim spread. Not a single decree, terrible or otherwise, has been issued “against the world of Torah and the yeshivos.” There is simply the very slight start to enforce laws that are applied universally in Israel, and which the charedim here very much want to be applied to everyone else, just not to them!

“There are ominous plans, chalilah, to draft those who dedicate themselves to Torah learning, those who sit on the benches of the batei medrash. Our gedolei Torah ztvk”l have already declared unequivocally that any form of army conscription poses a profound spiritual danger.”

You know what other profound danger is posed by army conscription? This:

And yet everyone else still serves. Because the Jewish People are suffering and in danger, and we have to take risks in order to help them. (More on the multiple flaws with this argument in my post “The Religious Risks of IDF Service.”)

“In addition, there are numerous other decrees and persecutions threatening the Torah world, both spiritually and physically.”

The Gedolim are vague on details here, so I’ll tell you exactly what they are referring to: the reducation of financial handouts to the enormous number of unemployed, underemployed and unemployable charedim. Of course in the US, it’s common for charedim to receive a general education and to work for a living and be economically self-sufficient, so it would be hard for the US Gedolim to explain why it’s a terrible “decree and persecution” of charedim in Israel for the rest of the country not to support their deliberate underemployment that drains the economy and which, as Jonathan Rosenblum warned in Mishpacha ten years ago, poses an existential threat to the country.

“Tragically, hundreds of yeshiva bochurim have already been conscripted into the army,”

Oy, it’s tragic. Here is a photo of this “tragedy:”

These soldiers in one of the IDF charedi programs, while few in number, are learning Torah every day, along with fulfilling paramount mitzvos and Jewish values of chessed. They are joining the countless thousands of national-religious yeshiva bochrim, such as my son, whose many years in yeshivah involve taking time out to serve in the IDF and put their Torah into practice. Is this really a “tragedy”?! I’d call it something to profoundly respect, and I suspect many in the American yeshivish community would agree (which is probably why the charedi media in the US avoids reporting on such yeshivos).

“and several avreichim and bochurim are currently imprisoned in military jails.”

Which is exactly what charedim want to be the law in Israel for everyone else. Everyone knows that Israel needs a large army, which requires large-scale conscription, which requires an enforcement mechanism. Charedim were exempt in the past, but now we are in a situation of national crisis, and they need to step up.

“Am Yisroel’s strength lies only in prayer.”

Nah, they don’t believe that. And the Gedolim in Israel that they represent certainly don’t believe that. As Rav Dov Landau declared yesterday, they are making every human effort in their personal war against Israel. Traditional Judaism dictates that prayer accompanies physical effort, it does not replace it. That’s why in the Torah, men go to war.

“It is our sacred duty to plead before the Borei Kol Olamim and to arouse Divine mercy upon His people. Therefore, the Gedolei Yisroel in Eretz Yisroel have proclaimed a special day of tefillah this Thursday, 27 Menachem Av, to coincide with Yom Kippur Katan, observed early this month.

“We therefore call upon every Jew, wherever they may be, to join together in tefillas rabbim, a united outpouring of heartfelt prayer, beseeching Hashem for the protection of the Torah world in our Holy Land and for the salvation of every single one of our brothers and sisters wherever they are. Avinu Malkeinu, abolish from upon us all harsh and evil decrees.

“Throughout the Jewish world, communities are urged to gather for the recitation of Tehillim and the special tefillos of Yom Kippur Katan. In addition, praiseworthy is he who undertakes to fast (even if only for a few hours) as is the custom on Yom Kippur Katan. Whatever one offers, much or little, what matters most is that the heart be directed to Shomayim. The bnei hayeshivos are encouraged to add extra hours to their Torah learning, and we should elevate our collective tefillos on behalf of the Olam HaTorah and all of Klal Yisroel who are facing suffering and captivity.

“May Hakadosh Boruch Hu have compassion upon us, redeem us from all our troubles, and grant us the merit to be written and sealed for a year of geulah and yeshuah.”

Blah blah blah. How dare they talk sanctimoniously about it being “A Time Of Distress for Yaakov,” about davvening to HaKadosh Baruch Hu for “the salvation of every single one of our brothers and sisters” and to have compassion on the suffering of “all of Klal Yisrael”?! There are hundreds of thousands of reservists and their family members who are suffering from the most appalling burden of endless rounds of reserve duty - with their studies ruined, jobs lost, family life devastated, marriages broken, terrible injuries, PTSD, and suicides. Much of this terrible suffering would not exist if the charedim would help share the responsibility and burden of military service, but they refuse to do so!

We desperately need help. And the charedi community is refusing to step up. They even refuse to draft any of the tens of thousands of young charedi men who are not in yeshivah!

What can people in America do to help? I can think of three things:

• Stop donating to any charedi institution, whether in Israel or the US, and most importantly, summon the courage to tell them why: that you refuse to support any institution which respects the non-participation of the charedi community in a war facing Klal Yisrael for which their physical help is desperately needed. Tell them that you are donating instead to Torah institutions which support IDF service and economic productivity, such as charedi hesder yeshivos operated by institutions like Rav Dovid Leibel’s Achvas Torah, dati hesder yeshivot, and charedi schools that provide general studies and gear the students towards army service.

• Write to Mishpacha magazine, Agudath Israel, and every other influential body, and register your objection to the charedi refusal to help with the war.

• Forward this post by email to as many others as you can, and share it on social media networks!