Reply To: Sharing the burden of Torah

UJM- The logic fails because the protection that comes from limud Torah is lema’alah min hateva… it is supernatural and impossible to gauge the correlation between Talmud Torah and military success. That doesn’t mean it’s not true… it is part of our Mesorah.

But stop pretending that you know exactly how it works! Is it how you assume one to one? That every single person learning adds to the security even if it is at the expense of our natural hishtadlus of serving in the army? Or maybe it’s we have to have certain people learning and the rest serving on the front lines? Or maybe it’s that we need the zechus of Talmud Torah in our soldiers! That davka the talmidei chachamim should be serving and bring their zechsuim to the battle fields! (Evidence of that is how Moshe told Yehoshua to take the tzadikim to fight Amalek, Gidon in Sefer Shoftim davka took the best for his army against Midian, and the Gemara that says that Yoav had success in battle because of Dovid HaMelech’s Torah when we know from Tanach that Dovid HaMelech was ALSO a military warrior!)

Additionally, your above comments (while based on very little substance) does not explain why non-learning Charedim shouldn’t be serving. I would be very happy to see that those who aren’t suited for the Beis Medrash or Kollel to stand a post.

I’m also not suggesting that I know how it works. I don’t know if more soldiers will aid in our protection. I’m not saying Charedim should join because we need the security help. That’s in the hands of the Ribono shel olam. I am not arrogant to think that more soldiers will necessarily put us in a better position to win, or that more kollel yungerleit will necessarily put us in a position to win. But what I do know is that more soldiers will relieve the burden of those fighting. Will enable older soldiers in miluim to return more to their families and their businesses. Will allow hesder bochurim to return to the Beis Medrash (they shouldn’t be the only ones sacrificing their Torah to fight). And will just give people a break from a year of gehenom, on the front, fighting our collective enemies. They need help and more Charedim joining will help them immeasurably. It won’t necessarily help us win… but it will help each other out, and I think that’s more important then you give credit for.

Also, I was quoting a story I heard… my daughter isn’t in the army (she’s not even bas mitzvah yet), so I think you should pause before hurling accusations.