Srugim News released an alarming report regarding mezuzos in the IDF. According to the report, hundreds if not thousands of mezuzos on IDF bases and buildings are missing or pasul.
Ze’ev Ritterman escorted his children during their military service, paying attention to door posts in bases and facilities they served in. he photographed his findings, and in many cases there are no mezuzos while in other cases, there are batim, cases for the mezuzos but there is no parsha inside. Other mezuzos are damaged and some affixed upside down.
The report explains that Ritterman tuned to the IDF Rabbinate last Rosh Hashanah to present his findings, and officials promised mezuzos would be placed on doors where they are missing. To date, this does not appear to have been done for when he checked he saw the mezuzos are still missing. It is pointed out that in large bases and major facilities the situation regarding mezuzos appears to be okay. The issue appears isolated to the less popular facilities and less prominent bases.
Ritterman told Srugim that he often receives complaints from soldiers regarding the mezuzos. At times, money is raised and new mezuzos are purchased and affixed in a private initiative as the IDF Rabbinate is not acting. Ritterman explains the problem is not isolated but prevalent in many bases in the center, north and south of the country.
Ritterman adds that one military rabbi responsible for a brigade explained to him at one point, the IDF Rabbinate purchased an enormous stock of pasul mezuzos. These same pasul mezuzos are still seen on basis around the country. He told Ritterman that on a good day, one or two of every ten mezuzos may be kosher. Today there are people checking the stock of mezuzos that remain to determine if they are kosher. The brigade rav added the policy seems to conform to the ‘ikar ha’din’ regarding mezuzos in public areas, and these mezuzos are only checked every 25 years.
The IDF Spokesman’s Office responded to the report stating “The IDF Rabbinate is working to place mezuzos where they are missing and to check others. Rabbonim in units report missing mezuzos and this is dealt with immediately. In the case of any problem [regarding mezuzos] one may turn to the IDF Rabbinate, the base rabbi or the IDF Rabbinate’s representatives”.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem / Photos: Ze’ev Ritterman)
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6 Responses
the whole concept of the idf is kochi v’otzem yadi
the whole concept of the mezuzah is Hashem is watching over us
polar opposites
I guess you never heard of Hishtadlus. In any event I have a perfect idea for those who continuously criticize the IDF. let them undertake a project to examine and replace every mezuzah on every IDF base that is Posul. It would show the Kehilah at large that religious Jews are indeed interested in all Jews and even those who put their lives on the line every day to protect them.
hrhine,
i guess you’ve never heard the frei people in the idf
secondly most of these pictures show the mezuzahs totally missing, as if someone took them off themself
Mbachur,
I guess you’ve never heard of the six day war, or the Yom Kippur war, or the two Lebanon wars, or the war this past summer. Yes, obviously Hashem was watching over and protecting us but he did it through the idf.
Secondly, thank goodness you’re a detective that you can discern which mezuzot were taken off by hand and which were damaged by weather or other things. Stop with the stupidity and anti medinah comments please.
I second hrhine’s sentiments. If you care so much about bein anti the IDF and medinat Yisrael, how about you just don’t come to the places that the IDF with hashem’s help has conquered. It seems to me that you just take advantage of everything zionism has done for Judaism when it’s convenient for yourself and bash it behind their backs. You should be ashamed of yourself.
I served in the IDF.
It’s not perfect, but with Hashem’s help and ours (the people that want it to be better) it will be perfect.
I just can’t help but find the irony that everyone is bashing the IDF’s commitment to halacha or lack thereof, when the first picture, despite not having a mezzuza, the IS a sign on the door that bans bringing chametz into that building by an official order (pekuda).
BTW-was the chasmonaim rule in EY much better? Bayis sheni? It’s known that Chanuka didn’t catch on so fast bc it was “Frei leadership” afterwards.
If the situation bothers you some much go an do something about it. Saying lashon hara on YWN definitely won’t help.
NuNu